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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
I'd never heard of Cathi Unsworth before the pulp fiction group picked her as the author of the month, surprising considering she cites Derek Raymond as a major influence, has published several highly raised novels and the state of the copies found in my library suggests a lot of people have enjoyed reading them in the past few years. And she is really quite good.
Weirdo reads like a Bantam paperback Tom Piccirilli pulp meets David Peace's Red Riding - welcome Norfolk, where we do what we want - and Gillian Flynn's Dark Places. When viewed as a disposable piece of pulp entertainment it's really quite good and allows you to look past the deficiencies, the things that annoy and the general obviousness of the plot, because when it comes down to it Unsworth's novel is a real page turner in what is a somewhat unique setting.
I have issues with the insertion of song names as a short cut to realism, but then the author used to be a music journalist, I found some of the interactions to be the kind you only find in novels - regularly referring to people by name and even full name when you are talking to them for example? - and the parallel narratives of 1983 and 2003 much like Gillian Flynn's novel mentioned above only serving to draw the readers attention to the fact that things are being withheld from you rather than raising tension and heightening the mystery which is what I assume the intention was.
Despite all of this I found myself having a great time as I reached half way and was looking forward to seeing how Unsworth would make things fall out, she didn't disappoint either. I'll definitely be looking for more from her when in need of a fast, dark read in future.
Weirdo reads like a Bantam paperback Tom Piccirilli pulp meets David Peace's Red Riding - welcome Norfolk, where we do what we want - and Gillian Flynn's Dark Places. When viewed as a disposable piece of pulp entertainment it's really quite good and allows you to look past the deficiencies, the things that annoy and the general obviousness of the plot, because when it comes down to it Unsworth's novel is a real page turner in what is a somewhat unique setting.
I have issues with the insertion of song names as a short cut to realism, but then the author used to be a music journalist, I found some of the interactions to be the kind you only find in novels - regularly referring to people by name and even full name when you are talking to them for example? - and the parallel narratives of 1983 and 2003 much like Gillian Flynn's novel mentioned above only serving to draw the readers attention to the fact that things are being withheld from you rather than raising tension and heightening the mystery which is what I assume the intention was.
Despite all of this I found myself having a great time as I reached half way and was looking forward to seeing how Unsworth would make things fall out, she didn't disappoint either. I'll definitely be looking for more from her when in need of a fast, dark read in future.
What a great read, very well written and everything nicely tied up at the end.
This book had such a good story to it. It jumps back and forth between the present, where Sean Ward is running an investigation to try to figure out happened all those years ago, and the past, to what exactly happened. I love books that are like that because the story slowly unfolds and the detective is discovering it and you only get to know so much.
Unfortunately, I'm the type of reader that doesn't like a ton of in depth details, and this book is full of them. I found myself skimming parts, growing bored, wanting the meat of the story. I have a hard time with the way the characters spoke as well which lead to my boredom and skimming.
However, the last hundred pages were unputdownable. I stayed up late into the night to finish the book because I had to know what really happened.
I'll say that if you like a lot of detail in your reads with a really good story then this is for you. For me, it just didn't quite hit the mark. Like I said, the meat of the story was amazing and I really loved it. It was just hard to get to.
Unfortunately, I'm the type of reader that doesn't like a ton of in depth details, and this book is full of them. I found myself skimming parts, growing bored, wanting the meat of the story. I have a hard time with the way the characters spoke as well which lead to my boredom and skimming.
However, the last hundred pages were unputdownable. I stayed up late into the night to finish the book because I had to know what really happened.
I'll say that if you like a lot of detail in your reads with a really good story then this is for you. For me, it just didn't quite hit the mark. Like I said, the meat of the story was amazing and I really loved it. It was just hard to get to.
Twisty story, and the twist in the tale is a good un.
Corinne Woodrow was convicted of murder of a schoolmate when she was 15, in 1984. She was an outsider in the community and now, 20 years later, there's evidence that she might not have been alone. Sean Ward, whose career as a detective was cut short by a young man with a gun and now the metal in his leg reminds him of this constantly, investigates and what he stirs up, with the help of a local journalist, will change things in this small town.
Messy local politics, kept me reading and wanting more
Corinne Woodrow was convicted of murder of a schoolmate when she was 15, in 1984. She was an outsider in the community and now, 20 years later, there's evidence that she might not have been alone. Sean Ward, whose career as a detective was cut short by a young man with a gun and now the metal in his leg reminds him of this constantly, investigates and what he stirs up, with the help of a local journalist, will change things in this small town.
Messy local politics, kept me reading and wanting more
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm glad I gave Weirdo another go as I bumped my rating up with one star. It was right mix of creepy and exciting which made it a very page turnery book and I would like to read more by Cathi Usworth for sure.
this book has shaken me to my core and holds my spine regardless y’all. the darkest shades of police corruption, the brutal honesty of accountability and loss, and white teenage girls doing the most. i nearly started a hashtag #FREECORRINEWOODROW I DONE NEARLY LOST MY DAMN MIND SHE AINT DESERVED NONE OF THAT
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Two parallel stories, told in alternating chapters: one set in 1983, the other in 2003. The first story tells about a murder about to happen and the people around it, the latter about a private detective reopening the case 20 years later when new DNA evidence surfaces.
An intriguing set-up: England in the eighties, nice athmosphere, well-written characters. Sadly, the story drowns in the large cast of characters and overly complicated plot. I had a hard time keeping them all apart. Better would have been to split the book in half, first the old story, then the new, or vice versa. It all started to jumble at the half-way point for me.
This could have been great if kept simpler, though the writing itself was really good.
An intriguing set-up: England in the eighties, nice athmosphere, well-written characters. Sadly, the story drowns in the large cast of characters and overly complicated plot. I had a hard time keeping them all apart. Better would have been to split the book in half, first the old story, then the new, or vice versa. It all started to jumble at the half-way point for me.
This could have been great if kept simpler, though the writing itself was really good.