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A review by caszriel
Reputation by Sarah Vaughan
4.0
Initial thoughts: Okay the only thing going through my mind right now is that the year is 2022 and we're less than a month away from Anatomy of a Scandal being a TV show on Netflix, something which I am extremely excited for. I will share actual thoughts about this book soon, but extremely brief thoughts are that I loved the complexity of the characters though at times I struggled to connect with the book because of its psychological thriller element, which seems to be a theme with the genre.
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~ I received a copy from HarperCollins NZ and willingly reviewed it~
Unfortunately, I think I'm still waiting for the day when psychological thrillers live up to their concepts. Like many others of this genre I've read, I love the premise of Reputation, but not so much the execution. That's not at all saying it was bad, in fact far from it; more that I wonder how much more I would've enjoyed it if I had connected with the characters more.
I was so expected for Reputation to tackle British politics from the perpsective of a female MP; the idea seemed promising and who better to write it than Sarah Vaughan given the brilliance of Anatomy of a Scandal? The government aspect of the novel was as excellent as I expected. The power dynamics, being a woman in a male-dominated world, the role of media in the life of a public figure, were all executed with the level of political astuteness I'd come to expect. Details were not spared in the depiction fo Emma's online hate, a sickening but realistic view of the world for those in positions like her.
What fell short for me in Reputation was the cast. I struggled to care for their plights and that didn't change as I read more. Maybe I felt sorry for Flora in the end, but that was the limit of my emotional investment. I think I was hanging on because of hte plot and themes more than anything else, and it meant some of the more character-driven scenes lost their punch.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read but I maybe wouldn't recommend it if you're a character-driven reader. If you're here for the themes then absolutely check it out but either way, the main thing I have to say after reading Reputation is that you should check out Anatomy of a Scandal for sure.
————————————————————
~ I received a copy from HarperCollins NZ and willingly reviewed it~
Unfortunately, I think I'm still waiting for the day when psychological thrillers live up to their concepts. Like many others of this genre I've read, I love the premise of Reputation, but not so much the execution. That's not at all saying it was bad, in fact far from it; more that I wonder how much more I would've enjoyed it if I had connected with the characters more.
I was so expected for Reputation to tackle British politics from the perpsective of a female MP; the idea seemed promising and who better to write it than Sarah Vaughan given the brilliance of Anatomy of a Scandal? The government aspect of the novel was as excellent as I expected. The power dynamics, being a woman in a male-dominated world, the role of media in the life of a public figure, were all executed with the level of political astuteness I'd come to expect. Details were not spared in the depiction fo Emma's online hate, a sickening but realistic view of the world for those in positions like her.
What fell short for me in Reputation was the cast. I struggled to care for their plights and that didn't change as I read more. Maybe I felt sorry for Flora in the end, but that was the limit of my emotional investment. I think I was hanging on because of hte plot and themes more than anything else, and it meant some of the more character-driven scenes lost their punch.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read but I maybe wouldn't recommend it if you're a character-driven reader. If you're here for the themes then absolutely check it out but either way, the main thing I have to say after reading Reputation is that you should check out Anatomy of a Scandal for sure.