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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I haven’t been as invested in the characters in quite some time. Truly a rollercoaster throughout its duration. While the ending leaves a couple main plot points unanswered along with you despising the lead protagonist, the unparalleled writing, character development and unpredictable twists make this book an easy recommendation to readers who enjoy out-of-left field thrillers and evolving relationship dynamics.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Sexual assault
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Alcohol
Is it good or bad when you feel as miserable as the main character at the end of the book? French writes evocatively about setting and the emotional investment of her main character. However, the tricky twist toward the end did not leave me happy or satisfied. I loved the focus on the interplay between the detectives and the realistic portrayal of the missteps and dead ends.
I love her writing but am constantly unhappy with the endings of her books. So...I will continue to read them but be frustrated, I guess.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I've got mixed feelings about this book. Overall its a good book. The characters feel like real people and have enough depth to them to make you care. The story is interesting and tense. There's good ups and downs and twists. The writing is descriptive, natural and good in such a way that you feel like youre there.
But I do have some gripes. First of all, I almost didnt get past the first couple chapters because of all the sexism. I was trying to parse out whether the author was simply conveying that sexism was a part of the industry and ingrained in the MC or if they really held those thoughts. I could never really tell in the end. In that sense it felt written by an elder Gen X man or young boomer. The amount of time spent viewing every female character regardless of age as a potential f*ck, going over whether they found that person attractive or appealing was exhausting. And the way he regularly brings up how he prefers petite bird like dainty women, peckish and quiet and sweet was nauseating. Combined with the MC making internal comments on minors bodies...it made me feel ill. The book would have been so good without it! And I get that bad and inappropriate characters exist in media, but its never once indicated that these thoughts or behaviors are negative. Only some of the typical rules women not being allowed to do things like work homicide are billed as bad so it leads me to feel like the author thinks its fine too which I hate.
Other than that I only have one other gripe is that certain key parts of this book go nowhere. Its like it was just an extra and they never go anywhere with it which is very frustrating. Overall this book is like reading a great episode of law and order stuff with some added other things for I guess plot movement but feel like their own story that simply never get told.
But I do have some gripes. First of all, I almost didnt get past the first couple chapters because of all the sexism. I was trying to parse out whether the author was simply conveying that sexism was a part of the industry and ingrained in the MC or if they really held those thoughts. I could never really tell in the end. In that sense it felt written by an elder Gen X man or young boomer. The amount of time spent viewing every female character regardless of age as a potential f*ck, going over whether they found that person attractive or appealing was exhausting. And the way he regularly brings up how he prefers petite bird like dainty women, peckish and quiet and sweet was nauseating. Combined with the MC making internal comments on minors bodies...it made me feel ill. The book would have been so good without it! And I get that bad and inappropriate characters exist in media, but its never once indicated that these thoughts or behaviors are negative. Only some of the typical rules women not being allowed to do things like work homicide are billed as bad so it leads me to feel like the author thinks its fine too which I hate.
Other than that I only have one other gripe is that certain key parts of this book go nowhere. Its like it was just an extra and they never go anywhere with it which is very frustrating. Overall this book is like reading a great episode of law and order stuff with some added other things for I guess plot movement but feel like their own story that simply never get told.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual assault, Murder
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Rape
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The story builds good atmosphere and the first half of the book is very enjoyable. Unfortunately the main character is very immature and self-absorbed, making long stretches of the secondhand hard to like.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse
the likeness had me thinking rob went crazy, turns out he's just a cunt???
4.5/5 So beautiful and thought provoking. If you're looking for an action-filled whodunnit, this is not it. This book is a slow burn, a deep dive into the psychological unraveling of a detective burdened with his own grief and broken memories, and a look at what it means to search for truth in a senseless, unjust world. My main gripe is that certain portrayals of women in this book feel kind of misogynistic.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes