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A review by luluwoohoo
The City in Glass by Nghi Vo
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The City In Glass by Nghi Vo
☀️☀️☀️
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!
This was a story so deeply entrenched in its own beauty that it failed to capture me beyond surface level appreciation. I am genuinely impressed by Vo's beautiful writing but there was just so much of it without anything actually happening plot-wise that I couldn't help but find myself skimming through and looking for the next story beat. I can't think of a better summary than "all vibes no plot", especially considering that the main hook of the blurb didn't come into play until the very last pages! I've seen comparisons to "This Is How You Lose The Time War" which I understand, but the relationship in this felt much barer and the pacing far slower, both of which worked against it for me.
The writing style and abstract time jumps all contributed to a feeling of disconnect with the subject matter. I appreciated Vitrine's love of her city but we only got a brief introduction to her time within it, and while her memories were nice, they were so separated from our situation that I wasn't wholly engaged with them. The Angel was a sympathetic character in some ways and I was most intrigued by his potential character arc, so the choice of ending was bittersweet for me.
I can see how many people love this book, but I needed a firmer plot structure to hold onto and without it I was a bit disappointed.
☀️☀️☀️
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!
This was a story so deeply entrenched in its own beauty that it failed to capture me beyond surface level appreciation. I am genuinely impressed by Vo's beautiful writing but there was just so much of it without anything actually happening plot-wise that I couldn't help but find myself skimming through and looking for the next story beat. I can't think of a better summary than "all vibes no plot", especially considering that the main hook of the blurb didn't come into play until the very last pages! I've seen comparisons to "This Is How You Lose The Time War" which I understand, but the relationship in this felt much barer and the pacing far slower, both of which worked against it for me.
The writing style and abstract time jumps all contributed to a feeling of disconnect with the subject matter. I appreciated Vitrine's love of her city but we only got a brief introduction to her time within it, and while her memories were nice, they were so separated from our situation that I wasn't wholly engaged with them. The Angel was a sympathetic character in some ways and I was most intrigued by his potential character arc, so the choice of ending was bittersweet for me.
I can see how many people love this book, but I needed a firmer plot structure to hold onto and without it I was a bit disappointed.
"Because it was written at the beginning of their world that they could not die, every demon knew the trick of bringing themselves back from death. They might sight the far flags of death's pavilions, but they knew they were not welcome."