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3.07 AVERAGE
3.07 AVERAGE
This is probably the stupidest book I've ever read. Never have I ever read such shallow, unlikeable characters in my life.
purchased this second-hand at a thrift store.
previous owner wrote on the cover, "this was a very weird book".
they were not wrong.
previous owner wrote on the cover, "this was a very weird book".
they were not wrong.
Honestly, I only read this because I saw the movie trailer and I’m a sucker for anything with Blake lively in it (including Gossip Girl). This book, while fun and a little intriguing, was a little /too/ much. I read a few reviews when I was about 3/4 through the book about how there’s too many twists, and I disagreed at that point - the plot was working out, there were things that genuinely made me think “that was set up from the beginning!”, and it seemed like there would be a reasonable end.
But then more twists kept coming in the last 1/4 of the book, and it started to get more and more unbelievable. I really think Bell overreached... and in the end, no one really has any real consequences or guilt to live with. Overall, not a bad read to pass the time, but also not the best thrilled to pick up.
But then more twists kept coming in the last 1/4 of the book, and it started to get more and more unbelievable. I really think Bell overreached... and in the end, no one really has any real consequences or guilt to live with. Overall, not a bad read to pass the time, but also not the best thrilled to pick up.
Although easy to read, this book was far better off as a movie (which is amazing!) I felt the book didn't captivate me as much as the movie did. Plus, the ending of the book was different than the movie. In my opinion, skip the book and watch the film!
If you want a suspense thriller with everything in it, this is a book for you. Incest, suicide, faked deaths, an illicit affair, the whole shebang. With all that, the book can sometimes be slow going and feel too full of plot points, but the sheer want of wanting to know what will happen next will keep you flipping the page. There are 3 parts to the book, which along with the blog posts and chapters from characters' points of view, makes the book easier to digest and gives you more of an idea as to what the actual truth is. Simple favors and secrets abound.
Written like a catty version of “Where’s Bernadette,” this book is broken up into three perspectives. Stay at home mommy blogger and widow Stephanie sends out a call over the internet for help in the case of her missing best friend, Emily. Fellow “mom friend” and career woman Emily has suddenly disappeared after leaving her beloved son, Nicky, to the care of devoted Stephanie. It quickly becomes apparent that Emily is dead, leading Stephanie to start putting the moves on Emily’s husband. The book shifts from a kooky “Where’s Bernadette” feel to a cold and calculating “Gone Girl,” feel. I really enjoyed the twists and turns of this book. I was not expecting the journey I was taken on. I wouldn’t necessarily call this a thriller; more like a domestic thriller? Either way, I liked the way the book changed perspectives as needed for the dramatic parts.
Holy cow was this a wild ride! Everyone in this book needs severe Social Work intervention! Every character is severely flawed and each one does horrific things. The book had several twists. I thought the book went on too long and I really felt that each character didn’t need their own perspective. If there’s a sequel, I think I’ll just read the spoilers and move on with my life. I’m starting to get tired of adult books! Back to YA I go! Overall this is a very interesting mystery but it falls flat and leaves a bad taste on your mouth.
Blog | Twitter | Instagram | This review was originally posted here on Booked J.
A Simple Favour was a rare read for me. Not because of its content, but because I didn't know it existed until after I watched the film which it is based upon. Admittedly, I only watched it for three reasons. (1) I love thrillers. (2) Blake Lively. (3) Anna Kendrick. BOOM. They are good reasons. For me.
Because they are novels turned into films that have a lot of complex women, unreliable characters with mysterious disappearances attached to them, A Simple Favour was instantly compared to Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train. I mean, of course it was. While they share similar qualities to one another, they are each *pretends to be shocked* different.
So, here's what I'm going to say about A Simple Favour: I think I might have liked the novel more if I had read it first instead of seeing the film. Once you see Blake Lively call someone a, and I quote, "f*cking yeast infection" on screen, it's hard to really beat that experience. I think there's a pretty good chance that I'll revisit the book in the future, once the film is less present in my mind, so it is likely my rating will change.
Darcey Bell has a really keen eye for mystery and unlikable characters. I think this needs to be praised and hasn't been--I felt a variety of things for Stephanie and Emily. Hatred. Shock. Attraction. Dismay. Disgust. Excitement. When I say that my emotions were spread across the board for these characters, I mean it. A Simple Favour is by no means a simple story and borders on trashy fun rather than thriller, but that was clearly Bell's intention.
I really liked the general premise of the novel, and found it to be perfect for fans of Sara Shepard rather than Gillian Flynn, which is probably why I enjoyed it a lot more on screen vs. on page. It has a stylish flare to it but sometimes it lacks on the in depth development. It had its moments, I'll give it that. But, for the most part, there was a lot of underwhelming feelings involved in it.
While I don't think A Simple Favour was inherently bad, it was a bit lackluster and felt like it was venturing into parody territory rather than mystery. I finished it, and felt moderately entertained, so my experience with the novel was neither good nor bad--it just was.
A Simple Favour was a rare read for me. Not because of its content, but because I didn't know it existed until after I watched the film which it is based upon. Admittedly, I only watched it for three reasons. (1) I love thrillers. (2) Blake Lively. (3) Anna Kendrick. BOOM. They are good reasons. For me.
Because they are novels turned into films that have a lot of complex women, unreliable characters with mysterious disappearances attached to them, A Simple Favour was instantly compared to Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train. I mean, of course it was. While they share similar qualities to one another, they are each *pretends to be shocked* different.
So, here's what I'm going to say about A Simple Favour: I think I might have liked the novel more if I had read it first instead of seeing the film. Once you see Blake Lively call someone a, and I quote, "f*cking yeast infection" on screen, it's hard to really beat that experience. I think there's a pretty good chance that I'll revisit the book in the future, once the film is less present in my mind, so it is likely my rating will change.
Darcey Bell has a really keen eye for mystery and unlikable characters. I think this needs to be praised and hasn't been--I felt a variety of things for Stephanie and Emily. Hatred. Shock. Attraction. Dismay. Disgust. Excitement. When I say that my emotions were spread across the board for these characters, I mean it. A Simple Favour is by no means a simple story and borders on trashy fun rather than thriller, but that was clearly Bell's intention.
I really liked the general premise of the novel, and found it to be perfect for fans of Sara Shepard rather than Gillian Flynn, which is probably why I enjoyed it a lot more on screen vs. on page. It has a stylish flare to it but sometimes it lacks on the in depth development. It had its moments, I'll give it that. But, for the most part, there was a lot of underwhelming feelings involved in it.
While I don't think A Simple Favour was inherently bad, it was a bit lackluster and felt like it was venturing into parody territory rather than mystery. I finished it, and felt moderately entertained, so my experience with the novel was neither good nor bad--it just was.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes