A review by ufcasey
Fellside by M.R. Carey
3.0
This book basically has three main story lines:
- the mystery behind what really happened the night that Jess was accused of murdering Alex
- Jess' ability to talk to Alex after he already died
- the drug smuggling ring in the Fellside prison
The first two things I really liked and was interested in. The third - ugh, complete snoozefest. Unfortunately that part takes up a LOT of the plot. It even pulls in multiple characters, each of which get their own chapters devoted to them, taking up tons of page space. If all of that was cut out, then I would have rated this book much higher. But as it stands, I liked it overall, I just didn't *really* like it as much as I did this author's other book, [b:The Girl with All the Gifts|17235026|The Girl With All the Gifts (The Girl With All the Gifts, #1)|M.R. Carey|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1403033579s/17235026.jpg|23753235].
I am just not sure what kind of reader this book is supposed to be marketed towards. Murder mystery readers will find this not thrilling enough. Contemporary fiction readers will find the magical realism of the dream world portions to be a bit off putting. Readers of fantasy type books who would find the magical realism more palatable, will find the drug smuggling ring subplot a drag. People who read all those kinds of books will probably wish the book went "more" in one direction or another. In the end, I think it attempts to do too much at once.
- the mystery behind what really happened the night that Jess was accused of murdering Alex
- Jess' ability to talk to Alex after he already died
- the drug smuggling ring in the Fellside prison
The first two things I really liked and was interested in. The third - ugh, complete snoozefest. Unfortunately that part takes up a LOT of the plot. It even pulls in multiple characters, each of which get their own chapters devoted to them, taking up tons of page space. If all of that was cut out, then I would have rated this book much higher. But as it stands, I liked it overall, I just didn't *really* like it as much as I did this author's other book, [b:The Girl with All the Gifts|17235026|The Girl With All the Gifts (The Girl With All the Gifts, #1)|M.R. Carey|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1403033579s/17235026.jpg|23753235].
I am just not sure what kind of reader this book is supposed to be marketed towards. Murder mystery readers will find this not thrilling enough. Contemporary fiction readers will find the magical realism of the dream world portions to be a bit off putting. Readers of fantasy type books who would find the magical realism more palatable, will find the drug smuggling ring subplot a drag. People who read all those kinds of books will probably wish the book went "more" in one direction or another. In the end, I think it attempts to do too much at once.