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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Five stars for first 3/4, 2 for the last quarter. Disappointing ending. Kind of went off the rails.
I adore French's writing. She develops characters and sets a scene like no other. I was completely engrossed, but I just did not like what happened with several of the characters at the end. It just didn't seem to follow for me. Won't put me off her books so, as I have enjoyed others and absolutely always enjoy her writing.
I adore French's writing. She develops characters and sets a scene like no other. I was completely engrossed, but I just did not like what happened with several of the characters at the end. It just didn't seem to follow for me. Won't put me off her books so, as I have enjoyed others and absolutely always enjoy her writing.
Who are you - really? And who other people think you are? This woman can turn a phrase and a story like no one else.
I liked this, but didn't love it. It was a very subtle mystery and family saga.
My God. This book. It's a bit of a lie because I didn't "finish" it, per se, but I got enough of the gist from skipping over about 30% of it to review it.
Never have I read a book more in need of an editor. From the other reviews of this novel on here, I'm not the only one who feels that way. I would give the author another chance, but not trust her again with something of this length. I have no issue with long books as long as the content is valuable, or lends something to the story. This, 75% of the novel was fluff. The story and mystery were interesting, but bogged down by an unlikeable narrator's constant inner monologue, and rambling thoughts about things that lend nothing to the plot at hand. Other than the main character, the others were sketched in such vague shades of gray that I had no desire to learn more about them, and when the mystery reveals itself I was more annoyed with how long it took than shocked at the revelation.
1.5 stars because some of the imagery was well written, but I am so glad to be finished with this and put something else on my list. Maybe a little shorter next time.
ALSO that narrator. I still can't get over Toby. He hates literally everyone in his family, and then wonders why they have the audacity to be mean to him. Calling Leon a "drama queen" when he was sexually assaulted in high school, and saying "boys will be boys" when his other cousin Susanne came to him to help keep his friends away. What a turd.
Never have I read a book more in need of an editor. From the other reviews of this novel on here, I'm not the only one who feels that way. I would give the author another chance, but not trust her again with something of this length. I have no issue with long books as long as the content is valuable, or lends something to the story. This, 75% of the novel was fluff. The story and mystery were interesting, but bogged down by an unlikeable narrator's constant inner monologue, and rambling thoughts about things that lend nothing to the plot at hand. Other than the main character, the others were sketched in such vague shades of gray that I had no desire to learn more about them, and when the mystery reveals itself I was more annoyed with how long it took than shocked at the revelation.
1.5 stars because some of the imagery was well written, but I am so glad to be finished with this and put something else on my list. Maybe a little shorter next time.
ALSO that narrator. I still can't get over Toby. He hates literally everyone in his family, and then wonders why they have the audacity to be mean to him. Calling Leon a "drama queen" when he was sexually assaulted in high school, and saying "boys will be boys" when his other cousin Susanne came to him to help keep his friends away. What a turd.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Just way too long. The psychological insights were interesting. The protagonist is by turns likable and detestable and quite believable
Tana French is just so good at psychological suspense, twists and turns, painting a dark and foreboding atmosphere. This was no exception.
I love Tana French’s books, but I was prepared not to like this one as much, based on some reviews and the fact that it’s a stand-alone and not part of the Dublin Murder Squad series. But there was a weird bit of serendipity that caused me to appreciate its prescient nature and tipped the scales into 5-star territory. Not to spoil too much, but there was an odd connection to the Kavanaugh hearings while I was in the middle of reading this, as the protagonist is a privileged man who has managed to go through life blissfully unaware/unaffected by events that plague his two cousins, one female and the other a gay man. Written well before recent events, it managed to point out the truth of how life is for these men—while they may not necessarily be “bad,” they do have unacknowledged immunity from a lot of stuff that is going on all around them, whether they choose to benefit from it or not.
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Tana French is a master.