Other than that though, we don't really get much insight into Cole (we get more insights of his life in the second book) because most of his time is spent trying to see, observe and figure out Mara.Ī third character that doesn't have a voice but does have a big a presence is Alastor Shaw, the other serial killer and artist. He was obviously less of an instant connection for me because I have never been any of those things: stoic, structured, rich. A local celebrity on the art scene who wants for nothing and has everything. On the flip side, Cole is a very structured, pragmatic, stoic human being. In the meantime, she rents a room in the tippy top of a big, old house filled with a bunch of other colorful, outlier type folks who are also struggling but living their best lives in tandem. Like I said, Mara works several jobs in order to make ends meet and fund her art hobby that she hopes to one day do for a living. As an artist myself who grew up with a shaky familial foundation and lots of mental health struggles, I saw a lot of myself in her. His chapters become more enjoyable as the book goes on, but as for Mara, I instantly liked and connected with her. The chapters alternate between the two main characters, Mara and Cole, with the first chapter belonging to Cole. Sometimes I just want to understand what you're trying to tell me without having to read, re-read, google definitions and piece shit together.
I always appreciate that because if I wanted to read Infinite Jest and feel like a "smart smart", I'd do that. I'm not a literary expert, but her writing was engaging and easy to read. That was only enriched by the story she told and the style in which she wrote. Sophie Lark begins the book with a kind note to the readers who have "struggled with mental health" and tells us that everything inside of us - the good and the bad- are special because it makes us who we are. Then one day, to no fault of your own, you end up on the radar of not one, but TWO serial killers! It really is brutal out here. You're a small potatoes artist working three jobs to not only make ends meet but also to fund your real passion in hopes of one day achieving your artistic dreams. Now that we've had a philosophical break down of the human experience, let's move on. We want to be involved but not affected and thanks to creations like this, we can live vicariously through the fictional works of a world where no one actually gets hurt. It has the same pull that a car crash on the interstate has where even when you are flooded with mostly negative emotions (fear, anxiety, sympathy, sadness) you still can't look away. This type of book is tantalizing in the same way that following along with a messy celebrity break up is. However, we all have morbid curiosities inside us for things we would never actually indulge in. It's on a spectrum just like most of every other human experience/emotion.
Not everyone sees the appeal in the things I just listed, I get that. As long as you are not hurting anyone, you shouldn't feel bad about indulging in things like this, especially when everyone has the same inclination to a certain extent.
DOES THAT CONCERN ME? No, and here's why.įor those of us who enjoy things like this - horror movies, true crime documentaries, violent video games, kinky sex and taboo, nefarious acts that we know we would never in a million years commit or participate in in real life - this book checks all the boxes, blends them together and delivers it to us to be enjoyed in a safe, low risk way. From the beginning to end, it was a salacious mishmash of mayhem, murder, art, sex and chaos that I enjoyed. Mara knows he's dangerous, but Cole is the only person who's ever recognized her talent, and it leads her heart astray, straight into the dark.Ĭole can teach her to get what she wants.Let's go ahead and get this out of the way ok? Dark romance is not for everyone but I liked this book. He's losing control, breaking the rules that have kept his true nature hidden from the world. He doesn't know if he should protect her at all costs or destroy her before she ruins him. She makes him feel things he never thought he could feel. He begins stalking her, discovering there's more to the struggling misfit than he would have guessed. When a chance encounter throws Mara into Cole's path, her escape from certain death fascinates Cole. Broke and damaged, she works three jobs while creating paintings no one will ever see. In truth, he's not just an artist: he's a predator, and the city is his hunting ground. His only weakness is the dark impulse he carefully conceals. He's the hottest sculptor in San Francisco-wealthy, successful, and respected. She knows he's no saint, but she has no idea she's dancing with the devil.Ĭole Blackwell values control.
0 kommentar(er)
