artemishi's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This was one of those books where I kept hoping it would get twisty or have something impactful, and I'm sorry to say I was ultimately disappointed.
However, there were some good things:
The setting (Atlanta, GA in 1969) felt authentic- especially the rampant racism, anti-hippie sentiment, Vietnam War catastrophe, and sexist attitudes. I've had many talks with my mom about that time in American history (she was active in the civil rights movement and spent a brief period of time in SC in the early 70's) and it rang true with her memories.
The voice of Bliss feels authentic. Aside from being a lot wiser than I'd expect for her age (the subtext being life on the commune had more 'life lessons' than schoolroom lessons, though somehow she also excels at academics), her reaction to peer pressure, her attempts to understand teen behavior, her self-aware contradictory nature....that all felt real.
Although it's very much a backdrop tertiary thing, I also felt like the relationship between Bliss and her grandmother felt authentic (complete with constant tension around the fact that Bliss' mom is a total deadbeat parent).
I also appreciated the world-bolstering excerpts from the Andy Griffith Show, commercials of the era, and the Manson murder trial. I'm not sure how each correlated to the chapter they precluded, but they kept a running reminder of how contrasting that era was, between the superficial behavior modeling and truly rending chaos beneath.
The not so much:
There was a small red herring at the start of the book, which led me to believe there'd be some clever thriller twists later on. Sadly, there were not. This is definitely a straightforward, Carrie-style horror story with absolutely 0 subtlety. Not even a question of whether the main villain is indeed possessed or merely insane.
The ending felt incomplete. The entire book leads up to a climax the MC is struggling to prevent. But the ending of the book focuses on her coming to resolution with her grief over something that happens in the third-to-final chapter. And there's an object tease that turns out to be unsubtle Christian imagery at the end of the story. I felt cheated of any potential impact, and confused about the left turn this book took at the very end.
Overall, it's a straightforward, if rather mediocre, YA horror story with a disappointing ending.
However, there were some good things:
The setting (Atlanta, GA in 1969) felt authentic- especially the rampant racism, anti-hippie sentiment, Vietnam War catastrophe, and sexist attitudes. I've had many talks with my mom about that time in American history (she was active in the civil rights movement and spent a brief period of time in SC in the early 70's) and it rang true with her memories.
The voice of Bliss feels authentic. Aside from being a lot wiser than I'd expect for her age (the subtext being life on the commune had more 'life lessons' than schoolroom lessons, though somehow she also excels at academics), her reaction to peer pressure, her attempts to understand teen behavior, her self-aware contradictory nature....that all felt real.
Although it's very much a backdrop tertiary thing, I also felt like the relationship between Bliss and her grandmother felt authentic (complete with constant tension around the fact that Bliss' mom is a total deadbeat parent).
I also appreciated the world-bolstering excerpts from the Andy Griffith Show, commercials of the era, and the Manson murder trial. I'm not sure how each correlated to the chapter they precluded, but they kept a running reminder of how contrasting that era was, between the superficial behavior modeling and truly rending chaos beneath.
The not so much:
There was a small red herring at the start of the book, which led me to believe there'd be some clever thriller twists later on. Sadly, there were not. This is definitely a straightforward, Carrie-style horror story with absolutely 0 subtlety. Not even a question of whether the main villain is indeed possessed or merely insane.
The ending felt incomplete. The entire book leads up to a climax the MC is struggling to prevent. But the ending of the book focuses on her coming to resolution with her grief over something that happens in the third-to-final chapter. And there's an object tease that turns out to be unsubtle Christian imagery at the end of the story. I felt cheated of any potential impact, and confused about the left turn this book took at the very end.
Overall, it's a straightforward, if rather mediocre, YA horror story with a disappointing ending.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Racial slurs
Minor: Self harm, Blood, Suicide, and Animal cruelty
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