by J Michael Straczynski
A Mystery/Thriller, 2024 by Blackstone Publishing, 266 Pages
What I Didn’t Like:
- Lots of side characters who are flat and too similar. This could’ve been a found family situation but missed the mark by making them too flat.
- Stereotypical characters. The villain is the same villain we’ve seen in hundreds of these books, the main character comes across as very Mary Sue, and the young mother has no life outside of her kid. I wanted someone to break the mold.
- The ending needed more to really sell it. Some of the ending fell to “convenience” and felt rushed.
What I Did Like:
- Some creative ways of getting in the MCs head. From a page full of “I Hate You” to literally arguing with herself, this one had some good ways of expressing her POV.
- Critique on government without being obvious about it. This one inserts some obviously dystopian ideas but roots them in real politics. This makes for an interesting lesson in “what if”.
- Frankenstein. I liked the depth, I liked the originality of this character when set against the others, and I liked the nods to a true understanding of the source material.
Who Should Read This One:
- Fans of dystopian books that rely on politics gone wrong.
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest fans … you’ll like the similarities.
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