A review by whatithinkaboutthisbook
Clickbait by Holly Baxter

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

ClickBait by Holly Baxter 

 

Is it possible to like a book if you dislike the main character? That is the struggle with this review.  I feel like I must have liked the book because I finished it.  It’s almost like that guilty pleasure that you don’t want to admit to.  Like watching a train wreck or any of the Housewives of somewhere.  

 

Natasha has blown up her life.  She was a journalist, married and had just moved to London.  Now she is back living in NYC, separated and demoted to creating headlines for clickbait stories for her newspaper.  It is impossible to feel sorry for her as her downfall was of her own creation and completely inappropriate, although I don’t agree with the predatory commentary.  

 

A narcissistic personality disorder is defined as a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, sense of superiority in fantasy or behaviour, need for admiration and lack of empathy.  That is Natasha in a nutshell.  The book evolves around her very active fantasy world in which she is the saviour, dying, or the object of love; regardless the theme is the same - she is admired and beloved by all, everyone admits how she has been wronged etc. etc.  The other characters in the novel are simply created to show off her complete self absorption and lack of empathy or even interest in anyone else.  There is no resolution and Natasha doesn’t gain insight. 

 

If you have an interest in the inner thoughts of a narcissist or you love train wrecks then you may enjoy this book.