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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
fuuuuun. honestly like 4 stars until the ending which was 2 stars. i cant wait to give this to all my grad school friends so they can admit to their murderous tendencies. im surprised comp lit hasn’t featured manslaughter yet! or english!
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment
This book does not glorify the problematic behaviors
Rounded up to 3.5 stars. I don't think I actually enjoyed reading this, and maybe that's ok? The writing was good, the narrative device was interesting but it felt a bit too real, too gritty - the grinding poverty that Mac grows up in, the relentless intellectualism of academia, Mac's blackouts and really, the lack of likeable characters didn't make it an enjoyable read. It may be a bit of a wrong book at the wrong time situation. The cover also gave me "set in 1960's England" vibes, which threw me off.
dark
mysterious
reflective
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:
Complicated
I have had so much fun reading the books that our guests have recommended on our Bookworm Challenge episodes. Ashley Winstead raved so long about Amy Gentry's writing and this under-the-radar thriller that I read it that week.
Bad Habits is a dark and introspective novel that I found myself sinking my teeth into every evening and transported me somewhere else. Hannah Mckinnon called the ending "diabolical," and I could not agree more. However, the final paragraph deserved a read-aloud to my husband.
The mystery begins with their current circumstance- one a successful professor and the other set to marry a successful Hollywood filmmaker. They know nothing about each other, and the reader gets to follow along as they share a drink (or five) in a hotel bar where they discover they are both staying.
This well-developed mystery delivers on beautifully fleshed-out characters with gorgeous and descriptive language. But, honestly, the fact that it didn't get enough coverage might be because it was a tad too intellectual for the traditional popcorn thriller audience.
In this story, we have two high school friends that find each other and a shared deep appreciation for artsy films. But, unfortunately, they could not be more opposite- one given the silver spoon in life while the other's family can't pay their bills. These two differences, in particular, are contrasted well and help the reader root for the underdog.
Despite their very different circumstances (and reasons for acceptance), they both accept spots in a rigorous and prestigious elite graduate program.
Unfortunately, only one can move into a life-changing fellowship, and the two will stop at nothing to garner the prize. As both become entangled with faculty, they have to decide how far they will go to take the coveted spot and what it means for their friendship.
Adjust your typical thriller expectations and appreciate the beautiful rivalry in this story. I would recommend this, specifically, for those that love a dark academic setting and slower plotlines that are character-driven.
I think Gentry's use of language kept me captivated and felt reminiscent of My Brilliant Friend in many ways. I never felt bored, but this was an incredible week-long commitment at over 350 pages. I can’t wait to read more books by this author!
Plot Details:
This book jumps back and forth between two different timelines, current day and back when Claire aka Mac was attending "The Program". She runs into her former friend/rival Gwen. Mac looked up to Gwen and basically wanted her life at the time. Now they have an awkward reunion rehashing the past.
My Thoughts:
I liked the concept of this book more than how it played out, I think. I was very interested in seeing exactly what happened between Gwen and Mac and why they weren't friends anymore and hadn't seen each other in years. The characters were fascinating, but to me they were too ingrained in academia to be relatable. I disliked all the focus on what the professors taught and it was difficult to understand what Claire was really doing in her life in the present day.
The ending was revelatory, but I still thought that both Gwen and Mac weren't really all that likable as characters, nor were any of the other characters really. I think if the setting had been more relatable, it would have made a lot of difference, but "The Program" was honestly too vague. Not a bad story, but just not really my thing.
This book jumps back and forth between two different timelines, current day and back when Claire aka Mac was attending "The Program". She runs into her former friend/rival Gwen. Mac looked up to Gwen and basically wanted her life at the time. Now they have an awkward reunion rehashing the past.
My Thoughts:
I liked the concept of this book more than how it played out, I think. I was very interested in seeing exactly what happened between Gwen and Mac and why they weren't friends anymore and hadn't seen each other in years. The characters were fascinating, but to me they were too ingrained in academia to be relatable. I disliked all the focus on what the professors taught and it was difficult to understand what Claire was really doing in her life in the present day.
The ending was revelatory, but I still thought that both Gwen and Mac weren't really all that likable as characters, nor were any of the other characters really. I think if the setting had been more relatable, it would have made a lot of difference, but "The Program" was honestly too vague. Not a bad story, but just not really my thing.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Joining the slew of people who stayed up past bedtime to finish this. Oh, god, what a train wreck in a great way? The dangling carrot of a prestigious BS fellowship hit way too close to home, as did many other elements of the academic setting. I would have appreciated more depth and/or relationship building for the side characters, especially Gwen and Connor.
Kudos to Amy Gentry for writing unapologetically about the horror side of academia. Delicious misery.
Kudos to Amy Gentry for writing unapologetically about the horror side of academia. Delicious misery.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Yes. I loved it. I will definitely read more by this author but I need to wait long enough that I don't get them all confused into each other or lumped into a pattern.