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A review by carolinerosereads
Clickbait by Holly Baxter
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Thanks to NetGalley, Holly Baxter, and Harper Perennial for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This was a letdown for me. Having received this ARC with a fair bit of anticipation, I found the story’s promise quickly deflated as I delved into the narrative. The book tracks the downward spiral of Natasha Bailey, a journalist whose career implodes following a significant ethical lapse. This mistake not only costs her a coveted reporting position in London but also earns her a demotion where she’s reduced to churning out mindless clickbait - not to mention her husband leaving her. Her personal life mirrors this downward spiral, wasting her savings on a shitty apartment in Queens and isolating herself further from her friends and family.
The introduction of Zach, Natasha's fuckboy ex boyfriend who moves into her apartment, fails to inject much-needed complexity into the story. Natasha's relentless negativity and her failure to navigate her relationships or career aspirations make her an impossible character to root for.
Natasha's major misstep, which serves as the crux of the plot, feels both overblown and frustratingly avoidable, casting a shadow over the entire book. Her interactions with others are completely unlikable and totally lack warmth and authenticity.
The book's ability to keep me engaged was not a testament to its quality but rather to a morbid curiosity about how the narrative would resolve its many conflicts. However, any moments that might have offered depth or insight were completely brushed over. Natasha is horrible to everyone, learning nothing and changing nothing, always the victim.
Baxter's attempt to craft a narrative around redemption and growth falls short, hampered by a lead character whose path to self-discovery is both unconvincing and unfulfilling. The story, aiming to be compelling, instead serves as an example of missed opportunities, rendering it a difficult and ultimately unsatisfying read.
This was a letdown for me. Having received this ARC with a fair bit of anticipation, I found the story’s promise quickly deflated as I delved into the narrative. The book tracks the downward spiral of Natasha Bailey, a journalist whose career implodes following a significant ethical lapse. This mistake not only costs her a coveted reporting position in London but also earns her a demotion where she’s reduced to churning out mindless clickbait - not to mention her husband leaving her. Her personal life mirrors this downward spiral, wasting her savings on a shitty apartment in Queens and isolating herself further from her friends and family.
The introduction of Zach, Natasha's fuckboy ex boyfriend who moves into her apartment, fails to inject much-needed complexity into the story. Natasha's relentless negativity and her failure to navigate her relationships or career aspirations make her an impossible character to root for.
Natasha's major misstep, which serves as the crux of the plot, feels both overblown and frustratingly avoidable, casting a shadow over the entire book. Her interactions with others are completely unlikable and totally lack warmth and authenticity.
The book's ability to keep me engaged was not a testament to its quality but rather to a morbid curiosity about how the narrative would resolve its many conflicts. However, any moments that might have offered depth or insight were completely brushed over. Natasha is horrible to everyone, learning nothing and changing nothing, always the victim.
Baxter's attempt to craft a narrative around redemption and growth falls short, hampered by a lead character whose path to self-discovery is both unconvincing and unfulfilling. The story, aiming to be compelling, instead serves as an example of missed opportunities, rendering it a difficult and ultimately unsatisfying read.