Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Imperfect Women by Araminta Hall

6 reviews

fkshg8465's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Characters were awful people. I know scenarios like these happen everyday across the world. And there is no way to dismantle the global infrastructure of patriarchy, which is a large part of this book’s frustration, but there wasn’t even one thing I could find likable about any of the characters. It’s damage upon damage. And it’s a story that can only continue to wreak damage for generations afterward. The truth is, any one of us can probably find ourselves in any of these characters’ shoes on our worst days, and as much as I hate this book, it’s also the genius of this book. So I upgrade it to a 3.5.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

ria_mar's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional hopeful mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

danicam's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

2.75

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

elyssajoh's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

3.75

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

librariangeorgia's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging mysterious tense fast-paced

3.5

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

lou_o_donnell's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Disclaimer: I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this title in exchange for a review. 


Imperfect Women was, in many ways, a deeply frustrating book. I enjoyed much of it, but it ultimately left me feeling disappointed. 

The writing was lovely. Part best-selling, snappy, crime thriller, part self-conscious literary fiction. I enjoyed many turns of phrase, the reflections they contained and the cinematic use of language. That said, it sometimes felt that the morality lessons from the author lacked any subtlety; they were often shoved down your throat. 

I loved the grey morals and the nuance, the complexity of the relationships and the preciousness of friendship. While I found some points of view tedious, I understood that this was an intentional drawing out by the author to illustrate the argument that women are often tangled in webs in their own minds. 

The biggest disappointment by far, however, was the predicted outcome. I guessed both twists genuinely less than a fifth of the way through the book. And while I liked the layered build-up of the storytelling through the three perspectives, the red herrings were poor and I found myself annoyed with the predictability. I’m also not delighted with the tied-up-with-a-bow ending, enjoying more ambiguous conclusions myself. 

I still recommend this book as a beach read, just not a world shattering one! 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
More...