A review by emkatsteen
The Past Is Red by Catherynne M. Valente

3.5

Ultimately, the flow of the narrative was so cryptic at times that I was frustrated. I don’t think the book would have suffered by being a bit clearer right from the get-go. I did really enjoy the end, but it’s a pity that it was so convoluted at the beginning. I was so confused by the setting. I just did not understand how people actually functioned in Garbagetown. Like her house being made of wax and then also her door being burned every night? How does that work?

What about the law? Who was the arbiter of that? Why did she obey?