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gabyjo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, Drug abuse, Addiction, and Death
sibertooth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
What's so fun about this book is that it starts out as a bog-standard MFA Dramedy – you know, with the stalled next novel and the awful student stories and all that – and then turns into a thriller while, to all appearances, keeping the MFA Dramedy scope and stakes. It is genuinely tense and gripping to read about this guy worrying that he's bargained away his self-respect and is about to lose his career.
It gets more conventional later on, and I guessed both big twists (the one in the main story and the one in the within-a-story) somewhat in advance, but that's an expected part of the thriller-reading experience, right?
Tone-wise (as opposed to plot-wise), the ending did seem to come out of left field, and that soured things a tiny bit for me. But this is still a heck of a ride.
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Stalking, Vomit, Abortion, Addiction, Alcohol, and Suicide
Minor: Sexism, Sexual harassment, and Pregnancy
keijiwolf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Vomit
Moderate: Abortion, Pregnancy, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, and Fire/Fire injury
hannahleewhite's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Murder and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Addiction and Drug abuse
literarylion's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
- Jake's character is fleshed-out and feels realistic; his development is extreme but logical
- It is well-paced and I can tell Korelitz planned each scene carefully to build toward the twist
- I loved the meta aspect -- a plot within a plot within a plot, the trials of being an author/writer, the multiple meanings of plot, etc.
Cons:
- The reveal felt trope-y and a bit contrived
- Anna's character and motivations don't feel believable to me
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Murder, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Alcohol, Drug use, Addiction, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual assault
Minor: Abortion and Vomit
jaynovara's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Addiction, Child death, Confinement, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Stalking, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Cancer, Cursing, Drug use, Vomit, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Religious bigotry, and Murder
bandysbooks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Emotional abuse, and Suicide
Minor: Addiction and Drug abuse
bella_cavicchi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Pregnancy, Stalking, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Addiction, Child death, Mental illness, and Murder
Moderate: Car accident, Alcohol, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Minor: Abortion
beyourbestshelf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Minor: Addiction, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Vomit, Death, Death of parent, Infidelity, Adult/minor relationship, and Drug abuse
liz_not_bennet's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Drug abuse and Murder
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Stalking, Death, Drug abuse, and Murder