A review by luminary
However Long the Day by Justin Reed

adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced

3.0

While I really liked the plot, at times it felt too predictable and convenient to push along the narrative. Which made wanting to read it not as interesting. I felt as if I could predict each next event.

Some of the characters were rather cartoonishly evil in a way that did not feel realistic, either. Such as Frederick's note to Paddy. That was rather much to truly believe it.

But, it was nice to see something of the tensions Irish immigrants received, as a descendant of Irish immigrants. My great grandparents immigrated to America as young kids, or their parents did so. Some of the Irish euphemisms and slang was authentic to what I grew up with around them.

But, a lot of the other slang felt... Very modern and out of place. Finna is a big one I can think of. I've never heard of it used by anyone older than 30 here in the South. But it's listed as a Southern slang for a book set in the 1910s.

This also reminds me... Was it common for police to have cars in the 1910s? A whole police unit surrounding a warehouse at this time period sounds a bit unbelievable, but I'm not informed enough to know.

The dialogue felt very reminiscent of thee old western movies I'd watch with my parents growing up, which was kinda nice. But the author's repetitive usage of names made it hard at times. A single paragraph could have as many as 5 or more Paddy's in it!

All in all, it's an interesting story. There is room for growth, but for an author's first story, it's really not bad. It's also a rather refreshing read for those who like books centered in early 20th century America.