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rebcamuse's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
All that said, it doesn't help that the protagonist (and the vast majority of the characters) is just not that likeable. Toby is "always lucky" we are told, and he and his buddies, Sean and Declan, are hyper-masculine clichés, steeped in bro culture that is magnified in a seemingly endless scene at a pub between the three of them. Likewise, Toby's two closest cousins, Leon and Susannah, also don't have much going for them as characters. As read by Nugent, Leon is a whiny prat with a huge chip on his shoulder. In the case of this character, there is much in his backstory that makes him more sympathetic, but we don't get to any of that until much later in the book. The only two characters who seem to have any redeeming qualities are Uncle Hugo and Melissa (although I found Nugent's voicing of her to be absolutely cloying in places--California valley girl meets Irish damsel in distress).
As far as pacing goes, I feel that I must take responsibility for the fact that I was hoping for a more traditional mystery, and I was distracted in the first hour or so of listening because I kept trying to figure out a) why no one had died yet and b) who it was going to be. Well, someone does die, but it is actually a minor plot point by the time we start to understand that this book is an attempt to investigate the darkness of the human soul. There are a LOT of very lengthy trips down memory lane -- between the guys, between the cousins--not all of them necessary, lingering on boyish pranks and other foolish behavior. And LOTS of time sitting around getting drunk and wasted. I did end up appreciating what first seems to be Toby's luck coming to an end, as it was a well-crafted diversion (but not quite a diversion).
If you are looking for a more traditional whodunnit, this is not that. French's writing is descriptive and charged, enough for me to stick with it when I started to tire of everyone whining. Uncle Hugo's freelance work is interesting, and occasionally French peppers in some interesting historical tidbits and the like. A small point, but I was a bit surprised to hear Uncle Hugo quote Virgil as an example of the ancient *Greeks* believing that the witch elm stood at the gates of Hell. Splitting hairs, perhaps, but it was implied that Virgil was Greek.
I tried to evaluate it on its own merits rather than expectations I should not have had of the book. If you are a fan of French's mysteries, just understand that this is a very different creature. If you enjoy slow plots, psychological study, and an occasional plot twist, this might very well be a great book for you!
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, and Sexual violence
lay_kone's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Murder, Sexual harassment, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Cancer, Death, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, and Forced institutionalization
stjohnswarts's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Murder, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, and Stalking
Moderate: Drug abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Bullying, Death, and Self harm
krissymcgeehan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Cancer, Suicide attempt, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Death, Suicide, and Sexual assault
allynat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Bullying, Death, Suicide attempt, and Terminal illness
Minor: Self harm, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
wizcarlyfuh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Death, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Murder
seadeepy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Blood, Ableism, Murder, Death, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Medical trauma, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Hate crime, Cancer, and Bullying
Moderate: Sexual assault, Stalking, Grief, Gaslighting, Drug use, and Classism
Minor: Self harm, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
corncake's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Drug use, Medical content, Cancer, Cursing, Grief, Alcohol, and Blood
Minor: Self harm, Vomit, Misogyny, and Homophobia
cfell's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Murder, Suicide attempt, Ableism, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Cancer, Dementia, Medical trauma, Sexual harassment, Classism, Death, Grief, Forced institutionalization, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Stalking
Minor: Self harm
surefinewhatever_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Let me start with the one redeeming quality of this book, Tana French can write a damn house! Just like the home in The Likeness, I could picture the Ivy House perfectly! It was cozy (until it wasn’t) and atmospheric and just so vibrantly written.
But that skill is not enough to save this book. Not only is every single character (except Hugo, whom I felt affection for and wanted to see more of) unlikeable, but our protagonist is the *most* unlikeable of the bunch. Seriously. Irredeemably so. I guessed the killer prior to the reveal, but that’s not saying a whole lot as this book is SLOW. And lastly, though frankly most importantly, this book is ableist and fatphobic as FUCK. Like, jarringly so. I felt like I was constantly being pulled out of the story because I was taken aback by the ableist comments. Bad bad bad.
Graphic: Ableism, Alcohol, Death, Terminal illness, Violence, Grief, Medical content, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Medical trauma, Cancer, Forced institutionalization, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Drug use, Murder, and Sexism
Moderate: Fatphobia