Review Shop - Quotev And Wattpad (CLOSED)

Through Thick And Thin - Detailed Feedback

Intro:

Through Thick And Thin was written by Artemis_writes25. It is a paranormal story following a single pregnant woman waiting for her twins to be born; however, life takes a drastic turn when she begins having strange cravings. Very strange cravings...

~~~

Detailed Feedback

What Worked:

First and foremost, I really like the overall story idea. I think it goes without saying the idea is what drives the entire narrative and gets a reader invested, so having me hooked on the concept is fantastic for engagement and keeping me attentive during the entire runtime. I had no problems with paying attention or feeling bored while reading, and that translates into an overall strong take on storytelling and how you present your book.

Lena is an engaging protagonist, and I think you did a pretty good job introducing her and getting the readers to care about her story. She has a diverse range of emotions that feel very personal and easy to relate to for those who have gone through similar struggles. Well, maybe not physically since I doubt many have met Cosmos before, but mentally. I think you know what I mean, haha.

Seeing her protective mama bear side come out and the way she was willing to sacrifice almost everything for her babies was very heartwarming but also made for strong characterization. That kind of characterization is exactly how readers get invested in someone's story, so good job including that.

This is the part of the review where I'll go off the deep end a bit and get more subjective instead of objective. One of the things I liked about this book was how I was able to think a lot while reading. What I mean by that is, I had many theories for the themes and events in this narrative, and as the plot unfolded, I started piecing more things together while also having my own interpretations of what you were trying to say.

So here's what I pieced together through a mix of my own interpretation and the text itself because I think it's fascinating and fun to think about. I think the topic of pregnancy and having the babies taken away relates to many real life struggles such as miscarriage and PPD, along with the struggles that come with motherhood. There are many complex emotions that come along with motherhood, and I think some of these actions and the babies being taken away is a reflection of doubt and self-consciousness where Lena, whether it's consciously or not, is wondering if she wants the children, or at the very least, wondering if she even deserves them. It goes beyond just her babies were taken, it also spreads to the more complex emotions of is Cosmos just a reflection of her worst fears and struggles? 

The cravings for human body parts aren't just cravings for food or blood or something of the sort, but a craving to crawl into someone else's body and take their freedom. Whether it be to run away from motherhood or to experience life prior to pregnancy just for a few more minutes can be debated, but I think the cravings reflect more than a reversal of pregnancy cravings or the start to the plot. It amplifies the themes and adds to the question of what motherhood is, and that's what I think the core of the story is about: what is motherhood, and what does being a mother actually mean?

Thinking about those topics is super fascinating, and I had a lot of fun typing that out and kinda going on a bit of a tangent about it. Sorry about the tangent, but it made me think, and that's always a sign of a good story when it can make a reader want to go off on a tangent thinking about what they read. A lot of us consume content over and over but never really think about it, so it's rare to find something that makes you stop and think about what you're consuming.

This is a smaller thing, but still something I think is worth mentioning: I liked the introduction of Cosmos and how you made us curious about who he is and what he wants. His motivations were definitely... different from what I was expecting, but not in a bad way. Actually, the opposite: it was fun. It kept me on my toes and proved to me that this book can really go in any direction, and when you keep us on our toes, it creates higher reader engagement, which is always good.