Reviews

Dark Things I Adore: A Novel by Katie Lattari

midnitebby's review against another edition

2.0

This may have been the first book I’ve read (in my recent memory at least) that isn’t a who-done-it but a why-done-it and I’m not sure I’ve enjoyed this experience. For one, I think because I knew what was going to happen (only one “twist” caught me off guard), just not why, it made the pace of the book feel very slow. I felt so tempted to just skip to the end just to be sure my guesses were correct. Secondly, I didn’t particularly like any of the characters, which I’m assuming you aren’t really meant to but it made it hard for me to feel invested in the book because honestly, I didn’t care about anyone. Lastly, while what Max (and Marcus) did was atrocious and vile, I feel like Juniper could have been the worst out of all of them. SHE KNEW!!!! She KNEW what happened, she even saw the slow descent of Coral and DID nothing. And not only did she keep this secret she continued to stay friends with Max?! To give him a fucking job?!! And even at the end, she still thinks of him in her head as “my dearest friend”…. WHAT. THE. FUCK. It was disgusting and honestly I can’t believe that Audra hadn’t targeted her too, I was kind of rooting for her demise as well.

syddnixx's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

emilygm's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

chasingholden's review against another edition

4.0

The setting: the beautiful, forest filled small town in Maine. Dual timelines weaving the past and the present in an impressive way we follow Professor Max Durant and his most elusive student to date, Audra, as they travel from Boston to Audra's home town of Maine for a weekend escape filled with anticipation, lust and possibility We get to read about this scandalous get away from both Max and Audra's point of view, the back and fourth allowing for the reader to slowly inhabit the minds and intentions of Professor and Student; The stark contrast between perspectives is shocking and beautifully executed.. Next we travel back to the 1980's, an artists retreat nestled in Maine, a tight knit group of friends enjoying the creation of their respective art projects and the company of the group. What was supposed to be an amazing time goes awry leaving the group with secrets, and nightmares after the murder of one of their own. There is only one person left who knows just what happened that night, and they are determined to settle the score. What happened all those years ago? Why is a tenured professor risking everything for a weekend with a student, and just who is calling the shots?

This is an incredible dark and twisted tale, in the tradition of Gone Girl and The Secret History readers are sure to fall in love with this perfectly calculated game of connect the dots. Hooked from page one, and still obsessively pondering this story days after I've finished Dark Things I Adore is sure to become an instant sensation.

A big thank you to Netgalley, Katie Lattari, and Sourcebooks for a digital e-copy of Dark Things I Adore in exchange for my review. It is my extreme pleasure to present to you my humble opinion of one incredible novel. If you read any new releases this fall, let it be Dark Things I Adore.

auburnivy's review

dark

3.0

It was predictable but I like the unhinged MC

maddie_86's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

im_thehbic's review against another edition

2.0

Honestly, this was not a great book. There was no mystery. No thrill. As an audiobook, the art is … challenging. I’m here for someone exacting vengeance but it was so easy to track. I’m here for stories about abuse and mental health.

Juniper, Moss, and Mantis all sucked. Like truly…they sucked. Ol girl had all this time and continued to stay friends with dude? Nope.

This book also could’ve been WAY shorter.

Two stars because I did finish but honestly, don’t waste your time.

cpriley401's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

mgunn78's review against another edition

dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

abbuelita's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Meh. This book was a slog for me. I definitely would've DNF'd if I wasn't reading it for book club. The story moved so slowly and the backstory from 1988 was so boring it did not grab my attention at all. The last 50 pages or so were where it finally kept my interest. I also did not care about the art school aspect and the pieces from the thesis woven throughout. This book was clearly not for me, but I can understand why others may enjoy it. I did appreciate the nuanced themes of good and bad existing within people at the same time. I also thought the ending was well-done.