A review by gonturans
Latchkey by Nicole Kornher-Stace
5.0
I tried to explain the vibe of this book (and ARCHIVIST WASP) to a friend, and it came out as “post-Fury Road, with ghosts that can kill you, and the spiritual manifestations of their trauma”. Even then I’m not sure if that accurately captures both books, but if you dig that sentence, give these a try.
“Isabel, here, now, was standing on the nexus of two stories, in the place where they grated against each other like a badly-set bone.”
Isabel. Isabel! Her relationships with the former upstarts (and the upstarts with each other) and the ghost are so compelling; picking back up with the ghost, the clear tension of how she chooses what to say to him and he to her (the use of “Wasp”, especially), lead to some of my favorite dialogue I’ve read this year.
I enjoyed this one more than AW, if only because I was more settled into the world-building and the book itself reexplains some plot points I’d forgotten or missed in AW. The characters are clearly drawn, the writing deft and every word meant to be there, a plot that drops hints and moves forward at a pace that can sometimes feel slow but also reveals itself with a snap— I devoured it and can’t wait for the next book (which, after that ending, I can only hope there is).
“Isabel, here, now, was standing on the nexus of two stories, in the place where they grated against each other like a badly-set bone.”
Isabel. Isabel! Her relationships with the former upstarts (and the upstarts with each other) and the ghost are so compelling; picking back up with the ghost, the clear tension of how she chooses what to say to him and he to her (the use of “Wasp”, especially), lead to some of my favorite dialogue I’ve read this year.
I enjoyed this one more than AW, if only because I was more settled into the world-building and the book itself reexplains some plot points I’d forgotten or missed in AW. The characters are clearly drawn, the writing deft and every word meant to be there, a plot that drops hints and moves forward at a pace that can sometimes feel slow but also reveals itself with a snap— I devoured it and can’t wait for the next book (which, after that ending, I can only hope there is).