stefhyena's review against another edition
4.0
I liked a lot about this book including the precocious teenager that may or may not become a regular in the series (I want to read more of these and find out). I also liked that Sigrid's personal life and self-esteem issues were low key...makes her quite relatable. In some ways she is the "more attractive than she thinks" trope but in a charming every-woman sort of a way that self-defeats. It might as easily be a political statement as a fantasy. The feminism too was realistic (women force barriers and bullying) without being dramatised and taking over from the plot. Most of Sigrid's problems relating to people were more complex than just situated in gender. Her maybe lovelife too was nicely understated by the guy (I did not like him) leaving town.
The mystery itself was nicely plotted. I did not guess it, perhaps partly because I did not want to. There's a big unanswerable moral question at the end and Sigrid answers it (as we all have to in life) but I am not sure I agree with her. The question is whether punishment/retribution achieves anything especially if it is private. I see shades of hypocrisyin the answer Sigrid posits, but it may well be that she is written flawed on purpose.
I will read more of these, in places the writing was a bit clunky and self-conscious but that is a small flaw and the intricacies of the plot soon swept me up. I read the book in two days which is a sign of me really enjoying it.
The mystery itself was nicely plotted. I did not guess it, perhaps partly because I did not want to. There's a big unanswerable moral question at the end and Sigrid answers it (as we all have to in life) but I am not sure I agree with her. The question is whether punishment/retribution achieves anything especially if it is private. I see shades of hypocrisyin the answer Sigrid posits, but it may well be that she is written flawed on purpose.
I will read more of these, in places the writing was a bit clunky and self-conscious but that is a small flaw and the intricacies of the plot soon swept me up. I read the book in two days which is a sign of me really enjoying it.
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