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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book kept me guessing! I'm not much of a mystery reader because I can usually guess the plot twist, but this book surprised me in a lot of ways. The story was interesting and I wanted to keep reading. I felt like the plot was pretty original. And the narrative was believable. I would read this author again. 4.25/5 stars
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I wanted to like this, but ultimately saw the twist coming a mile away- a sad experience within a book about (a book about) a mind-blowing plot. The navel-gazing writer is so obsessed with his success or lack thereof that it is very nearly his only character trait; I found myself struggling to accept him as the protagonist even well into the book. I kept hoping for someone more dimensional to come along and steal focus.
The interesting moral and philosophical questions posed by the premise wind up feeling unexplored, to me, as a result. Jacob goes on a journey but experiences no real arc- and even the journey takes a long time to get underway, because almost no one in the story is very likable. Which is interesting because so many of the characters complain about each OTHER’S lack of likability! Ironically, I’d be interested to read another author’s take on this story, to see if there are unexplored ideas on this topic or if there’s simply a more engaging way to frame this cautionary tale.
The interesting moral and philosophical questions posed by the premise wind up feeling unexplored, to me, as a result. Jacob goes on a journey but experiences no real arc- and even the journey takes a long time to get underway, because almost no one in the story is very likable. Which is interesting because so many of the characters complain about each OTHER’S lack of likability! Ironically, I’d be interested to read another author’s take on this story, to see if there are unexplored ideas on this topic or if there’s simply a more engaging way to frame this cautionary tale.
wow wow
Spoiler
I think I had an inkling of the twist earlier on than the big reveal, but I told myself I was probably wrong and honestly, I liked being surprised toward the end. I had a few teeny issues with the storyline toward the end (to Anna's own point - why were all these people around and so willing to talk to him? and when he threatened the GA lawyer with "his crimes in VT", what was he going off of? How did he begin to suspect him? Was it just that he had a few questionable things in his past already and felt like he could assume? IDK), but I still really liked the story and in a way, how meta it was. The plot within a plot about a plot.. I guess after reading other reviews, it's been done before, but this was the first I read of it, so it was a nice.. change of plot (;
This was a really crafty, dark, slow-burning thriller - and I loved it. Some parallels to John Boyne’s LADDER TO THE SKY - but with a much more relatable protagonist.
Actual rating 3.5- Overall a clever twist on an old 'plot'. Korelitz's play on words and insights into the world of writing was interesting. The plot was not the storyline, but the Jake's, the main characters, inner turmoil over theft of story/idea. Well done.
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No