Dark and Deepest Red by Anna-Marie McLemore (Review #161)

"Summer, 1518. A strange sickness sweeps through Strasbourg: women dance in the streets, some until they fall down dead. As rumors of witchcraft spread, suspicion turns toward Lavinia and her family, and Lavinia may have to do the unimaginable to save herself and everyone she loves.

Five centuries later, a pair of red shoes seal to Rosella Oliva’s feet, making her dance uncontrollably. They draw her toward a boy who knows the dancing fever’s history better than anyone: Emil, whose family was blamed for the fever five hundred years ago. But there’s more to what happened in 1518 than even Emil knows, and discovering the truth may decide whether Rosella survives the red shoes.

With McLemore's signature lush prose, Dark and Deepest Red pairs the forbidding magic of a fairy tale with a modern story of passion and betrayal."

Review:

This was a very pleasant surprise read. Going into this, I had low expectations for this one; I haven't heard anyone talk about this, and in the beginning few chapters, I wasn't too sure where the story was taking me. However, I was so happy with how this went.

First off, this story was filled to the brim with LGBT+ representation and I was living for it. We also learn about the Romani people and their persecution throughout time. I had already known a little about it, the racial slur they were called, and are still called today. But we learn more about their culture here, which I really enjoyed.

My favorite character by far was Emir. He was the most complex of the three main characters to me, and was really the connection between the past and the present. I loved how science and magic seemed to coexist within the story and almost intertwine. The ending was so amazing too. I was not expecting the direction it took and I loved the message it left us readers too.

Overall, this is an underrated release of 2020!!! More people need to read this as soon as humanly possible. Let me know your own thoughts and feels down below!! Are you gonna read this, have you already and enjoyed it as much as I did? Let me know!

Comments

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