
5 reasons to read!





Review:
“Father had wired himself a brand-new daughter.”
A punk retelling of Poor Things x Frankenstein, Helga is refreshing & colorful. The book is quite fast paced in making the FMC conscious w a major chunk of the book focused on her adventures in the City of Amaris. I really liked the overall world built by the author – on a small volcanic island. The concept of a bland Uphill & vibrant Downhill was very well executed too. Subliminal worldbuilding details of ravens, blackberries, matching tattoos, Venus flytraps & raven plushies added depth – THE FOOD ASSOCIATION = GORGEOUS. Tho story wise, the book takes a different & insane direction, I actually preferred that choice by the author. Nothing in the blurb or the pitch could have prepared me for Clyde.
“That was the main problem with Clyde, anyways— his brain.”
I really liked was how hilarious the book turned out to be. (“Can we add more Romanticism?” I asked her hopefully.”) Paralleled w major daddy issues, the book successfully deals w heavy topics in a unique dark sense of humor. I liked how the author sprinkled a tiny bit of self love bordering on narcissism for Marietta! Another testament to the writing was the impeccable use of gore & body horror. PURE BLOODY FUN. The middle section of the book became my favourite for its humorous, insane chaos. Amidst all this, the friendship that emerges was OUTSTANDING.
Despite thoroughly enjoying the book, the book transitions from a happening plot to an extremely preachy, boring, reformative story in a matter of seconds. For me, this defeated the edge this book initially possessed.
To this end, there is so much that it fails to explain. The Ravens?! The link to the current world?!
Additionally, I absolutely hated Anna’s arc & insta-love. There was A LOT OF TIME to let it develop organically, but repetition of Downhill descriptions impeded that.
Further, the decentralisation of cog technology was by far the worst solution Helga came up with, this entire interaction was quite off putting for me.
Overall, Helga turned out to be a mixed bag of surprises for me. I enjoyed the experience, looking forward to more by this author.
