joredford 's review for:

A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham

2.5

mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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 Let’s start with the good: the plot. It was a fresh and intriguing concept- that alone earned it 2 stars. But unfortunately, the execution didn’t quite land for me. It was very hard to get through. 

 

The twist? Very predictable. I guessed who did it by chapter 2, and it was basically confirmed halfway through. I missed the thrill and tension I was hoping for. 

 

Then there’s Chloe, the main character. She frustrated me endlessly. Her constant poor decisions, paranoia, and heavy reliance on alcohol and meds (despite being a psychologist and denying an obvious addiction) didn’t feel believable or consistent. Her behavior often contradicted her profession, and there was very little character growth. While I get her paranoia is central to the plot, I found it grating. She seemed to be SO paranoid but also not? She mentions needing to act a certain way in specific situations, but then doesn’t. Going back to her being a psychologist, she should’ve been a detective since she did more of that than actual psychology- tough she would be awful at being a detective due to constantly maki my obvious mistakes and jumping the gun on theories without actual evidence. 

 

The story had a lot of potential- it just needed sharper execution and a more grounded protagonist.