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A review by onmalsshelf
Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm by Laura Warrell
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley, as well as Libro.FM for ARCs and ALCs in exchange for an honest review.
Honestly, I don't know what to make of this one. The prose of this debut is absolutely stunning, possibly the best prose I've read in the past year or so.
However, the plot was jumbled and at times read more like a collection of short stories rather than a cohesive work of literary fiction. I'm left trying to figure out if Warrell successfully completed her goal here as I'm not sure what it was to begin with? Redemption arc for Circus? A character study on Circus and the various women in his life?
If it's either of those, I'd say its partially successful, but as it was not cohesive it is hard to decide.
If I was rating this on prose and the most of plot alone, I would probably give it a 3.7-3.75 stars. While it's obvious no one in this story is supposed to be likable, there was a glaring issue with on plot point that readers should not forgive or forget.
Let's talk about the romanticizing and the idolization of one of the Boston Marathon Bombers by teenage girls.
One, it's problematic - people died and people's lives were changed forever. Two, it was unnecessary as the plot could've been moved along in a similar fashion without this monstrosity.
Additionally, the teacher/student relationship idolization at the beginning added absolutely nothing and could've also been removed.
This glaring issue is why I'll be rating it 2.75 stars.
Worrell's debut held a lot of promise with the amazing prose and the synopsis, but it was not successful in being a cohesive novel.
Honestly, I don't know what to make of this one. The prose of this debut is absolutely stunning, possibly the best prose I've read in the past year or so.
However, the plot was jumbled and at times read more like a collection of short stories rather than a cohesive work of literary fiction. I'm left trying to figure out if Warrell successfully completed her goal here as I'm not sure what it was to begin with? Redemption arc for Circus? A character study on Circus and the various women in his life?
If it's either of those, I'd say its partially successful, but as it was not cohesive it is hard to decide.
If I was rating this on prose and the most of plot alone, I would probably give it a 3.7-3.75 stars. While it's obvious no one in this story is supposed to be likable, there was a glaring issue with on plot point that readers should not forgive or forget.
Let's talk about the romanticizing and the idolization of one of the Boston Marathon Bombers by teenage girls.
One, it's problematic - people died and people's lives were changed forever. Two, it was unnecessary as the plot could've been moved along in a similar fashion without this monstrosity.
Additionally, the teacher/student relationship idolization at the beginning added absolutely nothing and could've also been removed.
This glaring issue is why I'll be rating it 2.75 stars.
Worrell's debut held a lot of promise with the amazing prose and the synopsis, but it was not successful in being a cohesive novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Abandonment
Moderate: Pregnancy
teacher/student relationship, terrorist idolization