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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
3 stars to The Centre, an interesting literary thriller that left me wanting more (and reminded me to maybe give DuoLingo another try).
•
I loved the premise of this book-a young linguist discovers a mysterious, very exclusive, centre that promises fluency in any language in just 10 days that turns her life on its head. I could not wait to figure out what was going on, and while it kept me hooked, it also left me a bit unsatisfied by the end.
•
I think one of my biggest issues is that the characters were supposed to be in their 30’s but honestly read very immature and young, to the detriment of character development. Anisa had kind of a « woe is me » outlook that grated after a bit because it didn’t feel deserved. I also just needed a bit more from all the characters; I loved her best friend at first, but by the end she was…boring.
•
Overall I would maybe recommend this book for a quick read. The concept was cool and it did keep me hooked, but in the end it was just an ok read for me.
•
I loved the premise of this book-a young linguist discovers a mysterious, very exclusive, centre that promises fluency in any language in just 10 days that turns her life on its head. I could not wait to figure out what was going on, and while it kept me hooked, it also left me a bit unsatisfied by the end.
•
I think one of my biggest issues is that the characters were supposed to be in their 30’s but honestly read very immature and young, to the detriment of character development. Anisa had kind of a « woe is me » outlook that grated after a bit because it didn’t feel deserved. I also just needed a bit more from all the characters; I loved her best friend at first, but by the end she was…boring.
•
Overall I would maybe recommend this book for a quick read. The concept was cool and it did keep me hooked, but in the end it was just an ok read for me.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Overall, an interesting book, written-well enough to keep your attention. However the story was muddled with too many things the writer wanted to explore. Still, it was a pleasant enough read (listen), and the migrant blues were enough for me to be able to sympathize with the otherwise passive character.
I was not sure what it was that the protagonist “needed”, the stakes weren’t high enough. And the ending was almost non-existent. Hence the 3 stars.
(The inclusion of the IDF soldier character, in 2025, was bizarre and unnecessary)
I was not sure what it was that the protagonist “needed”, the stakes weren’t high enough. And the ending was almost non-existent. Hence the 3 stars.
(The inclusion of the IDF soldier character, in 2025, was bizarre and unnecessary)
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
This is one of those books that is better the less you know about it before you begin. It is darkly funny, creepy, and thought provoking. It touches on issues of class, race, gender, and language.
I’ll be thinking about this one for a while.
I’ll be thinking about this one for a while.
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Light, interesting, creepy and manages to hold your interest. Really enjoyed the nuances the author covered in the various characters. Super disappointing that there is however a character that served in the IDF and that detail is just left there as if it's not jarring to read or as if it's not worth digging into slightly further. Instead the character was remembered fondly in some regards- that's embarrassing.
Lots of unlikable characters in this book which makes the read interesting. Tacky to subtly include an IDF soldier- war criminals described as contemplative muscly dudes wearing FabIndia kurtas to be remembered fondly is a bizarre choice.
Lots of unlikable characters in this book which makes the read interesting. Tacky to subtly include an IDF soldier- war criminals described as contemplative muscly dudes wearing FabIndia kurtas to be remembered fondly is a bizarre choice.
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I wanted to love this book but it just missed the mark a little for me. It was definitely a wild spin on dark academia and I didn’t really see it coming. I did enjoy the discourse on classism and gender
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The author really had a lot to say, and was mostly working that out through this book. it's very muddled. Fun plot but it's.. a lot