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A review by bethbat
A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne
1.0
This is possibly one of the dumbest books I've ever read. The book has some serious elements to it but it's completely overshadowed by the ridiculous plot progression. The only reason that the plot ever moves forward is because everyone in this book was an idiot:
1. Erich admits he effectively killed 5 people to Maurice, after reasonably keeping it a secret his whole life, because he's pretty (Am I supposed to think that's believable?)
2. Edith doesn't tell anyone ANY details about her book (not even her publisher. Again, how am I supposed to believe that?) so that Maurice can steal it and no one else is the wiser.
I thought after part 2 the book couldn't get any worse and then the ending happened:
Maurice is exposed as a plagiarizer and murderer. Obviously no one likes him.
Maurice goes to prison, steals someone else's book, says "don't worry guys it's mine this time" and the book is widely acclaimed?! It's already ridiculous that Maurice just happens to meet so many good writers to begin with, but the concept that anyone would publish it and/or read it after he was literally put in prison for life is probably the least plausible ending I've read in any book, ever.
1. Erich admits he effectively killed 5 people to Maurice, after reasonably keeping it a secret his whole life, because he's pretty (Am I supposed to think that's believable?)
2. Edith doesn't tell anyone ANY details about her book (not even her publisher. Again, how am I supposed to believe that?) so that Maurice can steal it and no one else is the wiser.
I thought after part 2 the book couldn't get any worse and then the ending happened:
Maurice is exposed as a plagiarizer and murderer. Obviously no one likes him.
Maurice goes to prison, steals someone else's book, says "don't worry guys it's mine this time" and the book is widely acclaimed?! It's already ridiculous that Maurice just happens to meet so many good writers to begin with, but the concept that anyone would publish it and/or read it after he was literally put in prison for life is probably the least plausible ending I've read in any book, ever.