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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
January 1, and I'm already two novels in. Not too bad, if I say so myself!
I was surprised at how much I liked this book, only to find out it was Christian White's debut. Talk about an entrance! I'll be keeping my eyes out for his upcoming 2019 release, for sure. If it's anything like The Nowhere Child, it'll be impossible to put down once you start reading, and the ending will catch you by surprise.
Heads up for people sensitive to these things: there is a lot of homophobia in this book, as well as misogyny and racism. Turns out mean characters are.. well, mean.
I was surprised at how much I liked this book, only to find out it was Christian White's debut. Talk about an entrance! I'll be keeping my eyes out for his upcoming 2019 release, for sure. If it's anything like The Nowhere Child, it'll be impossible to put down once you start reading, and the ending will catch you by surprise.
Heads up for people sensitive to these things: there is a lot of homophobia in this book, as well as misogyny and racism. Turns out mean characters are.. well, mean.
The concept is intriguing: an Australian woman is presented with evidence that she is actually an American child who was kidnapped when she was very young. On a journey to find out what happened to her, she travels to the US, where she discovers that her mother was involved in an evangelical snake-handling cult, that her father was in the closet and having a affair with the man who became the prime suspect in her kidnapping, and that numerous old family friends were all involved to some extent. But Kim, the protagonist and sometimes narrator, doesn't seem to have a lick of common sense or critical thinking skills. She takes people at their word, abruptly leaves her job to to to America, and sneaks around trying to figure out who dunnit. While none of the book's characters are particularly deep, Kim's narrated sections are painful to read because of the character's flat aspect and lack of brains. If I hadn't gotten this from netgalley and committed to review it, I'd never have read the whole thing. Overall it both lacks depth and nuance and still manages to be wordy and move slowly.
This book is a quick read, and it is almost formulaic in its structure. However, I really enjoyed it for the most part. The protagonist was a little annoying in her characterisation, but I honestly think that's more of a compliment to the author for writing a believable character!
Generally, it was a fun read and a well-crafted mystery. I really enjoyed the plot and the dual setting. The descriptions were very engaging. A good book to read in the lunchroom or on holiday.
Generally, it was a fun read and a well-crafted mystery. I really enjoyed the plot and the dual setting. The descriptions were very engaging. A good book to read in the lunchroom or on holiday.