readwithmeemz's reviews
1329 reviews

Dark, devastating, and brilliant, yet also beautiful and full of care, and tenderness, and hope. This was unlike anything I’d read before, and I know I’ll be thinking about it for a long time after finishing it.

It’s obvious the ways this book has been shaped by the author’s own experiences, fleeing persecution from Nazis during, and in those ways, this book takes your breath away. You’re not quite sure where you are, or what’s going to happen, or what’s going on, but the parallels are there, and they’re vivid. 

This was a fascinating book — our heroine is not quite of our world, not quite removed from it, and her yearning and curiosity are omnipresent in this book. She knows she is different from everyone around her — perhaps everyone left on this world - and she has made piece with that, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have questions. Her perspective is alien, yet also so painfully human, and that endears her to readers greatly. I loved this book so much - from the multitude of memorable characters, to the vast openness of this world and all the questions it brings the reader, this was a smart, moving, and beautifully written story.

 This was too stinkin’ cute. A charming and emotionally poignant story about friendship, belonging, and insecurity, and how maybe you don’t always need to get the new, shiny thing. The art is gorgeous, and the story was compelling, imaginative, and fast to read. I can’t wait to gift this to the little ones in my life!

I received an advanced digital copy of this book, from the publisher, through Netgalley. 

This book was the darkest in the series - in concept, in tone, and in atmosphere. Just as gripping as the first two books in the series, this was more challenging to get through, as thematically, we go in unexpected places. The impacts of book 1 were felt in book 2, then the events of book 2 have very obviously impacted Pip in this story. I felt this book portrayed Pip’s trauma in a really clever and interesting way. 

Our beloved heroine changes a lot in this book - shifting from curious and charming, to shattered and on the edge. This leads to some uncharacteristic behaviour, which while understandable (& realistic), also means we, as readers, lose a lot of what we love in books 1 and 2. While books 1 and 2 both had a ton of twists and turns, this one took things in a completely unexpected direction, at breakneck speed, in a way that - to be honest - required a lot of work from the reader to suspend their disbelief and still lean into the story. The second half of this book was tense, but no longer in a “ooh i can’t wait to see what happens next” way, and more in a “wtf?!?!?!” way. To be blunt - a lot happens that feels out of character, and while that’s (kind of) understandable based on the circumstances, it’s hard to read and get through. On top of that, decisions keep getting made that kind of counteract what happens, and make it less credible and realistic and believable. I feel like we lose a lot of what we love about Pip, and about this series in the second half of this book. 

To be honest, this was my least favourite in the trilogy - but it is still apparent that Jackson is an excellent writer.

She has mastered the art of tension and thrill, and has earned a fan in me!

A profoundly moving, often devastating read about death, dying, and the stories our dead can tell us, this is a book that will stick with me for quite some time. It’s a little surreal reading about a brutal genocide supported by the US government, right now, while we’re watching a genocide unfurl before our very eyes, also supported by and funded by the US government (among others). This book serves as a testimony - a witness to the horrors and brutality that unfolded in Guatemala and in Argentina. In this work, our author, an anthropologist, works with forensics teams in Latin America, in order to exhume, identify, and  prove what happened. As our narrator learns about bones and how to put them together, she also learns about the stories bones tell — the slice of a machete, the crush of grave dirt, the bodies shaped by starvation - alongside witness testimonials, these bones bring to life the people who once wore them, their stories, their lives, and the unbearable tragedy of their deaths. This book is unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Horrifying and haunting, while simultaneously beautiful and tender, this book is full of care, compassion, and humanity. One of the best books I’ve read in a long time. 

I received a digital (audio) copy of this book from the publisher.