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A review by raesengele
Penance by Eliza Clark
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This one is complicated for me and I might end up changing my rating the longer I sit with it.
When I first started it, my rating was around a 2, half way through it bumped up to a 4, after that last part it started inching back to a 3. But the more I sit with it and after talking about it with my book club, the more I'm thinking there's a lot more under the surface to this book. I might have to read it again to get the full picture.
I can say for sure, I want the beginning redone. Not so much rewritten, but just moved around. I want to start with the history of Crow and get a feel for the area before jumping straight into the murder especially considering how much the history plays into the story even if subtly.
I'm still iffy on the end. I'm not sure it was honestly needed, or at least not in the way it was done. I can piece together what the point was, but truthfully I shouldn't have to piece together the point on my own after the fact. I just felt like the story of the girls and the town was strong enough of a commentary on true crime and local legend without that ending.
I will say, my biggest gripe through the whole thing was that I was constantly aware I was reading fiction. Reading HOUSE OF LEAVES, a book with wildly fantastical things, I found myself constantly questioning how much if any of it was based on reality. I kept googling it the whole time reading to confirm, no, this is a fictional book. I never had that feeling while reading Penance and I haven't honestly figured out yet why that is. I don't know if it's because I could pinpoint every true crime case she borrowed for her storyline or if it was the way it was written, but something about it just kept me from fully being immersed in the "true" part of the "true crime" concept which was kind of a bummer since that's what I was most excited for.
When I first started it, my rating was around a 2, half way through it bumped up to a 4, after that last part it started inching back to a 3. But the more I sit with it and after talking about it with my book club, the more I'm thinking there's a lot more under the surface to this book. I might have to read it again to get the full picture.
I can say for sure, I want the beginning redone. Not so much rewritten, but just moved around. I want to start with the history of Crow and get a feel for the area before jumping straight into the murder especially considering how much the history plays into the story even if subtly.
I'm still iffy on the end. I'm not sure it was honestly needed, or at least not in the way it was done. I can piece together what the point was, but truthfully I shouldn't have to piece together the point on my own after the fact. I just felt like the story of the girls and the town was strong enough of a commentary on true crime and local legend without that ending.
I will say, my biggest gripe through the whole thing was that I was constantly aware I was reading fiction. Reading HOUSE OF LEAVES, a book with wildly fantastical things, I found myself constantly questioning how much if any of it was based on reality. I kept googling it the whole time reading to confirm, no, this is a fictional book. I never had that feeling while reading Penance and I haven't honestly figured out yet why that is. I don't know if it's because I could pinpoint every true crime case she borrowed for her storyline or if it was the way it was written, but something about it just kept me from fully being immersed in the "true" part of the "true crime" concept which was kind of a bummer since that's what I was most excited for.