A review by sarah984
The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A slow but tense book about a woman who gets more than she bargained for signing up for a mysterious underground expedition with a paycheque that was too good to be true. I liked the descriptions of the caving itself and the push and pull between the main characters, the caver and her handler. I do think Em wound up being a bit too soft but overall great book.
Spoiler
(and it's sort of weird imo that she's so young considering she's already sent over 20 expeditions into this cave by the time Gyre tries it) and the Tunneler was scarier before the baffling decision near the end to force a confrontation with itGraphic: Death, Drug use, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Confinement, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Vomit
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Gaslighting, Animal death, and Body horror