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shelby1994's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I love seeing my newly minted hometown eviscerated. I don't cherish DC the way a lot of people do their hometowns. DC is a power-hungry abyss where morals and good intentions go to die, where access is just as valuable as a good last name, and where the most dangerous person you'll meet is probably a 16 year old prep student with an agenda. I love it, I'll never leave it.
McDowell transfers DC onto the page perfectly. Unfortunately, the sense of location is the most riveting part about this book. There's too much going on at once; what starts out as a murder mystery quickly transforms into a Big Little Lies-esque multi-POV story about familial corruption and sex scandals, only to then morph into a racially-focused coming of age story?
The kids and the parents are all awful (and incredibly naive for being raised in a eat-or-be-eaten political town), but the parents do succeed in being awful in new and interesting ways, whereas their heirs just deal drugs and waterboard each other for funsies.
There are no redeemable characters, and I know some of y'all like that, but for me it emphasized that the extreme wealth and power in the USA will forever feed into itself until actual murder happens (and even then, probably won't change) and that was just a bit much for me to sit with this holiday season.
Read If:
-- You're a DC native
-- You like the idea of a Gossip Girl/House of Cards crossover (sexual predators included)
-- You liked "The Hopefuls" by Jennifer Close
TW: Sexual harassment, suicide, drug overdose, domestic abuse
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Suicide, and Sexual harassment
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