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A review by emmamadds
Night Film by Marisha Pessl
2.0
I don't really know where to begin with this book. To me it was so promising but ended up just being frustrating to read.
The concept had me so hooked! A dark mystery investigation thriller about an elusive film maker and his daughter's senseless suicide. Sold! And with immersive case files and web pages? Super sold!
The book started losing me as soon as the investigative journalist protagonist agreed to letting two total strangers, who were annoying young adults, tag along. Why?? Just why??
None of the main characters were especially likeable (they also speak exactly the same), the protagonist was infuriatingly sexist, racist, and righteous (even though the book was written by a woman??), every single of the overwhelming amount of characters had a name that we had to remember for some reason, there were so many side plots and back stories (like the 19-year-old making moves on the 40-something journalist?? what??) that weren't always relevant to the mystery or the characters or the plot.
And for a book about chilling night films that were so scary people fainted, I never felt my heart race once besides the opening scene. I never really felt or connected with the dark and heavy mood the book I think was trying to give off either.
The ending was very on the nose with the night films themselves. However, I couldn't help but feel disappointed instead of thrilled.
The concept had me so hooked! A dark mystery investigation thriller about an elusive film maker and his daughter's senseless suicide. Sold! And with immersive case files and web pages? Super sold!
The book started losing me as soon as the investigative journalist protagonist agreed to letting two total strangers, who were annoying young adults, tag along. Why?? Just why??
None of the main characters were especially likeable (they also speak exactly the same), the protagonist was infuriatingly sexist, racist, and righteous (even though the book was written by a woman??), every single of the overwhelming amount of characters had a name that we had to remember for some reason, there were so many side plots and back stories (like the 19-year-old making moves on the 40-something journalist?? what??) that weren't always relevant to the mystery or the characters or the plot.
And for a book about chilling night films that were so scary people fainted, I never felt my heart race once besides the opening scene. I never really felt or connected with the dark and heavy mood the book I think was trying to give off either.
The ending was very on the nose with the night films themselves. However, I couldn't help but feel disappointed instead of thrilled.