The City We Became

I really wanted to like this book, but all I could think of while I was reading it was how much I wanted it to end already. The chapters are unnecessarily long and the author tried to shove too many scenes into each one. It felt like rambling. And while the writing wasn't bad, I had some problems with the over usage of specific words (like eldritch) and the inconsistency in context. The point of the book was, well pointy. The themes were dumbed down to the point where I felt like the author thought that her readers were too stupid to understand that every situation was an allusion to the evils of large corporations, gentrification, and racism. Subtlety was not invited to the party.
I liked that the descriptions of evil were purposely made to go against the institutionalized and prejudiced belief that bad things are dark and good things are light, except when we were in the thoughts of the racist character. I also liked how New York was described through the different avatars chosen to represent each borough.
On the other hand, there were times where there seemed to be awkward moments of inside jokes placed in the story, whether having to do with New Yorkisms or Lovecraftisms. It just felt forced in places. Also, the timelines didn't make a whole lot of sense as the perspectives shifted in the earlier chapters. The final fight scene left a lot to be desired. It was a whole page and a half long. Bronca was in a bathroom for like 20 pages...
I didn't hate this book, I just wish it could have been edited better and that it's description wasn't more interesting than the book itself.