Scan barcode
A review by deeclancy
The Other Half Lives by Sophie Hannah
4.0
I enjoyed this book, and was definitely hooked after a couple of chapters, but it didn't flow as well for me as some other books I've read by the same author. At times, I found the drip-feed of information about the characters' back-stories was a little bit confusing. Although I know this is part and parcel of the genre not to give everything away at once, a couple of times there were whole pages of dialogue or descriptions I couldn't make sense of because the characters were referring to past events that weren't yet revealed. Having said this, apart from these instances, the book carried me along and I wanted to see what became of the characters and find out the truth.
What stands out for me about this novel is the insights about the workings of the art world and the media. In particular, I have noticed in this and other books, when providing accounts of media coverage of her characters, the author is both very funny and spot on. In this book, the profile of five young, up-and-coming artists in The Times was definitely laughter-inducing for me, and quite typical of each art form.
It's difficult to discuss the characters' profiles without revealing the plot, but if you're a fan of this genre or of this author, this is definitely a really good book to curl up with in the evening. It's insightful about the nature of predators and how they sometimes hide behind seemingly virtuous activities (in this case, curiously, Quakerism), and there are some thought-provoking insights on the long-term effects of crimes on their victims through some of the characters.
What stands out for me about this novel is the insights about the workings of the art world and the media. In particular, I have noticed in this and other books, when providing accounts of media coverage of her characters, the author is both very funny and spot on. In this book, the profile of five young, up-and-coming artists in The Times was definitely laughter-inducing for me, and quite typical of each art form.
It's difficult to discuss the characters' profiles without revealing the plot, but if you're a fan of this genre or of this author, this is definitely a really good book to curl up with in the evening. It's insightful about the nature of predators and how they sometimes hide behind seemingly virtuous activities (in this case, curiously, Quakerism), and there are some thought-provoking insights on the long-term effects of crimes on their victims through some of the characters.