Rust & Stardust

This review can also be found on my blog.

3.5 ⭐️
cw: kidnapping, rape, CSA, abuse, suicide
disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for review consideration. All of the opinions presented below are my own.

It's a shame I read this one so soon after Eden, because the two handle similar subjects in such different ways and I think Rust & Stardust ended up killed by comparison. Whereas Eden handles mainly the aftermath of a kidnapping, including the lifelong implications of trauma, Rust & Stardust follows the kidnapping itself and examines how it impacts everyone in the main character's social circles. Where Eden is entirely fictional, Rust & Stardust is loosely based on a true story, something I actually didn't realize until the end.

The book had such a strong start that I was certain it would be a five-star read. I found Sally's naivety irritating yet realistic and thought the compounding issues in her life (her mother's chronic illness and the suicide of her step-father) brought an interesting complexity to things. I thought the story itself was compelling and was interested to see what would happen next. Unfortunately, this only lasted until somewhere around the 50% mark. What followed felt like a lot of monotony; I think I really became tired of the constant abuse. While it was interesting to see the relationships that Sally built as she and Frank traveled, I struggled to stay immersed and was waiting for the story to move on.

Gasoline, gasoline, gasoline.

I also found the ending abrupt and unsatisfying. Reading the author's comments after and finding out that this was the ending to the real-life Sally's story helped me understand that a little better, but I think things could have been fitted together in a more cohesive way. I guess that's the problem with true stories, though – they don't always make sense.

While this seems like a good read for lovers of true crime and/or historical fiction, it just didn't strike a chord for me. I'm glad to see that others have liked it, though, and think that speaks to T. Greenwood's strength as a writer. I also want to warn that it has a lot of triggering content in it, and that all of the items mentioned in the content warning are covered in pretty great detail on page.

Her arms were as long as her legs, and she used them to embrace the whole damn damaged world.