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heyyyitsericm 's review for:
My Favorite Terrible Thing
by Madeleine Henry
Vacillated between 2.5 and 3…
Mainly because the start of the book - and its concept - is strong.
Nina Travers is asked to investigate the disappearance of popular author, Claire Ross, who has a number of fans known as Starlights.
And it’s pretty common in this day and age to have chapters of books interspersed with excerpts of online forums, text message exchanges, or social media records.
Nina herself is very familiar with Claire’s book, which for the first 1/3 of the book seems to support her commitment to the cause.
Then the author drops a bomb - and it works - briefly. Then for the final 1/3 of the book, you’re asked to suspend all belief of rational human behavior - just so the author can deliver another “twist” which doesn’t land because of everything that preceded it.
A twist only works if it aligns with rational human behavior.
And the book, in the end, tries to absolve characters of their truly toxic, evil, dangerous and disastrous behavior. I can’t sympathize with someone who has serious attachment issues - and then believe they deserve redemption just because of their crappy childhood.
There are some valid and pointed criticisms about true crime and fandom in the current age of social media, but again, the author seems all too willing to explain that toxic behavior away to somehow make characters misunderstood heroes.
When they are truly people who need help - and are too much a reflection of people who exist and move about society in this day and age.
Mainly because the start of the book - and its concept - is strong.
Nina Travers is asked to investigate the disappearance of popular author, Claire Ross, who has a number of fans known as Starlights.
And it’s pretty common in this day and age to have chapters of books interspersed with excerpts of online forums, text message exchanges, or social media records.
Nina herself is very familiar with Claire’s book, which for the first 1/3 of the book seems to support her commitment to the cause.
Then the author drops a bomb - and it works - briefly. Then for the final 1/3 of the book, you’re asked to suspend all belief of rational human behavior - just so the author can deliver another “twist” which doesn’t land because of everything that preceded it.
A twist only works if it aligns with rational human behavior.
And the book, in the end, tries to absolve characters of their truly toxic, evil, dangerous and disastrous behavior. I can’t sympathize with someone who has serious attachment issues - and then believe they deserve redemption just because of their crappy childhood.
There are some valid and pointed criticisms about true crime and fandom in the current age of social media, but again, the author seems all too willing to explain that toxic behavior away to somehow make characters misunderstood heroes.
When they are truly people who need help - and are too much a reflection of people who exist and move about society in this day and age.