solouncapitulomas's review against another edition
- 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
I was so bored with McGrath's story but I did appreciate the parallels between him and cordova and their daughters, but the other to characters? unbearable, the author could've focused on the lore of cordova and on Ashley (a character like rebecca from daphne du maurier more interesting in death and with the power to eclipse every other character without even trying) instead of fucking introducing two boring people (nora and hopper) with no business being there and maybe if those two stayed like another one of the additional people we met along the way they would've been bearable but no, they had to join the hunt and be useless
wtv, I finished this book before the end of October and that was that
Graphic: Suicide, Death, and Transphobia
Moderate: Racism, Forced institutionalization, and Cancer
Minor: Car accident
phantomgecko's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
idk, this was an interesting read. Long, but it wouldn't have been as satisfying shorter. I saw someone put this on a list of books they weren't smart enough to read, and I kinda get why. There're layers here, but it's enjoyable even at a high level.
Characters annoyed me at first, but they grew on me.
Moderate: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, and Terminal illness
siriface's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Death, Trafficking, and Suicide
judassilver's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Transphobia, Misogyny, Death, Alcohol, and Sexism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Cultural appropriation, Ableism, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Racism, Addiction, and Stalking
Minor: Car accident, Forced institutionalization, Cancer, Fire/Fire injury, and Trafficking
kylieqrada's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Death, Transphobia, and Suicide
Moderate: Racism, Forced institutionalization, and Cancer
Minor: Car accident
amichreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Gaslighting, Violence, Terminal illness, and Mental illness
sylvestra's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Death, Suicide, and Child death
Moderate: Trafficking, Religious bigotry, and Terminal illness
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Everyone that knows my reading tastes knows how much I adored "Neverworld Wake", and because of that love I have waited to read "Night Film". Marisha Pessl's writing is simply magic to me, and because her backlist is so short, I have been waiting to read her other stories so I can really savor them. "Night Film" was 1000% worth the wait and I already want to read it again!
This novel follows Scott McGrath, a disgraced journalist who ruined his career by sharing disparaging remarks about esteemed film director Stanislaus Cordova on national TV. Cordova has remained a mystery for years, and he has not been seen by the public for decades. This elusiveness has made him a huge topic of interest for those who love his movies. Cordova's daughter, Ashley, is found dead at 24-years-old in an abandoned warehouse. With this shocking news taking the world by storm, Scott finds himself sucked back into Cordova's mysterious world trying to uncover what really happened to Ashley and finally unveil who Cordova is.
I loved everything about this book. There are some mixed media elements throughout the book that made the reading experience all the more memorable, as well as making us, the readers, feel like we are finding clues along with Scott. The mystery keeps twisting and morphing as the story goes, and by the time the ending comes, it is difficult to decipher what ended up being the truth. There is a somewhat ambiguous ending that I felt like highlighted Cordova's mysteries life perfectly. Marisha left the perfect trail of breadcrumbs to lead us to uncovering all of the secrets surrounding Ashley's death, but I still was shocked by most of the reveals.
I cannot recommend this book enough!
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Torture, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Kidnapping, Child death, Murder, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Confinement
Minor: Cancer and Car accident
ro_lux's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Body horror, Gore, Suicide, and Transphobia
Moderate: Cancer, Fatphobia, Drug use, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Medical content, Alcohol, Car accident, Grief, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Terminal illness, Confinement, Violence, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Racism
michelles_book_nook's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Wow this book had me hooked from the very beginning and it blew my mind!! 🤯 This book follows an investigative journalist, Scott McGrath, who goes on a wild journey of trying to get to the bottom of the apparent suicide of a cult horror director's daughter. However, this isn't his first run in with the Cordova family and last time he lost his career and marriage but this time his sanity and life could be at stake. Honestly this book is impeccably written and uses so many elements to draw you in and make you feel like you are investigating this case alongside McGrath in such a perfect way that you will not be able to stop thinking about it! It is so hard to review without giving away spoilers and even though this is a CHONK of a book I highly recommend it. Marisha Pessl is a brand new author to me and I'm dying to get my hands on more of her work. Overall, this book is incredible if you are into horror/thriller and crime mysteries but please read the TW's around this book before going into it because some of the subject matter is very heavy.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Moderate: Suicide, Death, Mental illness, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Child death