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bookshelf_al's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Murder, Stalking, and Death of parent
jenk2020's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Murder and Stalking
ramreadsagain's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Death of a Bookseller is out at the end of April 2023!!
Really enjoyed this like the true gross girlie I am. It follows Roach and Laura, two binge-drinking booksellers with strong (and opposing) opinions on the true crime genre, though their similarities end there. Roach becomes as obsessed with Laura as she is about true crime, convinced there is a deep dark connection between the two of them. Laura, meanwhile, detests Roach’s attention and finds her love of serial killers disturbing and problematic.
We watch both characters circle the drain of self-destruction as dangerous obsessions threaten to turn deadly.
Really loved the writing style of this, Roach and Laura’s POVs each felt so distinct and they were very well-developed characters. I do think the POVs switched a bit too often for my liking though. Neither woman is likeable, but in entirely different ways.
While some scenes started to feel a bit tedious (there are only so many drinking sessions I can be bothered to read about), I found the plot very gripping throughout. The author’s love of bookselling (yet criticisms of the industry) shone through and I loved the discussions on related topics.
I do have a couple of criticisms that I have placed under the spoiler below, but to conclude I really enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it!
My only main downside is that I wasn’t particularly satisfied by the ending. I was hoping for a death – though yes there is the point of Laura Bunting ‘dying’ to become Laura Cordovan but I feel she should have at least stopped being a bookseller to complete the metaphor. A pet peeve of mine is that I hate epilogues of ‘several years later’ though I did massively love the last few lines of the book.
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Blood
Moderate: Death of parent and Stalking
Minor: Violence and Murder
matilda_holroyd_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Alcoholism, and Death of parent
katiewhocanread's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Misogyny, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Stalking, and Murder
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Pedophilia, Drug use, and Self harm
what_heather_loves's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Stalking, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Vomit and Death of parent
Minor: Murder and Blood
jamieleepilk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Grief, Death of parent, Death, Addiction, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Stalking
natashaleighton_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Told from the perspectives of two very different but equally unlikable characters, Death of A Bookseller is a suspenseful tale of toxic relationships, and obsession that follows the lives of two booksellers at a struggling bookstore in Walthamstow.
Purple haired and fascinated by virtually anything macabre, serial-killer fanatic Roach is quite possibly one of the (very few) characters to ever make me feel soo uncomfortable.
With an uncanny ability to say the wrong thing (and genuinely just creep everyone out with her laser like fixation on death) Roach is a bit of a loner, which she seems perfectly happy about until Laura joins the branch, a model employee who manages to charm everyone around her. Including Roach, who, after hearing one of Laura’s poems at a mic night (in which she aims to honour the victims of violent crime instead of dehumanising them) believes she has found a kindred spirit and becomes obsessed with the idea of their friendship.
But Laura (our other POV) and the object of Roach’s obsession has no interest in being friends with her. Having suffered from the trauma of losing her mother at the hands of a serial killer, Laura is physically repulsed by Roach’s fascination with serial killers and avoids all overtures of friendship.
I did find her perspective for more palatable to digest, but she’s by no means good or likeable either. She can be selfish, jealous and incredibly petty at times (particularly when it came to co-worker Eli and his relationship with girlfriend Lydia) but her ability to project herself as a happy, almost perfect person despite the messy, emotional wreckage of her private life was incredibly intriguing.
And the unease with which they circle one another coupled with their conflicting opinions on True Crime really injected a sinister layer of tension that had me on edge wondering what would happen next.
It is a bit of a slow-burn, but the creeping uncertainty that pervades every inch of both Laura and Roach’s POV really brought a sense of depth and realism to their characters, and the cat and mouse game that unfolds between them. For a while there I wasn’t sure how things would end but I couldn’t look away from the cringey disaster that began hurtling towards us as both their lives (and obsessions) began spiralling out of control.
I loved the grittiness of Alice Slater’s writing and true rich imagery that such mundane everyday tasks manage conjure and I definitely enjoyed the glimpse into life as a bookseller. Also, I would’ve loved to have seen more of Bleep (Roach’s pet snail) though I did enjoy the snail trail chapter openers that follow along with the story.
The ending was also really good and I enjoyed the open-endedness which allows us to come up with our own interpretations. Though if you prefer your thrillers with more finality and closure then you may come away a little disappointed.
Overall a dark, intense and incredibly compulsive read that needs to be experienced to be fully appreciated but if you enjoy dark, character driven psychological thrillers the I definitely recommend picking this up!
Also a huge thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and Steven Cooper for the incredible physical proof.
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Grief, Blood, Sexual violence, Stalking, and Sexual content
Moderate: Violence, Alcoholism, and Mental illness
Minor: Murder, Death of parent, and Self harm
heidirgreen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
The book is written from both Laura and Roach’s perspectives, and their voices are distinct - something very tricky to do. I enjoyed that the audio was narrated by two different actors too. I didn’t like either of the characters, but felt closer to Laura, maybe because she spills more emotion, maybe because I also own book-related tote bags. Either way, despite feeling closer to Laura, at no point did I skim through Roach’s chapters. Usually when books are written in this style I find myself favouring one narrator over the other, but Slater has managed to create two main characters that contribute equally to the story.
The supporting cast are well-formed, I could also smell the essential oils when reading about Shirona, and Eli was exactly the sort of cool, curly haired bookseller that I expected.
I would have loved to have heard more from the older booksellers, and I could see follow ups to this book from the perspective of other characters in a similar way to Rachel Joyce’s Harold Fry series.
I cannot wait to see what Alice Slater writes next.
Graphic: Stalking, Mental illness, Murder, and Death of parent
Minor: Self harm
velvetreads_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Murder, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Grief, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
Moderate: Mental illness