A review by illegiblescribble
The World Cannot Give by Tara Isabella Burton

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • 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

5.0

a haunting tale of religion, power, desire, and longing to be someone worth remembering.

i went into this book not knowing what to expect; i was pleasantly surprised. for a book leaning heavily on christian imagery and ritual, it has a wonderfully diverse cast of characters including a lesbian anarchist punk, a jewish girl who wants to be baptized, a scorned influencer, and a girl who’s just along for the ride. where “the secret history” lost me, this book completely ensnared my attention; perhaps this is the queer “the secret history” that i’ve been looking for. i look forward to revisiting this book in audio format.

thank you to netgalley and simon & schuster for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
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