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jenpaul13's review against another edition
4.0
Déjà vu is a weird experience, made even stranger when you experience the same event from a few different perspectives. Stuart Turton’s The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle seeks to solve a mysterious murder by having its investigator relive the same momentous day in eight different hosts.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
At an English countryside estate, the parents of Evelyn Hardcastle are throwing a party to reintroduce her to society after years of living in Paris. But the party isn’t a happy occasion as there are plans afoot by party or parties unknown to kill Evelyn during the party her parents are hosting. Trying to save the life of Evelyn by solving her murder, Aiden Bishop repeats the same day over and over within the bodies of different people at the party, each of whom has different benefits and drawbacks to aid or hinder in his effort to escape this never-ending loop.
Filled with misdirection and intrigue, the narrative uses a basic mystery format to explore a more creative science fiction element to the premise with time manipulation. The story, while interesting in its delivery, was frustrating at times with how much overlapping information was presented as if it were new – though it was a way to establish a scene or situation, it could have been a bit more concise. While there was a lot of characterization and build up to the ending, the ending rushed through its explanation of why, and as a result it short-changed a satisfying resolution as the why was incredibly intriguing. With the intricacies of the story, this could easily lend itself to the screen, reminiscent as it was of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban with its vibe relating to time travel loops and the effect certain actions have on the future.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
At an English countryside estate, the parents of Evelyn Hardcastle are throwing a party to reintroduce her to society after years of living in Paris. But the party isn’t a happy occasion as there are plans afoot by party or parties unknown to kill Evelyn during the party her parents are hosting. Trying to save the life of Evelyn by solving her murder, Aiden Bishop repeats the same day over and over within the bodies of different people at the party, each of whom has different benefits and drawbacks to aid or hinder in his effort to escape this never-ending loop.
Filled with misdirection and intrigue, the narrative uses a basic mystery format to explore a more creative science fiction element to the premise with time manipulation. The story, while interesting in its delivery, was frustrating at times with how much overlapping information was presented as if it were new – though it was a way to establish a scene or situation, it could have been a bit more concise. While there was a lot of characterization and build up to the ending, the ending rushed through its explanation of why, and as a result it short-changed a satisfying resolution as the why was incredibly intriguing. With the intricacies of the story, this could easily lend itself to the screen, reminiscent as it was of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban with its vibe relating to time travel loops and the effect certain actions have on the future.
zimmm's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Just adding twists doesn't make the book better. Interesting concept but bogged down in length, detail, and constant switching.
allygator's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
this book is really fucking slow sometimes, but it's worth it if you can get through the slog that is the beginning.
the concept behind the story is so fascinating that it kept me reading, but there were times where if i wasn't so interested in the mystery i would probably have put it down. i loved all the different perspectives and how well turton established their unique voices. i love how once the pacing found its footing the mystery really hooked me and kept me engaged. i don't love that it took me 200ish pages to get to that point.
aiden bishop is a really engaging character because he doesn't know who he is or what's going on, so we're learning everything exactly as he does. it's a really good tool to use when writing a mystery (and a tool that was used expertly in andy weir's Project Hail Mary, if you're interested in reading more of it). without that, i think this book would have been much less interesting and i might not have finished it.
however, as much as i think that so much of what that mystery brings is great, the final twist was, to be quite honest, a bit of a disappointment.i like that aiden was motivated by revenge, but i don't like that the fact that the girl we'd been rooting for him to fall in love with and get out of the purgatory they're stuck in is actually a terrible person and they never get to reconcile that with each other. it's unfortunate because the end of the murder mystery was so great but the end of the 'aiden bishop' mystery wasn't.
i'm not upset that i took the time to finish this, i just wish it was a little bit more. i just wish i could have left this a little less underwhelmed.
the concept behind the story is so fascinating that it kept me reading, but there were times where if i wasn't so interested in the mystery i would probably have put it down. i loved all the different perspectives and how well turton established their unique voices. i love how once the pacing found its footing the mystery really hooked me and kept me engaged. i don't love that it took me 200ish pages to get to that point.
aiden bishop is a really engaging character because he doesn't know who he is or what's going on, so we're learning everything exactly as he does. it's a really good tool to use when writing a mystery (and a tool that was used expertly in andy weir's Project Hail Mary, if you're interested in reading more of it). without that, i think this book would have been much less interesting and i might not have finished it.
however, as much as i think that so much of what that mystery brings is great, the final twist was, to be quite honest, a bit of a disappointment.
i'm not upset that i took the time to finish this, i just wish it was a little bit more. i just wish i could have left this a little less underwhelmed.
k84's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.0
Fun until the premise was revealed. Meh.
woolsson's review against another edition
3.0
Intriguing twist on a murder mystery. I do think it could have been condensed a bit but on a whole it was a captivating and enjoyable read.
alexreadsthebooks's review against another edition
Please tell me I am not the only bookish person who has an entire bookshelf full of books you’ve bought but haven’t read yet…
Ok, ok– mine is actually a 3-shelf #TBRbookcase
Ok, ok– mine is actually a 3-shelf #TBRbookcase
sophiemonz's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5