A review by mariella02
The Villa by Rachel Hawkins

challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

So coming from someone that has only ever read two thriller novels, this isn't at all what I think of when I think of the genre.
It reads more like a literary fiction book, especially in the past time line.

Contrary to most other reviews I've seen I actually really liked the 1974 timeline, for a lot of the book I actually found the group and their dynamics more compelling than Chess and Emily.
I'm actually really impressed by how much character work Rachel Hawkins was able to fit into this relatively short novel.

The mystery aspect of this book didn't feel too mysterious to me, hence my verdict that this read more like a literary novel. I never felt compelled to figure out what really happened and for the most part was able to guess where the story would go. Still I enjoyed seeing it unfold on the page.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings