I swear people talked about this book like it was some kind of Messianic figure in the world of thrillers. I found it pretty middle of the road. The wI swear people talked about this book like it was some kind of Messianic figure in the world of thrillers. I found it pretty middle of the road. The writing is quite clumsy, and the twist is guessable from about halfway through.
The time travel aspect should add a fresh spin on an old trope, but instead it just feels tacked on and clunky. If we could keep seeing the effects in the present of Jen's actions in the past, paying actual dues to the butterfly effect which is mentioned several times throughout the story, it would have been much better, but instead Jen just serves as an exposition bridge for the reader, spelling out every reveal as if you're a moron.
It was entertaining, but ultimately did nothing for me. ...more
Jeez. I like a depressing book but this was a lot even for me. This makes The Road look like frigging Sesame Street. At least The Road contained one lJeez. I like a depressing book but this was a lot even for me. This makes The Road look like frigging Sesame Street. At least The Road contained one loving relationship. This was just... bleeeeeeeeeeeeak.
It made me feel all the things that I guess you're supposed to feel - despair, ennui, immense loneliness. And that's all fine with regard to the success of the evocative writing, but it didn't make it any more pleasant to read!
Also, I have an issue with forms of media which give you a mysterious situation and then end up asking more questions than they answer (looking at you, Lost!). Again, I get it. It's a narrative choice and maybe I'm in the wrong for always craving clarity, but I just find it irksome. I want my interest in the setting to be at least somewhat rewarded. Also, is it not kind of a cop out? Never revealing a plot pretty much negates the need to construct one.
And finally, I'm low key done with the "detached narrator" literary tool. It's what stopped me from enjoying Klara and the Sun, and a bunch of other books. No emotion from the protagonist to attach to means I'm not going to emotionally invest in their plight, which is pivotal to my enjoyment.
So yeah, it was fine I guess. Now I'm off to look at some kittens to replace the serotonin that it stole from me....more
The first two books I've read this year have both featured the torture and/or brutal murder of women and I needed some respite in my next re3.5 stars
The first two books I've read this year have both featured the torture and/or brutal murder of women and I needed some respite in my next read, which this book provided in spades.
I very much appreciate Emily Henry for writing romance novels which don't make me risk straining my optical muscles due to excessive eye rolling. Her prose are slick, her characters are flawed yet likeable and she knows how to be witty yet retain the right amount of sweetness in her narrative.
I really enjoyed the journey that this book took me on, particularly how the story progresses through jumping back and forth between the current vacation and the previous ones, which compliment each other nicely in revealing the depth of Poppy and Alex's relationship.
I've docked it .5 of a star for the ending - for me the reveal of the cause of the Great Falling Out of two summers ago (not a spoiler, in blurb) was quite anti-climatic, considering the entire story builds up to this.
A good romp though, and just what I needed. ...more
I absolutely loved this. It's a proper good yarn, right from the outset.
As good as the story is, the making of this book for me was in Charlie, the pI absolutely loved this. It's a proper good yarn, right from the outset.
As good as the story is, the making of this book for me was in Charlie, the protagonist/narrator. He's funny, kind, generous, brave and just an all-round good dude. I loved his perspective throughout the novel. His relationship with Bowditch (and Radar!) is delightful. I could have read another 500 pages about his adventures.
If I'm being hyper-critical, I would have liked a bit more signposting of the Empis story - history of the monarchy and its downfall, etc. and possibly stronger ties to existing fairy tales. It felt a little like he was making it up as he went along at times (classic King). I'm still 5-starring it though, because I just really enjoyed reading it. ...more
I feel like I'm currently stuck in a rut of very readable yet distinctly middle-of-the-road books which hold promise but are ultimately a disappointmeI feel like I'm currently stuck in a rut of very readable yet distinctly middle-of-the-road books which hold promise but are ultimately a disappointment. This book definitely goes on that list...
Again a frustrating read because there's a lot of potential here. I just felt like it needed way more polishing. The story is good enough, though a little on the flimsy side, and the characters had just enough nuance to make them interesting. The jumping back and forth in the timeline would have been really effective had it not been so blurry round the edges. I think it really could have used distinct subheadings to differentiate between the three main time periods - the present, the night of the murder, and the past. As it was, without even separation by chapter, it became too muddled to have a decent effect on the storytelling.
The twist was very guessable and I think would have benefitted from way more complexity - when there are only three real suspects and the first two are the "obvious" ones it makes it very clear who it really is. And Miriam's storyline felt very tacked on to the main story rather than having the intertwined nature which I think was intended.
I enjoy multiple, interconnected timelines. I enjoy women overcoming adversity. I enjoy witches. This was enough for me to enjoy Weyward on the whole.I enjoy multiple, interconnected timelines. I enjoy women overcoming adversity. I enjoy witches. This was enough for me to enjoy Weyward on the whole.
I do feel like it was a bit lacklustre, and lacked the flair that would have made it a truly excellent read. The characters could definitely have had more depth. One of those books which I liked but find that I have little to say about in review.
Held some initial promise for a really good story but was ultimately a bit of a let down.
I had avoided reading Jojo Moyes thus far as I've seen the fHeld some initial promise for a really good story but was ultimately a bit of a let down.
I had avoided reading Jojo Moyes thus far as I've seen the film adaptation of Me Before You starring Sam Claflin and Emilia Clarke's eyebrows and I found the storyline to be saccharine to the point where it was a bit nauseating.
For The Girl You Left Behind I found that it was the character development, or lack thereof, which posed my main issue. Sophie's story starts off well enough and I enjoyed this part of the novel, though I felt as it progressed it became a bit lacklustre and could have been much more fleshed out.
The modern day story I didn't really enjoy. I didn't feel any connection to Liv as a character and ended up not really liking her at all. She comes across as selfish and entitled, and really quite whiny. And she makes some RIDICULOUSLY stupid decisions. (view spoiler)[The whole case with the painting was just ludicrous. That she would spend tens of thousands of pounds on legal fees when she can't even pay her bills (also - she goes on about not being able to afford the extortionate council tax on her property and then it turns out to be... two hundred pounds. That's not even that much!), just to keep the painting and acts the whole time like she has a right to it when there's a massive case against her ownership. She honestly just came across as incredibly spoiled. Her "win" at the end didn't feel earned in the slightest, and Paul turned out to be the biggest simp on the planet. (hide spoiler)] Perhaps if Moyes had spent more time developing Liv's emotional connection to the painting, this section would have worked much better. More flashbacks to her marriage, and how the painting represented her love for her late husband would have definitely helped me sympathise with her a lot more. As it was she was just quite annoying.
A shame - I feel like there was a lot of wasted potential here. In the hands of a more competent writer this could have been an excellent read....more
Finished in less than 48 hours so definitely an easy read.
First few chapters were really promising - I was intrigued by the story, and thought that tFinished in less than 48 hours so definitely an easy read.
First few chapters were really promising - I was intrigued by the story, and thought that the author did a great job creating an incredibly claustrophobic atmosphere. It really feels like Millie is trapped in her circumstances and her backstory is effective in supporting this.
As the novel goes on the plot holes get bigger - like why on earth does the language barrier between her and Enzo present such a problem in the age of smartphones with translator apps? It wouldn't be so bad if it were not leaned upon so heavily as a plot device. There are also so many issues surrounding Nina's story which are just beyond unrealistic.
Despite the above I was still enjoying the suspense, even though I saw one of the more significant reveals coming a mile off, and was fairly invested. But then the ending happened and I couldn't help but laugh and scoff at the sheer ridiculousness. It's just SO silly. Everybody's actions in the last few chapters, especially the police officer, are so laughable that it kind of spoiled it. ...more
Despite the high number of great books out there I feel like it's actually quite rare that I experience such a perfect melding of engaging plot, well-Despite the high number of great books out there I feel like it's actually quite rare that I experience such a perfect melding of engaging plot, well-formed characters, and objectively high quality writing.
Bright Young Women presents a lovely Venn diagram of all these qualities and despite its admittedly gruesome subject matter it was such an enjoyable read.
It was extremely refreshing to read a novel about a serial killer who targets young women which places the victims, and their loved ones, at the centre of the narrative, rather than the perpetrator. The fact that he isn't even named throughout the book highlights that the story is not about him, and I also didn't have to endure any ridiculously tropey features like those random chapters which are all in italics and just contain a cringey first-person narrative of the killer stalking his victims. I swear they're just an excuse for authors to use abhorrently misogynistic language to up the shock value of the book.
The plot was really engaging, again without having to rely on cheap cliff-hangers to keep my interest, and instead offering immensely good pacing and intelligently thought out twists.
It's been a while since I was actually blown away by writing style but this book was an absolute goldmine, and I often found myself rereading sentences just to appreciate their construction. See below for my favourite example:
"She flopped her arms in my direction, at a loss for words. Not because I looked beautiful beyond description but because my mother never paid me compliments, and it must have been like sifting through a drawer of sharp knives to find a blanket."
I think that might be the best simile I've ever read.
I would err on the side of caution when recommending this - definite trigger warnings need to be in place and if light reads are all you're after, then maybe give this a miss. But if thrillers/true crime are your jam then stick it on your TBR, pronto. ...more
Elevated from one to two stars purely on readability. But wow Ken, this was... not good.
I can't remember the last time I read a novel with such poorlElevated from one to two stars purely on readability. But wow Ken, this was... not good.
I can't remember the last time I read a novel with such poorly written women. They were ridiculously, offensively bad. I could literally see the effort he was going to to present the Strong Female Character (TM), and it is actually laughable how badly wrong he got it. And it's not even like he can use the classic Friends excuse of "iT wAs A dIfFeReNt TiMe" because Never was written in 2021.
When I say I could see his effort to make the women powerful, I don't mean that as a compliment. I mean that he went about it with such typical crusty-old-white-man incompetence that I would have preferred him not to have bothered. From the naïve, yet beautiful, Chadian village woman who sets out on her own to escape her difficult life, who then instantly latches on to a man to protect her. To the (also beautiful) CIA agent who aced combat training and yet spends her first firefight cowering on the floor with her arms over her head, and constantly ignores protocol, who literally will not stop banging on about the guy she fancies. And finally, probably the most ridiculous, the PRESIDENT OF AMERICA - tough but of course also beautiful! - who is supposed to be trying to prevent nuclear was but spends most of her time distracted by men.
This book doesn't just fail the Bechdel test, it rips up the test paper, swallows the pieces, and then defecates them onto a new test paper.
Also the dialogue is TERRIBLE. It's so awkward and unrealistic, particularly amongst the Chinese characters, who are so poorly constructed that it borders on xenophobia. In addition to being flatter than a pancake from Holland, their conversations are just ridiculous. Chock full of English language idioms and read like a Hollyoaks script. These are supposed to be people at the highest level of government and military. And the American politicians are just as bad.
Lastly, the plot lacked so much cohesion that one of the main storylines is rendered completely useless by the end of the book, having no bearing at all on the main conflict. If this book is supposed to serve as a warning about how easily nuclear war could happen, it needs to be significantly better constructed to have any hope of meeting this objective. I'm terrified of nuclear war and all this book made me do was roll my eyes and occasionally snigger derisively.
I can't believe that this came from the same pen as Pillars of the Earth. For shame, Kenneth, for shame....more
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