lindseythelibrarian's Reviews (559)

This book was such a fun read. The tone is smackdab in the middle of feeling like a cozy mystery and a thriller. Set in the small town of Beach City, corruption is rampant affecting the lives of business owners and citizens alike. A handful of townspeople work together to discover motives for lawlessness, including murder.

I liked the LGBTQ rep, Jewish rep, and of course the Librarian rep. We love to see it. Something that surprised me was the very real addition of COVID-19 into the story. While I don't think it really added anything, it helped cement this in the reality of today. The author has their own perspective which undoubtedly came through in the story. Having almost lost someone in their 50s to COVID this year, I appreciated that element.

Admittedly, the first 20 percent of the book gave me character whiplash. This served to establish the town and some of its key players as well as highlight the rampant corruption. After this point, we start to focus on specific townspeople and their part in the corruption, whether that's uncovering or aiding and abetting through action or complacency.

I definitely liked the story and will be following this story more in the future. It was an easy, fun read, and I enjoy supporting small authors who write just as compelling stories as some of the bigger names out there. 

I have a lot of mixed feelings. 

I was really excited to read this book ans there were a lot of things I really liked about it. The premise was so unique and there were aspects of the magic system that I liked. The writing was dynamic and I would totally read stories but this author in the future. 

However, like others have said, this story was very confusing. The perspectives and plot were sometimes difficult to follow and I’m still not 100 percent sure I knew everything that happened. The writing, while nice, was sometimes confusing. Certain elements of the plot seemed like they needed fleshed out more. The whole “wolf” thing was a bit odd and again I felt like the immortal thing needed more explanation. 

With all that being said, I still enjoyed it, but there were so many elements I had trouble with. I’d recommend this book for someone interested in a standalone novel that is gruesome, mysterious, and unique. 

It was enjoyable! I liked the characters but I’m interesting in reading more of Moore’s work

Boring, racist, confusing, questionable theology. 

I didn’t think I would like this book, but it was like crack (or spice) to me.

Yes, there were times when I was confused. 
Yes, sometimes it felt like a drug trip.
Yes, there is probably better sci-fi/fantasy out there.

But, it actually made me want to read the next two. 

If you want to read it:
The first few chapters are a lot of confusion and I would recommend looking up a chapter synopsis. 

I really like Liane Moriarty’s way she crafts characters. I always feel like she makes even the most unlikable traits and characters people you enjoy in the end. 

Unlike many people who write thrillers with the most unlikeable characters, her character have such depth. 

A story that felt a bit flat, just like the characters.

The story and characters:
I think if this was an animated show drawn out over a few episodes I would have liked it a bit more, but the story itself seemed a bit too fast-paced and you didn't get enough of the characters. This is important because...
 
The Art:
I didn't think the art was that spectacular either. Sure, it was cute, but I felt like the art style would have worked a bit better with it animated.

This book is for: 
Kids who want a simple plot and characters that might be similar to a tv show. It personally didn't jive with me but I can see there being value in it for reluctant readers. 

This is an interesting middle-grade title that I think would be the perfect read for a class during Halloween. I found myself getting confused over the names and relations of everyone, so I would suggest using a family tree kind of situation.