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anjreading's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. The Basic Eight, Handler’s debut novel, has been on my Kindle for at least ten years, and I finally got around to reading it! Handler is better known by his pen name Lemony Snicket, under which he writes “A Series of Unfortunate Events.” The Basic Eight is a weird YA noir-ish mystery. I think there are plenty of people for whom this is not the right book, but I enjoyed it in all its dark twistiness (although I did guess one of the major reveals quite a bit in advance). Right from the start, we know that Flannery has murdered someone, as we read her (highly edited – completely unreliable narrator) diary entries. But the journey to discover exactly what happened with her and her group of clever, obnoxious friends is a fun ride.
morganwerner's review against another edition
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
kaceyymair's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The best way of describing this is unreliable and up-and-down. Obsessed tbh
mxlibrarian's review against another edition
3.0
So, this book was written about three years after Fight Club, by interestingly, released in the same year that the movie was. While I'm sure the fake-out may have been done before Fight Club, it's the only example that came to mind. Don't really think I liked any of the characters, they were all a bit dense, and sort of flat. The drinking scenes in particular I found pretty disturbing as well, but I don't like visualizing a lack of mental control.
asorrenti's review against another edition
4.0
Loved it! It was a little graphic every once in a while, but I really enjoyed reading it.
maryska's review against another edition
4.0
Wow, I'm stunned. This book is often compared to The Secret History and let me start by saying that The Basic Eight is much better than the more popular said book. I'm stuck between four and five stars, but giving four, since I didn't make much of what was going on in the second half because my terrible mirgaines emerged in right before that thing happened, so I'm just left stranded with guessing it went as well as the first half.
jwishbone's review against another edition
5.0
Required reading
This book took over all of my senses. If a character was drunk, I as a reader felt drunk. If a character was hysterical, I felt hysterical. The main character is amazing and laugh out loud funny. The writing is thrilling, smart, and unique.
This book took over all of my senses. If a character was drunk, I as a reader felt drunk. If a character was hysterical, I felt hysterical. The main character is amazing and laugh out loud funny. The writing is thrilling, smart, and unique.
jelisela's review against another edition
1.0
Just terrible. I have so many problems with this book that I don't even know where to start.
bradcannons's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5