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emmdashed's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
Bob is too good for all of these terrible people. Every other character was trash.
The Twist was unexpected, and it certainly kept me reading. However, given how character driven this story was I needed to be able to connect and like at least one of them. Even just a little.
The writing was fine. Very readable, if needlessly and unrealistically cryptic. But that comes with the genre, so I can't fault it too much.
I have some Thoughts on the ending so Spoilers ahead:
.
.
.
Two separate people being this obsessed with a man? Who by all accounts seems like a completely self interested ass? The fuck? Unbelievable. Could never be me.
Especially when Adam and Robin get back together ???? Like ???? Girl psychologically tortured, then stabbed your wife? I know you didn't like your wife much but still. Can you ever trust that person again? Let alone think "everything inside her is beautiful"? What more can we expect from Adam I guess.
Amelia wasn't a good person at all, but I don't think she deserved what happened to her.
Also literally what was the point of the last chapter. It added nothing.
The Twist was unexpected, and it certainly kept me reading. However, given how character driven this story was I needed to be able to connect and like at least one of them. Even just a little.
The writing was fine. Very readable, if needlessly and unrealistically cryptic. But that comes with the genre, so I can't fault it too much.
I have some Thoughts on the ending so Spoilers ahead:
.
.
.
Especially when Adam and Robin get back together ???? Like ???? Girl psychologically tortured, then stabbed your wife? I know you didn't like your wife much but still. Can you ever trust that person again? Let alone think "everything inside her is beautiful"? What more can we expect from Adam I guess.
Amelia wasn't a good person at all, but I don't think she deserved what happened to her.
Also literally what was the point of the last chapter. It added nothing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Gaslighting, Infertility, Car accident, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
Moderate: Child abuse and Emotional abuse
Minor: Sexual content, Suicide, and Body shaming
s__'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
A book with an interesting concept that ends up suffering due to the author using an unnecessary amount of detail (for every. single. thing. It went beyond world or atmosphere building), life lessons (important but they made no sense due to being written in such a confusing manner), and random twists (its major downfall). Albeit the book is a fun, quick-ish read for readers who love anything mystery/thriller related. The book even makes you want to go back to skim the pages to see if you can really catch the main twist being hinted at among the sentences.
The main intrigue and theme of this book seems to be that the husband, Adam, has prosopagnosia (face blindness), but I think it would be possible to argue that the main plot wouldn't change much if that wasn't written in. The book also attempts to be every genre under the sun at once: romance, crime, mystery, thriller, and horror. This isn't necessarily a bad thing if it's done well, seamless, and adds to the plot as well as the atmosphere. I think it's also one of the reasons why the ending leaves the reader with more questions than answers (and not in a good open-ended way).
Things that didn't add up, weren't properly explained, or were just attempts of the author trying to do too much at once:
1. Amelia has an experience in the crypt where she hears her name being called three times, much like the made-up story of Blackwater chapel(either by Robin or her father Henry, yet another unanswered question). This is before she even read the story from the handmade pamphlet, so I can't understand if the author is trying to hint at something supernatural actually occurring at Blackwater chapel. If they are then they don't really go beyond this (except with Samuel Smith at the end) to mention or explain it, and it adds very little to the actual plot. Conclusion: unnecessary.
2. October O'Brien also seems to be an important character in the story, even though she barely shows up in the story. At one point Adam and Amelia find newspaper clippings about October's death (before Robin's identity is revealed but it is known that she recognizes Adam) and Amelia responds with "I know who she is, Adam. It's not something I'm likely to forget." At this point in the book, to the reader, it seems like Amelia is the one writing the letters and actually does hold a grudge about October. Now that I know Amelia wasn't there during October's storyline then why is this actress's death something she's not likely to forget? Yea it was a popular actresses death but it wasn't personal to her in any way and yes maybe she remembers because she was keeping tabs on Adam before they met, but it's not like she knew that October was good friends with Adam and Robin or that Adam was fascinated by October.
3. An out-of-place detail that the author makes the reader believe is important is during the same anniversary dinner(7th year) mentioned in point 3, Adam is able to recognize Robin without her waving and with her wearing something totally new. Robin also seems to note that Adam pays extra attention to the waitress and she wonders how he can recognize her young features if he couldn't see her. This is literally never mentioned again.
4. Probably the most important and irritating factor about this book is how it approaches prosopagnosia. People with this condition learn to use their other senses to help them with recognition. Therefore this entire idea that Adam could never tell when Henry was around is absolutely ridiculous. Henry never changed his appearance and this is made VERY clear many times throughout the book, so you're telling me Adam who has spent so much of his time with his favorite author/hero/father figure couldn't recognize Henry's signature tweed jacket, silk blue bow tie, and the walking stick with the silver rabbit head handle????? Something Adam even acknowledges as part of Henry's typical attire!!!
5. Robin's intentions are never really clear? The main intention that keeps getting pushed is that she wants to save Adam from Amelia and reunite with him (if he wants to), but the author just adds in odd details that make it seem like Robin might actually kill Adam as well. Example: In the letter that Robin writes to Adam where she reveals Amelia's truth, she says that he has three options: Rock, Paper, and Scissors with Scissors being an option that he doesn't want to know. Another example is in her "Steel" letter she mentions contemplating killing Adam and Amelia for revenge. At the beginning of the book, it adds to the thrill because it makes the reader wonder if Robin is as caring as she seems, but it seems out of place when it's added in the end because at this point Robin has been established as someone who truly just cares about Adam.
6. THE most confusing and poorly written point about this book is who's actually telling the truth: Henry or Robin. I could easily have overlooked this if the author didn't try to make it seem like she was telling you clear as day who was telling the truth. I could have also overlooked it if it were the only confusing/open-ended question about the book or if the book had attempted to make this the true twist. There are many details that are favorable to either side. Main disputable details: Who wrote the Blackwater chapel story? If Robin cut her own hair or if Henry did after Robin had written a story about a writer committing crimes and then documenting them in his books.
Henry:
Henry admits that he goes through extra measures to maintain the illusion of the person people think he is, Robin mentions that he made up the Blackwater chapel story he replies by grinning and says it's all part of his twisted imagination to keep people away from the chapel, he wrote a book about a man who killed his wife in the bathtub after Robin's mother died, Robin mentions him being a possessive person, and he had a private investigator look into Adam and Robin's lives.
Robin:
She killed Amelia, she was a difficult child and was known for making up stories that got her in trouble
7. While keeping points 3 and 7 in mind, let's discuss how there are so many deaths around Adam and Robin, something even pointed out by Amelia. Knowing that Amelia and Henry are already suspicious characters it's quite possible that one of them is responsible for the deaths of October O'Brien's and/or Henry's very first agent. October O'Brien's death is the most intriguing because it seems even Adam might be a suspect. October was found with bottles of alcohol and pills by her bed with no suicide note. Adam was one of the last people to see her alive, it seemed like he was hiding something(after October's death), it was slightly hinted that he might have had an affair with October(Robin & Adam's anniversary trip to October's French Villa and the PI followed Amelia and October), and considering that he slipped sleeping pills into Amelia's drinks he seems quite capable of killing October. Then again, October's death meant filming for his "Rock Paper Scissors" tv show had been canceled.
8. Twists galore: Amelia is actually Adams second wife and Robin his first, Robin's father turns out to be Adams favorite author, Robin got her father to give Adam's screenplay a chance, Adam cheats on Robin with Amelia. No way, Amelia actually has been stalking Adam! Turns out the person in the car that hit Adams mother was Amelia. Oh wait, turns out Adam was actually the one who was driving the car! Wait there's more! Robin thinks her father killed her mother and that it wasn't actually a drowning. Just when you thought it was done, turns out you don't know who's lying: Robin or Henry!
The main intrigue and theme of this book seems to be that the husband, Adam, has prosopagnosia (face blindness), but I think it would be possible to argue that the main plot wouldn't change much if that wasn't written in. The book also attempts to be every genre under the sun at once: romance, crime, mystery, thriller, and horror. This isn't necessarily a bad thing if it's done well, seamless, and adds to the plot as well as the atmosphere. I think it's also one of the reasons why the ending leaves the reader with more questions than answers (and not in a good open-ended way).
Things that didn't add up, weren't properly explained, or were just attempts of the author trying to do too much at once:
1. Amelia has an experience in the crypt where she hears her name being called three times, much like the made-up story of Blackwater chapel(either by Robin or her father Henry, yet another unanswered question). This is before she even read the story from the handmade pamphlet, so I can't understand if the author is trying to hint at something supernatural actually occurring at Blackwater chapel. If they are then they don't really go beyond this (except with Samuel Smith at the end) to mention or explain it, and it adds very little to the actual plot. Conclusion: unnecessary.
2. October O'Brien also seems to be an important character in the story, even though she barely shows up in the story. At one point Adam and Amelia find newspaper clippings about October's death (before Robin's identity is revealed but it is known that she recognizes Adam) and Amelia responds with "I know who she is, Adam. It's not something I'm likely to forget." At this point in the book, to the reader, it seems like Amelia is the one writing the letters and actually does hold a grudge about October. Now that I know Amelia wasn't there during October's storyline then why is this actress's death something she's not likely to forget? Yea it was a popular actresses death but it wasn't personal to her in any way and yes maybe she remembers because she was keeping tabs on Adam before they met, but it's not like she knew that October was good friends with Adam and Robin or that Adam was fascinated by October.
3. An out-of-place detail that the author makes the reader believe is important is during the same anniversary dinner(7th year) mentioned in point 3, Adam is able to recognize Robin without her waving and with her wearing something totally new. Robin also seems to note that Adam pays extra attention to the waitress and she wonders how he can recognize her young features if he couldn't see her. This is literally never mentioned again.
4. Probably the most important and irritating factor about this book is how it approaches prosopagnosia. People with this condition learn to use their other senses to help them with recognition. Therefore this entire idea that Adam could never tell when Henry was around is absolutely ridiculous. Henry never changed his appearance and this is made VERY clear many times throughout the book, so you're telling me Adam who has spent so much of his time with his favorite author/hero/father figure couldn't recognize Henry's signature tweed jacket, silk blue bow tie, and the walking stick with the silver rabbit head handle????? Something Adam even acknowledges as part of Henry's typical attire!!!
5. Robin's intentions are never really clear? The main intention that keeps getting pushed is that she wants to save Adam from Amelia and reunite with him (if he wants to), but the author just adds in odd details that make it seem like Robin might actually kill Adam as well. Example: In the letter that Robin writes to Adam where she reveals Amelia's truth, she says that he has three options: Rock, Paper, and Scissors with Scissors being an option that he doesn't want to know. Another example is in her "Steel" letter she mentions contemplating killing Adam and Amelia for revenge. At the beginning of the book, it adds to the thrill because it makes the reader wonder if Robin is as caring as she seems, but it seems out of place when it's added in the end because at this point Robin has been established as someone who truly just cares about Adam.
6. THE most confusing and poorly written point about this book is who's actually telling the truth: Henry or Robin. I could easily have overlooked this if the author didn't try to make it seem like she was telling you clear as day who was telling the truth. I could have also overlooked it if it were the only confusing/open-ended question about the book or if the book had attempted to make this the true twist. There are many details that are favorable to either side. Main disputable details: Who wrote the Blackwater chapel story? If Robin cut her own hair or if Henry did after Robin had written a story about a writer committing crimes and then documenting them in his books.
Henry:
Henry admits that he goes through extra measures to maintain the illusion of the person people think he is, Robin mentions that he made up the Blackwater chapel story he replies by grinning and says it's all part of his twisted imagination to keep people away from the chapel, he wrote a book about a man who killed his wife in the bathtub after Robin's mother died, Robin mentions him being a possessive person, and he had a private investigator look into Adam and Robin's lives.
Robin:
She killed Amelia, she was a difficult child and was known for making up stories that got her in trouble
7. While keeping points 3 and 7 in mind, let's discuss how there are so many deaths around Adam and Robin, something even pointed out by Amelia. Knowing that Amelia and Henry are already suspicious characters it's quite possible that one of them is responsible for the deaths of October O'Brien's and/or Henry's very first agent. October O'Brien's death is the most intriguing because it seems even Adam might be a suspect. October was found with bottles of alcohol and pills by her bed with no suicide note. Adam was one of the last people to see her alive, it seemed like he was hiding something(after October's death), it was slightly hinted that he might have had an affair with October(Robin & Adam's anniversary trip to October's French Villa and the PI followed Amelia and October), and considering that he slipped sleeping pills into Amelia's drinks he seems quite capable of killing October. Then again, October's death meant filming for his "Rock Paper Scissors" tv show had been canceled.
8. Twists galore: Amelia is actually Adams second wife and Robin his first, Robin's father turns out to be Adams favorite author, Robin got her father to give Adam's screenplay a chance, Adam cheats on Robin with Amelia. No way, Amelia actually has been stalking Adam! Turns out the person in the car that hit Adams mother was Amelia. Oh wait, turns out Adam was actually the one who was driving the car! Wait there's more! Robin thinks her father killed her mother and that it wasn't actually a drowning. Just when you thought it was done, turns out you don't know who's lying: Robin or Henry!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Car accident, Death of parent, Infertility, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcohol, Death, Gaslighting, and Miscarriage
Minor: Blood, Body shaming, Infidelity, and Murder
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