Assessment:

Plot/Idea: Readers may find themselves lost in the protagonist's thoughts throughout this harrowing story, but that is fitting for a novel centered around a character with such a traumatic and defining moment rooted in their past.  The plot is heart-wrenching, and moves slowly at times, but overall this is a stirring, expressive novel. 

Prose: Arbe's tone is engaging, though the text feels information heavy in places. Given the novel's emotional premise, readers may find the prose too practical at times.

Originality: Arbe lays human intricacies bare in this evocative novel, exposing the raw emotion of losing a loved one, the bond between parent and child, and the often fine line between vengeance and justice.

Character/Execution: Arbe's characters are distinctly individual, though the protagonist's primary potential for growth plays out in his journey to seek revenge for his daughter's murder. The scenes detailing his profound grief at the loss of his daughter—and the subsequent changes wrought in his life—are both moving and painful to read.

Date Submitted: May 25, 2024