alexgates 's review for:

They Never Learn by Layne Fargo

4.0

dark sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

---

I found myself continuously surprised by how much I was enjoying this book. I wasn’t expecting much more than it being a revenge-fantasy popcorn book, but I think it depicted a difficult subject with tact and skill, and managed to catch me off guard with a plot point that I genuinely hadn’t seen coming at all.  

The concept isn’t subtle and that’s made clear from the very first chapter, but the story thrives in representing many of the unfortunately familiar feelings that many women have been faced with. She represents the range of emotions and reactions that surround assault, and the various ways, explicit and subtle, that men abuse their privilege and power; without the story feeling exploitive toward even these fictional women. 

One chapter in the ending in particular felt a bit too simplistic and full of conveniences, but at that point, it didn’t take away too much from my overall experience reading the book. Likely because it’s the type of thing I initially expected the book to give me before it surprised me by giving a lot more.