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3.07 AVERAGE
3.07 AVERAGE
Oh my! I absolutely loved this book - it is written from a very unique perspective, I thought, and I loved the way Louise achieved this. Beautifully paced, haunting, uncomfortable and, at times, almost philosophical the way it addressed some of those big questions we have about life and who we are. Wonderful read!
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3,75/5
This is NOT a thriller, but it is a well-made paranormal/ domestic fiction.
It is not fast-paced, but the dynamics between the main characters are realistic.
There are some plotholes and some weird choices made by the author, but I still liked it and was enthralled with it.
This is NOT a thriller, but it is a well-made paranormal/ domestic fiction.
It is not fast-paced, but the dynamics between the main characters are realistic.
There are some plotholes and some weird choices made by the author, but I still liked it and was enthralled with it.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
I liked how this had so many different subplots going on and how it was revealed how everything was linked. The shift from Lisa knowing nothing about her past to slowly remembering was really well done too. Although the reason she ended up on the train track was obvious, it was really tense seeing everything that lead up to it.
The main thread of this story is chilling, page turning and apposite for the zeitgeist of coercive control. However I struggled with the construct of the narrative by a ghost and the surrounding culture of the spirit world which completely clogged up the beginning and end. I found Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold) did this the other way round, and the parallels (despite vastly different plotlines) kept clinging to me as I read.
I think that a beyond the grave perspective is not for me. The parts of the narrative I found most engaging were when Lisa (our protagonist) told her story in real time. I think the ghost element was clumsy and completely unnecessary, it gave no more insight than an omniscient narrator.
I think that a beyond the grave perspective is not for me. The parts of the narrative I found most engaging were when Lisa (our protagonist) told her story in real time. I think the ghost element was clumsy and completely unnecessary, it gave no more insight than an omniscient narrator.
I was really looking forward to this as I've previously read something by this author but it just wasn't my style of story. The fact that the main character couldn't communicate with anyone always meant it wasn't going to be a story for me as I enjoy lots of conversation in a book. I got about a third of the way through then abandoned it.
Listened to the audiobook. Lost the will to live just over half way through. Started out good, bit different. Turned into a regular domestic noir with the usual drippy female protagonist.
Every now and again there comes along a book that’s so special it makes you look at life a little differently, makes you question what you think you know and choices you have made. The writing is so evocative and lyrical, which is at complete odds as the subjects are dark and harrowing, but it works, boy does it work.
The main protagonist Lisa is a ghost, wandering Peterborough Railway Station, she knows she has died but doesn’t know who she is. As she pieces together shots of memory with information she overhears from the station staff you learn of the life she lead and the people she knew. This is the real strength of the book, the characters are people you may know in your everyday life, the best friend who has your back, the mum and dad who are annoying but you love all the same, the boyfriend who isn’t right for you but it’s better than being alone. The drab ordinary settings of a Railway station and a poky flat and the monotony of a mundane life. This could have been a really depressing read but Louise has magically turned it into an ultimately uplifting life affirming tale.
The small observations about the clock changes made me realise I was reading something completely different to anything I had read before. Louise Doughty notices things and in turn you start noticing things too.
This isn’t an easy read, it’s a story of suicide, mental health, gaslighting, domestic abuse, loss and grief but what I took from it more than anything is it’s about love in all forms and the connections we make.
The main protagonist Lisa is a ghost, wandering Peterborough Railway Station, she knows she has died but doesn’t know who she is. As she pieces together shots of memory with information she overhears from the station staff you learn of the life she lead and the people she knew. This is the real strength of the book, the characters are people you may know in your everyday life, the best friend who has your back, the mum and dad who are annoying but you love all the same, the boyfriend who isn’t right for you but it’s better than being alone. The drab ordinary settings of a Railway station and a poky flat and the monotony of a mundane life. This could have been a really depressing read but Louise has magically turned it into an ultimately uplifting life affirming tale.
The small observations about the clock changes made me realise I was reading something completely different to anything I had read before. Louise Doughty notices things and in turn you start noticing things too.
This isn’t an easy read, it’s a story of suicide, mental health, gaslighting, domestic abuse, loss and grief but what I took from it more than anything is it’s about love in all forms and the connections we make.
Kitap kulübü için okudum. Tür olarak korku/gerilim gibi gözüküyor ama bana göre bir dram kitabı; çünkü kadınlara karşı yapılan psikolojik ya da fiziksel şiddet daha baskın işlenmiş. Kitabın büyük bir kısmı ana karakterin sevgilisiyle yaşadığı problemli ilişkiden ibaret olduğu için okurken çoğu kez sinir krizi geçirdim.