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A review by rosemaryandrue
The Last Word by Taylor Adams
dark
emotional
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
After Emma leaves a negative review on a self-published book, she discovers that some authors take such things very, very personally.
I picked up this book because it amused me that someone would take the unfortunately true tales of authors coming after readers who've left negative reviews on their books (generally online, but at least in one case physicallyhttps://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-34775814 ) and write a thriller based on it.
This is a quick, fast-paced read, and I enjoyed the various twists and turns as 'H.G. Kane's' motives and Emma's backstory became clearer. The writing is very visual - at points I could imagine scenes like in a movie, down to the lighting choices the director would make. Laika the golden retriever is adorable (and mercifully survives). I liked how the author played with how we perceive stereotypes and turns them on their head when you least expect it, and the semi-comic tone that emerged at times.
However, I did think that the pacing was irritatingly slow, sometimes killing the taut feeling of suspense when the story could least afford it. The last third of the book, especially, was not as gripping due to the plethora of twists that were thrown our way one after another. I might have liked the book better if it were shorter.
I picked up this book because it amused me that someone would take the unfortunately true tales of authors coming after readers who've left negative reviews on their books (generally online, but at least in one case physically
This is a quick, fast-paced read, and I enjoyed the various twists and turns as 'H.G. Kane's' motives and Emma's backstory became clearer. The writing is very visual - at points I could imagine scenes like in a movie, down to the lighting choices the director would make. Laika the golden retriever is adorable (and mercifully survives). I liked how the author played with how we perceive stereotypes and turns them on their head when you least expect it, and the semi-comic tone that emerged at times.
However, I did think that the pacing was irritatingly slow, sometimes killing the taut feeling of suspense when the story could least afford it. The last third of the book, especially, was not as gripping due to the plethora of twists that were thrown our way one after another. I might have liked the book better if it were shorter.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Stalking