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ridgewaygirl's review against another edition
2.0
Amy lives quietly in a basement apartment in a working class part of Brooklyn. She dresses nondescriptly and spends her days bringing the Eucharist to elderly shut-ins and volunteering at church. She has a past, of dressing "like an extra in a John Waters film," bartending and partying with her girlfriend, but she left all that when Alessandra left her to pursue her acting career in Los Angeles. She seems to genuinely care for the elderly women she ministers to, but all that changes on a dime when she sees a man being murdered.
I picked up this book after seeing it described on a year-end "best of" list and seeing that Megan Abbott praised it. I was never able to get past the erratic nature of the main character. I like an unsympathetic character, but I do need that character to be believable. There was no telling what Amy would do next, whether that was help out a grieving mother or robbing an elderly parishioner, whether or not Amy was caring or criminal in her behavior was entirely random, and not in a fun, anarchic way. It was certainly fast-paced, though.
I picked up this book after seeing it described on a year-end "best of" list and seeing that Megan Abbott praised it. I was never able to get past the erratic nature of the main character. I like an unsympathetic character, but I do need that character to be believable. There was no telling what Amy would do next, whether that was help out a grieving mother or robbing an elderly parishioner, whether or not Amy was caring or criminal in her behavior was entirely random, and not in a fun, anarchic way. It was certainly fast-paced, though.
btpbookclub's review against another edition
4.0
OMG. I loved this book! I actually devoured it within a single day. A page turner. Brilliant story. I loved Amys character, she may have two sides to her but doesn’t everyone?
I loved how she wasn’t afraid to figure the situation and incident out for herself cause I would have ran! Saying that, she then had the problem of staying out of the polices light and I disapproved of a few things she did along the way.
Will she get the result she has been searching for? Or will she just run away from it all? I think Amy could be a brilliant detective if she puts her mind to it.
Well written, short chapters and fast paced! A well deserved four stars it not everyday that I devour a book this quickly. Highly recommend.
I loved how she wasn’t afraid to figure the situation and incident out for herself cause I would have ran! Saying that, she then had the problem of staying out of the polices light and I disapproved of a few things she did along the way.
Will she get the result she has been searching for? Or will she just run away from it all? I think Amy could be a brilliant detective if she puts her mind to it.
Well written, short chapters and fast paced! A well deserved four stars it not everyday that I devour a book this quickly. Highly recommend.
steph1rothwell's review against another edition
4.0
The Lonely Witness is one of the more original novels that I have read this year. It is a crime novel, with focus on the witness, the murderer and the neighbourhood rather than the police investigation. It also feels like a travelogue with the amount of detail about Brooklyn, somewhere I know nothing about.
Amy used to be a party girl but now does good deeds with the local church, mainly with the elderly. When one of them, Mrs Epifanio, shows concern about the son of her usual home help she reluctantly agrees to see if he is genuine. It is this decision that ends with her becoming a witness to a murder.
Whilst I did like Amy, her landlord and a handful of other characters my favourite was Mrs Epifanio. I laughed at the interaction with Dom, flirting and encouraging a relationship with Amy without knowing what was really happening.
I could visualise Brooklyn and all of the characters really well. The many different relationships are perfectly described. Dominic and his mother especially, were just how I imagine an Italian American family to be. The mother perfectly able to give her son a well deserved slap.
The descriptions of Brooklyn, its bars, coffee bars and shops feature heavily. My impression was that it used to be predominantly Italian, but now many other nationalities lived there. It felt close-knit with everybody knowing each other, even if they had been absent for a few years. I imagine that if you do know the area you will get much more out of this book. I have read books in the past where I know an area well and found I read them slightly differently.
Short but unique, I would definitely read more by this author.
Amy used to be a party girl but now does good deeds with the local church, mainly with the elderly. When one of them, Mrs Epifanio, shows concern about the son of her usual home help she reluctantly agrees to see if he is genuine. It is this decision that ends with her becoming a witness to a murder.
Whilst I did like Amy, her landlord and a handful of other characters my favourite was Mrs Epifanio. I laughed at the interaction with Dom, flirting and encouraging a relationship with Amy without knowing what was really happening.
I could visualise Brooklyn and all of the characters really well. The many different relationships are perfectly described. Dominic and his mother especially, were just how I imagine an Italian American family to be. The mother perfectly able to give her son a well deserved slap.
The descriptions of Brooklyn, its bars, coffee bars and shops feature heavily. My impression was that it used to be predominantly Italian, but now many other nationalities lived there. It felt close-knit with everybody knowing each other, even if they had been absent for a few years. I imagine that if you do know the area you will get much more out of this book. I have read books in the past where I know an area well and found I read them slightly differently.
Short but unique, I would definitely read more by this author.
zzzrevel's review against another edition
3.0
On page 195 of my copy it reads "Everything keeps getting
stranger". That about sums up this book with a good
samaritan type protagonist making bad decision
after bad decision, and it all just makes a big mess not
only for her but for everyone around her.
The coincidences and ridiculousness of some of the
events is off the charts. I thought it was way
overkill but then I guess the author would not have
had a story to tell.
Lastly, the epilog just drove me nuts; the resolution
is completely dissatisfying.
stranger". That about sums up this book with a good
samaritan type protagonist making bad decision
after bad decision, and it all just makes a big mess not
only for her but for everyone around her.
The coincidences and ridiculousness of some of the
events is off the charts. I thought it was way
overkill but then I guess the author would not have
had a story to tell.
Lastly, the epilog just drove me nuts; the resolution
is completely dissatisfying.
jakewritesbooks's review against another edition
3.0
My first William Boyle novel I was able to finish. I gave Gravesend a shot and it wasn’t working for me.
I do want to get through Boyle’s other novels, mostly because they take place in the urban recesses of New York City. His in particular all center around non-glamour Brooklyn. I like all kinds of New York City novels, including those. It’s why I want to keep trying with Boyle, despite not being as grabbed by his books as I want to be.
Boyle has often been compared to George Pelecanos and I understand why. I encountered the latter in the middle of his catalogue, when he was writing character-based crime stories with a narrative that was designed to explore their lives and environs at length. I continue to kid myself that I like these kinds of books more than I do. They’re interesting. They’re readable. But as with a lot of Pelecanos efforts, I found this one a bit lacking.
I did like the protagonist and I give Boyle a lot of credit for writing a female lesbian character in a way that was sensitive without condescending. Rarely do I see men do that. But the decisions she made, the directions the story takes, the reveals of the characters…this is a writer who clearly has a story to tell but I’m not sure he told it in the most effective way. I understand the impulsivity of Amy the protagonist but it made it difficult to get settled in the character or the story. Frequently, we’d be at one part in the narrative and I’d be excited to see what’s next only for it to jerk another direction. Oh, we’re doing this now? is something that kept cropping up in my head.
Boyle’s books seem to all center around people desperate to leave the pits of Brooklyn but being unsure as to how it should be done. Again, this sounds more compelling than its execution. I’m familiar with Boyle’s style now and I’ll probably read him more because of the subject matter but I wish I found this more likable.
I do want to get through Boyle’s other novels, mostly because they take place in the urban recesses of New York City. His in particular all center around non-glamour Brooklyn. I like all kinds of New York City novels, including those. It’s why I want to keep trying with Boyle, despite not being as grabbed by his books as I want to be.
Boyle has often been compared to George Pelecanos and I understand why. I encountered the latter in the middle of his catalogue, when he was writing character-based crime stories with a narrative that was designed to explore their lives and environs at length. I continue to kid myself that I like these kinds of books more than I do. They’re interesting. They’re readable. But as with a lot of Pelecanos efforts, I found this one a bit lacking.
I did like the protagonist and I give Boyle a lot of credit for writing a female lesbian character in a way that was sensitive without condescending. Rarely do I see men do that. But the decisions she made, the directions the story takes, the reveals of the characters…this is a writer who clearly has a story to tell but I’m not sure he told it in the most effective way. I understand the impulsivity of Amy the protagonist but it made it difficult to get settled in the character or the story. Frequently, we’d be at one part in the narrative and I’d be excited to see what’s next only for it to jerk another direction. Oh, we’re doing this now? is something that kept cropping up in my head.
Boyle’s books seem to all center around people desperate to leave the pits of Brooklyn but being unsure as to how it should be done. Again, this sounds more compelling than its execution. I’m familiar with Boyle’s style now and I’ll probably read him more because of the subject matter but I wish I found this more likable.
tdblaylock's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
William Boyle knows how to develop characters. His plots are good, but his characters are phenomenal. The murder plot here is less whodunnit but more whydunnit.
I love a good antihero and complicated characters, and this book is full of them. These characters all have something that draws you to them, but they also have something that makes you either hate them (in a good way) or pity them. Whereas some books make it pretty clear as to how to cheer for them and what you want for them, this one doesn’t. There isn’t a good choice most of the time, and you just have to go along for the ride.
I’ve been buying all of Boyle’s books as signed copies from Square Books in Oxford, MS and couldn’t be happier to support this local author.
I love a good antihero and complicated characters, and this book is full of them. These characters all have something that draws you to them, but they also have something that makes you either hate them (in a good way) or pity them. Whereas some books make it pretty clear as to how to cheer for them and what you want for them, this one doesn’t. There isn’t a good choice most of the time, and you just have to go along for the ride.
I’ve been buying all of Boyle’s books as signed copies from Square Books in Oxford, MS and couldn’t be happier to support this local author.
dundermifflin's review against another edition
2.0
The best thing about the novel is the tour of parts of Brooklyn most of us who live outside the borough will ever see. In fact, I wish the publisher had put a map on the front and back board and flyleaf of the area covered. Or two pages, with a fold out, at the front of the book. It became a real drag going to Google Maps to get a sense of place. Come to think of it, I think the author did a poor job making it possible for the reader to know just what the places were like.
Made it 3/4 of the way through the book and while walking my dog I thought, "Why are you reading this? Who cares about Amy, her father, Dom, and anyone else?" Then I put it down.
Made it 3/4 of the way through the book and while walking my dog I thought, "Why are you reading this? Who cares about Amy, her father, Dom, and anyone else?" Then I put it down.
hayyliyy's review
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
3.0
wampusreynolds's review against another edition
4.0
This is a character study of a damaged person who behaves in ways that are hard to understand and can frustrate you while reading them. I rank it highly because it hit in a way that other crime novels do not. The Brooklyn neighborhood that isn't gentrifying, people looking for faith and people living broken lives all capture a moment in well-written details.