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coffeekitaab's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book is a true contender for those interested in reading feminist literature which focuses on the complex relationship between genders and particularly how men treat/think about women.
Told from multiple POVs, we open the story with Cole Simmons, one of our "good guys". Following his failed marriage of seven years to Mel, Cole is shattered, unable to establish how things have become so terrible that he and his wife have become estranged, and defeated, Cole moves out of the family home in London to the countryside for a fresh start. There Cole meets Lenora, an indie artist, and they become fast friends. When two young activists go missing in the area whilst doing a charity walk to raise awareness of violence against women, Cole and Lenora find themselves at the centre of a police investigation. Suddenly, it seems there is more to the story than meets the eye...
After a slow start, trying to get my head in the right frame of mind, I found the first half particularly gripping. From Cole's perspective, there are so many aspects to his psyche where he justifies behaviour/actions which would make the hairs on your back stand on end and is a real eye-opener. You want to sympathise with his circumstances; he comes across a victim to his ill-treatment after all the genuine care and concern he has for Mel but there is a darker undertone. It almost felt the more we delved into his mind and the further into the book we got, the deeper the feeling of dread and it was a definite moment where you felt we were going to reach a crescendo.
And the crescendo came in the form of Mel's side of the story. Incredibly relatable and for many readers, I can imagine they will feel as if they're looking in the mirror, even if it is with a single aspect. The development/he said-she said aspect was very well written and was fast paced, I believe Mel's relationship with Cole is told from individual moments that happen in each year of the relationship, and it truly is a jaw-dropping realisation when it dawns on you just how messed up things really are.
Feminist literature is my go-to. The blurb is usually enough to rope me in, and this was the case with One Of The Good Guys. I laud the premise of the book and exploring the mind of a man who genuinely believes he is prioritising women's wellbeing with each thought/act and how this can be brought out in a thriller/mystery setting. Sadly for me, there was too much going on, the second half in particular, threw me off. I understand and appreciate the author's reasoning for taking the story in the direction it went but I didn't enjoy it unfortunately. I would highly recommend the audiobook as the latter third of the book is littered heavily with social media/podcast/news broadcasts of the case and the different narrators made that part enjoyable, which would not come across in a print version.
I know this one will sit like marmite with readers and regardless of my thoughts on the ending, I was still eager to know what happened throughout so if you are similarly curious, this is definitely one for you. Please do check trigger warnings before reading this as there are many sensitive topics discussed in great detail.
Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest unedited review!
Told from multiple POVs, we open the story with Cole Simmons, one of our "good guys". Following his failed marriage of seven years to Mel, Cole is shattered, unable to establish how things have become so terrible that he and his wife have become estranged, and defeated, Cole moves out of the family home in London to the countryside for a fresh start. There Cole meets Lenora, an indie artist, and they become fast friends. When two young activists go missing in the area whilst doing a charity walk to raise awareness of violence against women, Cole and Lenora find themselves at the centre of a police investigation. Suddenly, it seems there is more to the story than meets the eye...
After a slow start, trying to get my head in the right frame of mind, I found the first half particularly gripping. From Cole's perspective, there are so many aspects to his psyche where he justifies behaviour/actions which would make the hairs on your back stand on end and is a real eye-opener. You want to sympathise with his circumstances; he comes across a victim to his ill-treatment after all the genuine care and concern he has for Mel but there is a darker undertone. It almost felt the more we delved into his mind and the further into the book we got, the deeper the feeling of dread and it was a definite moment where you felt we were going to reach a crescendo.
And the crescendo came in the form of Mel's side of the story. Incredibly relatable and for many readers, I can imagine they will feel as if they're looking in the mirror, even if it is with a single aspect. The development/he said-she said aspect was very well written and was fast paced, I believe Mel's relationship with Cole is told from individual moments that happen in each year of the relationship, and it truly is a jaw-dropping realisation when it dawns on you just how messed up things really are.
Feminist literature is my go-to. The blurb is usually enough to rope me in, and this was the case with One Of The Good Guys. I laud the premise of the book and exploring the mind of a man who genuinely believes he is prioritising women's wellbeing with each thought/act and how this can be brought out in a thriller/mystery setting. Sadly for me, there was too much going on, the second half in particular, threw me off. I understand and appreciate the author's reasoning for taking the story in the direction it went but I didn't enjoy it unfortunately. I would highly recommend the audiobook as the latter third of the book is littered heavily with social media/podcast/news broadcasts of the case and the different narrators made that part enjoyable, which would not come across in a print version.
I know this one will sit like marmite with readers and regardless of my thoughts on the ending, I was still eager to know what happened throughout so if you are similarly curious, this is definitely one for you. Please do check trigger warnings before reading this as there are many sensitive topics discussed in great detail.
Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest unedited review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Infertility, Sexual assault, Blood, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gaslighting, Misogyny, and Toxic relationship
batforanna's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Infertility, Miscarriage, Animal cruelty, Grief, Sexual harassment, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Murder, Violence, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship
zoeblair's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This was such an uncomfortable book to read at times. Especially the first bit from the MMC’s perspective. The whole thing was very thought provoking and a fantastic commentary. Definitely a good read if you’re wanting something a bit deeper than normal thrillers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Misogyny, Infertility, Animal death, and Sexism
Moderate: Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Rape
Minor: Stalking, Miscarriage, Body shaming, and Police brutality
ilhoneholl's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I really enjoyed the narrative style of this book, and the message it aims to deliver is really important.
I think people who want more from this story sort of miss the message - people are almost disappointed when women appear unharmed after disappearing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Rape, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Animal death
abidavisf's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I am at a loss for words. One of the Good Guys is brilliant and intelligent and completely devastating. Hearing Elliott Fitzpatrick narrate Cole was chilling. I cried multiple times listening to this audio book, sometimes in anger and frustration for the world that we live in and the men who don’t understand the dangers that women face, and sometimes in sadness for the men who have let me and so many others down by excusing bad behaviour.
Check content warnings but, if you feel you are able to, I would highly recommend this book.
Check content warnings but, if you feel you are able to, I would highly recommend this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Emotional abuse, Violence, Sexual violence, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Gore, Medical content, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Infertility, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Pedophilia, Miscarriage, and Abortion
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