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mskelley88 's review for:
The Three Lives of Cate Kay
by Kate Fagan
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
This book was just intriguing enough to keep me reading. I was just interested enough to wait for the resolution. Now I kind of wish I hadn’t.
The truth is, the plot moves at a snail’s pace—until the end. When things finally start happening, they move at lightning speed…mostly off the page and later summarized. We get pages of mundane details, but when it comes to the big, pivotal moments, we’re left hanging.
The entire story hinges on Annie/Cass/Cate remaining anonymous after fleeing a tragic accident at 18. But why? She didn’t break the law or even do anything wrong. She made a bad—but understandable—choice in a moment of panic. I could have bought this lasting a year or two, but a decade later? No. She’d have realized she overreacted.
The remaining conflict feels contrived, relying on tired miscommunication tropes (which I hate) and a token manipulator who could have been compelling if she hadn’t been abruptly, and out-of-character, wrapped up as soon as she’d served her purpose. And why would that character agree to reveal so much in this “memoir” we’re supposedly reading? She wouldn’t.
The story is female-centric and features LGBTQ characters. If you value those elements and enjoy slow, reflective, character-driven narratives, this might work for you. For me, though, it fell flat.
The truth is, the plot moves at a snail’s pace—until the end. When things finally start happening, they move at lightning speed…mostly off the page and later summarized. We get pages of mundane details, but when it comes to the big, pivotal moments, we’re left hanging.
The entire story hinges on Annie/Cass/Cate remaining anonymous after fleeing a tragic accident at 18. But why? She didn’t break the law or even do anything wrong. She made a bad—but understandable—choice in a moment of panic. I could have bought this lasting a year or two, but a decade later? No. She’d have realized she overreacted.
The remaining conflict feels contrived, relying on tired miscommunication tropes (which I hate) and a token manipulator who could have been compelling if she hadn’t been abruptly, and out-of-character, wrapped up as soon as she’d served her purpose. And why would that character agree to reveal so much in this “memoir” we’re supposedly reading? She wouldn’t.
The story is female-centric and features LGBTQ characters. If you value those elements and enjoy slow, reflective, character-driven narratives, this might work for you. For me, though, it fell flat.