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A review by annoyedhumanoid
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
(adjusted from 3.25 to 2.75)
disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes really is the main character, no i will not elaborate
Ben must be a Greek god or something because whydoes every character want to fuck him . this man is constantly described as unbelievably charming, emphasis on the "unbelievably"—where was the "show, don't tell"? if he was that brainwashingly charismatic, shouldn't i as a reader also fall for his charm? but he was just like, there, which at least makes me admire Jess for going to all this trouble just for him.
speaking of Jess, sometimes she was irritating too when she's supposed to be our protagonist—like when she walks into a riot because "it sounded like a street party 😊" and just stands there as people run away from the approaching tear gas. come on now.
it's prob because i'm queer & we gotta look out for each other & i crave positive representation, but i wishNick was a better person and had a better ending.
characters aside, the plot had some unexpected twists and was generally interesting, but i was mostly unimpressed. it had such a promising, atmospheric concept: murder in Paris, ooh la la, and all the apartment tenants are suspects; i think i heard it described as a locked room mystery, though i may be confusing it with another book. and then it just, wasn't and my hopes were let down.
cover design review: ★★★★☆. i like the background image, the symmetry, the colors for the most part (i think the background could be less green and more blue), and all the text, but other than that it's kind of bland.
disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes really is the main character, no i will not elaborate
Ben must be a Greek god or something because why
speaking of Jess, sometimes she was irritating too when she's supposed to be our protagonist—like when she walks into a riot because "it sounded like a street party 😊" and just stands there as people run away from the approaching tear gas. come on now.
it's prob because i'm queer & we gotta look out for each other & i crave positive representation, but i wish
characters aside, the plot had some unexpected twists and was generally interesting, but i was mostly unimpressed. it had such a promising, atmospheric concept: murder in Paris, ooh la la, and all the apartment tenants are suspects; i think i heard it described as a locked room mystery, though i may be confusing it with another book. and then it just, wasn't and my hopes were let down.
cover design review: ★★★★☆. i like the background image, the symmetry, the colors for the most part (i think the background could be less green and more blue), and all the text, but other than that it's kind of bland.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Drug use, Alcohol, Sexual violence, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Sexual harassment, Trafficking, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Grief, Classism, Cursing, Homophobia, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Police brutality, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, and Physical abuse
Minor: Self harm, Vomit, Gore, Abortion, Confinement, and Infertility