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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Murder
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Overall this book was difficult for me to get through. The story was good however the author writing style is just not for me and that’s okay.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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:
Complicated
3.5
a nesting doll mystery that mostly works, with a fun analysis of whether you should take everyone’s notes on your manuscript
a nesting doll mystery that mostly works, with a fun analysis of whether you should take everyone’s notes on your manuscript
The frame narrative initially threw me off, and it took me a while to adapt to the fact that the main story line is meant to be understood as a novel, not as something actually happening.
From the start, I wondered what the purpose of Leo (the person, not the character) was. I pondered the question as I continued reading and, at the end of chapter five, I made an annotation which read "I'm trying to wrap my head around a world where, somehow, Leo is the murderer." Of course, I knew that the person Leo and the character Leo are two different people, but it was something I considered.
And then the red flags started waving. The first one was his email where Leo's upset about the agent declining to represent him and his novel. He writes to Hannah saying, "The reality is, I suppose, that I am a straight white man with no diversity or disadvantage to offer...I understand that popular correctness demands that men like me be denied to compensate for all the years in which we were given too much."
The other red flags were all the times he took pictures of crime scenes, when the agent just so happened to pass away, and all his suggestions surrounding brutal violence against women. Was very pleased to learn he was a murderer (although not the ultimate murderer in Hannah's book).
I was so sure Marigold was the murderer. She was my prime suspect from the start. I knew Cain wasn't—it was the too obvious choice, and Leo (the person) was so adamant that it was him. It made too much sense, which is why I knew it wasn't him.
This probably would have been five stars had a) Mrs. Weinbaum played a larger role—it felt like the author was building towards something with her, but it turns out she's just quirky like that?—and b) Leo (the character) had a...I don't even know...a different ending than the one he was given? I don't quite understand why he shows up like he does at the end. It felt like, after everything was perfectly wrapped up, the author just slapped on a loose string for absolutely no reason.
Otherwise, this was a very fun and page-turning novel with a unique frame narrative.