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terriep's review
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Thanks to #booksirens and #vineleavespress for the advance copy of this book - these opinions are my own.
This book took me a bit to warm up to. I found the writing style a bit confusing throughout and especially at the beginning where I wasn't quite sure what was happening. After a couple chapters I settled into the story, though I was still bothered by the odd writing style. It's short and gets to the point once I got used to the style. There are POV changes which put us inside the heads of the characters and is maybe the most interesting parts of the story.
For the first time in a long time, I wasn't sure who to "root" for. None of the characters are particularly likeable though Mabel, as the protagonist, is perhaps the easiest. 1962 and she's a young college girl moving to a small college town in Massachusetts where she boards with an elderly (60 something) couple. The couple is portrayed as welcoming but pretty dated and Ruth White (the wife) is determined to help Mabel overcome her perceived lack of appropriate background by mentoring her. We spend quite a bit of time in the husband's mind, learning his amorous thoughts about Mabel. Then, there's the young constable she's 'dating' and not sure about. Finally, Clarissa shows up; Ruth White's best girlfriend for 60 years, and yet they don't know each other at all.
This all sets the scene(s) for a Shakespearean comedy of errors in a very classic mess of misunderstandings. It's easy to see how each person's misconceptions are fed by their own desires - Mabel is looking for a friendly father figure, so responds to Henry with open friendliness which he chooses to interpret as desire, etc. etc. The ending. Well, I never saw it coming and I'm not sure how I feel about it. Just desserts? Hmmmm.
Trigger warnings for language, sex, and rape.
This book took me a bit to warm up to. I found the writing style a bit confusing throughout and especially at the beginning where I wasn't quite sure what was happening. After a couple chapters I settled into the story, though I was still bothered by the odd writing style. It's short and gets to the point once I got used to the style. There are POV changes which put us inside the heads of the characters and is maybe the most interesting parts of the story.
For the first time in a long time, I wasn't sure who to "root" for. None of the characters are particularly likeable though Mabel, as the protagonist, is perhaps the easiest. 1962 and she's a young college girl moving to a small college town in Massachusetts where she boards with an elderly (60 something) couple. The couple is portrayed as welcoming but pretty dated and Ruth White (the wife) is determined to help Mabel overcome her perceived lack of appropriate background by mentoring her. We spend quite a bit of time in the husband's mind, learning his amorous thoughts about Mabel. Then, there's the young constable she's 'dating' and not sure about. Finally, Clarissa shows up; Ruth White's best girlfriend for 60 years, and yet they don't know each other at all.
This all sets the scene(s) for a Shakespearean comedy of errors in a very classic mess of misunderstandings. It's easy to see how each person's misconceptions are fed by their own desires - Mabel is looking for a friendly father figure, so responds to Henry with open friendliness which he chooses to interpret as desire, etc. etc. The ending. Well, I never saw it coming and I'm not sure how I feel about it. Just desserts? Hmmmm.
Trigger warnings for language, sex, and rape.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Sexual assault
kazofbooks's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This story is dark and twisted tale that had such promise but sadly didn’t reach its potential.
I’m not sure what I was expecting for this story, but whatever it was, it was not this. They Believed They Were Safe is a story about Mable who arrives in 1962 to board with the Alstons’ but she has secrets. This is meant to be a story exploring her life and sexual obsessions. This book does explore sexual obsessions but in an abusive and sickly way.
The things that could have been much better:
- the character development. None of the characters are fully developed. They’re all pretty bland without any substance to keep us engaged and interested in them.
- plot points - nothing is stated and the plot jumps around. You see bits of Mr Henry Alstons life, bits of Mable’s life and courting with Jim Flaherty, you then meet Mrs Ruth White Alstons’ friend Clarissa, but none of the plot points feel necessary because they are all unfinished.
- the ending - the story feels unfinished and you are left looking for the next chapter because there are so many holes that are just… left
- the execution of the writing - there is a lot of waffling. Parts of the story aren’t taking you anywhere and appear as though only added in order to increase the word count. It could be that had these parts been executed better they would have developed the characters but as far as I could tell, this did not happen.
- telling, not showing. A lot of the story felt as if we were being told what the character felt and thought instead of being shown this. This left the story as feeling pretty two dimensional in my option.
Trigger warnings. This story needs to come with several very large trigger warnings due to the dark nature of the story and the way the story was wxecuted.
This story is dark and twisted tale that had such promise but sadly didn’t reach its potential.
I’m not sure what I was expecting for this story, but whatever it was, it was not this. They Believed They Were Safe is a story about Mable who arrives in 1962 to board with the Alstons’ but she has secrets. This is meant to be a story exploring her life and sexual obsessions. This book does explore sexual obsessions but in an abusive and sickly way.
The things that could have been much better:
- the character development. None of the characters are fully developed. They’re all pretty bland without any substance to keep us engaged and interested in them.
- plot points - nothing is stated and the plot jumps around. You see bits of Mr Henry Alstons life, bits of Mable’s life and courting with Jim Flaherty, you then meet Mrs Ruth White Alstons’ friend Clarissa, but none of the plot points feel necessary because they are all unfinished.
- the ending - the story feels unfinished and you are left looking for the next chapter because there are so many holes that are just… left
- the execution of the writing - there is a lot of waffling. Parts of the story aren’t taking you anywhere and appear as though only added in order to increase the word count. It could be that had these parts been executed better they would have developed the characters but as far as I could tell, this did not happen.
- telling, not showing. A lot of the story felt as if we were being told what the character felt and thought instead of being shown this. This left the story as feeling pretty two dimensional in my option.
Trigger warnings. This story needs to come with several very large trigger warnings due to the dark nature of the story and the way the story was wxecuted.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Classism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death, Murder, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
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