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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
challenging
dark
Deliciously dark, funny, and I did not see the ending coming AT ALL. The author is an upcoming guest on my podcast, This Creative Life with Sara Zarr. Find it in your favorite podcast app!
Prompt 50 of the 52 Book Club Challenge: a book with a shoe on the cover. Right, so I stretched this one a bit - there are shoes on the cover but they're hardly the focus. Still, we'll allow it, won't we ;)
Ah, academia. We love to think we love it. And then, we love to hate it. Simulataneously a beacon of nepotism and corruption and the number one social mobility ticket. Where dreams come true, and die. If you find this statement disheartenening, this may not be the book for you.
(Yes, I am bitter about my university experience. It ended up involving a lot more paperwork than passion. Of course, there is a lot more to that story, but it isn't the one we're telling today.)
Bad Habits is the type of slow-burn psychological that, while it does include a murder, puts most of the focus on one character's development. More precisely, one character's descent into eeevel . The crime is only the logical culmination of said descent. But also, most of the time, the crime is a new beginning
[b:Who Is Maud Dixon?|52320705|Who Is Maud Dixon?|Alexandra Andrews|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1602084519l/52320705._SY75_.jpg|77503425], which I read recently, is of a similar style. I also thought of [b:Temper|49874088|Temper|Layne Fargo|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1572787780l/49874088._SY75_.jpg|61073269].
Just as in those other novels, and just as this style dictates, the novel focuses on the main character, Mackenzie Claire; ambitious but stilted, disadvantaged, at once bitter and a dreamer. Ruthless by nature, an unrealized nature at first, suffocated by her self-consciousness. But then...
Her relationship with Gwen is truly a broken friendship, a friendship doomed from the start, unbeknownst to the two parties, by Mac's bitterness. Over the years, goodwill is eroded, and while Gwen doubles down on her faith in their friendship, Mac's doubt only grows.
Her relationship with Bethany was also well written, and, again forgoing most stereotypes It is acknowledged with as much weight as a relationship between a man and a woman would have, and recognizes each character rather than falling into blustering clichés about femininity and same-sex relationships (Mac explicitly saying that it's Bethany's aura of power and Mac's admiration for her that makes the relationship stand out, not merely the fact that she's a woman.) I also appreciate that Mac's bisexuality doesn't come as a surprise, with many characters already having speculated at her sexual orientation, possibly before she herself came to terms with it.
As far as psychological thrillers, go this one, without being overly graphic (though it does have sex scenes) definitely has an "erotic" element to it, in the sense that character's actions are often informed by their feelings of lust or love, and that personal obsessions blend into academic and professional goals.
I appreciated the author's awareness and description of prejudice in academia , told mostly through Tess's story. I also appreciated how Mac's complicity was approached. Mac's complicity was almost accidental; she failed to understand her own privilege as a white person and to confront the complexity of the intersections of race and class, focused as she is on her ascension from a working-class background in the notoriously elitist world of academia.
My main criticism regards the revelation that Other than being a very unlikely coincidence, I don't see what it brings to the plot. There is no way Bethany could have foreseen the position in which she is at the end so it can't be that she took Mac under her wing (...if only that) to ensure leverage on her ex-husband when she'd need money. A possible explanation would be that she intended to use Mac as a pawn in her game as part of an elaborate and somewhat abstract revenge on her ex-husband?. It doesn't come up until the very end and doesn't, ultimately, have much of an impact on the story, however.
Another one? (not really a criticism of the book...more like something I would have liked to be different...)CONNOR. I loved Connor, but there is no way he was straight. I very much read him as bisexual since the very beginning. That may have been on purpose though, as his own declaration of heterosexuality seems to leave room for flexibility ("Gwen is straighter than me"). Bisexual representation especially among men of colour is always welcome.
Ah, academia. We love to think we love it. And then, we love to hate it. Simulataneously a beacon of nepotism and corruption and the number one social mobility ticket. Where dreams come true, and die. If you find this statement disheartenening, this may not be the book for you.
(Yes, I am bitter about my university experience. It ended up involving a lot more paperwork than passion. Of course, there is a lot more to that story, but it isn't the one we're telling today.)
Bad Habits is the type of slow-burn psychological that, while it does include a murder, puts most of the focus on one character's development. More precisely, one character's descent into eeevel . The crime is only the logical culmination of said descent. But also, most of the time, the crime is a new beginning
[b:Who Is Maud Dixon?|52320705|Who Is Maud Dixon?|Alexandra Andrews|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1602084519l/52320705._SY75_.jpg|77503425], which I read recently, is of a similar style. I also thought of [b:Temper|49874088|Temper|Layne Fargo|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1572787780l/49874088._SY75_.jpg|61073269].
Just as in those other novels, and just as this style dictates, the novel focuses on the main character, Mackenzie Claire; ambitious but stilted, disadvantaged, at once bitter and a dreamer. Ruthless by nature, an unrealized nature at first, suffocated by her self-consciousness. But then...
Her relationship with Gwen is truly a broken friendship, a friendship doomed from the start, unbeknownst to the two parties, by Mac's bitterness. Over the years, goodwill is eroded, and while Gwen doubles down on her faith in their friendship, Mac's doubt only grows.
Her relationship with Bethany was also well written, and, again forgoing most stereotypes
Spoiler
once one's gotten over the fact that this is, unfortunately, yet another example of a bisexual woman being characterized as manipulative and power-hungry, with her sexuality being a tool to those traits.As far as psychological thrillers, go this one, without being overly graphic (though it does have sex scenes) definitely has an "erotic" element to it, in the sense that character's actions are often informed by their feelings of lust or love, and that personal obsessions blend into academic and professional goals.
I appreciated the author's awareness and description of prejudice in academia , told mostly through Tess's story. I also appreciated how Mac's complicity was approached. Mac's complicity was almost accidental; she failed to understand her own privilege as a white person and to confront the complexity of the intersections of race and class, focused as she is on her ascension from a working-class background in the notoriously elitist world of academia.
My main criticism regards the revelation that
Spoiler
Bethany's ex-husband is Mac's father.Another one? (not really a criticism of the book...more like something I would have liked to be different...)CONNOR. I loved Connor, but there is no way he was straight. I very much read him as bisexual since the very beginning. That may have been on purpose though, as his own declaration of heterosexuality seems to leave room for flexibility ("Gwen is straighter than me"). Bisexual representation especially among men of colour is always welcome.
Thank you to the author, Mariner Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is not so much a thriller as it is an account of struggling to overcome childhood obstacles, and how envy can shape your behavior. Money is the underlying theme: not having enough of it, struggling to get it, and how having money makes for an easier life. The cliche of the best friends, one poor and struggling with all the attendant problems, and one a poor little rich girl, was overused. And don't get me started on the cult-like graduate program - none of the students seemed to quite know what they were supposedly studying, and I didn't have a clue either. The backstabbing politics and hypocrisy of academia came through clearly, but I found it all rather tedious and impossible to care about. There were also a few too many coincidences, more to suit making the story full of twists and turns rather than anything else.
This is not so much a thriller as it is an account of struggling to overcome childhood obstacles, and how envy can shape your behavior. Money is the underlying theme: not having enough of it, struggling to get it, and how having money makes for an easier life. The cliche of the best friends, one poor and struggling with all the attendant problems, and one a poor little rich girl, was overused. And don't get me started on the cult-like graduate program - none of the students seemed to quite know what they were supposedly studying, and I didn't have a clue either. The backstabbing politics and hypocrisy of academia came through clearly, but I found it all rather tedious and impossible to care about. There were also a few too many coincidences, more to suit making the story full of twists and turns rather than anything else.
A thriller exclusively written for people who want to go to graduate school in the humanities. Absolutely bonkers. Highly recommend for any grad school or soon to be grad school baddies
"Bad Habits" by Amy Gentry is perfectly made to be a television miniseries. While reading I instantly envisioned the characters come to life on the screen. The edginess darkness that exists within the characters, particularly Bethany and Mac, made the book interesting and compelling. While the book is certainly unique in its own right, the edginess and academic aspect of it drew comparison to "You" by Caroline Kepnes for me.
There are many elements of this book that I found compelling. The relationship between Mac and Gwen drew me in. Gentry crafted it so perfectly that you could feel that there was always something a little off about their friendship. You felt that not only did Mac envy the luxurious life Gwen lived, but also that she essentially wanted to be her. The meeting between Mac and Gwen years after their friendship had fizzled in grad school was illuminating and showed both characters true feelings toward one another.
I am all for intellectual conversation so the academia setting suited me. The most interesting part of the book for me was the relationship between professor and student, Bethany and Mac. Both were strong characters in their own right. Bethany, so manipulative, that it was intriguing. Mac, so determined to win the prestigious Joyner fellowship that her ambitions would stop at nowhere. You can just sense Mac was a younger version of Bethany in a lot of ways. The qualities that irritated and infuriated her about Bethany were in a lot of ways qualities that existed within herself. Both used people to get what they wanted and to have control.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story and would recommend to others.
Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
There are many elements of this book that I found compelling. The relationship between Mac and Gwen drew me in. Gentry crafted it so perfectly that you could feel that there was always something a little off about their friendship. You felt that not only did Mac envy the luxurious life Gwen lived, but also that she essentially wanted to be her. The meeting between Mac and Gwen years after their friendship had fizzled in grad school was illuminating and showed both characters true feelings toward one another.
I am all for intellectual conversation so the academia setting suited me. The most interesting part of the book for me was the relationship between professor and student, Bethany and Mac. Both were strong characters in their own right. Bethany, so manipulative, that it was intriguing. Mac, so determined to win the prestigious Joyner fellowship that her ambitions would stop at nowhere. You can just sense Mac was a younger version of Bethany in a lot of ways. The qualities that irritated and infuriated her about Bethany were in a lot of ways qualities that existed within herself. Both used people to get what they wanted and to have control.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story and would recommend to others.
Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
dark
mysterious
medium-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
challenging
dark
tense
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
Claire "Mac" Woods is now a well-respected professor in academia--making her the person she's always dreamed of becoming. But ten years ago, she was just Mac. A poor student at university: part of The Project, with her best friend Gwen Whitney. When Gwen moved to Mac's hometown, her life changed. Through the lens of Gwen's wealthy life, Mac saw another future for herself than one with an addict mom; a sick sister; and a deadbeat dad. But while part of The Project, Gwen and Mac are sucked into the power dynamics of a married professor couple, with disastrous consequences. Meeting by accident a decade later, the two are hashing things out--but will uncovering long buried secrets do anyone any good?
This was a well-done and suspenseful book, but it took me a while to get into it for some reason. Mostly by design, the characters are incredibly unlikable and nearly impossible to feel any attachment for. Even Mac, our supposed protagonist, has her irritating and questionable moments. I think of this book as dark and twisted people doing dark and twisted things. But, there's some delight in that, sometimes, right? Because Gentry gives us really twisted people and what happens can be really dark.
If you're someone who came up in academia, this book will really hit home, as most of our characters' motivations center around getting ahead in that world. Mac envies Gwen and her "easy" life more than anything. And the two professors? Well, I'm not sure I can even *explain* them without giving away any spoilers. Let's just say it's a cutthroat world out there.
There are certainly some twists here--more at the end, where things pick up. There's an "event" that we know happened, and we don't really find out what transpired until near the book's conclusions. At times this is suspenseful; at others, frustrating. Is the power grab that's happening really worth it all? Only our characters can truly say, I suppose.
Overall, this a dark and sometimes slow-moving novel, but it has its share of surprises. It will be especially intriguing if you love academia-themed novels and power-grabbing characters. 3 stars.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in return for an unbiased review.
This was a well-done and suspenseful book, but it took me a while to get into it for some reason. Mostly by design, the characters are incredibly unlikable and nearly impossible to feel any attachment for. Even Mac, our supposed protagonist, has her irritating and questionable moments. I think of this book as dark and twisted people doing dark and twisted things. But, there's some delight in that, sometimes, right? Because Gentry gives us really twisted people and what happens can be really dark.
If you're someone who came up in academia, this book will really hit home, as most of our characters' motivations center around getting ahead in that world. Mac envies Gwen and her "easy" life more than anything. And the two professors? Well, I'm not sure I can even *explain* them without giving away any spoilers. Let's just say it's a cutthroat world out there.
There are certainly some twists here--more at the end, where things pick up. There's an "event" that we know happened, and we don't really find out what transpired until near the book's conclusions. At times this is suspenseful; at others, frustrating. Is the power grab that's happening really worth it all? Only our characters can truly say, I suppose.
Overall, this a dark and sometimes slow-moving novel, but it has its share of surprises. It will be especially intriguing if you love academia-themed novels and power-grabbing characters. 3 stars.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in return for an unbiased review.
This story had great potential. Not unique in it’s main premises of one friend’a envy of another. I enjoy books about girls in college finding their way. This book lacked substance in every relationship. Too much was going on the addicted mom, autistic sister, rich best friend that seems more like a distant cousin, all these brilliant students studying a topic I had never heard of, crazy ass professors, fraud and blackmail. So unbelievable. But…. I finished it. I was invested enough to see what happened to these shallow academics.