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whit_knee's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
- Strong character development? It's complicated
2.75
okevamae's review
4.0
Glinda’s life isn't exactly what she’d always dreamed. She dropped out of her PhD program and she works as a wench in a dunking booth at a Renaissance fair. Her twin sister, once her closest friend, won’t speak to her, and her younger sister is an intolerable brat. Her only sort-of friend is a co-worker who has a crush on her, much to her discomfort. And the icing on the cake – her mom is in a cult, and she’s about to marry the cult’s leader and turn the family home over to become his commune. Glinda is the only one who sees how dangerous Father Arlon is – and due to her past mistakes, no one believes her or is willing to help.
Glinda is a complicated character. She’s frequently unlikeable. She’s standoffish, does childish things, and constantly shoots herself in the foot. But a lot of her behavior is rooted in trauma and grief, and that makes her understandable and more sympathetic, even when it’s hard to like the things she is doing. And you still want to root for her, partly because you want her to be redeemed, and partly because she’s the only one who sees the danger they are in.
The book is funny at some times, heartbreaking or harrowing at others. The pacing is a little uneven, but the story still kept my attention the whole way through. Overall it’s an entertaining read.
Representation: POC character(?), mental illness representation
TW: sexual assault, cultic abuse, drug addiction
I received an advance copy of this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for and honest review.
Glinda is a complicated character. She’s frequently unlikeable. She’s standoffish, does childish things, and constantly shoots herself in the foot. But a lot of her behavior is rooted in trauma and grief, and that makes her understandable and more sympathetic, even when it’s hard to like the things she is doing. And you still want to root for her, partly because you want her to be redeemed, and partly because she’s the only one who sees the danger they are in.
The book is funny at some times, heartbreaking or harrowing at others. The pacing is a little uneven, but the story still kept my attention the whole way through. Overall it’s an entertaining read.
Representation: POC character(?), mental illness representation
TW: sexual assault, cultic abuse, drug addiction
I received an advance copy of this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for and honest review.
bippityboppityboop's review
5.0
This book is a real winner. It was a very fun read and made me laugh out loud a few times. I love the setting, the characters, and the mystery at the heart of things. It's ultimately a zany, screwball comedy with a lot of heart. I think you will enjoy this if you are a fan of Kevin Wilson.
mariho06's review
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
todayitsthis's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
optimisticbooknerd's review
3.0
3 ⭐️
thankyou Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this one early.
I wanted this one because someone said it's in the same vain as Finlay Donovan and I've realized that's definitely the vibe I wanted but with reading, I agree to an extent.
I really liked the writing but the characters were very oddly written. I did think it was a solid story though.
thankyou Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this one early.
I wanted this one because someone said it's in the same vain as Finlay Donovan and I've realized that's definitely the vibe I wanted but with reading, I agree to an extent.
I really liked the writing but the characters were very oddly written. I did think it was a solid story though.
katietopp's review
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
deblyn's review
4.0
This was a quirky story about Glinda trying to save her mother from a cult. Glinda and her sisters and mother are damaged and in order to save their mother, they must work together and mend their relationships. It was lighter than I expected and at times the cult stuff seemed far fetched, but then I thought, this actually happens to people every day. Some of Glinda’s choices and the things she does are infuriating, but I think that’s by design. It was frustrating that no one would listen, but again, her past behavior made her difficult to trust. I even laughed a few times. All in all a good story.
probableereading's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
stinsylinson's review
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75