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taleofabibliophile's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Vomit, Dementia, Stalking, and Alcohol
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Drug use, Fatphobia, Racial slurs, Medical content, and Classism
littlecake's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I have mixed feelings about this book.
The first half of the book is relatively slow. Even though the mystery starts early on, it was difficult for me to feel hooked. In the beginning, I enjoyed Amy's narration more than Nick's. It is not only because Nick is more unlikeable as a character. In fact, I love reading about unlikeable characters. But, in the beginning, I felt like Flynn has written Nick more poorly. He is the reader's prime suspect, so she keeps him mysterious and not sincere and it made his voice flatter than Amy's.
But then, after about half of the book, it takes a turn, and everything becomes more interesting. I was more engrossed in the plot and curious to see what happened.
And yet, they were things making it difficult for me to care. The characters were annoying, not because they are supposed to be unlikeable characters but because they have white people's problems. These characters and this marriage represent the white American upper-class ideal. And this is why this novel was shocking for Americans because it deconstruct it and makes it creepy. But I don't relate to that ideal, so their problems or relationship were dull for me. Plus, I found some of the plot points unbelievable. And, even if Flynn played well on the unreliable narrator, she sometimes made it too obvious. I could sense her manipulating me.
A not-so-side note: some casual racism here really made me uncomfortable. It's some remark about native Americans, some slur about homeless people, some ooh effect about a black journalist. I understand that this is first-person narration with unlikeable characters, but the racism never gets addressed, so it normalises this kind of remark.
The novel entertained me a bit but it's not the best thriller I have ever read.
The first half of the book is relatively slow. Even though the mystery starts early on, it was difficult for me to feel hooked. In the beginning, I enjoyed Amy's narration more than Nick's. It is not only because Nick is more unlikeable as a character. In fact, I love reading about unlikeable characters. But, in the beginning, I felt like Flynn has written Nick more poorly. He is the reader's prime suspect, so she keeps him mysterious and not sincere and it made his voice flatter than Amy's.
But then, after about half of the book, it takes a turn, and everything becomes more interesting. I was more engrossed in the plot and curious to see what happened.
And yet, they were things making it difficult for me to care. The characters were annoying, not because they are supposed to be unlikeable characters but because they have white people's problems. These characters and this marriage represent the white American upper-class ideal. And this is why this novel was shocking for Americans because it deconstruct it and makes it creepy. But I don't relate to that ideal, so their problems or relationship were dull for me. Plus, I found some of the plot points unbelievable. And, even if Flynn played well on the unreliable narrator, she sometimes made it too obvious. I could sense her manipulating me.
A not-so-side note: some casual racism here really made me uncomfortable. It's some remark about native Americans, some slur about homeless people, some ooh effect about a black journalist. I understand that this is first-person narration with unlikeable characters, but the racism never gets addressed, so it normalises this kind of remark.
The novel entertained me a bit but it's not the best thriller I have ever read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Stalking, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
Minor: Racial slurs