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A review by stephen1308
The Lie by C.L. Taylor
2.0
This was a book that sadly did not live up to my expectations. On the surface, it has many of the features I would associate with a good thriller, but aside from the concept and some occasional moments of tension, various aspects are lacking in effectiveness.
The concept was indeed interesting and fairly original. It explores the theme of female friendships relatively well, and creates tension with the help of a menacing setting, and a potentially unreliable narrator. The problem was, it was never gripping.
The story alternates between the present day, and the events of five years earlier. Of the two, the latter is more strongly developed and accounts for most of the darker and more unsettling areas of the plot. By comparison, the present day storyline felt half-baked and ever so slightly contrived.
I found it frustrating that there were moments within the present day that actually revealed possible plot twists for later on in the book. They felt like spoilers, and removed any sense of intrigue for at least part of what was going to happen at the end. Even then, there were some important questions left unanswered.
One of my biggest issues was that I struggled to seriously warm to any of the characters. Jane/Emma is an average protagonist, but at times she is terribly naive. This is the kind of book where you need to connect with some of the characters in order to like it, and that just did not happen for me here.
The ending was disappointing, too. As well as the unanswered questions, it all felt very rushed, with little or no explanation for what had happened during the five-year period between the two storylines. Like a lot of the book, it just lacked substance.
Overall, I would say that this a book that promised a lot but did not deliver. There are moments that I liked, such as the detail and description of the Ekanta Yatra setting, but to me the plot just felt all over the place, resulting in a dissatisfying conclusion. Just not my cup of tea, I'm afraid.
The concept was indeed interesting and fairly original. It explores the theme of female friendships relatively well, and creates tension with the help of a menacing setting, and a potentially unreliable narrator. The problem was, it was never gripping.
The story alternates between the present day, and the events of five years earlier. Of the two, the latter is more strongly developed and accounts for most of the darker and more unsettling areas of the plot. By comparison, the present day storyline felt half-baked and ever so slightly contrived.
I found it frustrating that there were moments within the present day that actually revealed possible plot twists for later on in the book. They felt like spoilers, and removed any sense of intrigue for at least part of what was going to happen at the end. Even then, there were some important questions left unanswered.
One of my biggest issues was that I struggled to seriously warm to any of the characters. Jane/Emma is an average protagonist, but at times she is terribly naive. This is the kind of book where you need to connect with some of the characters in order to like it, and that just did not happen for me here.
The ending was disappointing, too. As well as the unanswered questions, it all felt very rushed, with little or no explanation for what had happened during the five-year period between the two storylines. Like a lot of the book, it just lacked substance.
Overall, I would say that this a book that promised a lot but did not deliver. There are moments that I liked, such as the detail and description of the Ekanta Yatra setting, but to me the plot just felt all over the place, resulting in a dissatisfying conclusion. Just not my cup of tea, I'm afraid.