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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Enjoyed the book. Looking forward to others in the series.
book 3 of my tana french binge: honestly all of tana french's male protagonists are annoying and this one is no exception, but the ending really saved it. the scene between cassie and rosalind was so tense. the choice to place adam's perspective on the outside of the actual interrogation added to the powerlessness I felt when reading it. I wished we had gotten' cassie's perspective in a lot of scenes, but this one made a lot of sense, not only in adding to the tension but also acting as a rupture in adam's entire worldview, his unreliable narrative.
(spoilers for the secret place) I honestly preferred adam's unlikeability as a protagonist compared to stephen's complete lack of personality (the secret place). it was very obvious that adam was meant to be unlikeable. the mystical theme in this one also did not bother me like it did in the secret place, mainly because it was left ambiguous.
unlike other reviews for this book, I thought the unresolved ending only made it more unsettling (in a good way). even adam's lack of satisfying conclusion, both in not having a happy ending nor ever knowing what happened in his childhood, felt right for the story. after reading some of french's other books, the theme of the manipulation of reality and unreliability of memory are central to her series—so it makes sense that not everything would be resolved.
(spoilers for the secret place) I honestly preferred adam's unlikeability as a protagonist compared to stephen's complete lack of personality (the secret place). it was very obvious that adam was meant to be unlikeable. the mystical theme in this one also did not bother me like it did in the secret place, mainly because it was left ambiguous.
unlike other reviews for this book, I thought the unresolved ending only made it more unsettling (in a good way). even adam's lack of satisfying conclusion, both in not having a happy ending nor ever knowing what happened in his childhood, felt right for the story. after reading some of french's other books, the theme of the manipulation of reality and unreliability of memory are central to her series—so it makes sense that not everything would be resolved.
In the Woods is a very unique novel, and an excellent debut by Irish author, Tana French. I was completely enthralled by the story, the writing, and the characters. Classifying this book as a mystery is a bit of misnomer, because while there are a couple mysteries, it is so much more than that. It is also a character study of a deeply disturbed individual.
One of the strongest aspects of this book is the writing. French is able to craft wonderfully atmospheric sentences not often found in the mystery/thriller/crime fiction genre. Her descriptions are simply beautiful, and the dark melancholic tone was effectively conveyed through the prose. The suspense in this novel is not of the in-your-face variety, but rather a subtle feeling that slowly builds as the story progresses.
The characters and their relationships with each other were also beautifully drawn. Rob Ryan is your text book unreliable narrator and he tells the reader so from the very first chapter with this quote: "What I am telling you, before you begin my story, is this—two things: I crave truth. And I lie." Despite this warning, I found myself falling for his delusions and fabrications. Cassie Maddox, Rob's partner, was also well written. She's a tough, intelligent female character with just the right amount of vulnerability and softness to be believable.
But even more compelling than either of their individual characters, is the relationship between them. Their chemistry is phenomenal. The synchronicity between them, their shared understanding, and the building sexual tension were extremely well done. In addition to the main characters, I also enjoyed the side characters. They each had their quirks and idiosyncrasies that made them believable, and their relationships with the main duo were also intriguing.
Both the mystery of the murdered twelve year old girl, and the mystery of Rob's past were engaging, although I figured out the answer to one of them pretty early on. Still, this didn't ruin my enjoyment because the other mystery kept me intrigued and because I was invested in the characters.
This would have been a five star read if not for the ending, which was extremely unsatisfying. Although my main grievance with the ending, and the story as a whole, is contained in the spoiler above, I was also disappointed by the lack of resolution for Rob's character. I hope that one of the sequels will provide a satisfying conclusion to both.
Other than the ending, the only other issue that stood out was my skepticism about the police being ignorant of Rob's past. Do police officers in Ireland not have to undergo extensive background checks like they do in the United States? Rob's past identity and involvement in a missing persons case surely would have come up even in a cursory investigation. Perhaps this is one of this differences between the U.S. and Ireland, but it really affected the believability of the story for me.
Just as In the Woods defies genres, it also defies any sort of book rating system. Although I rated this book four stars, I seriously considered rating it one star and could have easily rated it five stars. In fact, I could justify rating it two stars or three as well. It is simultaneously wonderful, tortuous, frustrating, and engrossing. I whole heartedly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mysteries, crime fiction, beautiful writing, and compelling characters, but be prepared to be left dissatisfied at the end.
One of the strongest aspects of this book is the writing. French is able to craft wonderfully atmospheric sentences not often found in the mystery/thriller/crime fiction genre. Her descriptions are simply beautiful, and the dark melancholic tone was effectively conveyed through the prose. The suspense in this novel is not of the in-your-face variety, but rather a subtle feeling that slowly builds as the story progresses.
The characters and their relationships with each other were also beautifully drawn. Rob Ryan is your text book unreliable narrator and he tells the reader so from the very first chapter with this quote: "What I am telling you, before you begin my story, is this—two things: I crave truth. And I lie." Despite this warning, I found myself falling for his delusions and fabrications. Cassie Maddox, Rob's partner, was also well written. She's a tough, intelligent female character with just the right amount of vulnerability and softness to be believable.
But even more compelling than either of their individual characters, is the relationship between them. Their chemistry is phenomenal. The synchronicity between them, their shared understanding, and the building sexual tension were extremely well done.
Spoiler
I found myself mourning the loss of their friendship after their relationship went southBoth the mystery of the murdered twelve year old girl, and the mystery of Rob's past were engaging, although I figured out the answer to one of them pretty early on.
Spoiler
Cassie's dislike for Rosalind and her assessment of her as psychopath aroused my suspicions, but I was sure that she and Damien were the killers after she and Jessica confirmed his story about the guy in the tracksuit.This would have been a five star read if not for the ending, which was extremely unsatisfying.
Spoiler
It was simply cruel of French not to solve the mystery of what happened to Rob and his friends in 1984. Honestly, I wonder if she even knows the answer.Other than the ending, the only other issue that stood out was my skepticism about the police being ignorant of Rob's past. Do police officers in Ireland not have to undergo extensive background checks like they do in the United States? Rob's past identity and involvement in a missing persons case surely would have come up even in a cursory investigation. Perhaps this is one of this differences between the U.S. and Ireland, but it really affected the believability of the story for me.
Just as In the Woods defies genres, it also defies any sort of book rating system. Although I rated this book four stars, I seriously considered rating it one star and could have easily rated it five stars. In fact, I could justify rating it two stars or three as well. It is simultaneously wonderful, tortuous, frustrating, and engrossing. I whole heartedly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mysteries, crime fiction, beautiful writing, and compelling characters, but be prepared to be left dissatisfied at the end.