Scan barcode
A review by heartstrings
The Cipher by Kathe Koja
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was delightfully weird and gruesome. As a horror story it drags at times, but the payoff is more or less worth it. There's no twist, no real surprises as you see everything coming from the beginning but the MC's slow descent is brutal and its take on toxic relationships is subtle enough it doesn't feel cloying, but gritty and sometimes all too real.
Moderate: Animal death