Scan barcode
maximumboogie's review against another edition
2.5
Picked this up because I liked the cover(s) and had never read a book like this before.
Started with the blue half (1880s), and I honestly don't think the book can be read the other way around, because the latter story (red half, 1930s) has no effect on the other half, you could read the blue half as a standalone novela. This isn't a con per se, but more a missed opportunity, and partially misleading marketing, as the cover(s) imply that you need both parts of the story to understand the whole book.
The blue half had some weird depictions of accents that made some dialogue almost unreadable. The final twist in this half was also pretty predictable but I did like it. Shame it was made worse by the other half.
The red half was way less interesting than the blue one, and its ending is also very abrupt. I did like the *final* twist, just not the confrontation that happened after, it really was just characters telling one another what happened instead of something interesting actually happening. This half also low-key ruined the blue half for me, there was a twist near the beginning that made me think: "then what was the point of the blue half?" Whenever you're supposed to remember something from the blue half, the passage is cited.
Also, there is a trope that I really hate, namely "this character knows everything and dies before they can say anything", and this book does it TWICE. Three times technically, but the third person wasn't revealed to have known anything until after their death.
Other than all of these criticisms, I did like the book somewhat, especially the blue half.
Started with the blue half (1880s), and I honestly don't think the book can be read the other way around, because the latter story (red half, 1930s) has no effect on the other half, you could read the blue half as a standalone novela. This isn't a con per se, but more a missed opportunity, and partially misleading marketing, as the cover(s) imply that you need both parts of the story to understand the whole book.
The blue half had some weird depictions of accents that made some dialogue almost unreadable. The final twist in this half was also pretty predictable but I did like it. Shame it was made worse by the other half.
The red half was way less interesting than the blue one, and its ending is also very abrupt. I did like the *final* twist, just not the confrontation that happened after, it really was just characters telling one another what happened instead of something interesting actually happening. This half also low-key ruined the blue half for me, there was a twist near the beginning that made me think: "then what was the point of the blue half?" Whenever you're supposed to remember something from the blue half, the passage is cited.
Also, there is a trope that I really hate, namely "this character knows everything and dies before they can say anything", and this book does it TWICE. Three times technically, but the third person wasn't revealed to have known anything until after their death.
Other than all of these criticisms, I did like the book somewhat, especially the blue half.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism
Moderate: Police brutality
zuza_w's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism and Animal death
tiredcreature's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Carried entirely by the unusual format
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, and Police brutality
chrisscorkscrew's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Mental illness, Suicide, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Animal death
More...