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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Freaking unlikeable heroine (why are these suddenly trendy?) means I won't go on to read anything else by this Author. If that doesn't bother you, the writing good, but the ending doesn't deliver 100% satisfaction.
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don't read a lot of mystery but I really enjoyed this. I thought it was heading a particular way but it didn't (not who it was directed at either)! This was unputdownable and I didn't trust anything including the narrator. I liked the writing style and I had so many questions. As intended I was annoyed by decisions made but really enjoyed this and I definitely would pick up more by Rebecca Makkai.
Character rating - 4.
Plot rating - 4.
Setting rating - 4.
Character rating - 4.
Plot rating - 4.
Setting rating - 4.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed this book and I admire its ambition to be an engaging murder mystery that also has a lot to say about justice in modern America: who gets it, who’s left behind, and who gets used in someone else’s crusade. I’m not sure it answers the questions it raises but I do think they’re important things we should all be thinking about and striving for solutions to.
I liked the main character a lot and I saw some of myself in her, especially as a teenager: someone who thought of herself as a fat misfit outsider who was better remembered and regarded (and who had more influence) than she expected. There is so much going on in this, but I really think the author handled it very well.
I liked the main character a lot and I saw some of myself in her, especially as a teenager: someone who thought of herself as a fat misfit outsider who was better remembered and regarded (and who had more influence) than she expected. There is so much going on in this, but I really think the author handled it very well.
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
Very little actually happened. There was a side story about the husband being canceled that seemed irrelevant to the overall story. It had great potential but ultimately was rather boring.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Violence, Murder
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
By the time I got to the end of this book I just didn’t care anymore. I've discovered this is a style I no longer enjoy. Well written but there were too many characters to keep track of. A few less characters could have shaved off a few pages as I felt the book was 30-50 pages too long. A page turner for sure but not my cup of tea anymore. Recommended.
I can’t figure out how I feel about this book. I didn’t care for the format - the story directed to Denny Bloch but interspersing theories of who killed Thalia; sharing some very detailed and/or intimate pieces of information while also spelling out that she won’t share some details (albeit likely irrelevant) because “it’s none of your business;” ending the already short chapters on distractingly flowery phrases. It took me out of the story and the social commentary around media coverage of violence against women, the social justice system, racism, etc.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was written for me. I love this writing style, and the themes explored were interesting. Makkai's characters always feel so real. Parts of it (especially some that revolved around #metoo) were heavy handed, but overall I loved this book.
Loved listening to this on audiobook and I will listen to anything narrated by Julia Whelan. This story is so interesting and the outcome is so obvious yet I wasn’t expecting it. This is a good merger of thriller and dark academic literary fiction.
My main gripe with this book is I think it went on too long. The first part of the book leading up to the hearing dragged a bit and could’ve been shortened significantly.
That being said, I loved the structure and the instances where we are told “it was the one where…” over and over again to remind us of all of the cases of violence against women, because that’s really at the core of this story. I don’t normally love the second person breaking the fourth wall style, and there were some moments where I still didn’t like it, but it worked really well on this story.
My main gripe with this book is I think it went on too long. The first part of the book leading up to the hearing dragged a bit and could’ve been shortened significantly.
That being said, I loved the structure and the instances where we are told “it was the one where…” over and over again to remind us of all of the cases of violence against women, because that’s really at the core of this story. I don’t normally love the second person breaking the fourth wall style, and there were some moments where I still didn’t like it, but it worked really well on this story.
I’m coming back to review this book a couple weeks after reading it and I’m really struggling to remember what happened. That usually isn’t a great sign