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opldxblqo's review against another edition
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
How Can I Help You is a zippy fun-house ride through a Tunnel of Terror: you know what spooky thrills to expect and it delivers them pretty well; you exit the ride smiling, but wishing there had been a little more. This book is for lovers of Moshfeg's Eileen.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
missgrangerr's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-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
2.5
Being a public librarian, this appealed to me quite a bit. I enjoyed the library anecdotes but story itself was lackluster. Ending felt extremely rushed and left me wanting something else.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Medical trauma, Medical content, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Alcohol and Addiction
kelseyr713's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
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
3.0
Entertaining read (especially since I used to work in a library), but I wished for a little more insight into both characters, especially as this is essentially a character study (the Margot chapters moreso) with some thriller trappings. Villain protagonist is always fun though!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Stalking, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Death of parent and Child death
ebpertner's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Sexual content
morethanmylupus's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
2.0
This book was almost as weird as its MC. I don't know what was happening here, but she was bizarre and not in a compelling way. I generally was cheering for anyone but her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Murder
lportilla's review against another edition
dark
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent
allofmyfriendsarebooks's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Murder, Death of parent, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
beepbeep101's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Violence, Murder, Death, and Medical content
cassiealexandra's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.0
Margo has been working at a small-town public library for a couple of years. She left her previous job as a nurse in a bigger city and abandoned her life and name. She gets along with her coworkers and enjoys the purpose in her daily activities, all until a new reference librarian is hired. Patricia never thought she'd really become a librarian; she was certain she'd be a novelist. But fresh from rejection, she is also starting a new life and becomes suspicious of, even obsessed, with Margo's past.
I liked the dual point of view and two incredibly unreliable narrators in this thriller. I also appreciated the short length. As a former library assistant, I am a sucker for library settings. I recognized some of my own experiences with library patrons (good, bad, and ugly) in this book. I am used to and enjoy being surprised in my thriller reads, and this one was not that. This one revealed a lot about each of the characters from the beginning. There wasn't a lot to guess at or discover along the way. It was much more of a character-driven game of cat and mouse, which I think would be wonderful for some readers, and was not as suited to my taste. I also struggled with the pacing. While I liked how quick of a read this was, the fact that sometimes one voice would sometimes repeat the same scene from the other woman's point of view was frustrating and didn't serve to move the plot ahead. I understand why it was written that way though, and again, I think I am just not the right audience for a character-driven thriller. I also think that I would have liked to see more information and background on both pasts and what shaped these women into the people they were in this moment in time.
Overall, I think if I had come into this knowing it was more character than plot, I would have had a better experience.
I liked the dual point of view and two incredibly unreliable narrators in this thriller. I also appreciated the short length. As a former library assistant, I am a sucker for library settings. I recognized some of my own experiences with library patrons (good, bad, and ugly) in this book. I am used to and enjoy being surprised in my thriller reads, and this one was not that. This one revealed a lot about each of the characters from the beginning. There wasn't a lot to guess at or discover along the way. It was much more of a character-driven game of cat and mouse, which I think would be wonderful for some readers, and was not as suited to my taste. I also struggled with the pacing. While I liked how quick of a read this was, the fact that sometimes one voice would sometimes repeat the same scene from the other woman's point of view was frustrating and didn't serve to move the plot ahead. I understand why it was written that way though, and again, I think I am just not the right audience for a character-driven thriller. I also think that I would have liked to see more information and background on both pasts and what shaped these women into the people they were in this moment in time.
Overall, I think if I had come into this knowing it was more character than plot, I would have had a better experience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Sexual content
anyashadows's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, Sexual violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Medical trauma