... Limetown doesn’t convince as stand-alone narrative fiction ... Resembling a fictionalized Serial, the [podcast the book is based upon] is an expansive, gorgeously produced work; an entire town comes to life through Lia’s research ... The book mostly forgets this, following 17-year-old Lia as she discovers secrets about her uncle and family. Her connection to Limetown‘s main story comes into view — a nice bonus for listeners, perhaps. But the family story plods, with too much focus on moving plot. There’s a good book somewhere in the world of this podcast. But its creators may need to listen more closely.
There are so many parallels between the two narratives that it starts to feel more like lazy storytelling than eerie coincidence ... Podcast fans may spot some retcon when it comes to what Lia knew and when, but generally the book effectively enhances Limetown’s mystique. That doesn’t mean readers will come away with any clearer understanding of what actually caused the disappearance or what was going on in the town.
Readers will have a hard time putting this story down, even as it pulls them deeper into the rabbit hole that is Limetown. The book is appropriate for listeners and nonlisteners alike, and its publication is timed to the Halloween launch of the podcast’s second season, so new fans will have hope that their questions might soon get some answers.
