Scan barcode
saevers's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jdhobbes's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
mcipher's review against another edition
5.0
I don’t know if I’m getting more generous with my 5-star reviews or just more in love with this series, but either way... this is an amazing book. Sad and lovely and weird and full of sentences I had to re-read because they were so true and heartbreaking. Claire’s beloved Silette’s style of detection is fascinating and magical and I wish that his book really existed. I hope there are more books to come - I feel like, as crazy and deep as each one is, there’s so much more to dig into here. Sara Gran is an amazing writer and this is a killer series.
btmarino84's review against another edition
I adore the strange style these books are written in, where dreams are as important clues as forensics.
Probably the best part of this was a long, bizarre riff on Nancy Drew that turns those books into a punky, twisted parable meditating on identity and need. The ending clearly sets up that Claire's story is not done and I am always eager for more.
Probably the best part of this was a long, bizarre riff on Nancy Drew that turns those books into a punky, twisted parable meditating on identity and need. The ending clearly sets up that Claire's story is not done and I am always eager for more.
stacialithub's review against another edition
3.0
This is book #3 in the Claire DeWitt mystery series, though this is the first time I had heard of it.
Totally enjoyed it. It's kind-of a mix of an homage to fictional female teen detectives (Nancy Drew, Scooby Doo; for this particular novel, it's a fictional comic book series) & the reality of life that things are not rosy, life is hard & usually a disappointment, most people don't care, etc. (classic noir styling, imo). And here you have Claire DeWitt, inspired by the fictional detectives when she was young, becoming a private detective in real life. A PI in a hard, dark world. Cynical & jaded, yet she's always focused on the mystery itself. It's modern noir with just the barest hint of nostalgia seeping in. Recommended.
(If you like neat, tidy endings with clear answers, this book may not be for you.)
Totally enjoyed it. It's kind-of a mix of an homage to fictional female teen detectives (Nancy Drew, Scooby Doo; for this particular novel, it's a fictional comic book series) & the reality of life that things are not rosy, life is hard & usually a disappointment, most people don't care, etc. (classic noir styling, imo). And here you have Claire DeWitt, inspired by the fictional detectives when she was young, becoming a private detective in real life. A PI in a hard, dark world. Cynical & jaded, yet she's always focused on the mystery itself. It's modern noir with just the barest hint of nostalgia seeping in. Recommended.
(If you like neat, tidy endings with clear answers, this book may not be for you.)
especialist2022's review against another edition
1.0
I quit after 135 as it was a rambling mess of a story. Poor plot.
frasersimons's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I am always tickled by the tone and dry, witty humour in these books. Also, what answers we end up being given in the meta context are poignant and feel more interesting than the typical formula being applied. The mystery being the central figure, and who they think they are, combatting the notion of personal truth and selfhood, thereby revealing surrounding mysteries—just fantastic stuff. More flashbacks to the past too, which isn’t my absolute favourite aspect, but works better than more inserts of these almost duel narratives.
It cannot be read before the others, nor, if you weren’t sold on other instalments, will there be something “else” here for you. It is a good ending; an accomplishment in itself.
It cannot be read before the others, nor, if you weren’t sold on other instalments, will there be something “else” here for you. It is a good ending; an accomplishment in itself.
triflesandvanities's review against another edition
3.0
My most anticipated release of last year because I love the first two books so much. Unfortunately this book fell really flat for me. The intermingling narratives complicated the story and made it grueling to get through. It would have been worth it for a more impactful ending but in the end the narratives lead to a conclusion summarized in two sentences. Definitely not worth it.
Left this book feeling like I read a bunch of filler setting up the next in the series. Hope that the next book is faster paced and focuses on what made the first two books in the series so special.
Left this book feeling like I read a bunch of filler setting up the next in the series. Hope that the next book is faster paced and focuses on what made the first two books in the series so special.