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3.44 AVERAGE
3.44 AVERAGE
While the back story behind this book is interesting,I found that Becky did not engage me as much as I originally thought she would. Her transition back and forth, from small town accountant to art connoisseur, seemed a little contrived - no-one suspected, or caught on to her two personas, and I guess that’s what I found to be a surprise.
slow-paced
held promise but lost its way. started off strong w rich, interesting characters, but Never really showed us the drive behind her obsession and her actions started to make less sense in the context. Ultimately didn’t want to read the end where it started to get too uncomfortable. i wanted a little more drama, a little more magic.
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you publisher (@williammorrowbooks @customhousebooks) for gifted book for review.
Becky Farwell doesn't become a con-artist overnight. In the early part of the book, she is a teenager trying to take care of her ailing father & family business. She's good with numbers and manages to keep her and her father from loosing everything. But when a check shows up that seems like excess, she leaves it until a piece of art shows up that's exactly the amount of the check. Slowly we watch Becky sink into the mire of siphoning/diverting money from the small town she works for to finance her art collection/business.
Maybe it's just me but this one was underwhelming and I really didn't care what happened one way or another after a few close calls. I guess I was expecting more "thrill" and "suspense" but it was repetitive cycles of the same almost caught scenarios until the last few chapters when Becky does get caught and goes to jail.
That's it. Nothing equating to "edge of my seat" , guess what's about to happen, "she almost got killed because of her shenanigans" thrill or excitement. The audio from my library was what made me push to the end to see what happens but I'd say hard pass. This was 4 hours of reading gone that can't be returned.
Becky Farwell doesn't become a con-artist overnight. In the early part of the book, she is a teenager trying to take care of her ailing father & family business. She's good with numbers and manages to keep her and her father from loosing everything. But when a check shows up that seems like excess, she leaves it until a piece of art shows up that's exactly the amount of the check. Slowly we watch Becky sink into the mire of siphoning/diverting money from the small town she works for to finance her art collection/business.
Maybe it's just me but this one was underwhelming and I really didn't care what happened one way or another after a few close calls. I guess I was expecting more "thrill" and "suspense" but it was repetitive cycles of the same almost caught scenarios until the last few chapters when Becky does get caught and goes to jail.
That's it. Nothing equating to "edge of my seat" , guess what's about to happen, "she almost got killed because of her shenanigans" thrill or excitement. The audio from my library was what made me push to the end to see what happens but I'd say hard pass. This was 4 hours of reading gone that can't be returned.
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
How much does it cost to live the life you fantasize about? For Becky, it takes a lot of money to keep up her Collector lifestyle, which means she must find ways that are not legal to keep her lifestyle. The Talented Miss Farwell illustrates how fine the line there is between being a model citizen and a criminal. It deconstructs what it means to embezzle from a business and give an insight on blue collar criminals minds. Tedrowe makes Becky a some what relatable protagonist but ultimately falls short.. Becky is an insecure and ordinary character that does have growth development throughout the book but not enough to make her interesting to follow. The plot dragged and often left the reader wondering when the excitement of criminal deeds was going to happen. The supporting characters are interchangeable and unmemorable. There was no urgency in the pace nor in wanting Becky to succeed in her double life. Everything feel flat and strained to give life to a lifeless story and character.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
did not realize it was loosely based on a true story. the ending of her 'Activity' could have been more dramatic for my taste but, not for nothing, I read 80% of it in one day