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maxgardner 's review for:
Promise Not to Tell
by Jennifer McMahon
This book has a lot of promising elements in it. McMahon does a great job of creating a really interesting premise with the legend of Potato Girl and the murders that mirror each other. I liked that she mixed the supernatural in as well; I really liked the idea of Del sort of haunting the areas around where she was murdered. Also, Kate's mother with Alzheimer's is a great addition because she provides an element of suspense, though I wasn't a huge fan of her being this vessel of sorts. I thought the setting and alternating time periods created some great moments of tension as well. The idea of the backstory was laid out really well, but it definitely could have been further developed and expanded on to strengthen the characters a little more.
Overall, I'd say one of this novel's bigger issues is that it is underdeveloped. None of the characters seem fleshed out enough, though McMahon is almost there with a few of them. But many of the more one-dimensional characters are integral to the plot; they should have been better developed so that the motives and the outcomes make sense and make an impact. Raven is ridiculous, Kate and Nick are kind of annoying (they're love story seems shallow and unbelievable), and the main villain is barely in the story enough for me to care that they're behind the murders. When I finally got to the end, I actually had to push myself to finish because the main twist isn't surprising and plays out super cheesily. I really enjoyed a good portion of this book, but there are almost just as many times where McMahon doesn't quite hit the mark. She could have benefitted from a couple of more drafts and a little more exploration of her characters.
You can see McMahon's potential in her ideas and in many elements of the story, but I honestly wouldn't recommend this book. I would suggest reading something else by Jennifer McMahon because I think some of her later books are much stronger.
Overall, I'd say one of this novel's bigger issues is that it is underdeveloped. None of the characters seem fleshed out enough, though McMahon is almost there with a few of them. But many of the more one-dimensional characters are integral to the plot; they should have been better developed so that the motives and the outcomes make sense and make an impact. Raven is ridiculous, Kate and Nick are kind of annoying (they're love story seems shallow and unbelievable), and the main villain is barely in the story enough for me to care that they're behind the murders. When I finally got to the end, I actually had to push myself to finish because the main twist isn't surprising and plays out super cheesily. I really enjoyed a good portion of this book, but there are almost just as many times where McMahon doesn't quite hit the mark. She could have benefitted from a couple of more drafts and a little more exploration of her characters.
You can see McMahon's potential in her ideas and in many elements of the story, but I honestly wouldn't recommend this book. I would suggest reading something else by Jennifer McMahon because I think some of her later books are much stronger.