This is the type of book that I had to sit back and think about for awhile after reading it. It was peculiar and different but it was also a little… too different? I think the premise was there - and it was a strong, unique storyline - but somewhere in the writing style and disjointed plot it got lost.

The writing style was little hard for me to swallow. It changed between first, second and third POV randomly and it got awfully confusing trying to figure out what was happening. I thought the second POV were meant to be flashbacks/dreams at first but even that wasn’t consistent. I wasted way too much time trying to realise if the events in those passages actually happened or not. It actually kind of distracted me from the general storyline and characters. I also felt that the writing style as a whole tried to be flowery and poignant but it just didn’t suit the story, especially in the beginning when the author was trying to build up this derelict dystopian world. The prose just felt completely out of place! It was almost like the author was trying too hard. I know that this is a debut story so maybe Griffin is still trying to find her voice...? Either way, I personally found it was distracting from the overall plotline.

I didn’t mind the characters all that much. Nell is a feminist, bisexual woman of colour so I was obviously in love with that aspect of the story. The fact that she was also independent, headstrong and happily introverted just made my day. Yes, she was a little abrupt at times but I felt that she as a whole she was a realistic and well-rounded character. I just wish I had connected to her on a more personal level! No matter how much I tried - and as much as I admired her from afar - there was something that just made it really hard for me to care for her. I never felt that we got to know her well enough as I was constantly surprised by the things she said and did.


The secondary characters were much better. I thought Ruby and Io were great characters! Io’s humour was so sweet and I loved Ruby’s loyalty - no matter what Nell threw her way, she stuck by her. Julian could have done with some more fleshing out in my opinion and so could have Nan. I just wish familial relationships had played a larger role in the story as a whole? Unfortunately, I could not stand Oliver’s character. Everyone may have thought it was cute that he kept “going after” Nell after she had turned him - down no fewer than eighteen freaking times - but that’s just harassment and not okay. Did he not get the message that Nell was interested? Well, obviously not… but her should have. I could not stand him.

The plot was what let this story down. It was far too slow-paced and oddly vague. I never really felt like I understood exactly what was happening at a given moments so I was constantly confused having to reread entire pages to try and figure out what was happening. The world and general idea of the post-apocalyptic society was clever but I really didn’t enjoy the Nell’s journey within it. I definitely think focusing on a specific element would have helped. I found it hard to believe that her love for engineering was all that sincere. We barely ever her see her tinkering/building things? She justs draws a lot so the idea of her being a mechanical prodigy felt out of place. It probably didn’t help that the ending completely threw me out of whack. I don’t think I quite understand its significance? It was over before I knew it and I’m still wondering what I missed… I don’t understand her mother’s sub-storyline at all.

Overall?

I think this was a decent debut but just not my cup of tea. The plotline was too vague for me to 100% grasp what was happening at all times and I was almost constantly confused. It was also a little more slow-paced than I usually like. I did like Nell as a protagonist but I struggled to connect to her character and story. The secondary cast was much better, and I really wish we could have spent more time with them. This was not a bad novel but definitely not the best dystopian or sci-fi novel I’ve ever read.

Review copy provided by the publisher for an honest review.