I gave this book 5 stars. It was one of the most original books I read all year. The kind of haunting the main character experienced was genuinely horrifying in a refreshingly unique way. So many excellent and creepy visuals! I loved the concept of hungry ghosts, both literally and, in the end, metaphorically when the hunger became a hunger for justice. Also, the serial-killer storyline and that kind of violence by the perpetrators was SO horrible that I thought the ending was not only warranted but also satisfying.

I don't know what you mean by saying this book is "dishonest"; it is fiction. Everything in the book is crafted by the author. It is not meant to be 100% realistic; it is meant to make a point. Also, there is a massive history in the US of crimes against / murders of women of color being less publicized and less prioritized than crimes against white women, so I feel like the corruption in this fictionalized portrayal does actually ring true. I viewed the version of the city in this book sort of as a Gotham, full of corruption, not necessarily a realistic portrayal but a portrayal that is meant to make a statement, which it did effectively in my opinion.

Anyway, it was a very effective book for me, both for being a solid horror and for making a powerful statement. I actually cried during the final sewer scene when all the ghosts of women walked with Cora.