Reviews

The Blinds by Adam Sternbergh

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leslielikesthings's review against another edition

3.0

Fun mystery/suspense/action that certainly kept my interest, but had some big plot holes and unlikely conclusions that left my eyes rolling.

The Blinds was an interesting idea: what if criminals had the memories of their past activities erased from their minds and then kept in a secret place to live out the rest of their days? The storyline did not take the route I had thought and used outside forces to move the storyline along. I thought it would have been interesting to explore the citizens of the Blinds and how their memory erasure effected them and their relationships to those around them. The ending worked well, and without giving anything away, left the fates of those who remain in their own hands with the promise of hope but also the unknowing certainty of what the future for them might bring.

alifromkc1907's review

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4.0

Gut Instinct Rating: 4.5
Character Score: 5
Believability Score: 4
Uniqueness Score: 5
Writing Style Score: 5
Excitement Factor Score: 4.5
Story Line Score: 4.5
Title Relevance Score: 5
Artwork Relevance Score: 5
Overall: 4.72

broccolini's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

randomfurlong's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

3.5

Enjoyment very much driven by plot - it proves continually surprising and subverts expectations of when and how it reveals information. The writing style is undistinguished and it could certainly have used a stronger editing hand - there are odd repetitions of moments that seem lazy. But a lot of fun and an intriguing meditation on the darkness of humanity and the distortions wrought by memory, bureaucracy and science.

rmichno's review

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3.0

I started off liking this book because it had an unusual premise and the writing style was crisp. The main characters were likable and the dialogue was sharp. I also wanted to uncover the mystery behind what was going on.

But about 1/2 way through the book as the mystery was revealed I felt the book took a turn for the worse. It felt like it switched into a dark, depressing, violent "thriller" - although it wasn't exactly page-turning material. I rarely found myself eager to pick up the book again and only plowed through the ending to see how it was wrapped up. After reading the ending I wish I'd just stopped reading it.