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swestlake's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
brennapinckard's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this novel. It was well-written, and most characters developed well. Whittall focuses primarily on three members of the family (the mother Joan, daughter Sadie, and son Andrew) but also occasionally shifts the focus to some preliminary characters (most notably writer Kevin). Each character has their own individual story arc throughout the novel. Sadie's storyline stood out as most initially interesting due to the fact that not only was her father the accused in the case of sexual misconduct, but that also one of the victims was the sister of her best friend. However, I felt that Sadie's storyline didn't end up to be as gripping as I had thought when I began the novel, though it did feel true to life, and her character's changes throughout the story feel authentic. The real standout character and story arc belongs to Joan. I felt her character got off to a slow start but Whittall details the complexity of her pains and emotions extremely well, causing even the reader to feel as conflicted as she does. Anytime the story returned to Joan I felt immediately thrust into stress and uncertainty she faces throughout the novel, questioning if her own husband, the man she's loved for years, could possibly commit these heinous charges.
The weaker points of the story come from Andrew and Kevin's storylines. With Andrew, I simply felt that he was not given enough background and therefore it was hard to sympathize with his constantly shifting moods. Given the plot, they were completely understandable, but I would have liked more recollections of his time spent in high school and relationship with Stuart to understand even further why being in Avalon Hills pained him so. Kevin was a very intriguing character to me. I would actually have liked to spend more time focused on him, though I understand why Whittall chose not to. My main problem with him is that it was simply a bit jarring to read about him so much in the beginning, when later his storyline drops off some.
I won't give it away but the ending gave me chills and brought a prick of tears to my eyes. I'll leave it up to you to find out if they were the good kind of chills and tears, or the bad kind.
The weaker points of the story come from Andrew and Kevin's storylines. With Andrew, I simply felt that he was not given enough background and therefore it was hard to sympathize with his constantly shifting moods. Given the plot, they were completely understandable, but I would have liked more recollections of his time spent in high school and relationship with Stuart to understand even further why being in Avalon Hills pained him so. Kevin was a very intriguing character to me. I would actually have liked to spend more time focused on him, though I understand why Whittall chose not to. My main problem with him is that it was simply a bit jarring to read about him so much in the beginning, when later his storyline drops off some.
I won't give it away but the ending gave me chills and brought a prick of tears to my eyes. I'll leave it up to you to find out if they were the good kind of chills and tears, or the bad kind.
bafrin's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
nsreader's review against another edition
2.0
I found this book to be just okay, I didn’t sense any depth to any character. The story sort of plodded along. The end was very abrupt, as if the publisher said okay end it on this page please.
_lilbey_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
I enjoyed the focus on the family of an accused offender as this was always something that interested me in my studies. However, the (disappointing) ending felt rushed, and I would have liked more relevant build up to the final events within the text, as there was a lot not a lot of work done in the overall narrative to support the final outcome.
callmejoce's review against another edition
4.0
I'm a little embarrassed at how long it took me to finish reading The Best Kind of People. I really loved this book, and sometimes when I love a book I savour it. Great read. Zoe is a really beautiful writer and every now and then I'd come across a sentence that is so perfect I'd just marvel at her mastery of the craft.
Someone told me they were very confused/disappointed by the ending, but I thought it was perfect. Joan <3
Someone told me they were very confused/disappointed by the ending, but I thought it was perfect. Joan <3
desireeski's review against another edition
3.0
This book was recommended to me by my sister as a must read.. and I was absolutely hooked for the majority of the book. I thought the author did such a good job of switching between characters and how their feelings and emotions all worked together on such a gut wrenching topic, while really digging deep into who ever was the focal point of the chapter. However, the ending just let me down so much for how much effort was put into the entire book leading up to the trial. So much left unresolved after the trial - knowing that the main victim changed her statement after being seen in public with someone who was in public favor of the defendant and was most likely coerced, the fact that the other girls statements didn’t matter, the fact that there was a financial trail for the first victim from years ago.... just found not guilty in less than one page? Insane that the family just seemed to move on as if it didn’t happen and keep their relationship with the dad to keep appearances / appease him and the insinuation the mom returned to her husband out of shear time wearing her down? She was so adamant she wanted a divorce after knowing the truth and feeling hurt and betrayed and lied to. Overall, good book on a touchy and heartbreaking topic but ending felt rushed and wrapped up lazily.
jtouchard23's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
So many thoughts about this. The subject matter is really tough! I was really into this book through the first half, maybe a bit more, but then I feltlikemthebauthir took every opportunity to introduce more injustice / terrible events one after the other which felt a little much to me. Overall it had very good character development and was interesting and plot driven enough to keep going. But it would be hard for me to recommend to most people.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
smallwonders's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.75
emily_wellsandt's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0