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Alright, this is a tough one to rate/review since I'm of two minds about it. It's technically 3.5 stars (big shoutout to for actually allowing us to give books half stars even though they aren't owned by the 'zon), but I rounded down to three.

I liked so much about this book: how beautifully the synesthesia that the main character experiences is described, how it's an intriguing reimagining of how Nathaniel Hawthorne came up with the plot for The Scarlet Letter, and the way it incorporated pertinent flashbacks and commentary on slavery.

That all being said, the book was trying to do a bit too much. I was so absorbed by the story for the first half. Couldn't tear myself away from the book. But by the second half, as the author was trying to juggle too many balls, reading the book started to feel like a chore. Characters change or appear/disappear on a dime based on when the author needed them around and the conclusion felt very rushed. I think this one would have been much improved with some restraint shown on the part of the author.

to hear more of my thoughts on this book over on my Booktube channel, abookolive!