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A review by seventhswan
The Colony by Audrey Magee
challenging
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I found this quite a difficult but rewarding read. I was glad that the fragmented writing style of words
broken up across lines
like this
with the enter key
got a lot less frequent over the course of the book, but there were moments when I recognised that the writing was repeating itself, yet felt relieved about this as it gave me a chance to understand what was being said. This isn't criticism, just a note that this is a book that needs your full attention.
The characters really shone in this story - Mairead and James especially captured my heart, but Lloyd is one of the most complex and surprising villains I've read for ages, especially as I liked him until about 80% of the way through the book. I raged at the ending both because it was quietly devastating and because I didn't see it coming, though I really, really should have done.
I'm not sure if I would have liked more or less of Masson, but something about his character and storyline didn't feel as nuanced or complex as the others. I definitely wanted more of Mairead.
broken up across lines
like this
with the enter key
got a lot less frequent over the course of the book, but there were moments when I recognised that the writing was repeating itself, yet felt relieved about this as it gave me a chance to understand what was being said. This isn't criticism, just a note that this is a book that needs your full attention.
The characters really shone in this story - Mairead and James especially captured my heart, but Lloyd
I'm not sure if I would have liked more or less of Masson, but something about his character and storyline didn't feel as nuanced or complex as the others. I definitely wanted more of Mairead.
Graphic: Animal death and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Gun violence and War