A review by notlikethebeer
The King is Dead by Benjamin Dean

adventurous mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

I've had this on my bookshelf for a while - having read (and really enjoyed) How to Die Famous, I decided it was high time I picked it up! Unfortunately, I don't think it was as good as HtDF. I found it a bit tiresome to get through, things seemed to happen very slowly, and I almost gave up on it quite a few times. Whilst I appreciated the parallels the book drew to the actual British Royal Family, at times it felt a bit too 'on the nose' - eg, Queen Catherine! I think it maybe went a little too heavy on the satire element, at the risk of undermining it. As well, a lot of the plot was quite unrealistic; definitely not the parts about racism/prejudice, but the parts about the Royal Family themselves, and particularly that ending?!
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