A review by onthesamepage
The Favorites by Layne Fargo

tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Every time I picked this up before bedtime, I knew it was a bad decision, but much like Kat and Heath, I couldn't help making them. This was compulsively readable, and so addictive. The pacing never dragged for me, which is surprising because I think it would've been very easy to fall into a repetitive cycle. Kat and Heath's relationship does fall into an up and down pattern, but it's never boring, and I truly relished every single moment of it.

The descriptions of ice dance as a competitive sport were fantastic as well. The book didn't fall into the pitfall of making things sound too detailed or too technical. Whether the details the author included are true isn't something I can judge, but it all felt believable to me.

At the heart of this is a foursome of truly messed up characters, with a supporting cast that's also messed up. Pretty much every relationship in the book is toxic in some way. But there are also real emotional moments, and the continuous struggle between friendship and rivalry, love and hate, kept me at the edge of my seat.

I've never read anything by the author before, but the last 25% of the book went off the rails in a way that I really loved, but that also felt reminiscent of the pacing of a thriller, which makes me excited to try her other works.
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