Damnation Spring

Where to start? There is so much to unpack with Davidson's debut. It is gorgeously written. It has exceptionally fleshed-out characters, including two likeable leads. The Redwoods tower. The setting otherwise is detailed and raw and perfect. The conflict is believable. The violence and illness is unsettling. And yet, I still can't give this more than 4 stars. I couldn't shake an overall malaise when I would return to it, which is not the feeling you need when working through a literary chunkster. I can't quite place why, but it just bogged down. And, the final act was an unwelcome but not unexpected conclusion.