This is a strangely complex yet compelling novel. This feels more like a crime novel than a
standard mystery.
There’s a huge cast of characters and a series of terrible
events, seemingly unconnected, that meld together to form a dark and furiously
stark book. Because of the large cast,
it takes the reader a while to really get to know anyone, but when you do, you
discover unexpected complexities in each of them.
While there’s some violence in the book, it’s more of an
overwhelming sense of menace as you witness a town and its people devolve in
the face of an unknown terror.
The author does disclose the truth behind the terror, but
it’s almost at the end of the book. It’s
ultimately a satisfying reason, but there was a part of me that wished the
truth was vastly different.
Note that the characters (again that huge cast) also have a
lot of backstories – and many of them felt unimportant. I really didn’t need to know the histories,
hopes, dreams, and motivations of every character – but I got to read them!
Four stars. It’s a
weighty book and may not be to everyone’s taste, but if you stick with it,
you’ll start to find that the various characters and stories meld into a meaty
and satisfying read.
*ARC Provided by Net Galley
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