A review by thenovelmaura
Impostor Syndrome by Kathy Wang

funny mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This book started off so strong for me and then it started to drag. As someone who works in tech, I love stories that delve into and mock the culture of Silicon Valley. So I didn't mind the exposition and how Wang set up Julia and Alice's lives at Tangerine. However, it eventually became a slog to read through Julia's selfish musings on the treatment of women in the C-suite and Alice's lackluster attempts to investigate what Julia was up to. 

I also didn't really understand Alice's sympathy for and defensiveness of Julia towards the end
(just because she found out Julia's husband was cheating on her, she decided Julia was a strong, noble person?)
; same for Julia's interest in Alice
(during her questioning)
. The "closeness" hinted at in the book description seemed artificial and unnecessary. Things also wrapped up very quickly at the end, which left me feeling like all that buildup was for nothing. Honestly, Leo was my favorite character, and that's saying something because I was so ready to root for these complicated women! Just another example of a thriller that probably shouldn't have been marketed as such.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings