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A review by outsmartyourshelf
The Fifth Guest by Jenny Knight
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Five former flatmates from Oxford university receive an invitation to an old classmate's memorial. Henry Bellinger died in their last year at university & his family are unveiling a memorial to him & his late father, Sir Charles. One of the group, Caro, invites George, Lily, & Travis to stay at her home the night before, not knowing that the fifth friend, Elle, will be gate-crashing. During the meal old secrets & rivalries are gradually revealed including infidelity & drugs, but did one of them actually commit murder?
The five main characters are Caro (former girlfriend of Henry, now married to a rich husband who she doesn't love), George (Henry's friend & main competitor for a spot on the Oxford rowing team, ex-boyfriend of Elle), Elle (a late arrival to the flat, Elle was a bit of a nonconformist but fell for George), Travis (stoner & secret boyfriend to Lily, he is now a self-help guru who rejected family money for freedom), & finally Lily (quiet, unassuming, a bit of a nerd really but fell in love with Travis. Now a successful author.) These five shared a house during their years at Oxford with Henry - rich, entitled, general misogynist.
It was a little slow to start & I didn't really like any of the characters to start with, but that changed as the story developed. Elle came across as rather hard & brash but by the end of the book, the reader understands why, but the only really decent character seems to be Lily. I wasn't sure whether or not to DNF during the first 30% but I'm glad I stuck with it as the story suddenly took off & I couldn't put it down. There seems to have been a lot of reunion based books recently, but this is definitely one of the better ones that I have read. I ended up really enjoying it.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, HQ, for the opportunity to read an ARC. I am voluntarily giving an honest review.
The five main characters are Caro (former girlfriend of Henry, now married to a rich husband who she doesn't love), George (Henry's friend & main competitor for a spot on the Oxford rowing team, ex-boyfriend of Elle), Elle (a late arrival to the flat, Elle was a bit of a nonconformist but fell for George), Travis (stoner & secret boyfriend to Lily, he is now a self-help guru who rejected family money for freedom), & finally Lily (quiet, unassuming, a bit of a nerd really but fell in love with Travis. Now a successful author.) These five shared a house during their years at Oxford with Henry - rich, entitled, general misogynist.
It was a little slow to start & I didn't really like any of the characters to start with, but that changed as the story developed. Elle came across as rather hard & brash but by the end of the book, the reader understands why, but the only really decent character seems to be Lily. I wasn't sure whether or not to DNF during the first 30% but I'm glad I stuck with it as the story suddenly took off & I couldn't put it down. There seems to have been a lot of reunion based books recently, but this is definitely one of the better ones that I have read. I ended up really enjoying it.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, HQ, for the opportunity to read an ARC. I am voluntarily giving an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Misogyny, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Infidelity, Drug use, and Alcohol