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sarahmore_books 's review for:
The Boyfriend
by Freida McFadden
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Style (0,75): It fit the story and genre but was nothing spectacular.
Plot (0,75): It was amusing to me that it seemed to start off like a romance or romcom, but it quickly became a thriller as expected. I was thinking the whole time "please don't let it be that guy. It would be too obvious," and then it wasn't. I'm glad there was a twist at the end, as there always should be in thrillers in my opinion, but I wish the author had played with us a little more, such that we would not have even had a confident guess for who was the killer.
Atmosphere/Setting (0.75): It was easy to imagine everything, but it wasn't anything special and did not add something to the experience of reading the novel.
Characters (0,25): The characters were realistic, I suppose, but they did not teach me something about humanity or remind me of some aspect I had forgotten to consider. They were also simply flat characters. I know the character work was not the focus of the story, but I would always appreciate a little more complexity to my characters because that is closer to reality. Furthermore, though the killer was certainly a surprise, I didn't feel that it quite fit. Mild spoiler:It did not fit with their character or likely motivations in my opinion.
Enjoyment (0,5): I'm definitely in the mood for thrillers as the weather is turning colder. I enjoyed this book, but I would have enjoyed it a lot more if I had felt more confused about who I thought the killer was. With a thriller, I want to feel intrigued and frustratingly confused about my suspicions.
Plot (0,75): It was amusing to me that it seemed to start off like a romance or romcom, but it quickly became a thriller as expected. I was thinking the whole time "please don't let it be that guy. It would be too obvious," and then it wasn't. I'm glad there was a twist at the end, as there always should be in thrillers in my opinion, but I wish the author had played with us a little more, such that we would not have even had a confident guess for who was the killer.
Atmosphere/Setting (0.75): It was easy to imagine everything, but it wasn't anything special and did not add something to the experience of reading the novel.
Characters (0,25): The characters were realistic, I suppose, but they did not teach me something about humanity or remind me of some aspect I had forgotten to consider. They were also simply flat characters. I know the character work was not the focus of the story, but I would always appreciate a little more complexity to my characters because that is closer to reality. Furthermore, though the killer was certainly a surprise, I didn't feel that it quite fit. Mild spoiler:
Enjoyment (0,5): I'm definitely in the mood for thrillers as the weather is turning colder. I enjoyed this book, but I would have enjoyed it a lot more if I had felt more confused about who I thought the killer was. With a thriller, I want to feel intrigued and frustratingly confused about my suspicions.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Stalking, Murder
Minor: Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping