A review by angelofthetardis
Wretched by Emily McIntire
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It's the turn of 'The Wizard of Oz' to receive the Never After treatment. Now set in a city not far from Chicago, Evalina Westerly's family are Irish mob and their game is pushing a new drug variant, Flying Monkey. Exploited by her father, abandones by her mother and a with a suspicion thay one sister may have murdered another, when a new face appears that drives her barmy and yet draws her ever closer, she starts to question if there is really 'no place like home'?
This really feels like an amalgamation of the first two books in the series, with the parts of each book thst worked well being cherry picked and rewritten to fit the Wizard of Oz narrative. The trouble is, by now the pattern is becoming familiar and, in this case, the writing and characters aren't quite strong enough to carry it through. The storyline as a whole doesn't feel particularly original and the style feels quite amateur. Overall, the quality feels more like this is the writer's first attempt at the genre, rather than the third book in the series. I admit that this feeling may be partially down to the fact that I'm binge-reading the series though.
I liked the idea of Nicholas, our MMC, but ultimately he comes across to me as a bundle of contradictions. He starts as a stereotypical playboy, but it's not carried through in any meaningful way. He's got a strong moral compass based on events from his past, and while his conflicting emotions are considered, it feels just a little outside the realms of believability that he can ignore or accept something that previously was a total anathema to him. And in the extended epilogue, there's a mention things may not have changed all that much, and yet he's perfectly contented. I just can't see it myself.
Even the smut seems a bit contrived. It definitely feels like it's going through the motions just to meet the readers' expectations rather than being anything anything particularly designed for the story. The placement of the first 'encounter' appears to me to be an attempt to mix things up a bit, and it works, but is then let down by the follow ups being, for the most part, more of the same rather that developing the relationship.
All that being said, it is just as good as the others for being a bit of escapism, a quick and enjoyable read and a very different take on a classic story.
This really feels like an amalgamation of the first two books in the series, with the parts of each book thst worked well being cherry picked and rewritten to fit the Wizard of Oz narrative. The trouble is, by now the pattern is becoming familiar and, in this case, the writing and characters aren't quite strong enough to carry it through. The storyline as a whole doesn't feel particularly original and the style feels quite amateur. Overall, the quality feels more like this is the writer's first attempt at the genre, rather than the third book in the series. I admit that this feeling may be partially down to the fact that I'm binge-reading the series though.
I liked the idea of Nicholas, our MMC, but ultimately he comes across to me as a bundle of contradictions. He starts as a stereotypical playboy, but it's not carried through in any meaningful way. He's got a strong moral compass based on events from his past, and while his conflicting emotions are considered, it feels just a little outside the realms of believability that he can ignore or accept something that previously was a total anathema to him. And in the extended epilogue, there's a mention things may not have changed all that much, and yet he's perfectly contented. I just can't see it myself.
Even the smut seems a bit contrived. It definitely feels like it's going through the motions just to meet the readers' expectations rather than being anything anything particularly designed for the story. The placement of the first 'encounter' appears to me to be an attempt to mix things up a bit, and it works, but is then let down by the follow ups being, for the most part, more of the same rather that developing the relationship.
All that being said, it is just as good as the others for being a bit of escapism, a quick and enjoyable read and a very different take on a classic story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Death, Violence, Sexual content, and Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, and Cursing