John
The industry often overlooks genre fiction as being not "serious" work, while simultaneously continuing its tradition of selling literary fiction via misleading genre tags. This book is no exception.
It is not "an expertly-paced" "psychological thriller." It is a dense work of lit fic, examining the rippling effects of tragedy. And it is very. Very. Slow.
There's nothing wrong with that. For what it actually is, I give it 3 out of 5. I enjoyed the writing, and there were numerous times when I thought that it would make a good film, one which would evoke the same feelings as Mystic River, Three Billboards..., and Small Engine Repair. Netflix has announced that this will soon be a mini-series. And it will probably be good. For what it is.
For being a mystery novel, it is a 2. And as a thriller, it is simply not one. This book is being oversold. If you're looking for a female-forward character study told via dual timeliness, this book will probably be your jam.
But know that the crime-that-needs-solved hook of this novel takes a backseat fairly early on. Truly. The book opens with young Barbara going missing at a summer camp. And when that hook finally wraps up, it feels like an afterthought.
That is because plot is not driving this story. Again, that's completely fine, as long as you go into it with this understanding.
I'm unfamiliar with Liz Moore's other work, but this is being billed as her "most ambitious and wide-reaching novel" to date. To that, yes, it is quite ambitious. Not only do we have two timeliness, but we are jumping around within those timeliness, from the POVs of at least a half dozen recurring speakers. That's pretty damn ambitious, and I commend it.
But I can't deny that, frequently, it is jumping around so much that it's hard to keep track of everything. This seems to be a common critique of the book. My guess is that these unhappy reviewers were simply expecting the expertly-paced thriller they were repeatedly promised.
Truthfully, if it were 150 pages shorter, I think it might be the book the industry seems to think it is. This would not be something that I will recommend to anyone asking for a good read. But for certain people, I know this will hit the spot.
The industry often overlooks genre fiction as being not "serious" work, while simultaneously continuing its tradition of selling literary fiction via misleading genre tags. This book is no exception.
It is not "an expertly-paced" "psychological thriller." It is a dense work of lit fic, examining the rippling effects of tragedy. And it is very. Very. Slow.
There's nothing wrong with that. For what it actually is, I give it 3 out of 5. I enjoyed the writing, and there were numerous times when I thought that it would make a good film, one which would evoke the same feelings as Mystic River, Three Billboards..., and Small Engine Repair. Netflix has announced that this will soon be a mini-series. And it will probably be good. For what it is.
For being a mystery novel, it is a 2. And as a thriller, it is simply not one. This book is being oversold. If you're looking for a female-forward character study told via dual timeliness, this book will probably be your jam.
But know that the crime-that-needs-solved hook of this novel takes a backseat fairly early on. Truly. The book opens with young Barbara going missing at a summer camp. And when that hook finally wraps up, it feels like an afterthought.
That is because plot is not driving this story. Again, that's completely fine, as long as you go into it with this understanding.
I'm unfamiliar with Liz Moore's other work, but this is being billed as her "most ambitious and wide-reaching novel" to date. To that, yes, it is quite ambitious. Not only do we have two timeliness, but we are jumping around within those timeliness, from the POVs of at least a half dozen recurring speakers. That's pretty damn ambitious, and I commend it.
But I can't deny that, frequently, it is jumping around so much that it's hard to keep track of everything. This seems to be a common critique of the book. My guess is that these unhappy reviewers were simply expecting the expertly-paced thriller they were repeatedly promised.
Truthfully, if it were 150 pages shorter, I think it might be the book the industry seems to think it is. This would not be something that I will recommend to anyone asking for a good read. But for certain people, I know this will hit the spot.
I imagine that there is a select group to whom this book is amazing. To me, it reads like what someone would write when they want to convey romance, but they've never themselves experienced romance. I can't decide if the ideal reader is one who wants spice, and is willing to accept a thin plot and low world-building, or someone who is looking for a paranormal Gothic tale, and is willing to accept an annoyingly stunted protagonist banging the most beautiful man who ever existed. There is not one character in this book whose death I would mourn.
This feels like playing dress-up, as opposed to role-playing. Need a spooky setting? New Orleans. Details? Unnecessary. Time period? Unclear. Because we are not role-playing; we are playing dress up. Add one part horse-cock and a dash of conflict. Stir to combine.
I imagine that there is a select group to whom this book is amazing. To me, it reads like what someone would write when they want to convey romance, but they've never themselves experienced romance. I can't decide if the ideal reader is one who wants spice, and is willing to accept a thin plot and low world-building, or someone who is looking for a paranormal Gothic tale, and is willing to accept an annoyingly stunted protagonist banging the most beautiful man who ever existed. There is not one character in this book whose death I would mourn.
This feels like playing dress-up, as opposed to role-playing. Need a spooky setting? New Orleans. Details? Unnecessary. Time period? Unclear. Because we are not role-playing; we are playing dress up. Add one part horse-cock and a dash of conflict. Stir to combine.
I imagine that there is a select group to whom this book is amazing. To me, it reads like what someone would write when they want to convey romance, but they've never themselves experienced romance. I can't decide if the ideal reader is one who wants spice, and is willing to accept a thin plot and low world-building, or someone who is looking for a paranormal Gothic tale, and is willing to accept an annoyingly stunted protagonist banging the most beautiful man who ever existed.
This feels like playing dress-up, as opposed to role-playing. Need a spooky setting? New Orleans. Details? Unnecessary. Time period? Unclear. Because we are not role-playing; we are playing dress up. Add one part horse-cock and a dash of conflict. Stir to combine.
I imagine that there is a select group to whom this book is amazing. To me, it reads like what someone would write when they want to convey romance, but they've never themselves experienced romance. I can't decide if the ideal reader is one who wants spice, and is willing to accept a thin plot and low world-building, or someone who is looking for a paranormal Gothic tale, and is willing to accept an annoyingly stunted protagonist banging the most beautiful man who ever existed.
This feels like playing dress-up, as opposed to role-playing. Need a spooky setting? New Orleans. Details? Unnecessary. Time period? Unclear. Because we are not role-playing; we are playing dress up. Add one part horse-cock and a dash of conflict. Stir to combine.