A review by minimicropup
Blood Oranges by J.M. Cannon

dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This was a pretty good read. I loved the writing style and how the mysteries build-up. 
 
Energy: Concerned. Distressed. Peculiar. 
 
๐Ÿ• Howls: The ending (the very last thing to happen) is a huge cliffhanger! The action scenes felt a little clichรฉ, over-the-top good vs evil compared to the rest of the story.
 
๐Ÿฉ Tail Wags: Cinematic, sensory writing. The initial mysteries and how we jump between them. 
 
๐Ÿค“ Reader Role: Piecing together the puzzle on the sidelines watching characters with the narrator filling us in. We know more than the characters (usually). 
 
๐Ÿ—บ๏ธ World-Building: Sensory, cinematic, foreboding, lush.
 
๐Ÿ”ฅ Fuel: Escalating stakes, cliffhangers, twists and turns. 
 
๐Ÿ“– Cred: Plausible to suspended disbelief
 
Scene: ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ Suburbs and swamps of Orlando, Florida 
Perspective: A divorced 27-year old living in their evangelical mega-church pastor familyโ€™s pool house when their 8-year old sister goes missing. A dedicated detective investigating two bizarre male deaths on an old citrus farm nearby. 
Timeline: Current. Linear timeline.
 
Mood Reading Match-Up:
Whisky sour. Decay. Hot humid days. Orange trees. News crews. Mosquitos. Swamps. Murky water. Alligators. Tinted windows. 
  • Fast-paced mysterious deaths in Florida swamps
  • Law & Order style sleuthing alongside the detectives
  • Immersive summery/tropical settings
  • Behind closed doors wealthy mega-church family drama
  • Missing child suspense
  • Conspiracies, Christianity, and capitalism
  • Short chapters
  • Good vs evil, against the odds survival-action scenes
  • Dark secret open-ended conclusion
  • Mix of morally grey and unlikeable characters with ones to root for
 
Content Heads-Up: Corpse (discovery, scent). Alcohol. Stroke. Depression, anxiety. Missing child, missing teen. Murder. Fire (building). Child abuse (foster system). Incest. Kidnapping. Blood, injury. 
 
Rep: White and Latin American. Cisgender. Heterosexual. Pale and tan skin tones.
 
๐Ÿ“š Format: Kindle Unlimited
 
My musings ๐Ÿ’– powered by puppy snuggles ๐Ÿถ
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