★★★★★ 2
Atmospheric Writing, Frustrating Protagonist
Format: Hardcover
Marcus Kliewer is a talented writer. The atmosphere was vivid, unsettling, and easy to picture, and I could almost feel the emotions he was trying to create. Unfortunately, the story itself didn’t work for me.
My biggest issue was the protagonist. I don’t need characters to make perfect decisions, but I do need a reason to root for them.
Time and again, she ignored clear instructions, got distracted at critical moments, or simply gave up. Instead of building tension, it became frustrating because many of the problems felt self-inflicted. The rabbit incidents and repeated failures to follow the caretaker rules were where the story lost me. I kept waiting for a turning point where she would take control of the situation or fight harder for her sister, but it never came. By the time the white rabbit appeared, I found myself skimming rather than reading because I no longer felt invested in the outcome.
I understand the novel can be interpreted as a story about grief, depression, and helplessness, and some readers may connect with that. For me, however, the book delivered atmosphere without payoff. The writing was strong, but I never cared about the protagonist enough to care what happened next.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2026