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A review by lizshayne
The Library Thief: A Novel by Kuchenga Shenjé
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I’m enjoying the turn that the gothic novel has taken in what constitutes the horrible and horrifying (namely race to racism) because it’s a narrative medium that is so right for talking about what is horrible without necessarily being horror as such.
I found our viewpoint character’s voice to be interesting albeit…frustrating sometimes, in the way she spoke to herself but first person narration is always such a tricky one to pull off so I get it. Having said that, the pull-no-punches approach to describing stuff that goes on in women’s bodies was very much appreciated and felt like an exactly right use of first person.
What can I say, I like a creepy house and threatening dude and a mystery. (Am mildly confused by the description “strikingly original” on the cover of a gothic novel about race, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ).
I found our viewpoint character’s voice to be interesting albeit…frustrating sometimes, in the way she spoke to herself but first person narration is always such a tricky one to pull off so I get it. Having said that, the pull-no-punches approach to describing stuff that goes on in women’s bodies was very much appreciated and felt like an exactly right use of first person.
What can I say, I like a creepy house and threatening dude and a mystery. (Am mildly confused by the description “strikingly original” on the cover of a gothic novel about race, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ).