Reviews

A Person of Interest by Susan Choi

loujoseph's review against another edition

4.0

while i'm still not completely sold on choi's use of historical episodes from the last 30 or 40 years, like in american woman, i think she's an excellent writer both with winding up tight plots and knowing when to unspoll them and when to pull tight, and also for the numerous small moments of lucidity she grants her characters. i thoroughly enjoyed her takes on academia through the eyes of Prof Lee, on being obsolete, of being honest to yourself, and what guilt is. highly recommended.

toucansam23's review against another edition

dark reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

hannahsatreat's review against another edition

4.0

This was my favorite book out of all three of hers so far! The close look at Lee's life and his relationships were wonderfully combined with the mystery of the Brain Bomber. Choi's descriptions of personal mental, emotional, and physiological states are amazing. I loved the intimacy of Lee's thoughts in the novel.

I highly recommend this one to mystery fans, but more for anyone who enjoys a great in-depth look into the life of a lonely old man. That sounds depressing, but it's a great book!

rocketiza's review against another edition

1.0

Only made it 150 pages in so may not have gotten to the culmination that made it worth it, but was really disappointed after reading trust exercise that had such a unique voice and style to pick this up and find it lacking that. Its written in the perfect structure and style that make it indistinguishable and from other authors who can write towards this ideal style and therefore not really interesting to me.

kirinmccrory's review against another edition

4.0

This was a real anxiety-ridden page-turner for me. I think Choi is so good with complex characters, though they're always marred--or misted, maybe--by her penchant for distance. My opinion on this distance fluctuates: I am always affected by it, and in the first half of the book, I don't really like it, it bleeds into me and my life; then, by the second half, I realize that the distance has left me open and unprepared for all the feelings Choi layers in, and I almost always find myself teary-eyed and disappointed that the book is over.

krep___'s review against another edition

2.75

Took me quite a while to get into, perhaps due in part to how frustratingly flawed the main character was. But the writing is skilled, characters are authenitic, and the premise of the story is original.

lauresno's review against another edition

mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

3.0

nanikeeva's review against another edition

1.0

not pleasant, interesting, or insightful

nakarinna83's review against another edition

4.0

I added this book to my "to read" list quite some time ago, and just recently checked it out from the library. Based primarily on the title, I figured it would be a simple thriller. I was wrong. It's a thriller on one level, sure, but it's also the story of an aging college professor who is just starting to realize that he's unhappy in his later years. Choi does a great job of striking the balance between showing why Lee's actions make him suspicious to his community (and the FBI) and illustrating the anxiety Lee is experiencing about his current situation. This book is a recommended read for those interested in a complex character study of a man confronted with becoming obsolete in both his personal and professional lives.

lowercasepoet's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5