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doobage's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
miggyjane's review against another edition
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
A great book but none of the “twists” are actually twists, they are obvious from the outset. Also this would have been so much more compelling if it leaned more into Lucy and Alice having a genuine romantic relationship, rather than perpetuating the toxic trope of “all lesbians are bad and crazy and unhealthily obsessed with their female friends”.
mfontana06's review against another edition
1.0
The book is agonizingly overwritten, and from the perspectives of two different characters with completely indistinct voices. Given that the author throws you into the story with little to no character development, the pace of the book is painfully slow. The flashbacks are so choppy that it pulls the reader out of the story to try and piece together the characters’ history. The one star I gave it is for the level of interest it ignited that was barely sufficient to find out how the story ends, which was not worth the effort.
mary00's review against another edition
3.0
I listened to this on audiobook while I was packing and cleaning. It kept me engaged and the tone reminded me of Rebecca, which I have always loved. I thought this started out stronger than it finished. In the end, it was fine but I did not love any of the main characters.
novelvisits's review against another edition
4.0
{My Thoughts}
What Worked For Me
Dual Narration – Alternating narrators is one of my favorite literary devices and debut author Christine Mangan used it beautifully, creating an aura of mystery and a sense of doubt that kept me guessing. In the book’s epilogue, Alice begins telling her story from a hospital in Spain. She’s recalling a woman she both wants to remember and forget. That woman is Lucy who arrives on Alice’s doorstep in Tangier completely unannounced. Her arrival is as welcome as it is unwelcome, for these two women share a dark history that both are hinting at.
“And so there were days when I never wanted to part from her, when I felt that my whole being depended upon my close connection with her. And there were days when I hated her, resenting myself, resenting her for this reliance, this symbiotic relationship that we had formed – though on the darkest days I wondered whether it really was, whether there was anything that I had to offer her, and whether what she offered me wasn’t more a crutch than a benefit.“
As they move through their days and nights in Tangier, the mystery of what happened during their senior year of college is slowly revealed…from both perspectives. Neither narrator is particularly reliable. Alice, confused, timid, and vulnerable sees the world through the fog of her own mind; Lucy sees it only as she wants it to be, willing to get there by any means possible.
Growing Darkness – As you might have already guessed, Lucy is one dark woman. Initially, I found myself drawn to her gumption and fearlessness. She was willing to spend every last penny she had and travel halfway around the world to go after what she wanted. She wasn’t put off by being alone in a strange land or by John, Alice’s husband, who clearly wanted her gone. As Tangerine progressed, more and more of Lucy emerged. She was oh so good at putting herself first, no matter the collateral damage.
Secrets – Tangerine revolves around two big secrets. The first is glimpsed in that epilogue where we meet Alice in the hospital. Questions immediately arise. Why is she there? What happened in Tangier? Where is her husband? What role did Lucy play? Each chapter of the book takes you closer and closer to understanding. From the start, Alice and Lucy both allude to the second secret: tragedy at Bennington College. When it finally became clear I found myself questioning the sanity of both women.
What Didn’t
Central Casting – The primary characters in Tangerine, Alice, Lucy and John, all felt like they were straight out of central casting. Each was a type, a very usual type. Not one of them ever varied from that type. I wish there had been more of a surprise element in how their individual stories were resolved. It would have been nice to see something a little different, rather than well-established, pat characters. I think it will be very interesting to see what Hollywood does with Mangan’s characters.
Slow and Languid – Alice’s narration in particular fell on the slow side and I found myself drifting a bit in her parts.
{The Final Assessment}
Tangerine is the latest of several noir style books that have come out this year, and for me it ranks about the same as the rest, not a knockout, but very good. The trip to Tangier in 1956 was fun and the story easy to read. I was always eager to get back to the story and find out what had happened to Alice and how she ended up in that Spanish hospital. Had the characters been a little less expected, a little more memorable, it easily would have risen higher in my esteem. Grade: B
Original Source: https://novelvisits.com/tangerine-by-christine-mangan-review/
What Worked For Me
Dual Narration – Alternating narrators is one of my favorite literary devices and debut author Christine Mangan used it beautifully, creating an aura of mystery and a sense of doubt that kept me guessing. In the book’s epilogue, Alice begins telling her story from a hospital in Spain. She’s recalling a woman she both wants to remember and forget. That woman is Lucy who arrives on Alice’s doorstep in Tangier completely unannounced. Her arrival is as welcome as it is unwelcome, for these two women share a dark history that both are hinting at.
“And so there were days when I never wanted to part from her, when I felt that my whole being depended upon my close connection with her. And there were days when I hated her, resenting myself, resenting her for this reliance, this symbiotic relationship that we had formed – though on the darkest days I wondered whether it really was, whether there was anything that I had to offer her, and whether what she offered me wasn’t more a crutch than a benefit.“
As they move through their days and nights in Tangier, the mystery of what happened during their senior year of college is slowly revealed…from both perspectives. Neither narrator is particularly reliable. Alice, confused, timid, and vulnerable sees the world through the fog of her own mind; Lucy sees it only as she wants it to be, willing to get there by any means possible.
Growing Darkness – As you might have already guessed, Lucy is one dark woman. Initially, I found myself drawn to her gumption and fearlessness. She was willing to spend every last penny she had and travel halfway around the world to go after what she wanted. She wasn’t put off by being alone in a strange land or by John, Alice’s husband, who clearly wanted her gone. As Tangerine progressed, more and more of Lucy emerged. She was oh so good at putting herself first, no matter the collateral damage.
Secrets – Tangerine revolves around two big secrets. The first is glimpsed in that epilogue where we meet Alice in the hospital. Questions immediately arise. Why is she there? What happened in Tangier? Where is her husband? What role did Lucy play? Each chapter of the book takes you closer and closer to understanding. From the start, Alice and Lucy both allude to the second secret: tragedy at Bennington College. When it finally became clear I found myself questioning the sanity of both women.
What Didn’t
Central Casting – The primary characters in Tangerine, Alice, Lucy and John, all felt like they were straight out of central casting. Each was a type, a very usual type. Not one of them ever varied from that type. I wish there had been more of a surprise element in how their individual stories were resolved. It would have been nice to see something a little different, rather than well-established, pat characters. I think it will be very interesting to see what Hollywood does with Mangan’s characters.
Slow and Languid – Alice’s narration in particular fell on the slow side and I found myself drifting a bit in her parts.
{The Final Assessment}
Tangerine is the latest of several noir style books that have come out this year, and for me it ranks about the same as the rest, not a knockout, but very good. The trip to Tangier in 1956 was fun and the story easy to read. I was always eager to get back to the story and find out what had happened to Alice and how she ended up in that Spanish hospital. Had the characters been a little less expected, a little more memorable, it easily would have risen higher in my esteem. Grade: B
Original Source: https://novelvisits.com/tangerine-by-christine-mangan-review/
kathlgpa's review against another edition
3.0
I loved the descriptions of Morocco which is probably the only reason I was able to finish this book. I didn't care about the characters at all or the mystery/plot twists.
charles0's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
3.0
Ending was a bit muddled but the twist had me turning pages.
faybe's review against another edition
2.0
Pretty meh overall. The characters weren't that well developed, and their inner thoughts got quite repetitive in the later stages of the book. The story dragged in places but did managed to keep me pulled along to the end.
I didn't really get a sense of the time and place. If I didn't know it was set in the 50s I'm not sure I could have picked that out.
The biggest issues for me only really came out at the end when it became clear that rather than plot devices or the result of unreliable narrators they were just not that well written. There wasn't much distinction between the two narrative voices, which I thought during the book was because they would turn out to be the same person.
The age thing bothered me, as they were 17 when they met, school for nearly 4 years, a year until Lucy arrived in tangier, and then Alice didn't turn 21 until the epilouge???
If Youssef had said he didn't recognise the real Alice and admitted putting Lucy in touch with someone who would get her new papers then that would have proved Alice right and probably got him off the hook too? Wouldn't the police have asked for a description, accent...?
What was the point of the man with the scar?
I didn't really get a sense of the time and place. If I didn't know it was set in the 50s I'm not sure I could have picked that out.
The biggest issues for me only really came out at the end when it became clear that rather than plot devices or the result of unreliable narrators they were just not that well written. There wasn't much distinction between the two narrative voices, which I thought during the book was because they would turn out to be the same person.
The age thing bothered me, as they were 17 when they met, school for nearly 4 years, a year until Lucy arrived in tangier, and then Alice didn't turn 21 until the epilouge???
If Youssef had said he didn't recognise the real Alice and admitted putting Lucy in touch with someone who would get her new papers then that would have proved Alice right and probably got him off the hook too? Wouldn't the police have asked for a description, accent...?
What was the point of the man with the scar?
readingjag's review against another edition
3.0
So, here is the thing. I enjoyed the writing a lot and the story was suspenseful and intriguing. That being said, I just can't do one more book about an evil evil murderous lesbian. I know that isn't necessarily what the author intended and it isn't that simple, but when I realized where this was headed I knew, knew it was going to be that story once again. I just can't.