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yvo_about_books's review against another edition
4.0
Finished reading: November 19th 2023
"Whatever I was going to do next, I wanted it to belong completely and only to me. I wanted to write the rest of my story my own way."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Park Row in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
I've been meaning to try this author for quite some time now... I was going to pick up one of her historical fiction titles first, but then I came across her newest book The Fiction Writer and I decided to change my plans. Then again, I can never resist a story with a bookish angle... Add the promise of a gothic mystery and a connection to the classic Rebecca, and I HAD to read it straight away. And what a successful first introduction it turned out to be! I absolutely loved my time with The Fiction Writer and the parallels to the original classic definitely took the story to the next level.
I'm going to keep this review short because The Fiction Writer is one of those stories where it is best to go in blind for the plot to have its maximum impact. What I can say that if you have read the classic Rebecca, you will definitely spot the many parallels and references along the way. I myself finally read the classic earlier this year, and it really made me appreciate the way this story was woven together even more. I wouldn't say that it's absolutely necessary to read the original before tackling this story, but it will most likely enhance your reading experience if you do.
The story is mainly told through the eyes of Olivia Fitzgerald, who has been struggling with her writing career as well as her personal life. I can't deny that I had mixed feelings about this character and she could get rather frustrating at times, but she did play her role very well. Did I want to yell at her for ignoring all those obvious hints along the way? Most definitely. But I guess that is partly what her character is all about. The twists and turns are very well done though, and the gothic feel is most definitely present. I could have done without the love triangle vibe and cheating, but I guess that is partly the parallels being at play again.
The writing style itself is extremely engaging, and it was very easy to keep flying through the pages. The short extracts of the The Wife manuscript did slow down the pace a little, but once you understand the importance of those pages it becomes easier to appreciate them for what they add to the plot. I'm not sure if the ending was completely satisfying though, but that might just have been me... Either way, I've become an instant fan of Jillian Cantor's writing and I will be looking forward to dive into her backlist next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
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