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mystic_dragon 's review for:
Anatomy of a Scandal
by Sarah Vaughan
Probably 3.5 stars, really engaging book, but admittedly was let down by the promise of this being a legal thriller, which unfortunately lacked any thrills to be honest.
It's over a week later, and I did that thing where I forgot to actually properly review this book but I'm going to rectify that now. Also, the timing of reading this book right before this whole scandal happening at the moment with a minister being caught with his political aide, the coincidence is reaal.
Anyways, my rating has gone down since my initial impressions immediately after finishing this one. I still think it was written in such a way that it was a breeze to get through and it kept you turning the pages as quickly as physically possible. I also did enjoy reading the novel from the different perspectives, and there was a certain character's chapters which were guaranteed to disgust me and anger me into keeping myself invested in what would happen next! Where I felt let down was that there was a certain 'revelation' which was one I could see coming from a few chapters in (and to this day, I'm still trying to work out whether it was actually an intentional choice to make this aspect obvious, or if it was just badly handled). I did initially think it was the Vaughan's intention to slowly reveal and that there were more twists and thrills to come as the legal case continued, but nothing else really happened, so I'm starting to think it might have not been handled too well? I'm keeping my rating at about 3.5 just as a benefit of the doubt thing, but I am slightly skeptical.
Also, I found that on reflection, while this novel was framed as a legal case, it basically covers a case where the aide with whom a minister had an affair with accuses him of rape, it didn't feel much like a legal thriller? The case that Kate, one of the main characters/POVs in this novel, and the prosecution lawyer for Olivia, the political aide in question, makes is just very emotive because of her own past, and it just didn't feel like it was particularly realistic for a barrister who's been in the job for about 20 years, especially if she actually wanted to win the case as much as she claimed to. I don't know, it just felt a bit off?
I think one of the more interesting perspective chapters where from Sophie, the wife of the man being accused of rape, and I think Vaughan did a great job of showing us how much of her identity was lost in her relationship and marriage to this man, but that might have come at the detriment of us feeling much for her because she was (and I am trying not to be so savage with the description but...) just so lacking in a personality/identity throughout? And I think it was a missed opportunity to not include Olivia herself in the chapter POVs but I was otherwise happy with the character insights we had outside of those instances.
Again, v rambly review which I'm sure future me is going to hate me for. Regardless of the issues I found with this one, I did think it was a great way to pass a couple of days and it kept me hooked throughout which has been a massive problem for me over the last few months. Might have to pick up stuff within thrillers to keep my reading momentum going? 3.5 final rating.
It's over a week later, and I did that thing where I forgot to actually properly review this book but I'm going to rectify that now. Also, the timing of reading this book right before this whole scandal happening at the moment with a minister being caught with his political aide, the coincidence is reaal.
Anyways, my rating has gone down since my initial impressions immediately after finishing this one. I still think it was written in such a way that it was a breeze to get through and it kept you turning the pages as quickly as physically possible. I also did enjoy reading the novel from the different perspectives, and there was a certain character's chapters which were guaranteed to disgust me and anger me into keeping myself invested in what would happen next! Where I felt let down was that there was a certain 'revelation' which was one I could see coming from a few chapters in (and to this day, I'm still trying to work out whether it was actually an intentional choice to make this aspect obvious, or if it was just badly handled). I did initially think it was the Vaughan's intention to slowly reveal
Spoiler
that Kate and Holly were the same personAlso, I found that on reflection, while this novel was framed as a legal case, it basically covers a case where the aide with whom a minister had an affair with accuses him of rape, it didn't feel much like a legal thriller? The case that Kate, one of the main characters/POVs in this novel, and the prosecution lawyer for Olivia, the political aide in question, makes is just very emotive because of her own past, and it just didn't feel like it was particularly realistic for a barrister who's been in the job for about 20 years, especially if she actually wanted to win the case as much as she claimed to. I don't know, it just felt a bit off?
I think one of the more interesting perspective chapters where from Sophie, the wife of the man being accused of rape, and I think Vaughan did a great job of showing us how much of her identity was lost in her relationship and marriage to this man, but that might have come at the detriment of us feeling much for her because she was (and I am trying not to be so savage with the description but...) just so lacking in a personality/identity throughout? And I think it was a missed opportunity to not include Olivia herself in the chapter POVs but I was otherwise happy with the character insights we had outside of those instances.
Again, v rambly review which I'm sure future me is going to hate me for. Regardless of the issues I found with this one, I did think it was a great way to pass a couple of days and it kept me hooked throughout which has been a massive problem for me over the last few months. Might have to pick up stuff within thrillers to keep my reading momentum going? 3.5 final rating.