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powerpuffgoat's reviews
73 reviews
Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
Our main character, however, ignores it all. She concedes to every creepy demand, sells her own flat for some reason, hands the money over to her future husband, leaves her job and goes to the airport with Jack even though he treats her like crap.
It also hurts the image of Jack as the villain because he is so cartoonishly evil. Once Grace falls for what is equivalent to the Nigerian prince scam, he sits her down and does his villain speech.
Toward the end of the book, when we finally get some action, it is again so clunky and unsubtle, it's difficult to read without cringing.
"Hi Jack, this is your human wife calling from abroad to establish my alibi. Love you!"
Grace's clever plan hinges on so many odd assumptions, it reminded me of the idiotic plot in A Simple Plan wherethe main characters extract a fake confession by saying to someone "Hey, pretend you're confessing to this crime you didn't commit. How would that go?"
Another downside of the book was the repetitive language. Grace bursts into tears at every occasion, or the tears prickle her eyes, or she feels desperate. In case you think it's fitting considering the situation, this happens before any abuse had even began.
This could have been such a good book, had the author spent more time setting it up and avoided spoonfeeding us information. The accounts of abuse in this book are really horrific, and unfortunately, not entirely unrealistic. It's just difficult to sympathise with Grace because she acted like a dumdum at the start.
slow-paced
2.5
This book is completely devoid of subtlety. The way it's written feels very simplistic.
Interestingly, this matter-of-factly narration works well to build an atmosphere of dread and hopelessness when it describes the psychological torture Grace suffers at the hands of Jack.
Unfortunately, it also ruins the rest of the book. The story of how Grace Angel (yep) ended up in this situation is so utterly implausible, especially considering her background and her devotion to her sister.
You're telling me that this strong-willed and savvy woman, who had not only been in relationships before, but ended them because her sister was the main priority... The same woman ignores an entire parade of red flags because some guy danced with Millie at the park and said he would be delighted to have her come live with them. A red flag in itself! The highlights include:
Interestingly, this matter-of-factly narration works well to build an atmosphere of dread and hopelessness when it describes the psychological torture Grace suffers at the hands of Jack.
Unfortunately, it also ruins the rest of the book. The story of how Grace Angel (yep) ended up in this situation is so utterly implausible, especially considering her background and her devotion to her sister.
You're telling me that this strong-willed and savvy woman, who had not only been in relationships before, but ended them because her sister was the main priority... The same woman ignores an entire parade of red flags because some guy danced with Millie at the park and said he would be delighted to have her come live with them. A red flag in itself! The highlights include:
- Jack asking Grace to marry him three months into dating, before they ever slept together
- Jack insisting that the wedding is within the next couple of months.
- Jack asking Grace to quit her job so she could be home waiting for him.
- Jack insisting he would buy a house as a wedding present for Grace. She is not to set foot in it until after the wedding.
- Jack vanishing on their wedding night.
- Jack giving Grace an ultimatum of either going to their honeymoon or visiting her beloved sister in the hospital.
Our main character, however, ignores it all. She concedes to every creepy demand, sells her own flat for some reason, hands the money over to her future husband, leaves her job and goes to the airport with Jack even though he treats her like crap.
It also hurts the image of Jack as the villain because he is so cartoonishly evil. Once Grace falls for what is equivalent to the Nigerian prince scam, he sits her down and does his villain speech.
Toward the end of the book, when we finally get some action, it is again so clunky and unsubtle, it's difficult to read without cringing.
"Hi Jack, this is your human wife calling from abroad to establish my alibi. Love you!"
Grace's clever plan hinges on so many odd assumptions, it reminded me of the idiotic plot in A Simple Plan where
Another downside of the book was the repetitive language. Grace bursts into tears at every occasion, or the tears prickle her eyes, or she feels desperate. In case you think it's fitting considering the situation, this happens before any abuse had even began.
This could have been such a good book, had the author spent more time setting it up and avoided spoonfeeding us information. The accounts of abuse in this book are really horrific, and unfortunately, not entirely unrealistic. It's just difficult to sympathise with Grace because she acted like a dumdum at the start.
These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant
4.0
Not quite what I expected. The hook made me think that when Jake does not arrive for his yearly visit, it would set off the action part of the book.
Instead, it's a much more realistic account. Weighing the risks, questioning your own paranoia, wondering what's best for your child, suddenly remembering what ot was like to interact with someone you find attractive...
I will admit that I am a little biased, too. I live on a remote homestead, so the daily chores and the ambiance of the setting resonated with me.
My only gripe with the book is the ending. It felt rushed and was very much of the deus ex machina variety. Almost feels like it was changed last minute.
Still, it's a book worth reading. Preferably while cozying up by the fire with some hot chocolate.
Instead, it's a much more realistic account. Weighing the risks, questioning your own paranoia, wondering what's best for your child, suddenly remembering what ot was like to interact with someone you find attractive...
I will admit that I am a little biased, too. I live on a remote homestead, so the daily chores and the ambiance of the setting resonated with me.
My only gripe with the book is the ending. It felt rushed and was very much of the deus ex machina variety. Almost feels like it was changed last minute.
Still, it's a book worth reading. Preferably while cozying up by the fire with some hot chocolate.
Confessions by Kanae Minato
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Great read! I confess, I didn't read it all in one go. I enjoyed the monologue writing style, but I put the book down a few times before I finished it.
The story is actually told in six "installments", which was very handy. And the narrative itself was fascinating.
I think this book exposes the strange (or sometimes, very basic) motivations we have in life, and the lengths to which we go not only to achieve something (revenge, absolution, a parent's attention) but also to justify our own actions.
The story is actually told in six "installments", which was very handy. And the narrative itself was fascinating.
I think this book exposes the strange (or sometimes, very basic) motivations we have in life, and the lengths to which we go not only to achieve something (revenge, absolution, a parent's attention) but also to justify our own actions.
The City by S.C. Mendes
5.0
Loved the unusual setting, the new world I got to explore as a reader. The pace was great, the characters were both complex enough and sympathetic.
There is a lot of graphic detail in this book. To me, it's part of the world building, so it did not feel gratuitous. However, I wouldn't be surprised if it is too much for some people.
I also found myself invested into side characters' stories, so I am definitely looking forward to reading the next installment.
There is a lot of graphic detail in this book. To me, it's part of the world building, so it did not feel gratuitous. However, I wouldn't be surprised if it is too much for some people.
I also found myself invested into side characters' stories, so I am definitely looking forward to reading the next installment.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Sexual violence, Torture, and Blood
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Pedophilia, Trafficking, and Abortion
The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
If you enjoyed this book (or you hope to enjoy it), skip this review.
I've read one book by Riley Sager before, so I knew to expect somewhat contrived twists towards the end and a weird male-gazey woman's POV. But I also expected an easy read with a fast plot.
This book exceeded all of my expectations on contrivances, inauthentic female POVs and most of all, the sheer stupidity of the characters.
Listen, I get it. People don't always make the best decisions, especially when emotions run high. But the problem with this book is that all of the adults act like they are taking dumb pills.
And if there's one thing I absolutely hate, it's reading a book where the main character is so unbelievably thick that they completely miss the obvious while also jumping to conclusions like it's an Olympic sport. The main character and narrator of this book is the epitome of "stupid people who don't realise they are stupid". She keeps chanting to herself that she isn't crazy, yet her thoughts and actions are so completely bonkers. You are crazy, Emma. Non-crazy people don't act like this.
Having a dumb protagonist is an issue for two reasons:
1. It removes all the edge from situations that would otherwise be tense. Because you just know that the character is jumping to conclusions and creating problems for herself.
2. It's almost impossible to sympathise with an idiot who throws themselves into bad situations.
I will list a bunch of examples from this book, just because I can. I need to vent and get it out of my head.
15 years ago:
• I can buy that young Emma and a bunch of campers have a crush on a 19-year-old boy who is basically the only male on the premises (minus the grounds keeper and a 10-year-old). But when Theo turns down Emma, he tells her he is flattered. And years later, he reminisces about that day, claiming he would have returned his affection if Emma was a touch older. Ew much?
• The big theme of this book is lying. Emma keeps referring to all the lies she told back in the day. But um... A lot of it is either completely irrelevant or not actually lying. Take her "accusation" for instance. She tells the police that Theo and Vivian might have been seeing each other (based on what she believes even years later). She also has an outburst asking him what he had done to the girls... None of those are lies.
• Are you telling me the police just go with it? They put rich boy Theo through he'll because of this, and the family loses its fortune because though us such a blow for their reputation? Come on!
• So, three girls go missing, the camp is closed, everyone has departed safe from the key witness who is 13 years old... This girl is then left completely unsupervised for the night. What???
Present day timeline:
• Emma discovers a surveillance camera specifically pointed at her cabin. She is so offended! But she says nothing. Does nothing. But she is so angry and offended, evidently. I mean she forgets the camera is even there. So offended, you guys.
• Speaking of the camera. You're telling me that three girls go missing from the cabin at night, and no one thinks to check the camera until hours later? How is that not the very first thing they check?
• Later in the book, Emma sneaks out of the window to avoid the camera. She then bursts into the Lodge, where she confronts the camp matriarch and her staff (send-hand embarassment was so real in that scene). But then she sneaks back in through the window for some fucking reason. What?
• Speaking of the camera, y'all are going to install one in front of the door when it's perfectly easy to climb out of the window?
• When Chet is revealed as the baddie, my immediate question was... How? The girl sneak out at 4am, and he's just ready to follow them in a canoe? With the bracelet at the ready to plant as evidence? And then he's back within the hour to act surprised when Emma discovers the girls were missing. And his fiance didn't notice he was gone. Suuuuure.
• I'm going to circle back to the whole asylum turned wig business plot. Emma marches into the Lodge, ready to confront Franny and Lottie about the dude who may have sold some hair in the early 1900s. Implying that they would kill three teenage girls, one of whom is a senator's daughter, to cover it up. You don't get to say you're not crazy Emma, and this is why!
• The fact that 28-year-old Emma acts like an idiot is even worse because she stays with three young girls in her cabin. Why Riley Sager imagined that an adult would act like three teenagers are her confidants and adventure buddies, I have no idea.
• While the girls are missing, Emma nearly hooks up with Theo on her bottom bunk. Big yikes.
• The girls are not on the camp grounds. Surely the first thing you check are way they could have left. Cars, bicycles, canoes... Especially considering they went canoeing with Emma recently and were reading Vivian's diary the night before they went missing.
• Worse even, when a canoe drifts across the lake, no one follows up. Not dumb-as-rocks Emma, who went canoeing with the girls. Not campers or councillors who saw them go canoeing. Not the police, who literally have a helicopter at their disposal.
• When the lightbulb finally lights in Emma's mind, what does she do? Does she tell the police? Does she tell the head of camp? Does she at least wait until it's light to canoe across the lake and hike on steep terrain without a map? Of course not! Emma sets off in the middle of the night, alone. Dare I remind everyone about the literal helicopters.
• Our friendly neighbourhood fuckwit Emma manages to avoid helicopters, and yet completely overlooks that there's a person following her. Somehow, she finds her way to the missing girls and them somersaults her way to more conclusions.
• The entire sequence in the cave is laughable. In addition to rock climbing a wet overhang in the dark, our dear Emma needs a ghost to tell her that light means sunrise.
• Theo is not much better. He sees crazy Emma get in the canoe in the middle of the night, and what does he do? Yeah, that's right, he follows her. Cause that makes sense.
• What's the point of Marc? Was that a feeble attempt to add diversity to the cast? I can't help but notice that with 70 people in the camp, a bunch of old lady photographs, and a handful of characters in New York, pretty much everyone is, well, white.
• I've never read a story with so many drowning deaths. What a fun coincidence.
Most of all, despite all of this fluff, the book was just boring! I would forgive a lot if the ending was satisfying or the plot was fun. It just wasn't.
I've read one book by Riley Sager before, so I knew to expect somewhat contrived twists towards the end and a weird male-gazey woman's POV. But I also expected an easy read with a fast plot.
This book exceeded all of my expectations on contrivances, inauthentic female POVs and most of all, the sheer stupidity of the characters.
Listen, I get it. People don't always make the best decisions, especially when emotions run high. But the problem with this book is that all of the adults act like they are taking dumb pills.
And if there's one thing I absolutely hate, it's reading a book where the main character is so unbelievably thick that they completely miss the obvious while also jumping to conclusions like it's an Olympic sport. The main character and narrator of this book is the epitome of "stupid people who don't realise they are stupid". She keeps chanting to herself that she isn't crazy, yet her thoughts and actions are so completely bonkers. You are crazy, Emma. Non-crazy people don't act like this.
Having a dumb protagonist is an issue for two reasons:
1. It removes all the edge from situations that would otherwise be tense. Because you just know that the character is jumping to conclusions and creating problems for herself.
2. It's almost impossible to sympathise with an idiot who throws themselves into bad situations.
I will list a bunch of examples from this book, just because I can. I need to vent and get it out of my head.
• I can buy that young Emma and a bunch of campers have a crush on a 19-year-old boy who is basically the only male on the premises (minus the grounds keeper and a 10-year-old). But when Theo turns down Emma, he tells her he is flattered. And years later, he reminisces about that day, claiming he would have returned his affection if Emma was a touch older. Ew much?
• The big theme of this book is lying. Emma keeps referring to all the lies she told back in the day. But um... A lot of it is either completely irrelevant or not actually lying. Take her "accusation" for instance. She tells the police that Theo and Vivian might have been seeing each other (based on what she believes even years later). She also has an outburst asking him what he had done to the girls... None of those are lies.
• Are you telling me the police just go with it? They put rich boy Theo through he'll because of this, and the family loses its fortune because though us such a blow for their reputation? Come on!
• So, three girls go missing, the camp is closed, everyone has departed safe from the key witness who is 13 years old... This girl is then left completely unsupervised for the night. What???
Present day timeline:
• Emma discovers a surveillance camera specifically pointed at her cabin. She is so offended! But she says nothing. Does nothing. But she is so angry and offended, evidently. I mean she forgets the camera is even there. So offended, you guys.
• Speaking of the camera. You're telling me that three girls go missing from the cabin at night, and no one thinks to check the camera until hours later? How is that not the very first thing they check?
• Later in the book, Emma sneaks out of the window to avoid the camera. She then bursts into the Lodge, where she confronts the camp matriarch and her staff (send-hand embarassment was so real in that scene). But then she sneaks back in through the window for some fucking reason. What?
• Speaking of the camera, y'all are going to install one in front of the door when it's perfectly easy to climb out of the window?
• When Chet is revealed as the baddie, my immediate question was... How? The girl sneak out at 4am, and he's just ready to follow them in a canoe? With the bracelet at the ready to plant as evidence? And then he's back within the hour to act surprised when Emma discovers the girls were missing. And his fiance didn't notice he was gone. Suuuuure.
• I'm going to circle back to the whole asylum turned wig business plot. Emma marches into the Lodge, ready to confront Franny and Lottie about the dude who may have sold some hair in the early 1900s. Implying that they would kill three teenage girls, one of whom is a senator's daughter, to cover it up. You don't get to say you're not crazy Emma, and this is why!
• The fact that 28-year-old Emma acts like an idiot is even worse because she stays with three young girls in her cabin. Why Riley Sager imagined that an adult would act like three teenagers are her confidants and adventure buddies, I have no idea.
• While the girls are missing, Emma nearly hooks up with Theo on her bottom bunk. Big yikes.
• The girls are not on the camp grounds. Surely the first thing you check are way they could have left. Cars, bicycles, canoes... Especially considering they went canoeing with Emma recently and were reading Vivian's diary the night before they went missing.
• Worse even, when a canoe drifts across the lake, no one follows up. Not dumb-as-rocks Emma, who went canoeing with the girls. Not campers or councillors who saw them go canoeing. Not the police, who literally have a helicopter at their disposal.
• When the lightbulb finally lights in Emma's mind, what does she do? Does she tell the police? Does she tell the head of camp? Does she at least wait until it's light to canoe across the lake and hike on steep terrain without a map? Of course not! Emma sets off in the middle of the night, alone. Dare I remind everyone about the literal helicopters.
• Our friendly neighbourhood fuckwit Emma manages to avoid helicopters, and yet completely overlooks that there's a person following her. Somehow, she finds her way to the missing girls and them somersaults her way to more conclusions.
• The entire sequence in the cave is laughable. In addition to rock climbing a wet overhang in the dark, our dear Emma needs a ghost to tell her that light means sunrise.
• Theo is not much better. He sees crazy Emma get in the canoe in the middle of the night, and what does he do? Yeah, that's right, he follows her. Cause that makes sense.
• What's the point of Marc? Was that a feeble attempt to add diversity to the cast? I can't help but notice that with 70 people in the camp, a bunch of old lady photographs, and a handful of characters in New York, pretty much everyone is, well, white.
• I've never read a story with so many drowning deaths. What a fun coincidence.
Most of all, despite all of this fluff, the book was just boring! I would forgive a lot if the ending was satisfying or the plot was fun. It just wasn't.
The Slaying Game by Faith Gardner
medium-paced
2.75
It's a nah from me. The premise was interesting, the main character is feisty, the 5 minutes into the future setting was intriguing...
But the writing wasn't great. The "banter" between characters was painful, the POVs read like "dear diary" entries and I just found myself skimming, skimming, skimming.
The writing was also very repetitive. Like okay, we get it, Leela is sober. Teddy is handsome. The stalker dude is obsessed. Way to beat a dead horse.
Lastly, the reveal of the killer was lackluster. Big meh, wish I hadn't fallen for the Stellar reviews.
But the writing wasn't great. The "banter" between characters was painful, the POVs read like "dear diary" entries and I just found myself skimming, skimming, skimming.
The writing was also very repetitive. Like okay, we get it, Leela is sober. Teddy is handsome. The stalker dude is obsessed. Way to beat a dead horse.
Lastly, the reveal of the killer was lackluster. Big meh, wish I hadn't fallen for the Stellar reviews.
A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham
1.0
This book was NOT GOOD. It was so bad it made me question how it got published. Was an editor not available?
Having finished the book (reluctantly, because I don't want people accusing me of judging a book by a fraction of it), I am surprised it has so many positive reviews. The ones that are negative or neutral generally dock the points for predictability. And yes, this book is predictable... But how is no one talking about the writing?
The writing is just terrible. Awful. It made me wonder if the author is still in high school. The narration is filled with bizarre metaphors, painful dialogue, dramatic language and so, SO MUCH repetition.
"Crank the engine", anyone? Why is it that every time someone drives in this book, they "fling" the door open, "jam" the keys into ignition, "crank" and "kill" the engine... Not only is it needlessly dramatic, but what is the point of this play-by-play?
The author clearly loves using "snake" as a verb, and boy did she try to allude to the word "flicker" in the title...
Nothing in this book is simply given or taken. Everything is dumped, tossed, yanked, gripped, clawed.
Then there is the variations of "and then it hit me", "and suddenly I realize", "and at that moment I know". The protagonist must live a very exciting life because these revelations are as frequent as they are dramatic.
I feel like the editor did not do their job. The writing doesn't flow, not to mention there are several inaccuracies and typos.
So, what do we have so far? A poorly edited book with bad writing and a predictable plot. Enter a main character who is dumb as a rock.
It's infuriating, because this woman is supposed to be smart. She thinks she is smart (or she knows it on a cellular level lol).
Instead, we have a psychologist who cannot read people, who jumps to conclusion like it's an Olympic sport, while also ignoring obvious red flags in favour of her most recent theory. But hey, she suddenly knows this new truth. Ugh!
This is the worst book I've read all year. If you haven't read it yet, don't waste your time.
Having finished the book (reluctantly, because I don't want people accusing me of judging a book by a fraction of it), I am surprised it has so many positive reviews. The ones that are negative or neutral generally dock the points for predictability. And yes, this book is predictable... But how is no one talking about the writing?
The writing is just terrible. Awful. It made me wonder if the author is still in high school. The narration is filled with bizarre metaphors, painful dialogue, dramatic language and so, SO MUCH repetition.
"Crank the engine", anyone? Why is it that every time someone drives in this book, they "fling" the door open, "jam" the keys into ignition, "crank" and "kill" the engine... Not only is it needlessly dramatic, but what is the point of this play-by-play?
The author clearly loves using "snake" as a verb, and boy did she try to allude to the word "flicker" in the title...
Nothing in this book is simply given or taken. Everything is dumped, tossed, yanked, gripped, clawed.
Then there is the variations of "and then it hit me", "and suddenly I realize", "and at that moment I know". The protagonist must live a very exciting life because these revelations are as frequent as they are dramatic.
I feel like the editor did not do their job. The writing doesn't flow, not to mention there are several inaccuracies and typos.
So, what do we have so far? A poorly edited book with bad writing and a predictable plot. Enter a main character who is dumb as a rock.
It's infuriating, because this woman is supposed to be smart. She thinks she is smart (or she knows it on a cellular level lol).
Instead, we have a psychologist who cannot read people, who jumps to conclusion like it's an Olympic sport, while also ignoring obvious red flags in favour of her most recent theory. But hey, she suddenly knows this new truth. Ugh!
This is the worst book I've read all year. If you haven't read it yet, don't waste your time.
They Never Learn by Layne Fargo
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
This book was a (mostly) easy read with an entertaining ploy and a neat ending.
My biggest gripe with this book are the Carly chapters. I'm in my thirties so reading a teenager's angsty POV was pretty boring. Carly constantly tells the reader how insignificant and unattractive she is while there are plenty of people listing after her, which... Twilight vibes, not in a good way. But I guess when you're an eighteen-year-old girl who is a bit of an outcast, it's probably more accurate than I remember.
Loved the bisexuality representation. It's not a big focus in the book, we are not subjected to monologues and justifications. Bisexuality characters are just doing their thing, and it's refreshing.
The Scarlett narrative was great. Like with any thriller, you have to just go with the more unbelievable parts because what would be the point of fiction if it was entirely realistic? I also liked the way workplace dynamics were portrayed, I don't think that's specific to a university and many people will relate.
I'd say good for those times when you are in a reading slump.
My biggest gripe with this book are the Carly chapters. I'm in my thirties so reading a teenager's angsty POV was pretty boring. Carly constantly tells the reader how insignificant and unattractive she is while there are plenty of people listing after her, which... Twilight vibes, not in a good way. But I guess when you're an eighteen-year-old girl who is a bit of an outcast, it's probably more accurate than I remember.
Loved the bisexuality representation. It's not a big focus in the book, we are not subjected to monologues and justifications. Bisexuality characters are just doing their thing, and it's refreshing.
The Scarlett narrative was great. Like with any thriller, you have to just go with the more unbelievable parts because what would be the point of fiction if it was entirely realistic? I also liked the way workplace dynamics were portrayed, I don't think that's specific to a university and many people will relate.
I'd say good for those times when you are in a reading slump.
None of This is True by Lisa Jewell
reflective
tense
fast-paced
3.75
It was a fast read, great for someone in a reading slump. Would have been a full four stars from me, but the ending kind of throws a wrench in the works and creates a plot hole (in my opinion).
The style
I enjoy the modern setting of narratives from our characters' point of view, along with transcripts of a podcast within a documentary script.
It allowed for a good balance of third person narration and first-person accounts. It's a clever way to include the unreliable narrator trope without taking the reader for a fool.
I also really appreciated that Jewell made the main POV characters different enough so that the narration isn't confusing, but also similar enough so that it's easy to believe these women live a short walk away from each other.
The characters
I must give the author credit for creating complex characters that weren't just good or evil. I also feel like this allows for the events to unfold the way they did without making the characters look stupid.
Certainly, many of us ignore red flags or put up with unusual or downright awful behaviour because life is complicated. In the context of the British setting, overt politeness in the face of someone pushing boundaries is also very common.
The plot
The plot was okay. Ive read one other book by Lisa Jewell and I am left with a similar feeling. I dont think it was particularly twisted, the author pretty much laid the foundation for us readers before Alis gets to experience the actual twist.
As I mentioned at the start, I was disappointed by the ending. It left a bad taste in my mouth and prompted questions about something unambiguously stated earlier in the novel.
I am talking about Josie's account at the very end of the book where she implies that it was Roxy who killed Brooke and that the events of the fateful Friday night when Walter dies went very differently compared to Erin's account.
On its own, the first twist would have been interesting and fitting the tone of the novel. But why, then, did Josie have trophies of Brooke's and some unknown phone case?
As for the second point, even if Walter had a heart attack, Josie still had a hand in his death and also Erin's attempted murder.
The themes
I think for me, this book's main themes could be boiled down to this:
1. Two things can be true at the same time.
2. Just because someone was mistreated, it doesn't justify their shitty actions.
I saw many people arguing about the way the book supposedly excused and redeemed Walter from the fact he groomed Josie when she was a minor. I don't think that's the case. He remains the person who cheated on his wife, got together with his affair partner's 15-year-old daughter, and (potentially) covered up a murder. Just because his wife ended up being bonkers, doesn't mean he wasn't culpable. Just because he spent time with Erin, doesn't mean he wasn't culpable. Just because he dies, doesn't mean he is absolved.
The charater that pushes the notion of Josie "seducing" Walter was her mother, who is clearly a narcissist who felt resentful of her child's very existence.
And in her podcast conclusion, Alix doesn't excuse Walter either. She just reaffirms that Josie was a horrible person.
Nathan was another great example of those two themes. Yes, he loved his wife. Yes, his alcoholism was threatening his marriage. No, someone else's bad actions towards him don't excuse his actions towards his family.
Like I said, I enjoyed the complexity of the characters and the grey morality of it all. I just wish the ending wasn't so tacked on.
The style
I enjoy the modern setting of narratives from our characters' point of view, along with transcripts of a podcast within a documentary script.
It allowed for a good balance of third person narration and first-person accounts. It's a clever way to include the unreliable narrator trope without taking the reader for a fool.
I also really appreciated that Jewell made the main POV characters different enough so that the narration isn't confusing, but also similar enough so that it's easy to believe these women live a short walk away from each other.
The characters
I must give the author credit for creating complex characters that weren't just good or evil. I also feel like this allows for the events to unfold the way they did without making the characters look stupid.
Certainly, many of us ignore red flags or put up with unusual or downright awful behaviour because life is complicated. In the context of the British setting, overt politeness in the face of someone pushing boundaries is also very common.
The plot
The plot was okay. Ive read one other book by Lisa Jewell and I am left with a similar feeling. I dont think it was particularly twisted, the author pretty much laid the foundation for us readers before Alis gets to experience the actual twist.
As I mentioned at the start, I was disappointed by the ending. It left a bad taste in my mouth and prompted questions about something unambiguously stated earlier in the novel.
On its own, the first twist would have been interesting and fitting the tone of the novel. But why, then, did Josie have trophies of Brooke's and some unknown phone case?
As for the second point, even if Walter had a heart attack, Josie still had a hand in his death and also Erin's attempted murder.
The themes
I think for me, this book's main themes could be boiled down to this:
1. Two things can be true at the same time.
2. Just because someone was mistreated, it doesn't justify their shitty actions.
I saw many people arguing about the way the book supposedly excused and redeemed Walter from the fact he groomed Josie when she was a minor. I don't think that's the case. He remains the person who cheated on his wife, got together with his affair partner's 15-year-old daughter, and (potentially) covered up a murder. Just because his wife ended up being bonkers, doesn't mean he wasn't culpable. Just because he spent time with Erin, doesn't mean he wasn't culpable. Just because he dies, doesn't mean he is absolved.
The charater that pushes the notion of Josie "seducing" Walter was her mother, who is clearly a narcissist who felt resentful of her child's very existence.
And in her podcast conclusion, Alix doesn't excuse Walter either. She just reaffirms that Josie was a horrible person.
Nathan was another great example of those two themes. Yes, he loved his wife. Yes, his alcoholism was threatening his marriage. No, someone else's bad actions towards him don't excuse his actions towards his family.
Like I said, I enjoyed the complexity of the characters and the grey morality of it all. I just wish the ending wasn't so tacked on.
False Witness by Karin Slaughter
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.0
This was the third book by Karin Slaughter I've read. I would be lying if at this point the similarities between her books didn't seem comical. Now, this could be a total coincidence of course, but it is amusing nonetheless.
Two estranged sisters? Check. One sister is a lawyer? Check. The other sister is a hot mess? Check. A traumatic childhood event that both drives the sisters apart and binds them to each other? Check.
No surprises in this book, except for a gut punch realisation at the start. The writing is good, and if I am being fair, I've enjoyed Slaughter's writing style in all of her books. This book also avoided such graphic and gratuitous violence scenes so readily present in Good Girls. Well-paced.
Two estranged sisters? Check. One sister is a lawyer? Check. The other sister is a hot mess? Check. A traumatic childhood event that both drives the sisters apart and binds them to each other? Check.
No surprises in this book, except for a gut punch realisation at the start. The writing is good, and if I am being fair, I've enjoyed Slaughter's writing style in all of her books. This book also avoided such graphic and gratuitous violence scenes so readily present in Good Girls. Well-paced.