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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
4.0 out of 5 stars
I’m not entirely sure what I just read but I know I liked it
I’m not entirely sure what I just read but I know I liked it
Molly Southbourne has to be careful. Any drop of blood has to be quickly taken care of, or it'll turn into another Molly - intent on murder. Yes, since she was a little girl, Molly has been killing herself over and over and over. But with strict care and attention, and the help of her parents, Molly has made it to adulthood still living and breathing.
But that doesn't mean she's safe. In fact, as she grows older things only become more dangerous.
Sooo this one wasn't a big hit for me. It should have been. Everything about the premise promised it would be. But something about Thompson's style just didn't click for me. Instead of being strange and mysterious, it was just plain hard to follow.
Molly bleeds and her blood becomes another Molly. Not a baby Molly, but another Molly exactly the same age and appearance as the Molly that bleeds. And yes, the doppelgängers appear from any Molly's blood, hence the care and attention it takes not only in getting rid of Molly's blood but in getting rid of other Mollys.
The story begins with Molly chained up, visited by at least one other Molly who narrates the story. And of course, without context the reader is immediately asking, which Molly is which?
The bigger questions, for me, are why do the Mollys all want to kill and why does Molly have this strange ability in the first place? (Because I have control issues and apparently can't always follow a story where it leads my - just going with the flow!)
Molly's backstory is never quite revealed to my satisfaction. It's more a read between the lines story than anything. Yes, there's some detail given about her mother and about what led to Molly's problem, but I wanted more. (See, control issues.)
I've gotten better over the years with less explanation in stories. As a teen, I'd have had a much stronger reaction to the pieces of the story that are left out. As an adult, I accept it as an interesting read, but admit I still crave more answers in order to be thoroughly satisfied.
The Murders of Molly Southbourne is being adapted as a movie and I'll be interested to see how it turns out. I'd also be interested in reading more should Thompson revisit this story in some way down the line, so clearly I didn't dislike it. I just want loose ends tied up. Control.
But that doesn't mean she's safe. In fact, as she grows older things only become more dangerous.
Sooo this one wasn't a big hit for me. It should have been. Everything about the premise promised it would be. But something about Thompson's style just didn't click for me. Instead of being strange and mysterious, it was just plain hard to follow.
Molly bleeds and her blood becomes another Molly. Not a baby Molly, but another Molly exactly the same age and appearance as the Molly that bleeds. And yes, the doppelgängers appear from any Molly's blood, hence the care and attention it takes not only in getting rid of Molly's blood but in getting rid of other Mollys.
The story begins with Molly chained up, visited by at least one other Molly who narrates the story. And of course, without context the reader is immediately asking, which Molly is which?
The bigger questions, for me, are why do the Mollys all want to kill and why does Molly have this strange ability in the first place? (Because I have control issues and apparently can't always follow a story where it leads my - just going with the flow!)
Molly's backstory is never quite revealed to my satisfaction. It's more a read between the lines story than anything. Yes, there's some detail given about her mother and about what led to Molly's problem, but I wanted more. (See, control issues.)
I've gotten better over the years with less explanation in stories. As a teen, I'd have had a much stronger reaction to the pieces of the story that are left out. As an adult, I accept it as an interesting read, but admit I still crave more answers in order to be thoroughly satisfied.
The Murders of Molly Southbourne is being adapted as a movie and I'll be interested to see how it turns out. I'd also be interested in reading more should Thompson revisit this story in some way down the line, so clearly I didn't dislike it. I just want loose ends tied up. Control.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Reread 2023 :
Obligée de passer de 4 à 5 stars, cette relecture passe encore mieux que lors de la découverte de cette série.
Le scénari est tellement original, la lecture fluide, les recherches derrière le concept tellement conséquentes, et le tout dans une novella de 120 pages.. magnifique.
Tade Thompson est un auteur qui sort de l'ordinaire et des sentiers battus de la SF et de l'horreur, and I'm here for it.
Read 2021 :
J'ai beaucoup apprécié ce court roman, qui sort de l'ordinaire.
La plume de l'auteur est également très bien traduite, et Molly est un personnage complexe, qui s'impose fortement.
Le style est détaché, mais on apprend à comprendre et apprécier Molly.
J'aurais apprécié un roman plus long et plus développé, ce qui est toujours le cas quand on apprécie une histoire qui nous semble trop courte.
J'ai tout de suite commandé le deuxième livre et me réjouit de savoir qu'il y a une suite.
Obligée de passer de 4 à 5 stars, cette relecture passe encore mieux que lors de la découverte de cette série.
Le scénari est tellement original, la lecture fluide, les recherches derrière le concept tellement conséquentes, et le tout dans une novella de 120 pages.. magnifique.
Tade Thompson est un auteur qui sort de l'ordinaire et des sentiers battus de la SF et de l'horreur, and I'm here for it.
Read 2021 :
J'ai beaucoup apprécié ce court roman, qui sort de l'ordinaire.
La plume de l'auteur est également très bien traduite, et Molly est un personnage complexe, qui s'impose fortement.
Le style est détaché, mais on apprend à comprendre et apprécier Molly.
J'aurais apprécié un roman plus long et plus développé, ce qui est toujours le cas quand on apprécie une histoire qui nous semble trop courte.
J'ai tout de suite commandé le deuxième livre et me réjouit de savoir qu'il y a une suite.
Edit: changing my rating from a 4 to a 5, because we are a couple of weeks later and I can’t stop thinking about and recommending this book.
—————————
This was unexpectedly great. It was also weird and bloody and pretty horrific. Novellas are tricky for me, I don’t always get sucked in enough because they are so short, but this was the perfect length for this story. I liked the main character, the tone of the writing, and the premise, and will definitely continue the series.
—————————
This was unexpectedly great. It was also weird and bloody and pretty horrific. Novellas are tricky for me, I don’t always get sucked in enough because they are so short, but this was the perfect length for this story. I liked the main character, the tone of the writing, and the premise, and will definitely continue the series.
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-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
Wacky premise, but actually very compelling, Molly is a really interesting character and this book is a great dive into her psyche.
"What if I am the wraith, the fetch or the doppelganger? I kill all the mollys I see."
"What if I am the wraith, the fetch or the doppelganger? I kill all the mollys I see."
Dude... A short, intense series of murders. Molly seems pcyopathic, or the writing is distanced to make it seem so. It's set in a future where the fertility rates have dropped signficantly, so there aren't many people. I want to know what happens next!
Gripping, creepy, and bloody strange (pun a little intended but I feel bad about it alright). I love Tade Thompson's writing from having read Rosewater so it's no surprise I was so engrossed by this one really. The concept of having to kill versions of yourself over and over and what that does to a person is so interesting.
Loved the premise but grrr. It needed to be more. Too many gaps, not enough info. This felt like a basic outline draft for a story that is being sold as a complete one. Really disappointed because I really did LOVE the idea of the Molly's.