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A review by ermagerd_berks
End of Story by Louise Beech, Louise Swanson
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I enjoy my airport thrillers as much as the next gal, but this was disappointing.
1. I wish publishers would stop using hyperbolic phrases like, "The Most Original Thriller You'll Read this Year with a Twist You Won't See Coming!!1!" It usually isn't, and it always spoils the book from the beginning. Primed for a "twist," I easily guessed it less than ⅓ of the way in.
2. The near-future-dystopia worldbuilding was incomplete, and the subject of the main action was too much of a stretch to be believable. It was hard to buy the fiction ban, even with the clarifying "twist."
2a. Speaking of near-future dystopias, I was intrigued by the premise of a terrible world where all fiction was outlawed. How did it happen? Why? ... and all that fun stuff. I mean, I didn't expect a philosophical treatise on truth vs fiction, but maybe a fun little "What if?" to enjoy. And no. The book takes a sharp turn (or "twist," eh?) and reveals that no, we're actually in the present and it's just a normal old everyday present. Darn.
3. When can we move beyond using childlessness or loss of a child as the main motivator for female protagonists? We are not all fragile little incubators. Most of us are even strong enough to experience profound grief without losing our minds, even for the loss of a child. There are much more interesting ways to write women's trauma.
4. ALSO, the gimmick of ending chapters with an unfinished thought was irritating. I get it, but I just didn't enj-
Overall it was a fast read that didn't satisfactorily justify its premise and used a tired cliche as a plot device for the climax.
1. I wish publishers would stop using hyperbolic phrases like, "The Most Original Thriller You'll Read this Year with a Twist You Won't See Coming!!1!" It usually isn't, and it always spoils the book from the beginning. Primed for a "twist," I easily guessed it less than ⅓ of the way in.
2. The near-future-dystopia worldbuilding was incomplete, and the subject of the main action was too much of a stretch to be believable. It was hard to buy the fiction ban, even with the clarifying "twist."
2a. Speaking of near-future dystopias, I was intrigued by the premise of a terrible world where all fiction was outlawed. How did it happen? Why? ... and all that fun stuff. I mean, I didn't expect a philosophical treatise on truth vs fiction, but maybe a fun little "What if?" to enjoy. And no. The book takes a sharp turn (or "twist," eh?) and reveals that no, we're actually in the present and it's just a normal old everyday present. Darn.
3. When can we move beyond using childlessness or loss of a child as the main motivator for female protagonists? We are not all fragile little incubators. Most of us are even strong enough to experience profound grief without losing our minds, even for the loss of a child. There are much more interesting ways to write women's trauma.
4. ALSO, the gimmick of ending chapters with an unfinished thought was irritating. I get it, but I just didn't enj-
Overall it was a fast read that didn't satisfactorily justify its premise and used a tired cliche as a plot device for the climax.