stefanicox's Reviews (519)

I wanted to like this book because it's certainly on a worthy topic — sex trafficking in rural America. However, the plot was formulaic, predictable, and moralistic. Unrealistic and preachy scenes/characters with a subject this heavy and nuanced just really didn't work for me.

Note: I received a review copy of this book from the publisher.

This is a deeply important book. Just the fact that Shawl wrote a novel completely re-envisioning the history of the atrocities in the Belgian Congo during King Leopold's time is a feat. It moves black Africans to a position of power, inventiveness, and resilience in an otherwise bleak history.

The subject of this book is so intriguing and important -- a community, at risk of getting pushed out for new development. And I loved a lot of the main female characters.

Too long for my tastes and surprisingly not that scary! I probably should have stopped before I finished the whole thing, but I was glad to have finally read a Stephen King novel. For first-timers I might recommend something shorter.