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nkcrabtree 's review for:
As Long as We Both Shall Live
by JoAnn Chaney
1.5 stars
This was just... Yikes. Where to even begin?
The "twist" was so simple it was essentially revealed on page 38 purely because of the structure of the storytelling during that section of the novel (and what was up with those bizarre section titles? No relevance whatsoever) and it was completely boring when the "reveal" was finally laid out.
The plot was fine for a moment. And then there's just this unfathomable shift in narrative from plot to a downright deplorable character who is an open misogynist that belittles every other damn character, from intentionally calling them by different derogatory terms or names to using the weirdest brand of toilet garbage language I've ever heard. It was forced, despicable, and any effort to make me care even one tiny bit about fucking LOREN failed miserably.
I also LOATHED the "development" of Marie. It's lazy writing to automatically brand her as an evil character because she's the scorned wife and maybe experiences some postpartum depression. It's a stereotype and it's weak. Perhaps instead of focusing on a horrible cop character who brings nothing to the story, maybe should have done a deeper dive on Marie, who's only granted about 25 pages of character development TOTAL. I ended the book feeling like I never got to know one of the most important characters. Neither female character, Marie nor Spengler, is developed at all past a stereotype of their gender or job, and that's so sad.
The fact that neither Matt nor Marie dies at the end is frankly nonsensical, and unfortunately even the hasty ending could not have been over fast enough. The author has a tic, too, of phrasing her thoughts as questions, ie "it was how she'd grown up, wasn't it?" And "she'd always been left out of everything, hadn't she?" I DON'T KNOW??? I'm the reader! You tell me!
TL;DR: Ugh.
This was just... Yikes. Where to even begin?
The "twist" was so simple it was essentially revealed on page 38 purely because of the structure of the storytelling during that section of the novel (and what was up with those bizarre section titles? No relevance whatsoever) and it was completely boring when the "reveal" was finally laid out.
The plot was fine for a moment. And then there's just this unfathomable shift in narrative from plot to a downright deplorable character who is an open misogynist that belittles every other damn character, from intentionally calling them by different derogatory terms or names to using the weirdest brand of toilet garbage language I've ever heard. It was forced, despicable, and any effort to make me care even one tiny bit about fucking LOREN failed miserably.
I also LOATHED the "development" of Marie. It's lazy writing to automatically brand her as an evil character because she's the scorned wife and maybe experiences some postpartum depression. It's a stereotype and it's weak. Perhaps instead of focusing on a horrible cop character who brings nothing to the story, maybe should have done a deeper dive on Marie, who's only granted about 25 pages of character development TOTAL. I ended the book feeling like I never got to know one of the most important characters. Neither female character, Marie nor Spengler, is developed at all past a stereotype of their gender or job, and that's so sad.
The fact that neither Matt nor Marie dies at the end is frankly nonsensical, and unfortunately even the hasty ending could not have been over fast enough. The author has a tic, too, of phrasing her thoughts as questions, ie "it was how she'd grown up, wasn't it?" And "she'd always been left out of everything, hadn't she?" I DON'T KNOW??? I'm the reader! You tell me!
TL;DR: Ugh.