I will read the sequel just because the actress on the audiobook does a phenomenal job. Had it been in written form I would've probably DNFed it. (p.s reading it while levelling a character in World of Warcraft classic was a brilliant idea) [(+)=what I liked (-)=what I didn't like] below.

(+) ·It does have certain traditional gothic elements like the dark atmosphere, castles & ruined crypts, a distressed protagonist, monsters and spirits, secrets, magic etc. And combines those with an interesting card-based magic system. · The writing is simple so it's a rather light read (perfect for what I needed right now). (-) · The characters feel rather flat and one-dimensional, even though it's obvious that there has been an attempt to give each one of them unique characteristics. They felt so flat to me that at certain points I was confused over who was whom. ·The romance subplot feels forced, like it's there just for the book to be considered a romance, too.

A brutal “xray” of 1930s America. Paints a picture of what racial, gender and even mental isolation can lead to. A painful classic, a challenge to the so-called American dream.