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lroseb's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
pil4r's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Un thriller que no termina de serlo.
Death of a Bookseller ofrece una historia que intenta esgrimir el misterio sobre la muerte anunciada de una vendedora de libros, de alguna de nuestra dos opuestas protagonistas.
Slater construye personajes muy caricaturescos, humanos y, por ende, frecuentemente insoportables. Laura y Roach son dos mujeres completamente distintas pero igualmente desesperadas e intensas. Esta desesperación se vincula con la vacancia de cierto amor, de cierta falta del lugar propio que late y duele en ambas.
Las perspectivas son interesantes, entretenidas y dan lugar a efectos emocionales -muy bien logrados- del orden del asco, la verguenza ajena pero también la empatía.
Otros aspectos que disfruté mucho de esta historia son: la verosimilitud de las conversaciones que la autora propone, la atinada discusión en torno a lo problemático y lo atractivo del true crime y lo bien escrita que esta la obsesión que se desenvuelve a lo largo de la trama.
Más allá de todo esto, la novela dejó de ser entretenida e intrigante para mí para resultar larga-de-más a partir de su segundo tercio.
Recomiendo para feministas amantes del true crime y el misterio que estén dispuestas a enfrentarse a perspectivas que incomodan porque nos hacen ver, en los personajes, lo que a veces no queremos ver de nosotras mismas. Siempre y cuando estén también abiertas a encontrarse con una historia a la que le sobran un par de páginas.
Death of a Bookseller ofrece una historia que intenta esgrimir el misterio sobre la muerte anunciada de una vendedora de libros, de alguna de nuestra dos opuestas protagonistas.
Slater construye personajes muy caricaturescos, humanos y, por ende, frecuentemente insoportables. Laura y Roach son dos mujeres completamente distintas pero igualmente desesperadas e intensas. Esta desesperación se vincula con la vacancia de cierto amor, de cierta falta del lugar propio que late y duele en ambas.
Las perspectivas son interesantes, entretenidas y dan lugar a efectos emocionales -muy bien logrados- del orden del asco, la verguenza ajena pero también la empatía.
Otros aspectos que disfruté mucho de esta historia son: la verosimilitud de las conversaciones que la autora propone, la atinada discusión en torno a lo problemático y lo atractivo del true crime y lo bien escrita que esta la obsesión que se desenvuelve a lo largo de la trama.
Más allá de todo esto, la novela dejó de ser entretenida e intrigante para mí para resultar larga-de-más a partir de su segundo tercio.
Recomiendo para feministas amantes del true crime y el misterio que estén dispuestas a enfrentarse a perspectivas que incomodan porque nos hacen ver, en los personajes, lo que a veces no queremos ver de nosotras mismas. Siempre y cuando estén también abiertas a encontrarse con una historia a la que le sobran un par de páginas.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Moderate: Animal death, Sexual content, Violence, Vomit, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
thirdtimesacharm's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Sexual content, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Murder
spacedout_reader's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I thought the writing was good and the characterization was superb, every one felt like a real, flawed individual. However, for me the story was ultimately not that satisfying, and it felt like it left a lot of loose ends.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Murder
jennifermreads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"By Christmas, Laura Bunting was gone. And it was my fault."
I picked up Death of a Bookseller during Indie Bookstore Day 2024. This definitely was a “title buy” with the words “death” and “bookseller” screaming from the cover! And, with the bookstore setting, there are a plethora of book titles sprinkled within the context of the story. If you are not careful, your TBR will grow exponentially.
I picked up Death of a Bookseller during Indie Bookstore Day 2024. This definitely was a “title buy” with the words “death” and “bookseller” screaming from the cover! And, with the bookstore setting, there are a plethora of book titles sprinkled within the context of the story. If you are not careful, your TBR will grow exponentially.
The dual perspective novel will have you rethinking every true crime podcast, novel, and TV show you have ever consumed. With one character obsessed with serial killers and one character begging us to remember the victims, readers are pulled back and forth, teetering on the edge of sense and sanity. I love when I find myself questioning the reliability of a narrator. I also found myself jumping between “I know what is going to happen” and “whoa…maybe I don’t.”
An enjoyable diversion with a unique twist on serial killer storylines.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Vomit
Moderate: Sexual content
Several of the instances of vomiting could be eating disorder related. I do not have personal experience with eating disorders and had trouble identifying if it was grief, alcohol, or disorder leading to episodes of vomit.beth_s98's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
2.5
Honestly, this book wasn’t for me, and I only finished it partially out of spite. I hated Roach, and while I think that’s kind of the point, I struggled to get through her chapters. I liked Lauren, and a lot of the other characters were interesting. I hate in the end that Lauren doesn’t get true peace, and we are left with Roach walking back into her life. There were just so many moments that I felt were either unnecessary or just beyond plausibility. I don’t think the writing was bad, but I was not a fan of the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Mass/school shootings
wrackspurtt's review against another edition
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Blood and Vomit
isb_'s review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.5
Wow. Just wow. This book was an unnerving, grotesque, intriguing, mind-effing wonder. I felt so deeply connected to the characters that it was easy to slip into the dark world Alice Slater has created here. Obsession is a powerful thing, and this book will not soon leave my mind.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Eating disorder, Gore, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Vomit, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
charming_killerqueen's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Murder
Moderate: Sexism and Stalking
Minor: Sexual content
withlivjones's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A skin-crawling, chilling book about obsession. We follow our two main characters, booksellers Laura and Roach, navigate the autumn-winter months in a struggling bookstore, as Roach’s interest in true crime causes her to be drawn to Laura with an intensity that will doom them both.
Most of this book is very slow-paced, while Slater takes the time to explore both Roach’s and Laura’s characters in great detail. Both characters are deeply flawed in different ways, and I really enjoyed reading about them in a “I don’t like what’s going on and I’m low-key disgusted but I can’t look away” way. There were definitely some parts that dragged, and some that felt a bit repetitive, but the plot really picks up in the last third or so as Roach’s obsession with Laura causes both characters’ mental states to spiral rapidly, and from then I could not put it down! And the ending made my stomach DROP.
I also really enjoyed reading about the ins and outs of bookselling in this book - the stuff that goes on behind the scenes in a bookshop is really interesting to me, and it seems that Slater knows her stuff.
Most of this book is very slow-paced, while Slater takes the time to explore both Roach’s and Laura’s characters in great detail. Both characters are deeply flawed in different ways, and I really enjoyed reading about them in a “I don’t like what’s going on and I’m low-key disgusted but I can’t look away” way. There were definitely some parts that dragged, and some that felt a bit repetitive, but the plot really picks up in the last third or so as Roach’s obsession with Laura causes both characters’ mental states to spiral rapidly, and from then I could not put it down! And the ending made my stomach DROP.
I also really enjoyed reading about the ins and outs of bookselling in this book - the stuff that goes on behind the scenes in a bookshop is really interesting to me, and it seems that Slater knows her stuff.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Vomit, and Stalking
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting