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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
One of the best books I've ever read! Page turner I could not put down. My kind of book.
The style and narrative of this novel reminded very much of [a:Linwood Barclay|458771|Linwood Barclay|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1247172838p2/458771.jpg] but without the character depth and development and with a really weak plot.
I will certainly admit that I didn't finish this novel, in fact it felt as though it had taken me Six Years just to read 100 pages. Not only did I find the plot lacking in both detail and context but that the lead character seemed more like a mental stalker than a concerned ex-boyfriend. (Though why he was concerned in the first place is a mystery in itself)
Our narrator then seemed fairly normal at first, he had lost the love of his life and Six Years later was still hung up on her (even though she had sounded like a right bitch in the first chapter) for whatever reason. Then in a completely tenuous and fairly unbelivable conicidence, he discovers that her husband (the man she married instead of our stalker narrator) is now dead. Then without a single real motivation, beyond being entirely emotionally stunted after his dumpage, he goes into a full scale hunt for a woman that not only dumped him and then literally ordered him to stay away, but then didn't speak to him for six years...
The weak reasoning behind his involvement was addressed in the novel by the narrator, who acknowledged that there was no real reason to investigate his old bitch girlfriend and her possibly late husband, but this just made him sound really defensive, as though convincing us he wasn't mental.
All we knew about their relationship was that it had been a fairly short-lived affair in a secluded camp, but that it had still been never-ending love. Until she dumped him and married someone else. Therefore I couldn't really care whether the husband was or wasn't the husband, or whether Natalie was real or fake or whatever. If she had turned out to have been a firebreathing dragon with seventeen heads I probably wouldn't have been interested. Though that may have been more believable that the rest of the plot.
The plot itself, beyond this tenuous reason for investigtion, was really just a drawn out series of events in which our stalker narrator spent heck of a lot of money trapsing around the country interviewing people that should have known Natalie. But didn't. I know, I know. Tense right? No. I loathe the novels where the lead character knows that something has happened and yet nobody believes them... that isn't tension, that is frustration and being frustrated throughout a novel isn't entertaining.
Anyway, enough ranting. I wouldn't recommend.
I will certainly admit that I didn't finish this novel, in fact it felt as though it had taken me Six Years just to read 100 pages. Not only did I find the plot lacking in both detail and context but that the lead character seemed more like a mental stalker than a concerned ex-boyfriend. (Though why he was concerned in the first place is a mystery in itself)
Our narrator then seemed fairly normal at first, he had lost the love of his life and Six Years later was still hung up on her (even though she had sounded like a right bitch in the first chapter) for whatever reason. Then in a completely tenuous and fairly unbelivable conicidence, he discovers that her husband (the man she married instead of our
The weak reasoning behind his involvement was addressed in the novel by the narrator, who acknowledged that there was no real reason to investigate his old
All we knew about their relationship was that it had been a fairly short-lived affair in a secluded camp, but that it had still been never-ending love. Until she dumped him and married someone else. Therefore I couldn't really care whether the husband was or wasn't the husband, or whether Natalie was real or fake or whatever. If she had turned out to have been a firebreathing dragon with seventeen heads I probably wouldn't have been interested. Though that may have been more believable that the rest of the plot.
The plot itself, beyond this tenuous reason for investigtion, was really just a drawn out series of events in which our
Anyway, enough ranting. I wouldn't recommend.
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
My first Harlen Coben, and now I'm greedy for more. I had a really good time reading it. I did guess the ending with some 50 pages to go, and I was surprised that the quite intelligent Jake didn't.
Spoiler
But maybe a man so in love with a woman cannot see objectively about her.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
I enjoyed this Coben book too. Suspense, an engaging story and no filler. I didn't love the end, but that was only a few pages.
I listened to this as an audio book and thought it was an ok story. I could have cared less about the characters, but I realized with this type of book I can listen while I do something else. This never worked for my other audio books because I'd always miss something important and end up rewinding.
mysterious
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:
Complicated