grubrednuf's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Vomit, Gun violence, Excrement, Violence, Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Child death, Alcoholism, and Police brutality
Moderate: Rape and Sexual violence
alexashabit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Racism, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Misogyny, Vomit, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, Suicide, and Gun violence
carriepond's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book was great. Hosein created such complex, memorable characters and his writing was so beautiful in parts of this book that I was amazed he is a debut author. I got such a sense of place from his writing and was invested almost immediately, and although the plot unfolds slowly, it feels methodical-- and there is a sense of unease from the first page. I wasn't quite sure what had or would go wrong, but I knew immediately that something was going down, and I felt compelled to keep reading to find out what would happen. I also really loved how Hosein began each chapter focusing on a character's past to give us context for how they fit into the big picture of the story-- I thought it was really effective in creating those complex characters without bogging down the story.
I highly recommend this for lovers of historical fiction, but I also recommend it to anyone looking for a slow-burn mystery in a setting that we don't see as often (in historical fiction, especially). This was great, and I was glad I read it.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Animal death, Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, Classism, Bullying, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Racism, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Colonisation, Drug use, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Vomit