A review by book_jacket_couture
A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham

emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 
I really enjoyed this book. Admittedly the first half of the book was a bit slow plot-wise but we get a lot of insight into the MC's mental instability, childhood trauma, etc. I could see the MC and her actions clearly in my mind, which is hard for me sometimes. The reality was a big part of this book. The reality of mental illness, the reality of trauma, the reality of relationships, etc.

The plot was also very interesting. Every time I thought I had figured it out, another curveball was thrown in. The last one I certainly did not see coming! Willingham did a nice job of reminding us of clues we had gotten throughout the story without being too obvious about it. It felt like a natural intellectual journey as the MC put all the pieces together.

I also appreciated the amount of self-reflection and symbolism throughout the story. The MC's experiences and her career choice made her abilities of observation and evaluation more believable.

Willingham is working on another novel and I cannot wait to see what she does next. 
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