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bookph1le's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
This was such a page-turner, and I really enjoyed reading it. I liked how it skipped around to different perspectives, and for the most part it did keep me guessing. However, I did figure out the big twist before it was revealed, and the twist itself dinged the book for me a bit because it felt too contrived. Still, this is definitely one of the better suspense novels I've read lately.
This was such a page-turner, and I really enjoyed reading it. I liked how it skipped around to different perspectives, and for the most part it did keep me guessing. However, I did figure out the big twist before it was revealed, and the twist itself dinged the book for me a bit because it felt too contrived. Still, this is definitely one of the better suspense novels I've read lately.
manderzreadz's review against another edition
5.0
Read in one day and stayed up late to finish it! This was a solid, very interesting, plot-always-thickening crime thriller that had such a satisfying ending.
chelschilly's review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
katrina_diez's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
dawndiscusses's review against another edition
2.0
2 stars
The Holdout presents and intriguing premise and frustrating read, marred by Moore's heavy-handed, underdeveloped, inauthentic handling of race and other social issues. The first third of this book, in particular, was painful to read as the writing called attention to the race of each character while reducing them to stereotypes and identities built on tropes. Many of the character served as one-dimensional mouthpieces for juvenile talking points and were motivated by whatever the increasingly unrealistic plot called for. The author's attempt to condemn white saviourism felt hollow when juxtaposed against what was essentially self-insert white saviour fantasy with the journey the protagonist takes. Additionally the unearned, self-congratulatory tone the book takes for even mentioning social injustice was just awful.
However the book did have its strengths. The pacing us engaging, the dual timelines and the multiple POVs add intrigue and I did find at least one twist really thrilling. The middle section in particular had far less preachy, poorly developed, sections and actually made for an entertaining read.
Sadly the conclusion, was largely unsatisfying. Much of what the characters were able to accomplish felt far-fetched and unfortunately at least one of the twists was really cheap. I've heard it may be adapted into a miniseries and I think perhaps that would be a better format for this story.
Overall this was a dissatsifying read for me. If you're looking for a fast-paced thriller and are able to suspend a decent level of disbelief, this may be a more enjoyable read for you. For readers looking for a nuanced, well-developed social commentary piece or a grounded, somewhat accurate legal thriller, I'd maybe skip this one.
The Holdout presents and intriguing premise and frustrating read, marred by Moore's heavy-handed, underdeveloped, inauthentic handling of race and other social issues. The first third of this book, in particular, was painful to read as the writing called attention to the race of each character while reducing them to stereotypes and identities built on tropes. Many of the character served as one-dimensional mouthpieces for juvenile talking points and were motivated by whatever the increasingly unrealistic plot called for. The author's attempt to condemn white saviourism felt hollow when juxtaposed against what was essentially self-insert white saviour fantasy with the journey the protagonist takes. Additionally the unearned, self-congratulatory tone the book takes for even mentioning social injustice was just awful.
However the book did have its strengths. The pacing us engaging, the dual timelines and the multiple POVs add intrigue and I did find at least one twist really thrilling. The middle section in particular had far less preachy, poorly developed, sections and actually made for an entertaining read.
Sadly the conclusion, was largely unsatisfying. Much of what the characters were able to accomplish felt far-fetched and unfortunately at least one of the twists was really cheap. I've heard it may be adapted into a miniseries and I think perhaps that would be a better format for this story.
Overall this was a dissatsifying read for me. If you're looking for a fast-paced thriller and are able to suspend a decent level of disbelief, this may be a more enjoyable read for you. For readers looking for a nuanced, well-developed social commentary piece or a grounded, somewhat accurate legal thriller, I'd maybe skip this one.
lr205's review against another edition
4.0
Jury trial. One juror trying to swing the rest. Fallout after the verdict.
crlopez2013's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this book. New twist on the traditional courtroom thriller, and modernized with sprinkled commentary about race. It is written from many different points of view (though mostly told from the protagonist's perspective) which is sometimes confusing, but this was easy to follow along. I appreciated the author's ability to really make the reader think about their moral and ethical decision making.
zozoleqq's review
3.0
Zupełnie nie mogłam się zaangażować :((
rozwiązanie całkiem ciekawe, ale nie zaskoczyło mnie szczególnie
rozwiązanie całkiem ciekawe, ale nie zaskoczyło mnie szczególnie
jansbookcorner's review against another edition
4.0
Great story that kept me guessing all the way through. Character driven and well written.
ignited_redqueen75's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book, it had me guessing to just about the end and although I somewhat guessed the truth reading how and why was just great. I would definitely recommend this to any of my book reading friends.