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3.29 AVERAGE
3.29 AVERAGE
My hopes were high that this could be another "Gone Girl" type of read. It did really capture my attention for the first half, but the big plot twist just never happened. Also, the main character seemed to be so trusting, with no real basis for it.
Meh. Just an ok quick read. Not nearly as enticing as the other psychological thrillers it's been compared to.
Boring. I kept waiting for something to happen, for a surprise at least, but there was none. This really could have been written as a short story, if at all. It went on endlessly to an ending that a child could predict.
If this book was supposed to be a character study, it failed at that too, because none of the characters were really fleshed out. Or compelling. I don’t understand the high ratings this book received.
If this book was supposed to be a character study, it failed at that too, because none of the characters were really fleshed out. Or compelling. I don’t understand the high ratings this book received.
This book did almost absolutely nothing for me. I wanted them to catch and nail the bastard that took Bella. But that’s about it. “The Widow” is not a strong woman ready to tell her story, if anything she’s incredibly weak. I did like the detective and his resolve to never give up. But overall this story lacked in a lot of ways.
Completely enthralled throughout. The multiple points of view kept the book quick paced and moving quickly. Twists were brilliant
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The best crime/mystery writers – your Tana Frenches, Ian Rankins, and Elmore Leonards – transcend the tropes of the genre through the sheer ingenuity of their craft. They employ twisty-turny plots, double-crosses and red herrings, characters with oblique motivations, bad guys who might not be all that bad, and good guys with troubled pasts. They embrace the conventions while giving us something wholly new.
Fiona Barton, on the other hand, is purely serviceable. "Workmanlike" comes to mind. The Widow has narrative momentum and certainly kept my interest, but there's also an anonymity to it. Other than the novelty of its structure – telling the story of an abducted child through the competing perspectives of several different characters – there's not much here to separate The Widow from other latter-day mystery page-turners. Is it Fiona Barton or Ruth Ware or Paula Hawkins? I'm not sure a blind taste test could tell them apart.
Not there's anything wrong with writing a page-turner, mind you. I enjoyed The Widow enough that I'll gladly sign on for the next book in Barton's series. But if I'm going to stick around for the long haul, I'll need to see something a little more distinctive next time around.
Fiona Barton, on the other hand, is purely serviceable. "Workmanlike" comes to mind. The Widow has narrative momentum and certainly kept my interest, but there's also an anonymity to it. Other than the novelty of its structure – telling the story of an abducted child through the competing perspectives of several different characters – there's not much here to separate The Widow from other latter-day mystery page-turners. Is it Fiona Barton or Ruth Ware or Paula Hawkins? I'm not sure a blind taste test could tell them apart.
Not there's anything wrong with writing a page-turner, mind you. I enjoyed The Widow enough that I'll gladly sign on for the next book in Barton's series. But if I'm going to stick around for the long haul, I'll need to see something a little more distinctive next time around.
While I didn't actively dislike this book enough to stop reading it, I wish I hadn't read it. It's about a child abduction and pedophilia. While there was some interesting writing, there was no twist, nothing exciting, just messed up people and cops who were actively bad at their jobs. I was waiting for it to have an ending that I didn't see coming and that would make it a more intelligent book, but it never came. I liked Gone Girl and Girl on the Train, and this isn't even in the same league.
This was an ok book. There were no big twists but it was a decent summer read.
This book was ok. I kind of felt like it was a bit slow and I couldn't stand Jeanie. I actually didn't really care for any of the characters. By the halfway mark I felt like I was just reading this book to finish it and wasn't really enjoying it.