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A review by the_midnight_librarian
Girl, 11 by Amy Suiter Clarke
3.0
Ultimately enjoyed this book.
I enjoyed the diversity in the characters, the creep factor of TCK, how we got his history. the interchangeable POV's from Elle's point of view to her podcast was definitely fun, particularly as she interviewed people for particular cases. It felt very reminiscent of The Night Swim meets Michelle Maclamara's I'll Be Gone in the Dark.
However, I would have liked to know more about Elle's relationships with some of the other characters. All of them just felt like plot devices to move the plot forward as opposed to being able to stand on their own. There was a strain on each of Elle's relationships with these characters but the fact I didn't have a clear understanding on where they were to begin with, didn't have me feel too invested on if these relationships crumbled or not. I would have enjoyed more detail of their lives, more detail on Elle's relationship and connection with them.
The Red Herring seemed a bit too obvious and forced. Elle called him a "tool" twice...one because he displayed a peace sign in a facebook photo....so? why? What's her reasoning behind him being a tool aside from taking a cheesy photo?
I started disconnecting with Elle when the book started to make it seem like she was an unreliable narrator. I worried this book was going to have a mental illness as a plot twist trope, and I wasn't here for it. It wasn't the case, but the fact that the book steered that way was unsettling.
Some of the connections felt choppy towards the end and the end as a whole felt rushed.
Like I said though, ultimately enjoyed the book, and will look for more books by this author in the future.
Full Review: https://youtu.be/RC9J3je_qPo
I enjoyed the diversity in the characters, the creep factor of TCK, how we got his history. the interchangeable POV's from Elle's point of view to her podcast was definitely fun, particularly as she interviewed people for particular cases. It felt very reminiscent of The Night Swim meets Michelle Maclamara's I'll Be Gone in the Dark.
However, I would have liked to know more about Elle's relationships with some of the other characters. All of them just felt like plot devices to move the plot forward as opposed to being able to stand on their own. There was a strain on each of Elle's relationships with these characters but the fact I didn't have a clear understanding on where they were to begin with, didn't have me feel too invested on if these relationships crumbled or not. I would have enjoyed more detail of their lives, more detail on Elle's relationship and connection with them.
The Red Herring seemed a bit too obvious and forced. Elle called him a "tool" twice...one because he displayed a peace sign in a facebook photo....so? why? What's her reasoning behind him being a tool aside from taking a cheesy photo?
I started disconnecting with Elle when the book started to make it seem like she was an unreliable narrator. I worried this book was going to have a mental illness as a plot twist trope, and I wasn't here for it. It wasn't the case, but the fact that the book steered that way was unsettling.
Some of the connections felt choppy towards the end and the end as a whole felt rushed.
Like I said though, ultimately enjoyed the book, and will look for more books by this author in the future.
Full Review: https://youtu.be/RC9J3je_qPo