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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Read this right now! If you've read the others in the series, this one will set you on a wonderful journey. Five very very very big stars!
Troubled blood is a stellar installment of the Cormoran Strike mystery series. The mystery is well-plotted and full of twists and turns. The personalities are complex and well rendered. My favorite mysteries contain a lot of character development of the leads, and Galbraith entwines the backstory seamlessly.
I know there is a lot of controversy about this book - that it is transphobic. I read it looking for plots and writing that was transphobic - or relating to trans people at all. But there is just nothing there. In almost 1000 pages there are only a few sentences included where Strike and Robin contemplate the hypothesis that the serial killer they are hunting may have used a female disguise to make it easier to abduct women. That's it. Maybe 5 sentences or so, and all totally consistent with the plot, talking about a murderer nefariously using a disguise. This book has nothing to do with nor does it disparage transgender people. There is feminist/me-too content throughout, however. That is the sex/gender topic in the book - and one JKR/Galbraith has the experience to write bout.
So I get it that JKR has dug herself in deep via Twitter, but I've read the Tweets and I am not convinced she is transphobic. Mostly she should not be using Twitter to discuss her concerns about children and adolescents transitioning. I'll let her work that out with her detractors. I am not going to try to be the interpreter or spokesperson for either side of this on-line fight.
I know there is a lot of controversy about this book - that it is transphobic. I read it looking for plots and writing that was transphobic - or relating to trans people at all. But there is just nothing there. In almost 1000 pages there are only a few sentences included where Strike and Robin contemplate the hypothesis that the serial killer they are hunting may have used a female disguise to make it easier to abduct women. That's it. Maybe 5 sentences or so, and all totally consistent with the plot, talking about a murderer nefariously using a disguise. This book has nothing to do with nor does it disparage transgender people. There is feminist/me-too content throughout, however. That is the sex/gender topic in the book - and one JKR/Galbraith has the experience to write bout.
So I get it that JKR has dug herself in deep via Twitter, but I've read the Tweets and I am not convinced she is transphobic. Mostly she should not be using Twitter to discuss her concerns about children and adolescents transitioning. I'll let her work that out with her detractors. I am not going to try to be the interpreter or spokesperson for either side of this on-line fight.
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Completely engrossing even though the series is darker than what I normally read.
at this point, i think, rowling needs to calm down.
i am attached to strike and robin characters, therefore, i try to follow the novels, the plot, their relationship. but during the last three or two books of this series i felt like the author went a bit too far. the whole world and story she builds around the main narrative (probably, one of the two main ones that the reader is interested in) is too sophisticated and too unnecessary at the same time.
the cases they accept to investigate are more and more impossible and complicated. hence, the excess of details. but at this point it just serves to effectively overwhelm the poor reader.
(p.s. i do not support the author by any means, borrowed this book from the local library).
i am attached to strike and robin characters, therefore, i try to follow the novels, the plot, their relationship. but during the last three or two books of this series i felt like the author went a bit too far. the whole world and story she builds around the main narrative (probably, one of the two main ones that the reader is interested in) is too sophisticated and too unnecessary at the same time.
the cases they accept to investigate are more and more impossible and complicated. hence, the excess of details. but at this point it just serves to effectively overwhelm the poor reader.
(p.s. i do not support the author by any means, borrowed this book from the local library).
While I’ve really liked this series and the characters, this particular book was just too drawn out. I definitely struggled to finish, putting it down several times and taking months to finish. The last 100 pages or so were very well written and super easy to read, I loved how it ended, but oof the middle.
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Troubled Blood: Or, Cold Case Cormoran
Margot Bambourough disappeared in 1974. Her daughter wants the truth all these years later. Cormoran Strike and his best gal pal, Robin, are hired and on the case. What follows is a looooong novel about a serial killer, things that happened 40 years ago, and Robin and Strike's annoying will-they, won't-they. I am firmly against them getting together. Strike is a COMPLETE ass and I have no idea why Robin would ever want to be with him despite how hardJK Rowling Robert Galbraith tries to make us think they deserve each other.
I digress... I'm not rating it two stars just because of the icky romance threaded throughout, but mostly because this cold case mystery is frankly unbelievable. Firstly, how can so many people remember such specific details about something that happened FORTY years ago?! And all the same people are just still around? That's just one detail that took me out of it. But then as we get into solving the case it just... really... I won't say more because of SPOILERS. Also, this one is gruesomely dark and graphic. Did it have to be so terror inducing? And in a bad, icky way. I tried to read this objectively, but it was hard not to see the author's points screaming out through the prose. Not sure how I feel about all that. Altogether this one was forgettable and I'm actively rooting against Strike and Robin at this point.
Margot Bambourough disappeared in 1974. Her daughter wants the truth all these years later. Cormoran Strike and his best gal pal, Robin, are hired and on the case. What follows is a looooong novel about a serial killer, things that happened 40 years ago, and Robin and Strike's annoying will-they, won't-they. I am firmly against them getting together. Strike is a COMPLETE ass and I have no idea why Robin would ever want to be with him despite how hard
I digress... I'm not rating it two stars just because of the icky romance threaded throughout, but mostly because this cold case mystery is frankly unbelievable. Firstly, how can so many people remember such specific details about something that happened FORTY years ago?! And all the same people are just still around? That's just one detail that took me out of it. But then as we get into solving the case it just... really... I won't say more because of SPOILERS. Also, this one is gruesomely dark and graphic. Did it have to be so terror inducing? And in a bad, icky way. I tried to read this objectively, but it was hard not to see the author's points screaming out through the prose. Not sure how I feel about all that. Altogether this one was forgettable and I'm actively rooting against Strike and Robin at this point.