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A review by squids_can_read
Trust Issues: A Novel by Greg Wands, Elizabeth McCullough Keenan
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
3.25/5 stars.
Thank you Penguin Random House for the ARC.
Hazel and Kagan have just lost their mother to a tragic accident, except maybe it wasn’t an accident. Their mother, Janice, was pushed to her death at a church that she regularly visited. Now Perry, their step-father, has run off with the money that they believe is owed to them and they are determined to take it back.
The plot of this book was really interesting, focusing on a lifetime con man and the one con that may ruin his life. I also really enjoyed how the authors played with providing information to the reader. However, there were subplots that I thought subtracted from my overall enjoyment of the book. One of these subplots is a romance that almost completely overshadows the actual plot. It really annoyed me, especially because it pitted the siblings against each other, distracting them from their plot for revenge. The ending of the book was really satisfying however and it definitely increased my enjoyment of the book overall.
The characters in this book are the reason that I rated this book the way that I did. I only really like one of the five main characters within this book. This was a character that wasn’t even introduced until the second part of the book. The reason that the characters make it so difficult to enjoy the book is because it is told in the third person limited where we follow a specific character in each chapter, hearing their inner thoughts. Being in the heads of characters that were just overall unlikeable was really hard. For some context(These aren’t spoilers): Perry hates technology and any person didn’t come by money honestly, which is really annoying because he’s literally a con man. Hazel is obsessed with her online personality and money going so far as to cut off her mother when she stops giving Hazel money. Kagan is just obsessed with doing drugs and drinking and stealing women from his sister.
Overall, the plot really shined in this novel but I didn’t really care about any of the characters.
Thank you Penguin Random House for the ARC.
Hazel and Kagan have just lost their mother to a tragic accident, except maybe it wasn’t an accident. Their mother, Janice, was pushed to her death at a church that she regularly visited. Now Perry, their step-father, has run off with the money that they believe is owed to them and they are determined to take it back.
The plot of this book was really interesting, focusing on a lifetime con man and the one con that may ruin his life. I also really enjoyed how the authors played with providing information to the reader. However, there were subplots that I thought subtracted from my overall enjoyment of the book. One of these subplots is a romance that almost completely overshadows the actual plot. It really annoyed me, especially because it pitted the siblings against each other, distracting them from their plot for revenge. The ending of the book was really satisfying however and it definitely increased my enjoyment of the book overall.
The characters in this book are the reason that I rated this book the way that I did. I only really like one of the five main characters within this book. This was a character that wasn’t even introduced until the second part of the book. The reason that the characters make it so difficult to enjoy the book is because it is told in the third person limited where we follow a specific character in each chapter, hearing their inner thoughts. Being in the heads of characters that were just overall unlikeable was really hard. For some context(These aren’t spoilers): Perry hates technology and any person didn’t come by money honestly, which is really annoying because he’s literally a con man. Hazel is obsessed with her online personality and money going so far as to cut off her mother when she stops giving Hazel money. Kagan is just obsessed with doing drugs and drinking and stealing women from his sister.
Overall, the plot really shined in this novel but I didn’t really care about any of the characters.
Content Warnings
Minor: Homophobia