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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
We're at the typewriter again, Lenora in her wheelchair and me standing beside her as I place her left hand atop the keys.
This is my second Riley Sager book, and if I could expect anything, I could expect a plot that was deceptively simple at first glance and would end up going completely bonkers in the end. And it kind of did, though not as crazy as I probably would have liked.
I think what kept this from hitting with me as well as his previous book was the continuous piling up of plots and characters who grew increasingly far-fetched and hard to believe. There were just some aspects that I did not buy at all and could not suspend my disbelief entirely.
Instead of Wonderland, though, I've ended up inside the portrait of Lenora Hope and now stare at myself from outside the frame.
The characters in the story were pretty interesting overall, though some of their quirks you could tell were plot-related. I liked the avoidance of a straight up villain, everyone had motivation and it kept me guessing the whole book.
The book had some interesting themes of loss and guilt that I felt could have been explored more deeply, but seemed to be sacrificed in favor of plot twists and reveals. It felt as soon as I got a handle on a character, there would be a new reveal that rendered what I felt obsolete. It didn't feel great to end the book knowing less about the characters than I thought.
Still overall an enjoyable read, with a twisty plot and compelling, if shallow themes.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There were many points in this book where I was confident I knew the answer. Many points where everything clicked and I went “aha!” and all of those moments I loved. But I was simultaneously completely right and completely wrong. The ending is the closest thing to a perfect twist ending I’ve ever read. Even with knowing that the twist to most readers was completely unexpected I was still blown away.
This is one of those books that reminds you that writing is an art form, the story is woven beautifully. I found myself on occasion skipping back to previous pages to confirm new revelations and was met with obvious truth. I couldn’t find plot holes, it’s the best example of world building I’ve seen in a crime novel. The big details, the little details, everything is clear from the start but only if you know the end. Riley Sager does a great job at highlighting the details that they want readers to notice, whilst seamlessly obscuring other facts. There is one moment where before Kit has a major breakthrough, a single tiny detail reveals so much more and the second that I read that line, every single thing written after was like sugar.
The writing is so beautifully crafted that despite now knowing all the pieces of the puzzle and having arranged them, I would still rebuild this puzzle for fun. All in all a greatly entertaining journey. Once I started reading, there was no option to put it down.
This is one of those books that reminds you that writing is an art form, the story is woven beautifully. I found myself on occasion skipping back to previous pages to confirm new revelations and was met with obvious truth. I couldn’t find plot holes, it’s the best example of world building I’ve seen in a crime novel. The big details, the little details, everything is clear from the start but only if you know the end. Riley Sager does a great job at highlighting the details that they want readers to notice, whilst seamlessly obscuring other facts. There is one moment where before Kit has a major breakthrough, a single tiny detail reveals so much more and the second that I read that line, every single thing written after was like sugar.
The writing is so beautifully crafted that despite now knowing all the pieces of the puzzle and having arranged them, I would still rebuild this puzzle for fun. All in all a greatly entertaining journey. Once I started reading, there was no option to put it down.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Probably my favorite Riley Sager
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Way too many twists. Just the one big one Lenora/Virginia would've been fine. But there were almost 5 other "twists" that cluttered the ending.
Good mystery, I fuck with it. First book by this author and will read more.
Riley Sager got me again, and not in a good way. You can’t save a boring book by putting 12 plot twists in the final 60 pages. By the time I got to the plot twists I didn’t care because I was so bored. On top of that, it was plot twist after plot twist and it almost became comical how over the top it was.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Twists and turns galore. Just when you think you have it figured out, you don’t….
medium-paced