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jsncnrd 's review for:
The Death I Gave Him
by Em X. Liu
Thank you to Netgalley for an eARC of The Death I Gave Him in exchange for an honest review!
For a good deal of this book, I was torn between giving 3 or 4 stars. I've settled on a 3-star rating. The book was good -- slightly above average -- but will not be memorable for me. It was a great futuristic take on Hamlet ... the end. In the absence of the Hamlet tribute, the whole story felt merely like a standard mystery set in the 2040's. With the exception of the neuromapping and the technology that was being developed at Elsinore, it felt like there could've been some more concrete world building to solidify the setting and distinguish the book from other futuristic thrillers.
The pros? The writing was exquisite. Lyrical, often clinically and scientifically poetic. Liu is a talented author in terms of prose. It was third-person writing done well, and that has to be commended! Also, the structure and formats of the ways in which the story was told were ambitious -- and those ambitions paid off, because it framed the plot so well.
The cons? The characters, the "surprises," and being able to determine the plot twists far ahead of them occurring.
In true Shakespearean fashion, the characters were all unlikeable and infuriating -- which can often be to the benefit of a story by giving the reader conflicting emotions. In this case, I found that it was a disservice in the end. I will say that the relationship between Hayden and Horatio was fascinating, especially when that relationship became romantic in nature. It was one of the more thought-provoking aspects of the novel.
However, Felicia was absolutely maddening. By 60% in, I simply could not stand her.
The continuous roundabouts of whiplash, betrayal and "plot twists" started to become stale a bit over halfway through the story. I started to expect them, to the point where they left no impact anymore when they happened. The book felt like it could've been maybe 50 pages shorter and still left the same impression. Therefore, I was somewhat just ready for the book to end.
Overall, this book was an ambitious attempt at Hamlet in a futuristic, sci-fi setting. Some of it worked, some of it didn't. The book was a bit out of the realm of what I normally choose to read, but was an overall enjoyable experience.
Hits shelves in September 2023!
For a good deal of this book, I was torn between giving 3 or 4 stars. I've settled on a 3-star rating. The book was good -- slightly above average -- but will not be memorable for me. It was a great futuristic take on Hamlet ... the end. In the absence of the Hamlet tribute, the whole story felt merely like a standard mystery set in the 2040's. With the exception of the neuromapping and the technology that was being developed at Elsinore, it felt like there could've been some more concrete world building to solidify the setting and distinguish the book from other futuristic thrillers.
The pros? The writing was exquisite. Lyrical, often clinically and scientifically poetic. Liu is a talented author in terms of prose. It was third-person writing done well, and that has to be commended! Also, the structure and formats of the ways in which the story was told were ambitious -- and those ambitions paid off, because it framed the plot so well.
The cons? The characters, the "surprises," and being able to determine the plot twists far ahead of them occurring.
In true Shakespearean fashion, the characters were all unlikeable and infuriating -- which can often be to the benefit of a story by giving the reader conflicting emotions. In this case, I found that it was a disservice in the end. I will say that the relationship between Hayden and Horatio was fascinating, especially when that relationship became romantic in nature. It was one of the more thought-provoking aspects of the novel.
However, Felicia was absolutely maddening. By 60% in, I simply could not stand her.
The continuous roundabouts of whiplash, betrayal and "plot twists" started to become stale a bit over halfway through the story. I started to expect them, to the point where they left no impact anymore when they happened. The book felt like it could've been maybe 50 pages shorter and still left the same impression. Therefore, I was somewhat just ready for the book to end.
Overall, this book was an ambitious attempt at Hamlet in a futuristic, sci-fi setting. Some of it worked, some of it didn't. The book was a bit out of the realm of what I normally choose to read, but was an overall enjoyable experience.
Hits shelves in September 2023!