A review by spookyaz
Small Pleasures, by Clare Chambers
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
I liked the writing and descriptions and all of the little details. I did not like the treatment of queer and neurodivergent people in this book- very underdeveloped and full of harmful stereotypes and such. That being said, I guess I didn't really expect anything more from most fiction books unless they're explicitly written by/for queer/neurodiverse folks. Sad but true. I also did not like how the romance took over the plot from the original mystery. The ending I found jarring and very much an "excuse me???" moment. Not to say that it was necessarily a completely bad ending. The plot twists were not things I saw coming, but that's a usual thing with me. I don't know if I'd recommend this book to people, to be honest- I might have to sit with my thoughts a bit more.
Minor: Homophobia, Ableism, Alcohol, Terminal illness, Abortion, Confinement, Death, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Medical trauma