Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5 stars
A little slow paced at times but boy, Lehane never freaking disappoints.
A little slow paced at times but boy, Lehane never freaking disappoints.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
surprisingly devastating if only jimmy had waited like three hours :((
The Best Friend Reading Challenge: Book your best friend read in 2024
Yep, this is very much the type of meaty, morally complex psychological thriller that does it for me, in the same vein as Sharp Objects, Mare of Easttown and Prisoners. Guess what? Violence and trauma tends to beget more violence and trauma.
But uh… the movie kinda sucked? Is that a hot take? This would make for a fantastic miniseries with Jon Bernthal playing Jimmy. Get on it, HBO.
Yep, this is very much the type of meaty, morally complex psychological thriller that does it for me, in the same vein as Sharp Objects, Mare of Easttown and Prisoners. Guess what? Violence and trauma tends to beget more violence and trauma.
But uh… the movie kinda sucked? Is that a hot take? This would make for a fantastic miniseries with Jon Bernthal playing Jimmy. Get on it, HBO.
Really strong writing that, at times, soars into the stratosphere. This was my first Lehane book and it was a pretty impressive combination of grit, insight and poetry. Lehane is from the Boston area and it shows. He knows his subject, has rubbed shoulders with the people. He's not a super nuanced thinker but he's got an astute insight into the human condition. That dichotomy is what gives the book its sometimes clunky feel but I don't care. Everybody can't be Yukio Mishima or Cormac McCarthy. Lehane is his own man, and Boston is his muse and it makes for a powerful experience.
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I really enjoyed Shutter Island, so of course I wanted to read another of Lehane's books. This one isn't a psychological thriller as much as a regular murder mystery. I didn't mind it since the book was really good about building suspense and keeping me guessing on who did it. This book did not end happily, which I think is perfectly fine sometimes. And while I did enjoy it, I can't say I liked it as much as Shutter Island.
I think what I like least about the book is the overall conclusion of it: that people are fated to be a certain way, and even if they do try to change their natures ultimately win. When the boys were children, their characters were set up a certain way: Sean was the privileged do-gooder, Jimmy took risks and broke rules, and Dave was the piece that didn't quite fit. And they still were those things as adults. While it's true that things you do in the past leave a mark on you, they don't have to define who you are for the rest of your life.
I also didn't much care for how the class system worked in the story. How it was the ones from the poor parts of town who were the criminals, how the characters were predominantly white, and how a half Puerto Rican young woman was the victim of the brutal murder. Although it's possible all of this was on purpose to show how bad the system is for some people.
With all that said, I did enjoy the book. As I mentioned, the build-up was wonderful. I particularly liked how each character's story was given in small pieces so the reader could look into their thoughts while still not knowing the full story right away. Though while I wish there'd been a little more foreshadowing of who did it before the last third, I can understand why there wasn't much.
Overall I feel this was a good book. It provided a great murder mystery while also giving some social commentary and questioning the nature of people and how events can shape a person's life forever.
I think what I like least about the book is the overall conclusion of it: that people are fated to be a certain way, and even if they do try to change their natures ultimately win. When the boys were children, their characters were set up a certain way: Sean was the privileged do-gooder, Jimmy took risks and broke rules, and Dave was the piece that didn't quite fit. And they still were those things as adults. While it's true that things you do in the past leave a mark on you, they don't have to define who you are for the rest of your life.
I also didn't much care for how the class system worked in the story. How it was the ones from the poor parts of town who were the criminals, how the characters were predominantly white, and how a half Puerto Rican young woman was the victim of the brutal murder. Although it's possible all of this was on purpose to show how bad the system is for some people.
With all that said, I did enjoy the book. As I mentioned, the build-up was wonderful. I particularly liked how each character's story was given in small pieces so the reader could look into their thoughts while still not knowing the full story right away. Though while I wish there'd been a little more foreshadowing of who did it before the last third, I can understand why there wasn't much.
Overall I feel this was a good book. It provided a great murder mystery while also giving some social commentary and questioning the nature of people and how events can shape a person's life forever.
Spannende Geschichte mit interessanten Charakteren. Eine Geschichte bei der Gut & Böse leicht verschwimmen. Der Schreibstil wird hervorragend den jeweiligen Charakteren angepasst, wodurch sie trotz ihrer vielen Schattenseiten nahbar und nachvollziehbar wirken
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Literally could not put this down!!!