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madlain's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Miscarriage, Dementia, Grief, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual assault, Blood, and Pregnancy
calmcelebration9888's review against another edition
5.0
I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. I really enjoyed the pace of this book and the characters. I think I liked it because some tangential events in the narrative are aspects of my own life and so it really hit home for me. First I should mention a trigger warning on eating disorders. If they bother you, then take care.
The story is about a woman Jane who is obsessed with her best friend, Marnie. Jane meets Marnie as kids and they are instant friends. In her 20s, Jane meets and marries Jonathan. Two years later, he dies in a freak accident after running the London Marathon. While Jane is mourning, Marnie starts a relationship with Charles. They were in the middle of moving in together when Jane’s husband died and since then she has always hated Charles. One day, she lets herself into Marnie’s place after an argument and finds that Charles fell down the stairs. Ultimately he dies and Jane is responsible. A blogger finds out about the 2 deaths and goes viral writing a story accusing the ladies of killing their husbands for money.
Even though the book is mostly predictable I still enjoyed it a lot. I appreciated a more realistic look at eating disorders. It’s not always get sick and go to treatment and you’re all better. Some people truly have it for a lifetime. I liked all of the different characters but if I can give one criticism, Jane is obviously troubled more than a standard broken home can cause. I don’t think it can be explained by her not being the favorite and her father leaving for his mistress. It didn’t seem to square with the things she ended up doing. Otherwise though I found the book engaging. I hope to read more of this author’s work in the future.
Even though the book is mostly predictable I still enjoyed it a lot. I appreciated a more realistic look at eating disorders. It’s not always get sick and go to treatment and you’re all better. Some people truly have it for a lifetime. I liked all of the different characters but if I can give one criticism, Jane is obviously troubled more than a standard broken home can cause. I don’t think it can be explained by her not being the favorite and her father leaving for his mistress. It didn’t seem to square with the things she ended up doing. Otherwise though I found the book engaging. I hope to read more of this author’s work in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
the_bookish_owl's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Eating disorder
Moderate: Dementia
Minor: Miscarriage
laranda's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Eating disorder and Dementia