anapthine's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gore, Death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Violence, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Car accident
gus_reads's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This book had a lot of ups and downs, but overall I enjoyed it and it kept me interested most of the time. I definitely would enjoy it as a Netflix movie. It kind of reminded me of Mr. and Mrs. Smith.
So, the beginning was the worst part and it lowered my expectations a lot. Let me explain: it's not bad per se, because it's interesting and it works, but you cannot try to advertise a book "for fans of Killing Eve" when it's so painfully obvious that it has been written by a man. Some of the descriptions of Elsa (the main character) made me feel really uncomfortable and I thought they were unnecessary (for example, a mention of her "camel toe" after a fight ????). Fortunately, this mostly happens at the beginning of the books. But it this hadn't been an ARC I would have probably DNF it because of that beginning.
What worked best for me was the whole plot/conspiration/reason behind the attacks on Elsa. It isn't anything really original compared to action movies (you see some of the plotwist coming), but it's developed in a way that definitely keeps you hooked. Between 10% and 70%, this book is a page-turner, perfect for a flight or for getting outside of your head for a couple days. The ending, however, is too long, it could work with less pages.
What I didn't like as much was the personality and psychological development of the characters. It was hard for me to feel empathy towards Elsa and I didn't really understand her relationship/feelings towards her children. Her relationships with other characters were weird and inconsistent. Honestly I would have preferred less details about her feelings and thoughts because they didn't bring much value and in fact made me feel confused.
So, in summary: it's not Killing Eve, it's Mr. and Mrs. Smith. If you go into this book with those expectations, you'll definitely enjoy it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
So, the beginning was the worst part and it lowered my expectations a lot. Let me explain: it's not bad per se, because it's interesting and it works, but you cannot try to advertise a book "for fans of Killing Eve" when it's so painfully obvious that it has been written by a man. Some of the descriptions of Elsa (the main character) made me feel really uncomfortable and I thought they were unnecessary (for example, a mention of her "camel toe" after a fight ????). Fortunately, this mostly happens at the beginning of the books. But it this hadn't been an ARC I would have probably DNF it because of that beginning.
What worked best for me was the whole plot/conspiration/reason behind the attacks on Elsa. It isn't anything really original compared to action movies (you see some of the plotwist coming), but it's developed in a way that definitely keeps you hooked. Between 10% and 70%, this book is a page-turner, perfect for a flight or for getting outside of your head for a couple days. The ending, however, is too long, it could work with less pages.
What I didn't like as much was the personality and psychological development of the characters. It was hard for me to feel empathy towards Elsa and I didn't really understand her relationship/feelings towards her children. Her relationships with other characters were weird and inconsistent. Honestly I would have preferred less details about her feelings and thoughts because they didn't bring much value and in fact made me feel confused.
So, in summary: it's not Killing Eve, it's Mr. and Mrs. Smith. If you go into this book with those expectations, you'll definitely enjoy it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Gun violence
There are some parts where female descriptions may make the reader feel uncomfortable
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