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3.37 AVERAGE
3.37 AVERAGE
Wow. Quite impressive. This was such a twisted story with such a unique idea and I honestly had no idea what to expect. For a while I wasn’t sure if there would be much of a reveal but when it came, it was so well-done and I was genuinely shocked. The ending truly wrapped it all up quite well! What an interesting read; this’ll stay with me for a while.
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book just didn't grab me the way I hoped it would, so much so that I nearly gave it only 2 stars. The concept was great, and the unfolding of the plot from multiple points of view was a good storytelling choice. However, the suspense just felt too weak to me. Here's a woman who has an unknown person basically threatening her life (by exposing her past and/or pushing her in front of a train), but her fear of exposure/death just doesn't seem that real. I felt like this was a kernel of a story that could have been developed a lot more if it was treated more as domestic/realistic fiction than suspense. How each character handled the truth (or their version of it), how the secret affected their personalities/relationships/psyches, how Jonathan and Nick became the men they became from the boys they were... I would have loved to see more thoughtfulness and less voyeurism. So while I somewhat enjoyed this book and would definitely read another by Knight, I'm sad to say that Disclaimer didn't live up to the promise of its blurbs.
The fine print: received ARC from Edelweiss.
Spoiler
Add that to the fact that Jonathan's parents wrote an entirely fictional account and didn't know what actually happened in Spain...Spoiler
While it worked really well for the plot, I am never a fan of rape for storytelling value. When it is used, I hate for it to sound so detached and unemotional, used as a plot device in a largely heartless manner. However, I did love how strong Catherine was, particularly in leaving her husband who was so much more "accepting" of her rape than the thought of her being unfaithful.The fine print: received ARC from Edelweiss.
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
The plot is twisty, the characters unlikeable, the story not as compelling as you’d want
This book started off way too slowly! If a friend hadn't told me she had just watched the show (there is a show?) and wanted to compare notes, I might not have finished it. But, I was intrigued. It would have to get better, right? And it did! It got really good! And then it got crazy good! And yes I could totally see how this would make a good suspenseful show with how the characters behaved and changed and how the plot got super twisty turny. Books like this are why I'm always afraid to DNF a book!
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Very slow. About a women who reads a book and realizes it was written about her. Has a twist, but not worth the read