Tegan
I adored this! I was hooked from the first sentence and it only got better from there. There were quite a few twists and turns that I couldn't have predicted. I also love that this book does my most disliked trope accurately! I dislike that trope in general because the name is often inaccurate regarding its use - I won't say it to avoid spoilers but it's in the last few chapters.
I loved Reggie and her relationship with Eldi and other wards (I'm trying very hard not to spoil things). Their interactions so sweet and relatable regarding how (human) toddlers/children act and parenting them. I thought I predicted her big secret but I missed the mark! I quite enjoyed that surprise.
I feel like I related to Reggie a lot due to my recent diagnosis of autism. She's not overtly autistic but there were parts of her that I related to that were/are my autism indicators. It made me feel seen and I liked her even more for it.
I didn't think the plot was rushed through any of the parts including the end. Usually, I find that with a high concept plot like this with many moving pieces that some authors tend to rush parts to get to the conclusion/result which can be detrimental to the story, characters, or development of both. This book doesn't rush anything but also isn't slow. I got to a part where I thought it was going to conclude and was delighted to see I had approx a fifth of the book to go.
None of the plot twists felt contrived or too coincidental. We were drip fed the exact right amount of information to keep the reader engaged and keep the plot twists effective. There was clearly a lot of love for this story and it's construction which absolutely shows in the writing. Hats off to the author and editor who kept to the framework which made this story effective. It wouldn't have been the same without that dedication.
I do like that the villain is flawed and shows it, even when she thinks she isn't. I felt some level of sympathy for her in the last fifth of the book. That character was constructed well and I liked that it's not just a 'bad guy behind a (literal) mask and is 100% evil' type of thing.
Speaking of, a lot of the characters were constructed well and we got to learn some of their motivations without lengthy exposition or similar. My only critique is that Calvin isn't as fleshed out as the rest. I wish we had heard more from him or learned more about him in general. I did like the interludes about his podcast but I feel that his character could have been developed a bit more without slowing down the plot.
All in all, this was a great read and probably in my top 5 novels of this year. I highly recommend it if you like sci fi, the supernatural, cryptozoology and/or mysterious cults with adult characters.
CW for parental neglect, implied child death, grief, abandonment, emotional (and light physical) abuse.
A big thank you to Mira González, Bindery Books, and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and are left voluntarily.
I adored this! I was hooked from the first sentence and it only got better from there. There were quite a few twists and turns that I couldn't have predicted. I also love that this book does my most disliked trope accurately! I dislike that trope in general because the name is often inaccurate regarding its use - I won't say it to avoid spoilers but it's in the last few chapters.
I loved Reggie and her relationship with Eldi and other wards (I'm trying very hard not to spoil things). Their interactions so sweet and relatable regarding how (human) toddlers/children act and parenting them. I thought I predicted her big secret but I missed the mark! I quite enjoyed that surprise.
I feel like I related to Reggie a lot due to my recent diagnosis of autism. She's not overtly autistic but there were parts of her that I related to that were/are my autism indicators. It made me feel seen and I liked her even more for it.
I didn't think the plot was rushed through any of the parts including the end. Usually, I find that with a high concept plot like this with many moving pieces that some authors tend to rush parts to get to the conclusion/result which can be detrimental to the story, characters, or development of both. This book doesn't rush anything but also isn't slow. I got to a part where I thought it was going to conclude and was delighted to see I had approx a fifth of the book to go.
None of the plot twists felt contrived or too coincidental. We were drip fed the exact right amount of information to keep the reader engaged and keep the plot twists effective. There was clearly a lot of love for this story and it's construction which absolutely shows in the writing. Hats off to the author and editor who kept to the framework which made this story effective. It wouldn't have been the same without that dedication.
I do like that the villain is flawed and shows it, even when she thinks she isn't. I felt some level of sympathy for her in the last fifth of the book. That character was constructed well and I liked that it's not just a 'bad guy behind a (literal) mask and is 100% evil' type of thing.
Speaking of, a lot of the characters were constructed well and we got to learn some of their motivations without lengthy exposition or similar. My only critique is that Calvin isn't as fleshed out as the rest. I wish we had heard more from him or learned more about him in general. I did like the interludes about his podcast but I feel that his character could have been developed a bit more without slowing down the plot.
All in all, this was a great read and probably in my top 5 novels of this year. I highly recommend it if you like sci fi, the supernatural, cryptozoology and/or mysterious cults with adult characters.
CW for parental neglect, implied child death, grief, abandonment, emotional (and light physical) abuse.
A big thank you to Mira González, Bindery Books, and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and are left voluntarily.