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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
I loved In the Woods. I really loved Faithful Place (which I read out of order). But it's taken me a month and a half to get through this book. The book requires you to suspend belief on so many levels. Yet I continued reading, thinking there would be a big pay off. Nope!
Tana French's prose is amazing. I read her books partly to inspire me to be a better writer. But this book exhausted me. The central concept--of someone trying and failing to create an ideal "Camelot" with roommates--is intriguing. But French beats the idea to death. And ultimately the situation she sets up doesn't ring true. I want the hours back that I spent reading this book.
Tana French's prose is amazing. I read her books partly to inspire me to be a better writer. But this book exhausted me. The central concept--of someone trying and failing to create an ideal "Camelot" with roommates--is intriguing. But French beats the idea to death. And ultimately the situation she sets up doesn't ring true. I want the hours back that I spent reading this book.
I'm so disappointed.
When I finished [b:In the Woods|237209|In the Woods (Dublin Murder Squad, #1)|Tana French|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348442606s/237209.jpg|3088141] I was about as excited as I've ever been about a series. Even though a lot of people had a problem with the way that one panned out, I loved it. And when I learned that the series gets even better, well that was really good news for me.
The Likeness started off rather absurdly, and this absurd plot device didn't get any less absurd as the pages went on. And on. And on. And on. Note I choose the word pages rather than story.
About this plot device. Really? I'm sorry, I can't buy into the fact that Cassie was able to fool everyone into believing she was Lexie.
I spent most of this weekend plodding through a hundred pages of essentially nothing happening. This I can usually excuse if I'm very invested in the characters. And, to be frank, I really wasn't. Characters were drawn out okay, but there simply wasn't much that made them all that interesting as the PAGES went on. And on. And on.
At 55% last night I started scouring reviews for reasons to continue. After about 15 minutes of this, I realized this in itself is a sign that I needed to stop once and for all and move on to something else that I can be excited about.
I won't one-star this because French's writing is terrific. I would have stuck with this if it was 200 pages shorter, even with the unbelievable premise.
When I finished [b:In the Woods|237209|In the Woods (Dublin Murder Squad, #1)|Tana French|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348442606s/237209.jpg|3088141] I was about as excited as I've ever been about a series. Even though a lot of people had a problem with the way that one panned out, I loved it. And when I learned that the series gets even better, well that was really good news for me.
The Likeness started off rather absurdly, and this absurd plot device didn't get any less absurd as the pages went on. And on. And on. And on. Note I choose the word pages rather than story.
Spoiler
About this plot device. Really? I'm sorry, I can't buy into the fact that Cassie was able to fool everyone into believing she was Lexie.
I spent most of this weekend plodding through a hundred pages of essentially nothing happening. This I can usually excuse if I'm very invested in the characters. And, to be frank, I really wasn't. Characters were drawn out okay, but there simply wasn't much that made them all that interesting as the PAGES went on. And on. And on.
At 55% last night I started scouring reviews for reasons to continue. After about 15 minutes of this, I realized this in itself is a sign that I needed to stop once and for all and move on to something else that I can be excited about.
I won't one-star this because French's writing is terrific. I would have stuck with this if it was 200 pages shorter, even with the unbelievable premise.
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Read this in a day on two legs of a long trip by air to Hawaii. The Dublin Murder Squad books are satisfyingly twisty with as much whydunnit as whodunnit.
Uncanny undercover work meets college gothic. Could have been a little tighter.
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
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
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes