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mbrennhofer 's review for:
End of Story
by A.J. Finn
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is a hundred pages too long, I don’t know where I’d cut, but it needs editing. There were so many times I’d go “how much is left??” For something that a fairly straightforward mystery and not that complex a family drama. The red herrings and side characters weren’t interesting enough to generate the complexity that could have demanded extra page counts - Ian, Freddy, Simone, etc.
The “twist” in the mystery was fine if not somewhat predictable. The issue is that hiding the twist, especially Sebastian knowing about the twist all along, makes both Nicky and Sebastian seem much more naive and stupid than they really are. It’s a disservice to your characters to have to write them in a lesser way to hide the mystery. Madeline was the only character that felt full and defined because she had really complexity and issues. I enjoyed her arc immensely.
The “twist” in the mystery was fine if not somewhat predictable. The issue is that hiding the twist, especially Sebastian knowing about the twist all along, makes both Nicky and Sebastian seem much more naive and stupid than they really are. It’s a disservice to your characters to have to write them in a lesser way to hide the mystery. Madeline was the only character that felt full and defined because she had really complexity and issues. I enjoyed her arc immensely.