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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
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.
I just didnt feel like reading more about a murder at the moment, maybe ill pick it up again at a later date.
I felt like the storyline had so much potential but it was a drag in the middle. It contained two main mysteries were really only one was solved and the other was hinted at a possible solution but the book sparked my interest at the beginning and picked up at the end but the middle contained a lot of fluff.
The book was fine. It wasn’t my favorite but also not the worst I’ve read. I did recommend it to my husband to read and would recommend it to others.
The first thing I didn’t like was feeling I needed a dictionary to get through the first chapter. Some of the words used were superfluous (see what I did there). Thankfully it didn’t continue through the rest of the story.
Spoilers Begin Here:
Yes, Ryan is a jerk and not like-able. That didn’t bother me much. Once he slept with his partner and started treating her like crap I was over it. I couldn’t wait to get to the end. It made him so unlikeable I didn’t even want to finish the story at times.
What happens to Jamie & Peter!?! This is my biggest pet peeve. I could have handled it if the answer was given to us in another book but, after reading the synopsis of the rest of the series, it doesn’t seem likely that we’ll ever know.
Rosalind - She was a good antagonist. I started to suspect she wasn’t exactly what she seemed but I didn’t expect as much as she did.
The first thing I didn’t like was feeling I needed a dictionary to get through the first chapter. Some of the words used were superfluous (see what I did there). Thankfully it didn’t continue through the rest of the story.
Spoilers Begin Here:
Yes, Ryan is a jerk and not like-able. That didn’t bother me much. Once he slept with his partner and started treating her like crap I was over it. I couldn’t wait to get to the end. It made him so unlikeable I didn’t even want to finish the story at times.
What happens to Jamie & Peter!?! This is my biggest pet peeve. I could have handled it if the answer was given to us in another book but, after reading the synopsis of the rest of the series, it doesn’t seem likely that we’ll ever know.
Rosalind - She was a good antagonist. I started to suspect she wasn’t exactly what she seemed but I didn’t expect as much as she did.
No happy endings here.
This was dark, depressing, twisted, and brilliantly written. If you're looking for a fast paced murder/thriller that wraps up neatly in under 400 pages, then [b:In the Woods|2459785|In the Woods (Dublin Murder Squad, #1)|Tana French|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1562761513l/2459785._SY75_.jpg|3088141] is not the book for you. But if you do decide to read this, prepare to scream internally for most of the time.
This was dark, depressing, twisted, and brilliantly written. If you're looking for a fast paced murder/thriller that wraps up neatly in under 400 pages, then [b:In the Woods|2459785|In the Woods (Dublin Murder Squad, #1)|Tana French|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1562761513l/2459785._SY75_.jpg|3088141] is not the book for you. But if you do decide to read this, prepare to scream internally for most of the time.
challenging
slow-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:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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
3 1/2 really. I enjoyed her writing and character development, which extends itself to The Wood - a central figure in the story, and was thoroughly riveted by the plot... but the American pop- cultural references (Roswell? Really? Do the Irish sit around and discuss the American southwest's fascination with extra - terrestrials), as well as the foiling of the main character toward the end of the book detracted from the story for me. As I finished the novel and realized (spoiler alert) one of its mysteries would not be resolved, I told myself I didn't like the main character enough to stick with the series until the big reveal - "I'd much rather read more about Maddox". Sure enough, French's 2nd novel in the series , The Likeness, is told from Cassie's perspective. I'm hooked!
Exceptionally dense and wordy but so, so good. Loved the ending. Can’t wait to read more by Tana French.
Maybe 3.5-(Despite the fact that I pegged the killer from the beginning)
I was ultimately disappointed with this book, although I thought it had a lot of potential in the first half. The character's drew me in, but then fell short. The plot was intriguing, yet suddenly fell flat.
I think I just expected more...
I was ultimately disappointed with this book, although I thought it had a lot of potential in the first half. The character's drew me in, but then fell short. The plot was intriguing, yet suddenly fell flat.
I think I just expected more...