Mike
A very solid thriller with blazing fast pacing. I don't love some aspects to how the story played out and the attempts at character development lacking made the emotional parts not hit as hard. But it's easy to look past these minor criticisms because this story was so much fun and has no idea what I was getting into
Book Review: Lovely, Dark & Deep by Megan Stockton ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
I have alot of praise for this book but I do have a few issues with it as well. I do give this book a strong recommendation.
Let me start with the positives. This book is well written and has a fantastic set up and the cover art alone is beautiful and sets the tone for the novel. Pacing is quick and engaging. Definitely a single sit down read. I also really loved the set up and tone this book starts out with. You really feel like you're in this moment and waiting for the storm to come.
The characters were very all unique and each had a stand out voice in the text. I especially liked Fishers and Lyras POVs but I enjoyed each one on their own merit.
Unfortunately this is where the cons start to come one. (I understand these will be more my preference of how I hoped the novel would improve/explore.)
1.) once the storm happens. It seems to disappear. We get descriptions of it still. But our characters don't really seem hindered by the “storm of the century. They can still get to locations with relative ease.
2.) the creatures were slightly disappointing. I wish we got more story as to what was happening. It doesn't need to be elaborate or holding my hand but they were a tad one dimensional to the story.
3.) length. I really wish this book had another 100 pages. I would have loved to gotten more connections to these characters. The author does a great job with building this community. But I do think it ends and events happen too fast that we loose the weight and impact that could've been felt harder given more time to these characters.
Overall. This is a fast paced horror filled novel. Full of nasty descriptions and characters you want to pull for. I just wish we got more out of the actual story and a better resolution.
Possible Spoiler
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I'd love to know more about the last chapter. Were the women sirens or mermaids? I feel like I missed something important from it.
3.5. Love the world, loved the concepts, characters and ideas being discussed. Great final act. Reveals were cool
Disliked: the pacing, plot kinda gets stuck in places, characters become important then forgotten again. The ideas being implemented in the story are beaten over the head instead of conveyed by the characters or actions that take place.
8/10
I really love this story and universe. But I continue to find the books bloated and long winded. I think these novels could be trimmed 100 pages typically. I understand the need to build up characters and set up the set pieces that these novels deliver on but sometimes the spaces in between cause the story to lose momentum for me.
It's a lot of fun and a unique story/concept. I just didn't really like the first 50 pages. Once we got to our group of 4 I feel like the story really takes off. I do wish there was more introspective storytelling and commentary. I see why it has such a big fandom though and considered a classic. I may read the sequel.
8.5/10 What I can say is I loved this world and story overall. It's very well done. I did struggle with how the story told and how perspectives change very quickly in the middle of chapters. And sometimes things are explicitly told to us rather than conveyed by dialogue, emotions or actions of character and it breaks the immersion for me personally.
