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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
I have a feeling I have read this before.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
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:
Complicated
This was a book that was all over the place. However, I really enjoyed the feel of being on the campus with the narrator. I kept reading because for 75% of the book you didn't actually know who "did" it. It was compelling enough to keep me reading but it wasn't a higher overall rating for me since it was just so convoluted at times.
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I REALLY enjoyed this. I liked the voice of the main character and found her to be both realistic and someone I wanted to spend time with. I enjoyed getting sucked into the mystery and it was a page turner for me by the end.
dark
mysterious
reflective
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Meh. This was all over the place and I’m not even sure what the point was? Whomever compared it to The Secret History was reaching…
I try to avoid reading reviews before I jump in. Okay, maybe that's a lie. I just don't prepare. But the reviews could have told me this would not be good!
It was somewhat insightful, and realistic, which can be a good thing. But I don't think the majority of the book lead me to believe that this would be an attempt to explain the inadequacy of the justice system. And the ending left me lacking.
All to say, I am not opposed to realism, and it can be done well. This book just had too much going on?
It was somewhat insightful, and realistic, which can be a good thing. But I don't think the majority of the book lead me to believe that this would be an attempt to explain the inadequacy of the justice system. And the ending left me lacking.
All to say, I am not opposed to realism, and it can be done well. This book just had too much going on?
3.5/5
This reading experience was wild, not because the book had any shocking plot twists (just one I saw coming a mile away), but because my perceived final rating fluctuated a ton. I started off thinking it could be 5 stars-the writing was awesome and I love a campus novel-but I worried it would get too Twitter/zeitgeist-y and drop to a 4.5. Then it dragged and the pacing slowed, the main character became annoying, made some dumb choices, and I was bored. With only a little left to go, it was looking like a 3 at best. Then the end, despite having no real additional plot, just felt so expertly crafted that I came back around. This book is didactic, a regurgitation of a million Twitter threads I’ve read before. It has half baked side plots that gesture at tackling complex topics but ultimately just leave them dangling. I think Makkai fell into the oh-so-common trap of trying to be critical of how we view these types of stories, how we glean entertainment from them, but ultimately is doing so herself. Ironically, this is probably the slowest, most boring version of this. However I must admit her writing is spot on. I loved her previous book and this had promise, so I look forward to whatever she comes up with next!
This reading experience was wild, not because the book had any shocking plot twists (just one I saw coming a mile away), but because my perceived final rating fluctuated a ton. I started off thinking it could be 5 stars-the writing was awesome and I love a campus novel-but I worried it would get too Twitter/zeitgeist-y and drop to a 4.5. Then it dragged and the pacing slowed, the main character became annoying, made some dumb choices, and I was bored. With only a little left to go, it was looking like a 3 at best. Then the end, despite having no real additional plot, just felt so expertly crafted that I came back around. This book is didactic, a regurgitation of a million Twitter threads I’ve read before. It has half baked side plots that gesture at tackling complex topics but ultimately just leave them dangling. I think Makkai fell into the oh-so-common trap of trying to be critical of how we view these types of stories, how we glean entertainment from them, but ultimately is doing so herself. Ironically, this is probably the slowest, most boring version of this. However I must admit her writing is spot on. I loved her previous book and this had promise, so I look forward to whatever she comes up with next!