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bluejaybrambles's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
0.5
I was very close to dropping this book but ended up reading it all in one sitting. The premise intrigued me enough to check it out from the library but the execution was...not good. I hadn't read any James Patterson before picking this up, and to be honest this book alone was enough to likely discourage me from picking up any more.
The plot is very contrived, stringing you along as the characters try to figure out which virgin birth is "real." The construction of this book does the readers no favors, with very short chapters that rapidly switch between POVs. The characters are very flat with backstory details being included in a very hamfisted manner, and there's an unpleasant fascination with sex and virginity throughout, especially with the teenage girl characters. The fakeout at the end also felt poorly done and upended the rest of the story without a satisfying payoff. A generally unpleasant read all around.
The plot is very contrived, stringing you along as the characters try to figure out which virgin birth is "real." The construction of this book does the readers no favors, with very short chapters that rapidly switch between POVs. The characters are very flat with backstory details being included in a very hamfisted manner, and there's an unpleasant fascination with sex and virginity throughout, especially with the teenage girl characters. The fakeout at the end also felt poorly done and upended the rest of the story without a satisfying payoff. A generally unpleasant read all around.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, and Rape
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