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3.12 AVERAGE
3.12 AVERAGE
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think I would have enjoyed this more without having read the prologue because I think I would have felt a little more invested in figuring out how it ends.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Tangerine is a powerful book, rife with surprises - not least of which is the fact that it's a debut. Mangan's prose is confident and smooth, lulling the reader into a state of openness as she crafts a Highsmith-like domestic suspense novel with 1950s Tangier as the exotic backdrop. But the novel doesn't feel retro or like a lost classic or pastiche, instead pulsing with a modern sensibility to ride along with the vintage setup. As much a Gothic ode as an amped up tale of domestic suspense, Tangerine works on multiple levels in the way great crime novels do - socioeconomic, personal, cultural. It's a layered and well-paced read, even if the occasional plot hole makes its way through to the end. The characters are compelling and nuanced - most importantly, they're believable and flawed, a natural progression from the work of recent, superstars descendants of Highsmith and Millar, like Gillian Flynn and Paula Hawkins. Tangerine feels both of-the-moment and ever-present, which is more than you could ever hope for from a first novel, or even a tenth. I look forward to more from Mangan and will be thinking about this book for a long time.
Although it lived up to its blurb as being evocative of Patricia Highsmith et al., I found the plot a little too predictable. The narrative timeline jumping and voice switching was skillfully done and the overall feel was spot on, but ultimately, there wasn't just enough story left to make me more than just slightly curious about how everything would resolve. But rather than the Hitchcock I was hoping for, this felt more like a mash-up of Gaslight and Single White Female.
I look forward to the author's next book. (Actual rating 3.5).
I look forward to the author's next book. (Actual rating 3.5).
A fast interesting read that kept my attention, but I was annoyed at the female stereotypes and middle eastern tropes. Feels like it was written decades ago (and not just because of when it takes place)
Not for me. Plots going nowhere and I couldn't really understand the characters.