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A review by greeneggsandsam
In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
"There was something strangely naked about it, like we were on a stage set, playing our parts to an audience of eyes out there in the wood."
⭐⭐⭐
In a Dark, Dark Wood is a thriller/suspense novel. We follow Leanora (Nora), who is invited by a childhood friend, Clare, to her hen night in celebration of her upcoming wedding. Leanora doesn't know why Clare would invite her, since they haven't spoken in years, but she decides to go anyway. What should have been a celebration turns into a disaster their second night there.
I can generally read books with unlikable characters, but some of the characters and how they behaved really irritated me, especially since they're all in their mid to late 20s. Nora, our main character, is honestly the worst. I got very annoyed reading about some of the decisions she made, especially during the climax at the tail end of the book. I understand the author had to make you suspicious of everyone, but that's not an excuse to make them that immature, and I guessed the twist pretty early on (and I don't read many thrillers, and I'm awful at guessing twists for every genre).
The first almost half of the book drug by. I had to start another book just to make it through this one. The latter half definitely picked up, and I enjoyed the tension, which is why I'm giving this book a 3 star rating. I feel it's pretty mediocre and nothing too exciting, but it was written well and I liked the mentions of Nora being a writer. Some of the ways she thinks because of being a writer was very interesting to me.
⭐⭐⭐
⭐⭐⭐
In a Dark, Dark Wood is a thriller/suspense novel. We follow Leanora (Nora), who is invited by a childhood friend, Clare, to her hen night in celebration of her upcoming wedding. Leanora doesn't know why Clare would invite her, since they haven't spoken in years, but she decides to go anyway. What should have been a celebration turns into a disaster their second night there.
I can generally read books with unlikable characters, but some of the characters and how they behaved really irritated me, especially since they're all in their mid to late 20s. Nora, our main character, is honestly the worst. I got very annoyed reading about some of the decisions she made, especially during the climax at the tail end of the book. I understand the author had to make you suspicious of everyone, but that's not an excuse to make them that immature, and I guessed the twist pretty early on (and I don't read many thrillers, and I'm awful at guessing twists for every genre).
The first almost half of the book drug by. I had to start another book just to make it through this one. The latter half definitely picked up, and I enjoyed the tension, which is why I'm giving this book a 3 star rating. I feel it's pretty mediocre and nothing too exciting, but it was written well and I liked the mentions of Nora being a writer. Some of the ways she thinks because of being a writer was very interesting to me.
⭐⭐⭐