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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
Far too long, it would’ve been improved by a ruthless editor.
I don’t really know how to review this without spoiling it. Suffice to say, it is a good read and kept me riveted for five days (no mean feat as I had a period of about a month there where I didn’t read anything)
There aren’t many redeeming characters (except Uncle Hugo, who I adored). The narrator is a massive twat and makes the dumbest decisions almost from the getgo. I understand the whys and wherefores but...
The end...I don’t even know what to say. Curiously unsatisfying, eternally puzzling.
I don’t really know how to review this without spoiling it. Suffice to say, it is a good read and kept me riveted for five days (no mean feat as I had a period of about a month there where I didn’t read anything)
There aren’t many redeeming characters (except Uncle Hugo, who I adored). The narrator is a massive twat and makes the dumbest decisions almost from the getgo. I understand the whys and wherefores but...
The end...I don’t even know what to say. Curiously unsatisfying, eternally puzzling.
I’ve officially read all that Tana French has written (to date). And I have to say that, from start to finish, all of her books have really impressed me with the way they ask deep and important questions about who we are and why we are the way we are. Those, for me, are the most important questions a book can ask a reader, and it’s what sets excellent books apart from mediocre ones. It’s the difference between “what is that book about?” and “what happens in that book?” The way French uses her stories and characters to push the reader into examining themselves is what makes her a master, and I’m so glad to have stumbled upon her books. I hope she writes more, but even if she doesn’t, the ones she has put into the world will continue to give me lots to think about.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It is very important to go into this book without knowing anything about it. Nothing. Not even the blurb on Goodreads.
The whole book is written in first person - by Toby. He's a lucky guy, has everything going for him, rich parents, successful job, loving girlfriend, a charming personality which helps him slip out of any sticky situation. In short, privileged. All that changes for him one night, and then some.
What we have here is a slow burning, extremely character-driven mystery. A kind of a twist on the typical unreliable narrator. An examination of the human psyche. What do you do when you can't trust your memories anymore? When you can't trust yourself or the people you thought you were closest to? When something shakes you to your very core and you are no longer sure who you are anymore? This is the unraveling of Toby Hennesy. And a constant shifting of family dynamics as the mystery unfolds.
Tana French has incredible range - giving us banter from the pub amongst 3 childhood friends to a chilling line of questioning by detectives - everything with extreme believability. I felt I was right there witnessing everything. I even found myself positively spooked while reading this at night. This was my first book of hers, definitely not going to be the last.
The whole book is written in first person - by Toby. He's a lucky guy, has everything going for him, rich parents, successful job, loving girlfriend, a charming personality which helps him slip out of any sticky situation. In short, privileged. All that changes for him one night, and then some.
What we have here is a slow burning, extremely character-driven mystery. A kind of a twist on the typical unreliable narrator. An examination of the human psyche. What do you do when you can't trust your memories anymore? When you can't trust yourself or the people you thought you were closest to? When something shakes you to your very core and you are no longer sure who you are anymore? This is the unraveling of Toby Hennesy. And a constant shifting of family dynamics as the mystery unfolds.
“One gets into the habit of being oneself. It takes some great upheaval to crack that shell and force us to discover what else might be underneath.”
Tana French has incredible range - giving us banter from the pub amongst 3 childhood friends to a chilling line of questioning by detectives - everything with extreme believability. I felt I was right there witnessing everything. I even found myself positively spooked while reading this at night. This was my first book of hers, definitely not going to be the last.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
Strong character development:
Complicated
3.75 A spiritually wild, technically tame Tana French outing that really enriches her past books for me. It's so weird to have it better illuminate something she's been doing in all her books (delightful) and then feel like, in the book where that technique is the point, it actually...doesn't do it? The way I expected? Like I thought I finally understood something, but...maybe not?
The ending both swung wider and was tamer than I anticipated--I was out for blood but not that way! I think I just wanted something different out of the Witch Elm but I like what I got, anyways.
Susanna's a tremendous character btw. And it's so fun to see the detectives from an outside perspective because you know their games!! They're not as sneaky as they think they are but damn they're good! and Rafferty's hot and I'm not used to falling for a Tana French character 🤗
Will be thinking and reading about this one a lot!
Second read: Reeeally good, much stronger to me this time. A 4.5? Horrible to be in Toby's head in a way I don't remember feeling last time...what a gamble for a stand-alone, nothing much happening for a while...but what a fucking treat (bleak, but a treat) on a reread. God love her.
The ending both swung wider and was tamer than I anticipated--I was out for blood but not that way! I think I just wanted something different out of the Witch Elm but I like what I got, anyways.
Susanna's a tremendous character btw. And it's so fun to see the detectives from an outside perspective because you know their games!! They're not as sneaky as they think they are but damn they're good! and Rafferty's hot and I'm not used to falling for a Tana French character 🤗
Will be thinking and reading about this one a lot!
Second read: Reeeally good, much stronger to me this time. A 4.5? Horrible to be in Toby's head in a way I don't remember feeling last time...what a gamble for a stand-alone, nothing much happening for a while...but what a fucking treat (bleak, but a treat) on a reread. God love her.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Self harm, Alcohol
Just when I was getting bored with all the talk, talk, talk, this book really took off. Satisfying in the end... but not my favorite of her novels.