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marmosetmike's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
s_h_a_r_i's review against another edition
5.0
Another book of the "Oh dear, this is going to end sooo badly, and I'm totally here for it" genre, and quite a fun ride at that.
noirverse's review against another edition
3.0
In all honesty this feels like a two star, but I'm bumping it up to three stars because I liked the first half of the book that much. I loved Ezra and Orson's relationship in the start. The story's biggest strength lies in their bond when we have it. I thought their smaller time cons were interesting, but once they hit it big, the plot derails.
The pacing gets thrown off and the time skips happen really suddenly. It loses its emotional heart as Orson and Ezra become like strangers to each other with the rest of the story not being nearly as compelling as it should've been. I wanted to feel more of what was happening since Ezra's narration becomes so distant that it's difficult to really care.
Orson by the end borders on feeling like a minor character with how much actual relevance he has to the plot beyond Ezra yearning for him. I also thought most of the women in this book had questionable writing with how the narrative described and treated them in comparison to the men. I have the feeling it could've been an all-time favorite book had the writer spent more time ironing out the pacing, and diving into the emotions of scenes (both already given to us and those skimmed over in a mention), while keeping a focus on Orson and Ezra's relationship. The ending should've hit hard, but it ended up being more like a tepid whimper because of these issues.
The pacing gets thrown off and the time skips happen really suddenly. It loses its emotional heart as Orson and Ezra become like strangers to each other with the rest of the story not being nearly as compelling as it should've been. I wanted to feel more of what was happening since Ezra's narration becomes so distant that it's difficult to really care.
Orson by the end borders on feeling like a minor character with how much actual relevance he has to the plot beyond Ezra yearning for him. I also thought most of the women in this book had questionable writing with how the narrative described and treated them in comparison to the men. I have the feeling it could've been an all-time favorite book had the writer spent more time ironing out the pacing, and diving into the emotions of scenes (both already given to us and those skimmed over in a mention), while keeping a focus on Orson and Ezra's relationship. The ending should've hit hard, but it ended up being more like a tepid whimper because of these issues.
michelefrstn's review against another edition
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
orange_06's review
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
ezra is so favourite crime by olivia rodrigo coded
reading the 2nd half was honestly painful, i hated seeing how fucked up ezra was and how he kept on making everything worse over and over again but it was still additcting to read. like watching a car crash, you just can't look away.
reading the 2nd half was honestly painful, i hated seeing how fucked up ezra was and how he kept on making everything worse over and over again but it was still additcting to read. like watching a car crash, you just can't look away.
kurie's review against another edition
4.0
Someone else please read this book I have strong opinions and I need to talk about them!
This is a very good book but I can't give it 5 stars. The first half was fun and enjoyable and then the second half was painful and not in a good way. I honestly hated reading about a sad man destroying his own life. He just made all of the worst possible decisions and had a horrible time doing it. It made me want to quit reading but I pushed through because the writing is really really good and I liked the first half so much. It was a good book but it made me feel terrible.
This is a very good book but I can't give it 5 stars. The first half was fun and enjoyable and then the second half was painful and not in a good way. I honestly hated reading about a sad man destroying his own life. He just made all of the worst possible decisions and had a horrible time doing it. It made me want to quit reading but I pushed through because the writing is really really good and I liked the first half so much. It was a good book but it made me feel terrible.
watermelonhead's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
thart3's review against another edition
5.0
Truly one of the most entertaining books on con artist that I have read. It's like Elmore Leonard for the teen set. Well written, it had me vested in the characters, and it kept a pace that kept me wondering. Well done!
lindsirae's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- 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
3.75
it was fun and clever. was a little weirded out by the fictional latin american country’s politics (the communists being “the right” and the neoliberals being “the left”) but otherwise it felt very Of Our Time without being preachy or sacrificing plot and character for flat politics