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wozleigh 's review for:
Catherine House
by Elisabeth Thomas
This book does a great job at capturing the experience of college and the philosophizing new adults do at that age. It felt like reading a college student’s diary. The relationships, how it feels to be starting your life, to feel all your own potential, but also the stress, and life’s minutae. I liked the idea of Catherine House— like if Hotel California was a college?? It was atmospheric and kinda creepy in a sleepy way. It has an interesting setting and premise. If you like atmospheric, internal stories, you will love this! Almost a little reminiscent of Francesca Lia Block?
I picked it up because it is on the shortlist for an Edgar. That may have colored my expectations and lead to my ultimate disappointment. Which is not fair to the book or the author, I know.
Ines was so passive. She didn’t investigate at all till the last hour (i read on audio— the reader did a great job!). that could be because it’s her personality, or state of mental health.
There were glimmers of potentially great characters but I feel like we didn’t get to know any of them well. Part of the gimmick of Catherine House is that they’re not supposed to talk about their prior lives. And in college many decide to reinvent themselves, or forget about home life if it was bad. But that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t sometimes think about it, or break that rule (from Yaya we know they did— not surprising that she’s one of the more compelling characters— but Ines just goes along and doesn’t really question... which is why i was surprised when the author described her in an interview as rebellious— drinking and screwing around in college and skipping classes doesn’t necessarily make you rebellious).
I really just didn’t care about Ines as much as i wanted to.
I liked YaYa, and worried about Baby. I knew something was up with Theo (but even that wasn’t fully explored or taken to the extent I thought it would but i guess that would have been too Stepford Wife-ish, even though that’s what it was). the mysteries were kinda obvious without ever really being explained or resolved.
the whole thing left me feeling meh. I found it boring, to be honest. There was more telling than showing.
I picked it up because it is on the shortlist for an Edgar. That may have colored my expectations and lead to my ultimate disappointment. Which is not fair to the book or the author, I know.
Ines was so passive. She didn’t investigate at all till the last hour (i read on audio— the reader did a great job!). that could be because it’s her personality, or state of mental health.
There were glimmers of potentially great characters but I feel like we didn’t get to know any of them well. Part of the gimmick of Catherine House is that they’re not supposed to talk about their prior lives. And in college many decide to reinvent themselves, or forget about home life if it was bad. But that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t sometimes think about it, or break that rule (from Yaya we know they did— not surprising that she’s one of the more compelling characters— but Ines just goes along and doesn’t really question... which is why i was surprised when the author described her in an interview as rebellious— drinking and screwing around in college and skipping classes doesn’t necessarily make you rebellious).
I really just didn’t care about Ines as much as i wanted to.
I liked YaYa, and worried about Baby. I knew something was up with Theo (but even that wasn’t fully explored or taken to the extent I thought it would but i guess that would have been too Stepford Wife-ish, even though that’s what it was). the mysteries were kinda obvious without ever really being explained or resolved.
the whole thing left me feeling meh. I found it boring, to be honest. There was more telling than showing.