A review by janeycanuck
Nick by Michael Farris Smith

challenging dark sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I struggled to make the connection between the Nick in this prequel and the Nick in The Great Gatsby. It's only in the last 2 or 3 pages did it seem to be the same character and the evolution in those 3 pages isn't enough for me to feel like this is actually a prequel to The Great Gatsby and not just taking advantage of an already known character. I could have probably made the leap from Nick in Part 1 but Nick in Part 2 & 3 was such a secondary part of the story that any development that could have happened to create the Nick from Gatsby was overshadowed at best.

Had this been featuring some other guy named Nick, I'd have very different feelings. The writing is powerful and blunt, sparing nothing and no one though the shift in story between the war and New Orleans probably still wouldn't have worked for me. 
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