Pages & Pressings

NO SPOILERS

First of all, I want to congratulate H. M. Wolfe for her 7 figure book deal. I love it when black women succeed.

I want to start off with my critique since it’s nothing too disastrous. Is this the best, most unique dystopian fiction book I’ve ever read? No. In fact, the plot itself was nothing spectacular. It is very much so your typical dystopia: subservience to elite, poverty, hunger, a “spark”, rebellion. It’s not until you reach the end when you can really see the beauty of this book.

Wolfe’s greatest talent is her character work. These are some of the interesting, flawed, multi-layered characters I’ve ever read about. They’re simultaneously strong and deeply broken people. Their relationships with each other despite the terrible world they live in really warmed my heart and had me tearing up in the last 10 pages. Daggermouth puts women first and it’s so invigorating. Behind every strong man there is an even stronger woman, and that is the perfect sentence to sum up this book.