Reviews with content warning for War - Die sieben Tode der Evelyn Hardcastle

A novel way of approaching a murder mystery. I liked some of the characters but I think I prefer to really adore the investigator in mysteries. At first I found myself frustrated by the characters that were not astute enough to pick up on clues I felt were obvious. I put together a lot of the big pieces on my own and then the middle of the book seemed to lag behind. I also struggled with the overt ableism and fatphobia and veiled homophobia in one section of the book and graphic imagining into the mind of a rapist in another section. I do appreciate a mystery story that you can solve from the information provided and that the final missing piece is slotted into place at the very end was satisfying. But the other elements plus some heavy handed soap-boxing made it feel simultaneously icky and trite for me overall. This is one of those books that upon completion I think, "Gee, I really wish this had been written by a woman."

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biojesspj's review against another edition

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challenging dark 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? It's complicated

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bonneamie's review against another edition

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mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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thecriticalreader's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Why I Read It: The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton first came onto my radar when I was looking for books involving time loops, since I love time loops. Months later, I saw it in the bookstore and decided to pick it up.

Review:

Turton should get a standing ovation for the brilliance of this book’s concept. It’s incredibly original, and no lazy author would have even come close to touching it. The execution of the concept is also laudable, as Turton’s beautiful writing and detailed thought made this book a joy to read. I never felt impatient about figuring out the mystery; I was content to let the story unfold and follow the main character step by step as he painfully learns more and more about his situation. Despite the undeniably convoluted plot, I was able to follow along, and I appreciated the moral questions Turton poses throughout the story. More importantly, the characters’ motivations and actions felt well-thought-out and realistic. It would have been far too easy for everything to feel contrived, but for most of the book, this is not the case.

I knew that no matter how amazing most of the book was, my ultimate measure of the book would rest heavily on the conclusion. While the conclusion is not the disaster it could have been—no plot holes are introduced, and it remains well-thought-out—unfortunately, it did not quite live up to my hopes. It fell into the trap mysteries so often fall into, in which the author springs a twist so out of left field that it feels contrived and requires a lengthy explanation to understand. The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle did not need such a twist for me to feel impressed by the mystery and the book’s intelligence. I felt that the ending somewhat betrayed the main character’s arc.

My main problem with the ending was Anna’s character. How am I supposed to believe that one of the world’s most evil people somehow becomes a good person by endlessly cycling through time loops in a setting that is described as “poisonous” in its immorality and corruption?

One other thing that bothered me considerably was the fatphobic language. The language Turton uses to describe a fat character is unnecessarily cruel.

The Run-Down:

You will probably like The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle if:

· You are intrigued by unique, original premises

You might not like The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle if:

· You dislike intricate plots

· You go into the book wedded to your expectations

Content Warnings

shadereads's review against another edition

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dark hopeful mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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