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A review by cepbreed
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
If there is one thing I’ve learned from reading mystery books it’s that rich people are always evil.
The start of The Guest List was very slow for my liking. I had no connection to the characters so I was only motivated by my need to complete every book I start. I'm very glad I powered through because the last quarter of the story was a reward in and of itself. I wouldn't say the ending was incredibly show-stopping, but the details given about the past leading up to the final scene had me taking breaks to process everything. It is rare that an author can write a story full of unlikeable characters and still keep their audience engaged but I think Lucy Foley did just that. There is not one character that I felt disproportionate sympathy for and still I was invested in every characters narrative. Humans are innately flawed and Foley brings this out incredibly well. The characters may not be admirable but they certainly are human.
Though I enjoyed this thoroughly I have to disagree with The New York Times book review that initially enticed me, this is not comparable to Agatha Christie.
Song:
The start of The Guest List was very slow for my liking. I had no connection to the characters so I was only motivated by my need to complete every book I start. I'm very glad I powered through because the last quarter of the story was a reward in and of itself. I wouldn't say the ending was incredibly show-stopping, but the details given about the past leading up to the final scene had me taking breaks to process everything. It is rare that an author can write a story full of unlikeable characters and still keep their audience engaged but I think Lucy Foley did just that. There is not one character that I felt disproportionate sympathy for and still I was invested in every characters narrative. Humans are innately flawed and Foley brings this out incredibly well. The characters may not be admirable but they certainly are human.
Though I enjoyed this thoroughly I have to disagree with The New York Times book review that initially enticed me, this is not comparable to Agatha Christie.
Song:
- Perfect Storm - Inhaler
(it's only fitting that I associate the book with an Irish band)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Mental illness, Death, Murder, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Abortion, Alcohol, Bullying, Child death, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Cursing, Grief, Sexual harassment, Infidelity, Pregnancy, and Sexual content
Minor: Blood