What readers say
it’s my fault for having eyeballs and learning how to read. this book felt like it was trying to answer the question, “how depraved can i make this town and every single person in it?” because there was not a single redeemable character in sight. somehow each new character managed to be even more insufferable than the last. i can absolutely enjoy books filled with awful people and shocking behavior if there’s a purpose behind it, but this felt like it was constantly building toward something that never actually happened. the entire story seemed to be leading to a big payoff that just never came. i understand the commentary on organized religion and the corruption that can exist within it, but i kept waiting for an actual plot to emerge alongside that message. by the end, i was left feeling like i had spent the whole book watching terrible people do terrible things for no real reason.