Reviews

La vita segreta di Maud Dixon by Alexandra Andrews

thechanelmuse's review against another edition

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4.0

“Change is never a smooth curve; it comes in leaps and jolts, plateaus and remissions. And in the periods after an old identity fades away but before a new one is fully installed, there is a certain sense of impunity. As if nothing quite matters. You are not quite yourself. You’re not quite anyone.”

Who is Maud Dixon? is a clever debut novel that Alfred Hitchcock would’ve likely adapted to screen. Interweaving topics of classism and influence into the shaping of identity, author Alexandra Andrews begins the novel like a contemporary tale, following a young woman, Florence Darrow, who is desperately driven to trade her life as a low-level publishing employee to become a famous author.

When she gets the opportunity of a lifetime to be the assistant to the best-selling pseudonymous writer known as “Maud Dixon” and join the literary research trip to Morocco, Florence enters a newfound world of wisdom in life and writing, as well as story building and character development when an accident occurs, propelling readers down a rabbit hole of crime and mystery that will leave you questioning what’s fact, what’s fiction, and exactly who is Maud Dixon.

Alexandra Andrews' writing style is colorful (the atmospheric setting of Morocco) and easily gets you entranced into her world of twists and turns. Funny enough, this novel doesn't feel like a modern book. (Hence the Alfred Hitchcock nod.) But that's by no means a bad thing.

margemarkowski's review against another edition

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slow-paced

3.75

njw13's review against another edition

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dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

scottnap's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-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

3.75

djtran's review against another edition

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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

3.5

ioanamaria_hara's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No

3.5

marytreybig's review against another edition

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5.0

Dude. What. 
I went to my local bookstore in town and said “I’m tired of reading all the hyped up thrillers that everyone is talking about. I need something different.” This was it. 
The author’s writing was wonderful. 

joanthebaker's review against another edition

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adventurous tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

cant_stop_reading's review against another edition

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slow-paced

3.0

figbash's review against another edition

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2.0

Not memorable.