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A review by blainereads
Ghosts of Harvard by Francesca Serritella
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
This was not very good :)
There was a lot of author ignorance regarding race that came through with these characters, and not in a way that felt purposeful or that served the story — just in a way that made it feel like the identities of the characters (that is, the real life people they represented) were exploited and often made into caricatures of diverse demographics. When the POC characters weren’t being offensively caricatured, It often (if not always) felt like slapping an “Asian” or “Indian” in front of a description was more for checking boxes than offering any real depth or purpose to the narrative. White people, pay attention: this is how NOT to include diversity in your books.
Aside from that, the way disability and mental illness was treated was uncomfortable, at best. And none of this begins to touch on to the grating dialogue and unbelievable plot and convenient plot points! I signed up for ghosts and got ill-conceived Russian spies instead :(
There was a lot of author ignorance regarding race that came through with these characters, and not in a way that felt purposeful or that served the story — just in a way that made it feel like the identities of the characters (that is, the real life people they represented) were exploited and often made into caricatures of diverse demographics. When the POC characters weren’t being offensively caricatured, It often (if not always) felt like slapping an “Asian” or “Indian” in front of a description was more for checking boxes than offering any real depth or purpose to the narrative. White people, pay attention: this is how NOT to include diversity in your books.
Aside from that, the way disability and mental illness was treated was uncomfortable, at best. And none of this begins to touch on to the grating dialogue and unbelievable plot and convenient plot points! I signed up for ghosts and got ill-conceived Russian spies instead :(
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide