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A review by patricia_epub
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
2 stars! I could throw in an extra 0.5 because I did not see it coming, who the murder victim was, but the ending did not tie up itself as neatly as I would have liked.
I felt like the plot was pretty standard and the characters, despite each having their respective turns in narrating the events, all felt like caricatures and trope-y. All the nasty reveals felt thrown in to stir the pot further, but honestly, they all felt too convoluted to be enjoyable.
At first I had this strong "The Secret History" vibe about the groom and his friends, only there is zero intellectual pretense and 200% testosterone instead. I thought what they were alluding to was so evil to have spooked the bride's male bestfriend but honestly, it's nothing surprising for men.
The kill was so anticlimactic—didn't see it coming, but not in a good "Oh!" way. It was too much of a reach, in the end, and just so convenient. And the fact that so many people had the motivation to do it but it's this character who got the jump on murder was one giant mess.
It's an okay book to read during a storm, though.
I felt like the plot was pretty standard and the characters, despite each having their respective turns in narrating the events, all felt like caricatures and trope-y. All the nasty reveals felt thrown in to stir the pot further, but honestly, they all felt too convoluted to be enjoyable.
At first I had this strong "The Secret History" vibe about the groom and his friends, only there is zero intellectual pretense and 200% testosterone instead. I thought what they were alluding to was so evil to have spooked the bride's male bestfriend but honestly, it's nothing surprising for men.
The kill was so anticlimactic—didn't see it coming, but not in a good "Oh!" way. It was too much of a reach, in the end, and just so convenient. And the fact that so many people had the motivation to do it but it's this character who got the jump on murder was one giant mess.
It's an okay book to read during a storm, though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm and Infidelity
Moderate: Bullying, Drug use, Drug abuse, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Alcoholism