Rob

I understand the hype. There’s a lot to chew on in this book. And it’s a page turner for sure. The ending is wild, but I don’t think it’s particularly successful at wrapping up all the themes of the novel. Is our narrator the victim or the perpetrator? Or both? She’s definitely unreliable (and unlikable).

This is an audacious debut novel, and I’ll be watching what the author does next.

The first half was slow and worked hard to establish the rules/world of the child swapping premise. I’m not sure I ever truly believed in the premise as more than a plot vehicle to examine grief, grace, and forgiveness. But my lord, the back half of this book was superb. This rich setting and these compelling characters overcome my minor quibbles with the set-up.

Easy five stars. I loved this book. Great characters, tight plot, genre elements (crime/mystery/coming of age), interesting setting, just on and on. Ticks about all my boxes.

Comparing this book to The Hunger Games is a massive disservice to potential readers. More apt comparisons are Kindred by Octavia Butler or even Beloved by Toni Morrison.

Curdle Creek is an abstract and experimental novel that isn’t about its plot or even really its characters as much as it is about its setting. It examines the cruelty and violence of societal systems that attempt to prioritize safety over freedom.

I think this novel could have been more effective for more readers with a more compelling main character. But I think the author intends to keep readers off balance and questioning.

Do I recommend this book? Not unless you like to read confusing narratives with no concrete answers. But this book is way better than a 2.7 aggregate Goodreads rating.

Good Stab is a great character, but this is another three star review for an SGJ book. I really wish I liked his books more. His ideas are good, and his themes are important. But I just don’t like his writing style at all. I can feel him trying to be “literary” instead of just telling a great story. It’s a slog to get through with a few fun sequences.

He keeps winning awards, though. So I guess I’ll keep checking them out.