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lovelymisanthrope's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I originally received a copy of this book through Net Galley.
"Many Are Invited" follows Steve Galanos as he remembers his time in the 90's, working in Silicon Valley. As a man working in tech, Y2K could bring a lot of problems, especially for him, but with all of the impending chaos around him, what impacts him the most is a housewarming party he attends in 1999.
This book fell flat for me. I was really excited by the prospect of a "thriller" set in the 90's, especially one that addresses the fear people had about what would happen to the computers when the year 2000 hit, but this did not read like a thriller to me. Sure, there is some "mystery" as Steve tries to learn more about the other characters in his life, but this book reads like a contemporary, with some historical elements. There are several elements of this book that are similar to "The Great Gatsby", even flat-out reference to "The Great Gatsby", and I feel like if the author wanted to write something similar to that classic, perhaps there should not have been any attempt made to be a "thriller". It felt like two genres that do not go together competing against each other, and neither won.
Steve is a very vanilla character. He is the typical male, who is sexist, dull, and works a boring office job. There is nothing particularly interesting about him, which arguably, could make him relatable for a lot of people. His narrative and inner voice just read flat to me.
For such a short book, this book took me a long time to get into, and it felt so much longer than it actually was.
The whole point of this story is that something traumatic happens at the housewarming party, but the party does not even start until 60% into the book. Then while at the party, it seems to drag until the "big reveal". There is hardly any time after we learn what happened and the end of the book, which made the resolution, if you can call it that, feel rushed and entirely unresolved.
I am not super interested to read more from Dennis Cuesta at this time.
"Many Are Invited" follows Steve Galanos as he remembers his time in the 90's, working in Silicon Valley. As a man working in tech, Y2K could bring a lot of problems, especially for him, but with all of the impending chaos around him, what impacts him the most is a housewarming party he attends in 1999.
This book fell flat for me. I was really excited by the prospect of a "thriller" set in the 90's, especially one that addresses the fear people had about what would happen to the computers when the year 2000 hit, but this did not read like a thriller to me. Sure, there is some "mystery" as Steve tries to learn more about the other characters in his life, but this book reads like a contemporary, with some historical elements. There are several elements of this book that are similar to "The Great Gatsby", even flat-out reference to "The Great Gatsby", and I feel like if the author wanted to write something similar to that classic, perhaps there should not have been any attempt made to be a "thriller". It felt like two genres that do not go together competing against each other, and neither won.
Steve is a very vanilla character. He is the typical male, who is sexist, dull, and works a boring office job. There is nothing particularly interesting about him, which arguably, could make him relatable for a lot of people. His narrative and inner voice just read flat to me.
For such a short book, this book took me a long time to get into, and it felt so much longer than it actually was.
The whole point of this story is that something traumatic happens at the housewarming party, but the party does not even start until 60% into the book. Then while at the party, it seems to drag until the "big reveal". There is hardly any time after we learn what happened and the end of the book, which made the resolution, if you can call it that, feel rushed and entirely unresolved.
I am not super interested to read more from Dennis Cuesta at this time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, Death, Sexism, and Blood
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Pregnancy
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