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cassandrareads_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia and Transphobia
annecharlotte_reads's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I enjoyed the first Jackson Brodie novel a lot. This is also a good novel, though not quite as clever and enjoyable as Case Histories. In both, the focus is less on the intricacies of the investigation than the characters involved, with all their quirks and flaws. One theme running through the novel is the meaning of home, whether it is an atteignable place and what/who you need to make a home. We meet the wife of a criminal, despicable property developer who made a huge fortune by building shoddy houses; a detective who lives in one of these shoddy houses while raising her teenage son as a single parent; the writer of popular, terrible crime novels which he's ashamed of but also allow him to buy a lovely, expensive house... where a murder is committed. There's also East European women displaced to the UK to do the work no one wants to see, and the whole thing is set in expensive, ancient, unwelcoming Edinburgh, where every character is trying to find their place.
My main complaint has to do with some offhand jokes and allusions that add up to a pretty big red flag. I try not to slip into the naive form of reading which assigns a character's thoughts and faults to the author. However. Not only is there a number of offhand homophobic and transphobic jokes that seem mostly gratuitous, but I found one episode very disturbing. This is not really a spoiler but you might want to stop reading here.
Jackson, the main protagonist, is both very flawed and very lovable. But in one instance, he's looking at his sleeping partner and recalls having sex with her in her sleep--which he calls "technically rape". Technically or not, it's rape, and Jackson has no issue justifying it by assuming the woman, if she knew, would only be disappointed not to have played an active part. It's rank, it's useless, and it doesn't square with Jackson's character: he's the clumsy guy who, ultimately, will always do the right thing. And that's not all: his sister was raped and murdered when he was 11, which profoundly affected his whole life. Yet no connection is made between the two events.
For these reasons, it can't in all conscience recommend this book. It doesn't mean I'll stop reading Atkinson. I'm really disappointed *in this particular book* and also with her, and will probably be more cautious picking up her books in the future.
My main complaint has to do with some offhand jokes and allusions that add up to a pretty big red flag. I try not to slip into the naive form of reading which assigns a character's thoughts and faults to the author. However. Not only is there a number of offhand homophobic and transphobic jokes that seem mostly gratuitous, but I found one episode very disturbing. This is not really a spoiler but you might want to stop reading here.
Jackson, the main protagonist, is both very flawed and very lovable. But in one instance, he's looking at his sleeping partner and recalls having sex with her in her sleep--which he calls "technically rape". Technically or not, it's rape, and Jackson has no issue justifying it by assuming the woman, if she knew, would only be disappointed not to have played an active part. It's rank, it's useless, and it doesn't square with Jackson's character: he's the clumsy guy who, ultimately, will always do the right thing. And that's not all: his sister was raped and murdered when he was 11, which profoundly affected his whole life. Yet no connection is made between the two events.
For these reasons, it can't in all conscience recommend this book. It doesn't mean I'll stop reading Atkinson. I'm really disappointed *in this particular book* and also with her, and will probably be more cautious picking up her books in the future.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Transphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, and Murder
Minor: Rape
dburn15's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Racial slurs
jo_emtea's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Racial slurs
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