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jessielynn99's review against another edition
it was not at all what the blurb promised.
egilmore's review against another edition
3.0
At times the writing was so insightful, honest and beautiful -- typical of Boylan's memoir style. While I liked the storyline, the dialogue sometimes felt forced, the references a bit heavy handed, and the ending was a little too neat.
darsksied's review against another edition
4.0
Judith makes a fantastic protagonist, and the fact that it's a thriller/mystery instead of a straightforward book about being trans makes it that much better.
pianorunner421's review against another edition
3.0
I'm really conflicted about this one. While on the one hand I love a good mystery that keeps you guessing to the end as this one does, on the other hand I don't like books where the characters are very hard to keep straight and frequently change identity. 20 pages in I thought about quitting this book. I didn't quit and by page 100 I was hooked enough to finish the rest of it in one day. I'm not sorry I chose to continue but I'm not sure I would read anything else by this author.
changeablelandscape's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I loved this -- Boylan's choice of the thriller format as a way of talking about a trans experience is really, really well-chosen. I'm looking forward to reading some of her memoirs.
singergurl4life's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
raeanne's review against another edition
4.0
What did I just read? There was a prison, a murder, a disappearance, and a chase to capture at the end, but it’s not like any mystery or thriller I’ve ever read before.
>The mystery isn’t really the central story, but the stage.
>There was a spooky weird atmosphere, I kept waiting for some paranormal aspect to pop out. But no, it’s selective & fanciful story-telling of an everyday murder whodunit amidst a literary middle-age crisis book.
>Lots of characters to track in the beginning, but they spread out & distinguish themselves.
>Fatphobic
>Most characters are transphobic, but there are a few good ones.
>One of the main MCs is a trans woman, pre and post transition. Love her, her voice & perspective.
>Interesting broach of the old stealth guard & the new transition kids dynamic
>Plot hinges on two of the friends group being homophobic
>No Killing of The Gays!
>One MC teaches piano to special needs children, and is not a good sister/care taker of her autistic brother.
>Said autistic brother’s role ultimately is pretty cool, & with a better outcome.
Agree with the Publishers Weekly Starred review:
And Kirkus Review:
Interesting article on Long Black Veil song. for the youngins and general clueless re: the title (like me).
Even being offkilter and fatphobic, the writing, the ownvoices transness and general engagement makes up for it to earn 4 stars.
>The mystery isn’t really the central story, but the stage.
>There was a spooky weird atmosphere, I kept waiting for some paranormal aspect to pop out. But no, it’s selective & fanciful story-telling of an everyday murder whodunit amidst a literary middle-age crisis book.
>Lots of characters to track in the beginning, but they spread out & distinguish themselves.
>Fatphobic
>Most characters are transphobic, but there are a few good ones.
>One of the main MCs is a trans woman, pre and post transition. Love her, her voice & perspective.
>Interesting broach of the old stealth guard & the new transition kids dynamic
>Plot hinges on two of the friends group being homophobic
>No Killing of The Gays!
>One MC teaches piano to special needs children, and is not a good sister/care taker of her autistic brother.
>Said autistic brother’s role ultimately is pretty cool, & with a better outcome.
Agree with the Publishers Weekly Starred review:
“Boylan’s bluff, witty prose (“my actual innocence got on his nerves”) charms away any impatience with more far-fetched aspects of her loopy plot. And embedded in the whodunit is a heartwarming midlife love story, in which hard-won candor, tenacity, and a generous sense of humor are the most saving of graces.”
And Kirkus Review:
Still, it’s hard to stop reading as these well-crafted characters confront middle age while confronting the defining event of their youth.
Interesting article on Long Black Veil song. for the youngins and general clueless re: the title (like me).
Even being offkilter and fatphobic, the writing, the ownvoices transness and general engagement makes up for it to earn 4 stars.
novelesque_life's review against another edition
3.0
LONG BLACK VEIL
Written by Jennifer Finney Boylan
2017; Crown (304 Pages)
Genre: fiction, mystery, literary
RATING: 3 STARS
Okay, so I decided to go with this book based on the title. "Long Black Veil" is a song sung by Johnny Cash, and has always been haunting. The only description of the book was the following, "a new novel about a woman whose family and identity are threatened by the secrets of her past." The novel's first part takes place in a prison in the 1980s. Intrigued yet? I was. It took me a few days to really get into this book. The first half is confusing. I can't even describe to you why as I am afraid I will slip in a spoiler by accident. I was even confused on what to rate it, and even now as I write I keep volleying between 2.5 to 3. Once I got to the middle of the book I was able to read it pretty quickly. I was engaged even though some things didn't seem plausible and I figured out one plot twist (there are more!). The characters are not always likeable BUT some are interesting in their flaws. I am not even sure if I would recommend this book, and if I did, whom I would recommend it to. I will say that reading this book was entertaining for the most part but it is not one I would read again.
***I received an eARC from NETGALLEY***
My Novelesque Life
Written by Jennifer Finney Boylan
2017; Crown (304 Pages)
Genre: fiction, mystery, literary
RATING: 3 STARS
Okay, so I decided to go with this book based on the title. "Long Black Veil" is a song sung by Johnny Cash, and has always been haunting. The only description of the book was the following, "a new novel about a woman whose family and identity are threatened by the secrets of her past." The novel's first part takes place in a prison in the 1980s. Intrigued yet? I was. It took me a few days to really get into this book. The first half is confusing. I can't even describe to you why as I am afraid I will slip in a spoiler by accident. I was even confused on what to rate it, and even now as I write I keep volleying between 2.5 to 3. Once I got to the middle of the book I was able to read it pretty quickly. I was engaged even though some things didn't seem plausible and I figured out one plot twist (there are more!). The characters are not always likeable BUT some are interesting in their flaws. I am not even sure if I would recommend this book, and if I did, whom I would recommend it to. I will say that reading this book was entertaining for the most part but it is not one I would read again.
***I received an eARC from NETGALLEY***
My Novelesque Life
readingwithhippos's review against another edition
4.0
Years ago, a group of friends walked into an abandoned prison on a lark, and not all of them walked out. Now one of them is a likely murder suspect and the past is coming back to haunt them all. Judith has a happy, quiet, uncomplicated life in Maine with her husband and son, and she has no desire to revisit what happened that night in Eastern State Penitentiary. If she does, her carefully constructed existence could come tumbling down. This is a book about secrets and what people will do to protect them. It also packs one hell of a denouement—the climactic scene is intricately constructed, with a bunch of moving parts and crazy things happening simultaneously. My heart was pounding, not figuratively. If your tastes lean to the literary, this will be your jam.
depeachymode's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
In fairness to this book, I listened to the audio version and I have a feeling a lot of my complaints would be made irrelevant by a different narrator. That said, I found it pretty difficult to get into the actual story because the main character’s arc was in many ways very removed from the action; this is not necessarily a failing of the author’s, but I did find myself wishing that her background and perspective played a bit more into the driving events of the novel. It felt like there were two completely separate stories going on, and the only thing connecting them was the main character who happened to be present at the time of the inciting incident. I liked Judith’s story, and I liked the story of the murder and subsequent fallout, but they felt removed from each other in a way that never quite resolved itself for me. There was also some really weird moralistic-sounding stuff about weight and body image that left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth, and I’m curious to know what other readers thought. Having said that, I really did enjoy how complex and flawed all of the characters were, especially Judith and Casey; I would read a whole novel about those two and their relationship, it was so lovely.