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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The past haunts us. That could pertain to Six Years or to any Coben book for the last dozen years.
That's not to say I haven't enjoyed them. I've ready almost everything Coben's ever published. The Myron Bolitar series is one of my favorites, and I'll always remember how breathless I was reading Tell No One and Gone For Good. Look, Coben knows his themes and plays them well. I'd just like to see him explore something other than the past finally catching up to our protagonist and exposing family secrets. It's made his stories run together. His characters too. Missing family, fractured love, everyman protagonist investigates with friendly sidekick, family secrets exposed after danger escalates. It's a familiar dance.
Look, Coben can write, although that's not as much on display in Six Years as in earlier books. His voice has gotten increasingly cutesy and the vast overuse of quotation marks in narrative here is distracting at best. Also, the main character's feelings sometimes seemed a little childish, ill-formed, and inauthentic--too saccharine. So that could get in the way.
One particular problem that I usually don't see with such a gifted storyteller as Coben is an implausible character issue near the climax of the book. I won't spoil it, but when a trait is out of nowhere, doesn't fit with what we know of the character, and left unexplained, it feels sloppy and disappointing.
But he knows how to move a plot, how to build suspense, how to pace the reader through to the end. It's always an enjoyable ride. I simply feel, having seen his past, that Coben can do more and I'd love to see him push into new territory again. Six Years simply felt like too many of his previous books.
All this sounds like I didn't enjoy Six Years. I did. It's only that what seemed such ripe fruit back in his early standalone novels seems more dried out and consumed now. I still look forward to Coben entertaining me--I'm counting on it--but I'd love to see his next novel explore unfamiliar territory.
Gently recommended for those who like emotional mysteries and who are newer to Coben (although his earlier works pack more punch). For those who've read as much of him as I have, while entertaining, Six Years will feel awfully familiar.
That's not to say I haven't enjoyed them. I've ready almost everything Coben's ever published. The Myron Bolitar series is one of my favorites, and I'll always remember how breathless I was reading Tell No One and Gone For Good. Look, Coben knows his themes and plays them well. I'd just like to see him explore something other than the past finally catching up to our protagonist and exposing family secrets. It's made his stories run together. His characters too. Missing family, fractured love, everyman protagonist investigates with friendly sidekick, family secrets exposed after danger escalates. It's a familiar dance.
Look, Coben can write, although that's not as much on display in Six Years as in earlier books. His voice has gotten increasingly cutesy and the vast overuse of quotation marks in narrative here is distracting at best. Also, the main character's feelings sometimes seemed a little childish, ill-formed, and inauthentic--too saccharine. So that could get in the way.
One particular problem that I usually don't see with such a gifted storyteller as Coben is an implausible character issue near the climax of the book. I won't spoil it, but when a trait is out of nowhere, doesn't fit with what we know of the character, and left unexplained, it feels sloppy and disappointing.
But he knows how to move a plot, how to build suspense, how to pace the reader through to the end. It's always an enjoyable ride. I simply feel, having seen his past, that Coben can do more and I'd love to see him push into new territory again. Six Years simply felt like too many of his previous books.
All this sounds like I didn't enjoy Six Years. I did. It's only that what seemed such ripe fruit back in his early standalone novels seems more dried out and consumed now. I still look forward to Coben entertaining me--I'm counting on it--but I'd love to see his next novel explore unfamiliar territory.
Gently recommended for those who like emotional mysteries and who are newer to Coben (although his earlier works pack more punch). For those who've read as much of him as I have, while entertaining, Six Years will feel awfully familiar.
mysterious
tense
A enredo da história é interessante, apesar de ser bastante óbvio em alguns momentos e ser muito simples desvendar a explicação de tudo bem antes do final.
Mas meu problema é o personagem principal, que narra tudo em primeira pessoa. Um homem completamente obcecado por uma mulher que chutou ele 6 anos antes e que é tão egoísta que continua teimando em ir atrás dela mesmo com todo mundo dizendo que não é pra ele fazer isso pro bem dela e de outros.
Em um momento ele descreve os trabalhos de uns artistas que aparecem na história como "... Pretentious, tedious, self-involved crap written in a prose style one might describe as 'look at me! Please look at me!'", e em outro momento ele diz que um colega professor é "the kind of teacher who loves nothing more than the sound of his voice" e a única coisa que eu senti foi que ele estava falando sobre si mesmo.
Tiro desse livro uma confirmação que já tinha tido na universidade: todo professor de ciência política é doido
Mas meu problema é o personagem principal, que narra tudo em primeira pessoa. Um homem completamente obcecado por uma mulher que chutou ele 6 anos antes e que é tão egoísta que continua teimando em ir atrás dela mesmo com todo mundo dizendo que não é pra ele fazer isso pro bem dela e de outros.
Em um momento ele descreve os trabalhos de uns artistas que aparecem na história como "... Pretentious, tedious, self-involved crap written in a prose style one might describe as 'look at me! Please look at me!'", e em outro momento ele diz que um colega professor é "the kind of teacher who loves nothing more than the sound of his voice" e a única coisa que eu senti foi que ele estava falando sobre si mesmo.
Tiro desse livro uma confirmação que já tinha tido na universidade: todo professor de ciência política é doido
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Couldn't put it down! A quick roller coaster ride. Great twists. Totally satisfying.
I couldn’t stop reading, yet at the same time I couldn’t help thinking this is so unrealistic- what a stalker....
Get over it man!
Get over it man!
Thrilling, fast paced, would read more Coben!