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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
I finished Temper last night and I'm still thinking about it.
You know when you're reading a book and you have a slight inkling of what might happen, but you don't honestly believe the author will go that far?
Layne Fargo goes ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ in the most dramatic fashion!!
.
You know when you're reading a book and you have a slight inkling of what might happen, but you don't honestly believe the author will go that far?
Layne Fargo goes ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ in the most dramatic fashion!!
.
First, shout out to the amazing people of Goodreads who let me read this book as a giveaway! I feel very lucky to have been able to read this as soon as I did!!
Okay, so this book does not have the best average rating on here, but holy cow I am blown away. I also was not expecting to like this, but because I was lucky enough to receive it as a giveaway, I knew I would persevere.
It was bit of a slow start, I'm not going to lie. But Layne Fargo added just enough of what it needed to make it believable and also super surprising that it was as believable as it was. The synopsis honestly did not do this book justice. I thought I was in for a type of Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen type of deal where it was told from two women. It totally was, it just wasn't exactly their style and as much of a fan of them as I am, it's so good that this wasn't. Layne Fargo has quite the aptitude for showing the internal struggle of a character and how they perceive what goes on around them. I felt like I truly related to the anxieties of both of the women, even though I have not experienced anything like they have. I've experienced those emotions, for sure, just not the exact experiences.
Kira was such an interesting character. She was the wild card and the one who took what she wanted and knew what she was doing, at least most of the time. while she was doing it. The slow burn of her madness and ultimate snapping was paced just right and I was definitely along for the ride. It was also interesting reading this as an outside person and seeing that she was truly being manipulated by Malcolm, even when she felt like she was still in control of her own emotions. The bit of redemption she had where she knew exactly what Mal wanted and was going to give it to him and then some was so realistic that I'm not surprised this ended how it did, although I won't say that here, just in case.
Joanna was the pent up, never-acted-on-anything type of character most of us feel like we have in us. I am so glad she had her redemption in the way that she did. I loved that she pined after a man she had literally never been with for years and then suddenly realized that she had been so incredibly stupid in the span of a couple minutes at most.
Overall, these women were great characters to analyze and read about the way they had been written. Kira's slow arch was just fascinating and Joanna's quick "plummet" of an arch was just as much so. I feel like this book will not get as much recognition or praise as it deserves. These characters were so incredibly relatable, realistic, and powerful in their own right. Well done, Layne Fargo, well done!
Okay, so this book does not have the best average rating on here, but holy cow I am blown away. I also was not expecting to like this, but because I was lucky enough to receive it as a giveaway, I knew I would persevere.
It was bit of a slow start, I'm not going to lie. But Layne Fargo added just enough of what it needed to make it believable and also super surprising that it was as believable as it was. The synopsis honestly did not do this book justice. I thought I was in for a type of Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen type of deal where it was told from two women. It totally was, it just wasn't exactly their style and as much of a fan of them as I am, it's so good that this wasn't. Layne Fargo has quite the aptitude for showing the internal struggle of a character and how they perceive what goes on around them. I felt like I truly related to the anxieties of both of the women, even though I have not experienced anything like they have. I've experienced those emotions, for sure, just not the exact experiences.
Kira was such an interesting character. She was the wild card and the one who took what she wanted and knew what she was doing, at least most of the time. while she was doing it. The slow burn of her madness and ultimate snapping was paced just right and I was definitely along for the ride. It was also interesting reading this as an outside person and seeing that she was truly being manipulated by Malcolm, even when she felt like she was still in control of her own emotions. The bit of redemption she had where she knew exactly what Mal wanted and was going to give it to him and then some was so realistic that I'm not surprised this ended how it did, although I won't say that here, just in case.
Joanna was the pent up, never-acted-on-anything type of character most of us feel like we have in us. I am so glad she had her redemption in the way that she did. I loved that she pined after a man she had literally never been with for years and then suddenly realized that she had been so incredibly stupid in the span of a couple minutes at most.
Overall, these women were great characters to analyze and read about the way they had been written. Kira's slow arch was just fascinating and Joanna's quick "plummet" of an arch was just as much so. I feel like this book will not get as much recognition or praise as it deserves. These characters were so incredibly relatable, realistic, and powerful in their own right. Well done, Layne Fargo, well done!
"It's like he's stripping off my skin instead of my clothes, peeling it all away so he can see the blood and bone and sinew underneath. So he can expose every piece of me."
Temper by Layne Fargo is such an impressive debut novel, and I really enjoyed reading it. This book is a very tense character study, and I loved seeing how everything unraveled. The ending was a bit predictable, but it fit in with the story that was being told. Sometimes I have a hard time getting invested in slow burn stories, but I was captivated by this one.
Temper handles sexuality in a refreshing way - almost all of the major characters are bi. I have not seen many LGBTQ+ characters in books marketed as suspense / thrillers, and sometimes they aren't handled very well & are just used as victims or villains. I hope to see more books like Temper in the future.
I wouldn't say there's a lot of suspense happening here, but all of the secrets, drama, and violence were so intriguing. This book is on the darker side, and the characters are pretty messed up. This was such an entertaining read, and I can't wait to see what Layne Fargo does next.
Temper by Layne Fargo is such an impressive debut novel, and I really enjoyed reading it. This book is a very tense character study, and I loved seeing how everything unraveled. The ending was a bit predictable, but it fit in with the story that was being told. Sometimes I have a hard time getting invested in slow burn stories, but I was captivated by this one.
Temper handles sexuality in a refreshing way - almost all of the major characters are bi. I have not seen many LGBTQ+ characters in books marketed as suspense / thrillers, and sometimes they aren't handled very well & are just used as victims or villains. I hope to see more books like Temper in the future.
I wouldn't say there's a lot of suspense happening here, but all of the secrets, drama, and violence were so intriguing. This book is on the darker side, and the characters are pretty messed up. This was such an entertaining read, and I can't wait to see what Layne Fargo does next.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship
Moderate: Miscarriage
Is it possible to have a good week after reading this book? a good month? a decent year? my sources say: fuck, no
Temper is basically [b:If We Were Villains|30319086|If We Were Villains|M.L. Rio|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1480717682l/30319086._SY75_.jpg|45743348] on steroids. It's a dark psychological thriller about a bunch of morally-fraudulent thespians who obviously need psychiatric help. The ending offers more questions than it answers. It's terrible, you should read it.
Temper is basically [b:If We Were Villains|30319086|If We Were Villains|M.L. Rio|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1480717682l/30319086._SY75_.jpg|45743348] on steroids. It's a dark psychological thriller about a bunch of morally-fraudulent thespians who obviously need psychiatric help. The ending offers more questions than it answers. It's terrible, you should read it.
Wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
Wow.
Wow.
W O W.
WOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW.
WOW.
WOW?!?
Temper was INCREDIBLE. Okay, so it's the first thriller I've pushed myself through, cover-to-cover, and yes, I spoiled myself on the ending. I'm one of those monsters that has to know what happens before I go into something. It's an anxiety thing. Leave me be.
So, I read the ending and was immediately uncertain. Because this book is dark. It is DARKER THAN DARK. It is THE DARKEST. But I was going to try because it seemed really interesting.
And man, I could not stop. I absolutely DEVOURED this book. I finished it in a day. No exaggeration. I could not stop reading this. I was OBSESSED. I'm going to try and articulate the FEELINGS this book gave me, but... just wow.
Okay, for starters, Fargo is a master of imagery. Her phrasing. The images she conjures. Just subtle things in her description, even when it's not particularly poetic. She just understands the human physique and feelings so brilliantly, and it shows through on every. single. page. This woman is a master, with tension, with words, with characters. This is one of the few books where I really questioned what I was being told by the narrator. It was never entirely CLEAR if Kira and Joanna were right or if they were just seeing the world the way they wanted to see it. Every thing seemed so intentional, and I only knew what the intent was half the time. Fargo doesn't just string her audience along. She wraps them in a goddamn spider web and lets them squirm. Like, holy shit. I don't know what else to say other than... HOLY SHIT.
All the characters felt so dynamic. Even the ones on the page for no more than a few chapters. Everything felt real. This world felt like it was breathing around me. And this girl? This is the way like... subtle sexual indulgence should be written. I know she's probably into certain aspects of this, but I never felt her on the page. I never felt like she was fulfilling her sexual fantasies, even though I feel like, with a book like this, she was to some extent. I'm reminded of Emily Duncan's Wicked Saints and how painfully obvious the author's hand was in every sexually charged scene. This is what it could have been. This is sexual tension, sexual arousal, done right. This was entirely Kira and Malcolm and Joanna.
And the thing is... everything's gray. No one's all the way likable. Malcolm is as much of an engima to the reader as he is to Kira and Joanna. At the end, I still didn't hate him, even though logically I was supposed to. Which is exactly how everyone around him felt. I felt so much a part of this world it was disorienting at times. Side note, I love Fargo works in a pretty diverse world. Like, the cast itself is pretty white, which is the only downside, but besides that... the way she handles bisexuality and gender and everything, it's just... so subtle and so good.
Kira was probably my favorite protagonist. She took a second for me to slide into, since Joanna kind of jumped off the page first, but Kira ended up being so full of fire. I loved her. I rooted for her. I hated who she hated, and I loved who she loved. I liked Joanna, but Kira was amazing. Her journey was like, making my heart race.
Man, I love everything about this so much my brain is just mush. Spence was also a fiercely likable character, and Rob, and they loved Kira. Because, in her own way, she is a Malcolm. She's a nightmare and she's hard and she's intense, but people are drawn to her like they are to Malcolm. Just, fuck, wow. And it's interesting to me, because it felt, at least in some manner, Joanna was a little in love with Kira. There was a line in here about "she couldn't hate him that much if she didn't love him." And the way her hatred for Kira goes up and up and up. I don't know. It felt like something more than jealousy.
Also, can I take a moment to call out specifically, Spence's line towards the ending when Kira is irritated that he's gotten into another relationship, she says he wasn't into all the relationship stuff. Like that's what kept them apart, and he says, "No. That was you." And it's left there, for you to just stare at. Like, was Spence in love with her this whole time? Was she pushing him away?
GOD. Also, fuck this book for making me hate Jason Grady. This poor kid has been through so much. Malcolm has destroyed him and he's struggling to get by, but man, I hated this kid. His little smirk at Kira, like WHO ARE YOU JASON? I don't know! I don't know why Spence likes you, but then, I do, because you're obviously a mess. LIke did Kira just imagine Jason trying to drive a wedge between her and Spence? Probably! I don't know! That's what this book did to me. IT SHREDDED MY MIND INTO TINY PIECES.
Also, the way Fargo uses the idea of clotted blood is something I"ve never seen and I looooved it. Wow, I just... loved everything. The ending was hard to read. The bits where Spence and Kira were falling apart hurt, but god. I just... man. Wow. I was going to write this review to see if this was a 4.5 or 5 for me, and I think I can unequivocally say this is five fucking stars.
Man, I will be picking up literally anything Layne Fargo writes in the future, because holy shit. I couldn't even write an articulate review because I am just REELING.
Wow.
Wow.
W O W.
WOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW.
WOW.
WOW?!?
Temper was INCREDIBLE. Okay, so it's the first thriller I've pushed myself through, cover-to-cover, and yes, I spoiled myself on the ending. I'm one of those monsters that has to know what happens before I go into something. It's an anxiety thing. Leave me be.
So, I read the ending and was immediately uncertain. Because this book is dark. It is DARKER THAN DARK. It is THE DARKEST. But I was going to try because it seemed really interesting.
And man, I could not stop. I absolutely DEVOURED this book. I finished it in a day. No exaggeration. I could not stop reading this. I was OBSESSED. I'm going to try and articulate the FEELINGS this book gave me, but... just wow.
Okay, for starters, Fargo is a master of imagery. Her phrasing. The images she conjures. Just subtle things in her description, even when it's not particularly poetic. She just understands the human physique and feelings so brilliantly, and it shows through on every. single. page. This woman is a master, with tension, with words, with characters. This is one of the few books where I really questioned what I was being told by the narrator. It was never entirely CLEAR if Kira and Joanna were right or if they were just seeing the world the way they wanted to see it. Every thing seemed so intentional, and I only knew what the intent was half the time. Fargo doesn't just string her audience along. She wraps them in a goddamn spider web and lets them squirm. Like, holy shit. I don't know what else to say other than... HOLY SHIT.
All the characters felt so dynamic. Even the ones on the page for no more than a few chapters. Everything felt real. This world felt like it was breathing around me. And this girl? This is the way like... subtle sexual indulgence should be written. I know she's probably into certain aspects of this, but I never felt her on the page. I never felt like she was fulfilling her sexual fantasies, even though I feel like, with a book like this, she was to some extent. I'm reminded of Emily Duncan's Wicked Saints and how painfully obvious the author's hand was in every sexually charged scene. This is what it could have been. This is sexual tension, sexual arousal, done right. This was entirely Kira and Malcolm and Joanna.
And the thing is... everything's gray. No one's all the way likable. Malcolm is as much of an engima to the reader as he is to Kira and Joanna. At the end, I still didn't hate him, even though logically I was supposed to. Which is exactly how everyone around him felt. I felt so much a part of this world it was disorienting at times. Side note, I love Fargo works in a pretty diverse world. Like, the cast itself is pretty white, which is the only downside, but besides that... the way she handles bisexuality and gender and everything, it's just... so subtle and so good.
Kira was probably my favorite protagonist. She took a second for me to slide into, since Joanna kind of jumped off the page first, but Kira ended up being so full of fire. I loved her. I rooted for her. I hated who she hated, and I loved who she loved. I liked Joanna, but Kira was amazing. Her journey was like, making my heart race.
Man, I love everything about this so much my brain is just mush. Spence was also a fiercely likable character, and Rob, and they loved Kira. Because, in her own way, she is a Malcolm. She's a nightmare and she's hard and she's intense, but people are drawn to her like they are to Malcolm. Just, fuck, wow. And it's interesting to me, because it felt, at least in some manner, Joanna was a little in love with Kira. There was a line in here about "she couldn't hate him that much if she didn't love him." And the way her hatred for Kira goes up and up and up. I don't know. It felt like something more than jealousy.
Also, can I take a moment to call out specifically, Spence's line towards the ending when Kira is irritated that he's gotten into another relationship, she says he wasn't into all the relationship stuff. Like that's what kept them apart, and he says, "No. That was you." And it's left there, for you to just stare at. Like, was Spence in love with her this whole time? Was she pushing him away?
GOD. Also, fuck this book for making me hate Jason Grady. This poor kid has been through so much. Malcolm has destroyed him and he's struggling to get by, but man, I hated this kid. His little smirk at Kira, like WHO ARE YOU JASON? I don't know! I don't know why Spence likes you, but then, I do, because you're obviously a mess. LIke did Kira just imagine Jason trying to drive a wedge between her and Spence? Probably! I don't know! That's what this book did to me. IT SHREDDED MY MIND INTO TINY PIECES.
Also, the way Fargo uses the idea of clotted blood is something I"ve never seen and I looooved it. Wow, I just... loved everything. The ending was hard to read. The bits where Spence and Kira were falling apart hurt, but god. I just... man. Wow. I was going to write this review to see if this was a 4.5 or 5 for me, and I think I can unequivocally say this is five fucking stars.
Man, I will be picking up literally anything Layne Fargo writes in the future, because holy shit. I couldn't even write an articulate review because I am just REELING.