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ellemnope 's review for:
Of Magpies and Men
by Ode Ray
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
2.5 stars.
This was a complicated knot of a read that really wound a lot up in a wandering plot. The first half of the book is confusing and it is difficult to sort out who the characters are and how the multiple plot lines are going to work themselves together. The movement of the different stories slowly toward one another is intriguing, but the jolting movements from place to place, time to time, and character to character, make things very convoluted. It requires a slow and in-depth read. This is an okay feeling to have and can make for a wonderful read, but it did create some frustration in the reading process and made the pacing drag down a bit as I tried to sort out all the interlocking pieces.
Beyond my struggles with plot organization and pacing, this was a good read. The characters were interesting and there was a lot of character development via the multiple plot lines. There is a lot of introspection and growth for the characters amidst a lot of chaos and difficulty. The weaving together of the plot lines is intriguing and does occur in a slowly revealed and interesting way. It's a very unique plot movement with a writing style that somehow reminds me of Stieg Larsson and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
Though I did have issues with my read of this novel, I will say that the writing style is appealing and I am interested to see what this author produces in the future. She clearly has a good imagination and skill at developing a complicated plot. A debut novel with good promise for the future.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *
This was a complicated knot of a read that really wound a lot up in a wandering plot. The first half of the book is confusing and it is difficult to sort out who the characters are and how the multiple plot lines are going to work themselves together. The movement of the different stories slowly toward one another is intriguing, but the jolting movements from place to place, time to time, and character to character, make things very convoluted. It requires a slow and in-depth read. This is an okay feeling to have and can make for a wonderful read, but it did create some frustration in the reading process and made the pacing drag down a bit as I tried to sort out all the interlocking pieces.
Beyond my struggles with plot organization and pacing, this was a good read. The characters were interesting and there was a lot of character development via the multiple plot lines. There is a lot of introspection and growth for the characters amidst a lot of chaos and difficulty. The weaving together of the plot lines is intriguing and does occur in a slowly revealed and interesting way. It's a very unique plot movement with a writing style that somehow reminds me of Stieg Larsson and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
Though I did have issues with my read of this novel, I will say that the writing style is appealing and I am interested to see what this author produces in the future. She clearly has a good imagination and skill at developing a complicated plot. A debut novel with good promise for the future.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *