A review by explikator
The Pursuit of William Abbey by Claire North

adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

 Wow, did this one grab me! For the first hundred pages I thought I'm reading a new masterpiece. The language, the pacing, the mystery of it were breathtaking. Then things slowed down after that. 
Newly introduced characters stayed rather blank and the ending was a dissapointment. "William Abbey" started with a deep message about death, identity and race and ended with outworn topics like revenge and murder. There was endless potential in Claire North's primary idea, but it was spent rather conventionally.
It reminds me of "Flatliners", that horror movie of the eighties. Cool locations, brilliant casting, fresh ideas - but ends like a dark Disney musical.

Thus said: I loved the first chapters so much! This is writing of today! Claire North has got talent and her very own voice. I really liked "Sudden Appearance of Hope", too and I will certainly check out every new book she'll write!

One personal thing:

The love between Margot and William was one of the center topics. Yet, when he indirectly kills her, all the emotional response we get are some words in capitals. Yes, she turned into a monster, and it's explained why, but I didn't feel any desperation. Neither from Margot, nor from William.