A Darkly Beating Heart

This is a super hard book to review. On the one hand it has this amazing premise and idea behind it. It also is written by an author that I love reading from. Lindsay Smith always has these unique worlds and locations for her books. However, this book fell completely short of my expectations. I spent the first 40% or so the book completely annoyed with the protagonist and annoyed with the “fake” world I felt like Smith was sharing with us. I wanted to immerse myself in the culture and the places Reiko was visiting.

Once Reiko really began her story in Miyu's life I became much more invested in the story. But then in the last 20 pages of the book we went full speed to a conclusion that was rushed and left me unsatisfied at the end. I had such high expectations for this book that I think really dampened my enjoyment. While this book has it's flaws, the premise should be enough for you to at least enjoy the story. I just wish it had been longer and had a better immersion into the culture.

One other thing I will say, is Reiko is severely depressed throughout this story and some of her thoughts and words could could be triggering to some people.