Scan barcode
A review by dr_dr_olshakes
The Cherry Robbers by Sarai Walker
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
I chose this book on a whim because it was immediately ready to borrow on Libby. I absolutely LOVED it. The prose really wraps you up and holds you tight as you read about tragedy and grief and violence. This book is a stunning (wedding cake) mixture of We Have Always Lived in the Castle/The Winchester House/Pride and Prejudice/The Virgin Suicides/The Haunting of Hill House. It's the perfect atmospheric Gothic novel.
That all said, I was disappointed that the "curse" really seemed to just be "men bad" and not the consequences of war profiteering and genocide. I feel like the metaphors it was laying out (the sisters choosing gun and oil magnates) really spoke to legacies of violence in a way that got undermined by the "saving grace" of lesbianism. And don't get me wrong- I loved how queer this book was! The ending was also a bit of a screeching halt after so much tension.
I'm going to carry this book, and the Chapel sisters, in my mind and heart for a while. Truly masterful, with few qualms.
That all said, I was disappointed that the "curse" really seemed to just be "men bad" and not the consequences of war profiteering and genocide. I feel like the metaphors it was laying out (the sisters choosing gun and oil magnates) really spoke to legacies of violence in a way that got undermined by the "saving grace" of lesbianism. And don't get me wrong- I loved how queer this book was! The ending was also a bit of a screeching halt after so much tension.
I'm going to carry this book, and the Chapel sisters, in my mind and heart for a while. Truly masterful, with few qualms.