I loved the idea of this novel so much. We have the monsters who own your soul in old Hollywood and the people whose identities are whitewashed if they aren’t the “ideal” pale skinned American. I couldn’t wait to see how this played out on paper.
Unfortunately, I thought the execution was incredibly dull. I expected intrigue. I expected horror. Instead, I got something that barely held my attention and failed to feel as unsettling as I’m sure reality was/is. I convinced myself that the slow beginning was leading up to something spectacular and persevered into a sense of extreme dissatisfaction. The author aimed for unique symbolism to emphasize her point, but seemed to have no sense of direction on how to make that point well.
This was a highly anticipated read for me. I was quick to exchange my earned points on BookishFirst for a copy and I now feel like I wasted those points. Having believed I might fare better with the audiobook after struggling with my physical copy, I did request it on NetGalley and was fortunate to have that request granted. Ultimately, this format did help me make it through to the end, but I should have trusted my instincts from the start and devoted my time elsewhere.
I am immensely grateful to Tordotcom and BookishFirst for my physical review copy and Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for my audio review copy. All opinions are my own.
Unfortunately, I thought the execution was incredibly dull. I expected intrigue. I expected horror. Instead, I got something that barely held my attention and failed to feel as unsettling as I’m sure reality was/is. I convinced myself that the slow beginning was leading up to something spectacular and persevered into a sense of extreme dissatisfaction. The author aimed for unique symbolism to emphasize her point, but seemed to have no sense of direction on how to make that point well.
This was a highly anticipated read for me. I was quick to exchange my earned points on BookishFirst for a copy and I now feel like I wasted those points. Having believed I might fare better with the audiobook after struggling with my physical copy, I did request it on NetGalley and was fortunate to have that request granted. Ultimately, this format did help me make it through to the end, but I should have trusted my instincts from the start and devoted my time elsewhere.
I am immensely grateful to Tordotcom and BookishFirst for my physical review copy and Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for my audio review copy. All opinions are my own.