Olivia's Reviews > Projections

“There is nothing as utterly object as a corpse, its materiality distilled by the subject’s deletion. Gus, in short, had found me not object enough, and had amended that deficiency.”

Projections is part historical fantasy, part horror, with complex characters and a timeline spanning centuries. It is certainly not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but I enjoyed it fully. The narrative voice is very distinctive; this is a big part of what makes the triple timeline effective. I never got lost or confused, which is both difficult to accomplish and key for a successful multi-timeline story. Catherine is bold and opinionated and very offended at having been murdered. Her narration made me laugh just as often as it made me sad. This set of characters are so traumatized and flawed and a big part of the book hinges on these flaws. The reader won't--can't--always root for these characters. They say and do things on impulse or based on misguided opinions, but I found that they each rang true to life.

Here’s my one major complaint. This book is too long. Like, 150 pages too long. I’m not even sure what could be cut, but for how slow the pace is, I felt like 500 pages was just too much. There are also quite a few archaic and/or unfamiliar words used, which made me grateful to be reading an ebook where I could just click and see a definition. It does add to the historical aspect and sets Catherine apart from the new era she eventually finds herself in, but it also slowed down an already slow-paced experience in my opinion.

This is for the ones who love flawed protagonists, character driven stories, and are willing to sit with a character they may not particularly like for an extended amount of time. I had a fantastic time! I’m sure not everyone will. But, if you go into this experience knowing what to expect, I think you’ll be much more likely to enjoy the ride. 3.5 stars.