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sarjanie's review against another edition
2.0
Chloe Hooper's '[b:The Arsonist: A Mind on Fire|40852949|The Arsonist A Mind on Fire|Chloe Hooper|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1531804599l/40852949._SY75_.jpg|63626640]' was such as great book that I was sure I'd like anything else she wrote. This psychological thriller proved me wrong.
The main thing that let this book down were the characters. In a thriller like this, I feel that the character who is being manipulated needs to have some redeeming feature that a reader can get attached to so they have a sense of empathy for them. But the problem with 'The Engagement' is that both characters are playing some game of manipulation and the reader is the one being gas-lighted. You can't really grasp which person is getting played, if it's all in Liese's head or if Alexander really is a deviant, and you're unable to feel anything towards either of them. By the end I was just left scratching my head with no patience to re-read sections to figure it all out.
On the plus side, I could see this being a great book club title as you could spend ages discussing the details of it all.
The main thing that let this book down were the characters. In a thriller like this, I feel that the character who is being manipulated needs to have some redeeming feature that a reader can get attached to so they have a sense of empathy for them. But the problem with 'The Engagement' is that both characters are playing some game of manipulation and the reader is the one being gas-lighted. You can't really grasp which person is getting played, if it's all in Liese's head or if Alexander really is a deviant, and you're unable to feel anything towards either of them. By the end I was just left scratching my head with no patience to re-read sections to figure it all out.
On the plus side, I could see this being a great book club title as you could spend ages discussing the details of it all.
b00knerdkat's review against another edition
2.0
Despite the fact that this book was slim (definitely less than 300 pages), it took me quite a while to read it because it was just an odd story. The characters were not fleshed out, and the execution of the story was just lacking. I picked this up because it had an interesting premise (woman "pretends" she's a prostitute whenever she's with a certain man; man invites her to his home to play a game), but this was just a weird, twisted book.
chloe1160's review against another edition
2.0
This book was a disappointment. I wasn't much going in to it anyway, as it was a book which I had to read for a university class, and one that I wouldn't have picked up otherwise.
The plot had potential, and was quite enjoyable at times. I was looking forward to figuring out how it ended, and what happened to our two main characters: Alexander and Liese. I found it extremely disappointing and it almost seemed quite lazy. I think this was largely because all of the buildup, like the makeup and clothes were all revealed to be (mostly) innocent, and the whole thing was put down to daddy issues.
The characters were quite painful throughout the book. I understand the concept of an unreliable narrator, but this doesn't mean stupid or two dimensional. However, Liese was bearable, and definitely not the worst part of this book. Alexander on the other hand, was never fully fleshed out, and left me feeling like the author didn't really know what she wanted to do with him.
Both characters left me not really caring what happened to them, and the only reason why I finished was to find a resolution- which never actually happened.
Hands down the most annoying part of this book was all of the nature metaphors. I mean, they are going to be great to write about in essays, but reading them was painful. We understand that the nature can be symbolic of the character's situation and personality the first ten times you say it. You can stop. Luckily, she did stop for the middle of the book, but I did groan when once again nature was bought up as a metaphor near the end of the book. I would have been fine with it all if it wasn't so blatantly said and explained. Liese literally makes the connection herself and spells it out for the reader. EVERY. TIME.
All up, I did not enjoy this book, however I gave it two star, because without the nature metaphors it was enjoyable, and the plot had potential before it started getting ridiculous near the end. The characters however were a let down.
The plot had potential, and was quite enjoyable at times. I was looking forward to figuring out how it ended, and what happened to our two main characters: Alexander and Liese. I found it extremely disappointing and it almost seemed quite lazy.
The characters were quite painful throughout the book. I understand the concept of an unreliable narrator, but this doesn't mean stupid or two dimensional. However, Liese was bearable, and definitely not the worst part of this book. Alexander on the other hand, was never fully fleshed out, and left me feeling like the author didn't really know what she wanted to do with him.
Both characters left me not really caring what happened to them, and the only reason why I finished was to find a resolution- which never actually happened.
Hands down the most annoying part of this book was all of the nature metaphors. I mean, they are going to be great to write about in essays, but reading them was painful. We understand that the nature can be symbolic of the character's situation and personality the first ten times you say it. You can stop. Luckily, she did stop for the middle of the book, but I did groan when once again nature was bought up as a metaphor near the end of the book. I would have been fine with it all if it wasn't so blatantly said and explained. Liese literally makes the connection herself and spells it out for the reader. EVERY. TIME.
All up, I did not enjoy this book, however I gave it two star, because without the nature metaphors it was enjoyable, and the plot had potential before it started getting ridiculous near the end. The characters however were a let down.
jms's review against another edition
4.0
As a big Chloe Hooper fan, I was really looking forward to diving into The Engagement. Whilst beautifully written, I found much of it uncomfortable to read. I found it hard to identify with Liese and her emotional reaction to the situation she found herself in was confusingly inconsistent. I personally felt suffocated by the isolation of the two characters and I kept reading to find some breathing space. Wonderful depiction of regional Victoria and the farm setting.
mw2k's review against another edition
3.0
Not really understanding the wildly polarised reviews this book is getting here. For the most part, it's your run of the mill psych-thriller that doesn't go beyond or above the confines of the genre in any remarkable way.
In saying so, it's cleverly and occasionally slyly narrated and the author knows how to make her protagonist have a keen eye for observation. That same protagonist is a little too passive for my liking in this book, preferring to play the part of hand-wringing victim. The story itself wasn't as engaging (haha!) as I'd hoped either, as it mired itself in a lot of incidentals and reflection.
In saying so, it's cleverly and occasionally slyly narrated and the author knows how to make her protagonist have a keen eye for observation. That same protagonist is a little too passive for my liking in this book, preferring to play the part of hand-wringing victim. The story itself wasn't as engaging (haha!) as I'd hoped either, as it mired itself in a lot of incidentals and reflection.
skadinova's review against another edition
3.0
An intriguing book that kept me turning pages to see how this psychological game would end between the two characters. I enjoyed the slightly Gothic Australian feel and the landscape imbued with menace - the outsider view of Australian landscape from Liese's perspective. However, I did often find myself disengaging from the story as I couldn't understand some of Liese's choices and reactions. I read this in a couple of days and I do want to read more of Chloe Hooper's books but this didn't grab me like I wanted it to.
aerdna's review against another edition
3.0
I suspect this book is not very good, but it disguises that fact well by being very entertaining. I read Rebecca by De Maurier last year and it was one of those sleeper books that I found myself craving afterwards, and this book had the same vibe, if not quite so satisfying.
I did like it as a slightly more unique female perspective on hesitancy about the whole marriage thing, too. That's surprisingly rare in pop fiction.
I did like it as a slightly more unique female perspective on hesitancy about the whole marriage thing, too. That's surprisingly rare in pop fiction.
taphophile's review
4.0
Utterly, gothically brilliant. The set up is a bit clunky, but go with it, the psychological thriller bit is worth it.
fayroseh's review
2.0
I'm very disappointed and underwhelmed in this book. It was dull and uneventful and seemingly pointless.
jms's review
4.0
As a big Chloe Hooper fan, I was really looking forward to diving into The Engagement. Whilst beautifully written, I found much of it uncomfortable to read. I found it hard to identify with Liese and her emotional reaction to the situation she found herself in was confusingly inconsistent. I personally felt suffocated by the isolation of the two characters and I kept reading to find some breathing space. Wonderful depiction of regional Victoria and the farm setting.