Para (wanderer)'s Reviews > An Unkindness of Ghosts

I volunteered to be a bookclub leader, read the book, led the discussions, then forgot to write a review. Typical. So it’s getting a smol one much later instead.

I was hesitant because of how bleak the premise seemed, but despite the dystopia of a generation slave ship and various horrors that went on, it read faster than I expected. The characters were excellent too – I appreciated the portrayal of autism in particular – and I loved how it tackled race and gender.

What I didn’t like as much was that the worldbuilding was full of holes. So many things weren’t given any explanation – how did Matilda come to be organised like a slave ship, for example? That along with wildly uneven pacing (slow for most of the book, then a lightning-fast ending), lack of closure, and unrepetantly abusive characters who were constantly forgiven made for a rather mixed overall impression.

Enjoyment: 4/5
Execution: 3/5

More reviews on my blog, To Other Worlds.