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cursed_sapphire's review
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Although a step down from the first book, the second installment of the Gilda Joyce series continues to entertain. The sense of humor continues to delight, although the plot here felt a bit more sparse. Also, this book often lacked a character for Gilda to work off of. In the first book we had Juliet, a character who was Gilda's constant companion once she got to San Fransisco, and served to both humble and help Gilda when necessary. Here that's replaced by Gilda's hostile relationship with her mother's boyfriend Brad, occasional visits with Gilda's best friend Wendy Choy, and a few consistent students and faculty at the Catholic girls' school that serves as the setting for this particular adventure. While Gilda's investigative skills have significantly improved in this sequel, I feel that the central core of the story was lacking- the book, while focusing on the tragic death of a girl who drowned in the lake, often veered into long bouts of unrelated drama, leaving the mystery sometimes forgotten. I also found Gilda's arguments with her mother unpleasant, with her mother trying her best and Gilda being often openly hostile. And unlike the first book, where Gilda often showed sympathy for her mother through narration and typed letters to her dead father, here she seemed exclusively harsh, doubting Ms. Joyce could ever take even a passing interest in her daughter's hobbies/activities. Overall this book felt less focused and a bit meaner than the first book, but the wit and Gilda's odd antics still make for an enjoyable experience.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Fatphobia, and Toxic friendship