The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
jamballdonut's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
I love Win, which is surprising because he's exactly the type of person that I would typically hate, but he's written in a way that makes me laugh and enjoy his sassy and macabre personality. He's a rich, white asshole, and that works perfectly for him. He knows he's better than everyone, and there's no point in hiding that.
In saying that, as an "introductory" book to the world of Win without Myron Bolitar, the actual plot itself felt a little.. ridiculous. We get it, he's rich, he's self-indulged, he has access to so many things us peasants never will, but to base the book on the theft of a priceless one-of-a-kid art piece owned by Win's family just felt a little too "wow I'm so much better than you". In saying all of that, I still enjoyed the book.
The twist was one I never saw coming, and I'm beginning to appreciate that about Harlan Coben. He's quickly becoming someone whose every book I need to read, and I genuinely look forward to more books focusing on just Win, although hope his fame and fortune allows him to focus on cases that aren't so close to home next time.
In saying that, as an "introductory" book to the world of Win without Myron Bolitar, the actual plot itself felt a little.. ridiculous. We get it, he's rich, he's self-indulged, he has access to so many things us peasants never will, but to base the book on the theft of a priceless one-of-a-kid art piece owned by Win's family just felt a little too "wow I'm so much better than you". In saying all of that, I still enjoyed the book.
The twist was one I never saw coming, and I'm beginning to appreciate that about Harlan Coben. He's quickly becoming someone whose every book I need to read, and I genuinely look forward to more books focusing on just Win, although hope his fame and fortune allows him to focus on cases that aren't so close to home next time.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting, Death, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Rape, Grief, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Murder, and Physical abuse
tara3117's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
 I like Harlan Coben's books quite a lot. They are nice easy reads, they keep me guessing and they have enough suspense to keep me interested.
That said, this was a doozy. The main character isn't likeable, not even a little bit. He's not supposed to be, so I guess good job for that, but I don't really want to read about a man I can't relate to. Actually, everyone in this book is terrible except maybe Win's daughter, Ema, despite the fact that she has the worst name.
Coben's cash cow, Myron, is brought up in every chapter. Win is in love with him so much that I half expect this book to end with Win coming home to find Myron naked on his sofa and the two just make out for the whole last chapter. Actually, maybe Ema doesn't have the worst name...
Lastly, Coben actually described a woman in this book as "fleshy" which I guess was supposed to be a nice word for fat? It just made me feel icky.Â
That said, this was a doozy. The main character isn't likeable, not even a little bit. He's not supposed to be, so I guess good job for that, but I don't really want to read about a man I can't relate to. Actually, everyone in this book is terrible except maybe Win's daughter, Ema, despite the fact that she has the worst name.
Coben's cash cow, Myron, is brought up in every chapter. Win is in love with him so much that I half expect this book to end with Win coming home to find Myron naked on his sofa and the two just make out for the whole last chapter. Actually, maybe Ema doesn't have the worst name...
Lastly, Coben actually described a woman in this book as "fleshy" which I guess was supposed to be a nice word for fat? It just made me feel icky.Â
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Death of parent, Torture, Sexual content, Sexism, and Misogyny
More...