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A review by a_ab
At First Spite by Olivia Dade
3.5
Maybe 3.5*s for me. There are several things I really liked about this book: the raw and tender portrayal of depression, the subtle but clear neurodivergence coding, the sensitive plus size representation. I also appreciated the characters quite a bit — they felt like complex humans, even when I didn't like their actions, decisions and behavior.
But at the same time, I got uncanny valley vibes from the character interactions: I didn't fully believe in the relationship between the characters as it was presented on page. Even with the dual POV I couldn't quite see what they saw in each other — even while I could see a whole lot to like in the characters, for me, their motivations and internal perceptions didn't match their actions and conclusions when it came to each other.
But at the same time, I got uncanny valley vibes from the character interactions: I didn't fully believe in the relationship between the characters as it was presented on page. Even with the dual POV I couldn't quite see what they saw in each other — even while I could see a whole lot to like in the characters, for me, their motivations and internal perceptions didn't match their actions and conclusions when it came to each other.