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rindulgent's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- 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
3.5
I want to start off by saying that I'm one of those people who's annoying to watch thrillers with because I alway seem to guess the big twist before the end.
That wasn't the case while reading this book, and I was pleasantly surprised. That said, Harlan Coben has said that Maya is the first female MC he's created and that she might be his favorite so far, and I just hope he fleshes out the next one a bit more. I didn't dislike her, but I didn't particularly like any of the characters in the book. They seemed without depth.
The dead husband was the star of the show from start to finish and it seemed Maya was reduced to the military wife with PTSD. I guess we got other glimpses, like the fact that she didn't feel very maternal and also resented her husband's family for their money and their nannies and their perceived disingenuity. But all in all, the things that make Maya Maya were never super interesting to me, I wasn't invested because I didn't really care about her. She has PTSD and clearly she did something wrong at some point, because she keeps thinking about her "downfall" and her failures. But I never really cared enough to feel curious about that, and when it was revealed what happened to cause her "downfall" it was kind of predictable.
Coben made the story of Joe the main focus and that's all that I cared about throughout the book. Maybe that was intentional, but it almost seems like a shame considering Maya is the main character he loves so much.
It was a quick read and I enjoyed it for the most part. I was impressed that the twist surprised me and it kept me company during a long drive. I think I might stick to Coben's screen adaptations from now on, though.
That wasn't the case while reading this book, and I was pleasantly surprised. That said, Harlan Coben has said that Maya is the first female MC he's created and that she might be his favorite so far, and I just hope he fleshes out the next one a bit more. I didn't dislike her, but I didn't particularly like any of the characters in the book. They seemed without depth.
The dead husband was the star of the show from start to finish and it seemed Maya was reduced to the military wife with PTSD. I guess we got other glimpses, like the fact that she didn't feel very maternal and also resented her husband's family for their money and their nannies and their perceived disingenuity. But all in all, the things that make Maya Maya were never super interesting to me, I wasn't invested because I didn't really care about her. She has PTSD and clearly she did something wrong at some point, because she keeps thinking about her "downfall" and her failures. But I never really cared enough to feel curious about that, and when it was revealed what happened to cause her "downfall" it was kind of predictable.
Coben made the story of Joe the main focus and that's all that I cared about throughout the book. Maybe that was intentional, but it almost seems like a shame considering Maya is the main character he loves so much.
It was a quick read and I enjoyed it for the most part. I was impressed that the twist surprised me and it kept me company during a long drive. I think I might stick to Coben's screen adaptations from now on, though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, War, and Murder
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