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hesafruit0000's review against another edition
I do not say this lightly - but I feel traumatised by this book
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
jazzy_cat's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Violence
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Animal death, and Violence
Minor: Alcohol, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Cursing, and Physical abuse
dreesreads's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
slow-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
2.0
200 pages too long, painfully uneven. Suspense, violence against women, yet also painfully dull.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Animal death
Moderate: Emotional abuse
andthenweread's review against another edition
slow-paced
2.0
the writing style of this book was too long-winded and meandering for me to stay engaged in the plot, which in turn made the book’s 450 pages feel quite long. it was definitely more literary than thriller, and had an abrupt ending that unfortunately lacked closure for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
orla_h's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gore, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, and Sexism
Minor: Gaslighting
serendipitysbooks's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
The Birthday Party was a fantastic read that managed to be both propulsive and a slow burn. It’s set in a small French hamlet where Patrice, his young daughter Ida, and their neighbour Christine are preparing a 40th birthday celebration for Patrice’s wife Marion. Not only do things not go according to plan, they go very, very wrong.
Right from the beginning of the book there is a slight sense of unease because of a couple of strange but seemingly unrelated and not necessarily significant events. What eventuated though came as a surprise and seemed especially shocking when juxtaposed against the innocent, happy party that was planned. The propulsive nature of the story came thanks to the foreshadowing and cliff hangars that constantly had me reading one more section to find out exactly what else was going to happen and why. The slow burn aspect was because the author took us into the thoughts and dialogue of every single character. You’d experience a scene from the perspective of one character, then the story would loop back and you’d see it at least part of it again through a different perspective. The author wrote in such a way that the reader got to share every thought of every character, and overhear every conversation. It made for an incredibly immersive read. Another noteworthy aspect of the author’s craft was the way the thoughts of one character were interspersed with snippets of the conversation going on around them. This was immersive and realistic, and when combined with really lengthy sentences contributed to feelings of urgency, chaos and immediacy. In other words the way Mauvignier told his story really captured the atmosphere his characters were creating and experiencing. Stylistically it won’t be for every reader but it really worked for me. A wonderful literary thriller that maintained the tension throughout. It very much deserved its place on the International Booker longlist.
Right from the beginning of the book there is a slight sense of unease because of a couple of strange but seemingly unrelated and not necessarily significant events. What eventuated though came as a surprise and seemed especially shocking when juxtaposed against the innocent, happy party that was planned. The propulsive nature of the story came thanks to the foreshadowing and cliff hangars that constantly had me reading one more section to find out exactly what else was going to happen and why. The slow burn aspect was because the author took us into the thoughts and dialogue of every single character. You’d experience a scene from the perspective of one character, then the story would loop back and you’d see it at least part of it again through a different perspective. The author wrote in such a way that the reader got to share every thought of every character, and overhear every conversation. It made for an incredibly immersive read. Another noteworthy aspect of the author’s craft was the way the thoughts of one character were interspersed with snippets of the conversation going on around them. This was immersive and realistic, and when combined with really lengthy sentences contributed to feelings of urgency, chaos and immediacy. In other words the way Mauvignier told his story really captured the atmosphere his characters were creating and experiencing. Stylistically it won’t be for every reader but it really worked for me. A wonderful literary thriller that maintained the tension throughout. It very much deserved its place on the International Booker longlist.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gun violence, and Violence
nicolehm_'s review against another edition
slow-paced
4.0
This is incredibly slow placed. The slowest paced book I’ve ever read and I definitely think it could have been shortened a little bit, however, by the end you come to appreciate the time the book allowed you to sit with the characters and grow a deeper understanding of their personalities and connections.
The basic premise is that of a husband organising a small birthday party for his wife that their daughter, neighbour, and wives colleagues are going to attend. For the rest you should go in completely blind. The blurb is vague for a reason and I think you’ll get most enjoyment out of it by not trying to delve any further before reading it.
The basic premise is that of a husband organising a small birthday party for his wife that their daughter, neighbour, and wives colleagues are going to attend. For the rest you should go in completely blind. The blurb is vague for a reason and I think you’ll get most enjoyment out of it by not trying to delve any further before reading it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
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