A review by lisaarnsdorf
The Appeal by Janice Hallett

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

1.0

This book drove me bonkers. There is nothing I hate more than when a writer hides information from the reader. Right from the get go, you know there’s been a murder and someone has been arrested, but the author hides who was even killed. There are so many hidden facts that’s it feels as though the author is trying to trick the reader. If you can’t write a plot that includes clues and the basic facts without revealing everything right away, then you probably need more practice. 

The main crimes were pretty obvious early on. And there weren’t any characters that I was particularly fond of. So I didn’t really care that much that any of them happened. Except that the author never bothered to write about the impacts on the little girl at the heart of the story. We never once spend any time reflecting on how her cancer diagnosis will impact her and her nuclear family. There’s a “kids are resilient” attitude that is incredibly naive. 

The book was way too long. And it just made the deception on the reader that much more obvious. It was easy to read, but so incredibly annoying. 
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