laneyvonhall's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
suvata's review against another edition
5.0
Tana French speeks to me louder than other authors. This book is a stand-alone and not part of the Dublin Murder set. I absolutely devoured this book.
kansascorley's review against another edition
2.0
I was almost going to give this book 3 stars because even thought it wasn’t at all the genre I thought it was, it wasn’t a terrible book. Maybe a disappointment for me, but still enjoyable for someone who knew what they were in for. Then, it ended... the ending was too terrible to make this book worth the time invested.
courtsport3000's review against another edition
4.0
As with every other French book I’ve read, I really enjoyed this read. That said, I can 100% understand why many people don’t.
French is known for crafting very deep, realistic, relatable characters and the characters in The Witch Elm are no exception. But unlike her other books, this one takes character-driven to new heights. It’s almost entirely character building while the plot slowly (very slowly) meanders alongside.
The plot readers do get is incredibly intricate and beautifully crafted, but it takes soooo long for anything to happen that it can be difficult to stay engaged. In a shorter book this pacing may be less problematic, but in a 500+ page work readers shouldn’t have to wait so long to get started, much less for any payoff.
I enjoyed it plenty and I’m glad I read it, but it’s definitely not a book I’d be quick to recommend, especially for readers looking to experience French’s writing for the first time.
French is known for crafting very deep, realistic, relatable characters and the characters in The Witch Elm are no exception. But unlike her other books, this one takes character-driven to new heights. It’s almost entirely character building while the plot slowly (very slowly) meanders alongside.
The plot readers do get is incredibly intricate and beautifully crafted, but it takes soooo long for anything to happen that it can be difficult to stay engaged. In a shorter book this pacing may be less problematic, but in a 500+ page work readers shouldn’t have to wait so long to get started, much less for any payoff.
I enjoyed it plenty and I’m glad I read it, but it’s definitely not a book I’d be quick to recommend, especially for readers looking to experience French’s writing for the first time.
seltella's review against another edition
3.0
Ogólnie było spoko. Pierwsza sprawa, a właściwie druga sprawiła, że zaczęłam się zastanawiać kto zabił.
Co do zakończenia, to jest niepotrzebne. To po prostu za dużo i czuć ten przesyt. Dałabym 4 gwiazdki, gdyby nie to zakończenie.
Co do zakończenia, to jest niepotrzebne. To po prostu za dużo i czuć ten przesyt. Dałabym 4 gwiazdki, gdyby nie to zakończenie.
rgcmama's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed the ride but was really disappointed with how it ended. I don't know why I was disappointed... It seems like an appropriate ending for this kind of story, but it made me sad. Still, I love Tana French forever and for always.
dcmr's review against another edition
I'm a big fan of Tana French, but could not finish this one. Slooooow pace with much detail. Not for me.
rwilliams659's review against another edition
2.0
French needed some heavy editing on this one. The story dragged on and on, almost boring me to tears at several points. The main plot point didn't even emerge until well into the book (I think about 9 hours, as I was listening to the audiobook), and there were many times when I inadvertently zoned out for 20 minutes only to discover, when I snapped my attention back, that absolutely nothing of consequence had occurred. Do not recommend.