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A review by paulineerika
People Like Her by Ellery Lloyd
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
This book was less than 300 pages, yet felt so much longer. What should have been tension-building came off as dragging instead.
A large part of the problem is that there are two different stories going on here and they never quite intersect the way they should (even at the end). On the one hand, you have Dan and Emmy, with their strained marriage and possibly competing views on social media and Emmy's influencer career. On the other hand, you have a stalker story that is also related somewhat to Emmy's influencer career. Had the authors focused just on one or the other of these plots, I think the book would have been tighter and achieved that suspense they were looking for. Unfortunately, you just end up with two half-developed stories.And honestly, the stalker story required a lot of willing suspension of disbelief. It felt almost like a parody by the end.
Another problem? Neither Dan nor Emmy are particularly likeable characters. Gillian Flynn got away with this in Gone Girl, but there's significantly less success here. You need either Dan or Emmy to at least be somewhat fleshed out to be understandable, if not likeable. But neither one of them gets the character development they need for this to be pulled off. They're two-dimensional and stereotypical.
Ultimately, this book comes off as what the authors think a thriller should be like, rather than an actual thriller. The attempts at commentary about Instagram and influencers fall short and the stalker bit is just unnecessary and unsuccessful.
Disclaimer: I won this book in a #bookstagram giveaway.
A large part of the problem is that there are two different stories going on here and they never quite intersect the way they should (even at the end). On the one hand, you have Dan and Emmy, with their strained marriage and possibly competing views on social media and Emmy's influencer career. On the other hand, you have a stalker story that is also related somewhat to Emmy's influencer career. Had the authors focused just on one or the other of these plots, I think the book would have been tighter and achieved that suspense they were looking for. Unfortunately, you just end up with two half-developed stories.
Another problem? Neither Dan nor Emmy are particularly likeable characters. Gillian Flynn got away with this in Gone Girl, but there's significantly less success here. You need either Dan or Emmy to at least be somewhat fleshed out to be understandable, if not likeable. But neither one of them gets the character development they need for this to be pulled off. They're two-dimensional and stereotypical.
Ultimately, this book comes off as what the authors think a thriller should be like, rather than an actual thriller. The attempts at commentary about Instagram and influencers fall short and the stalker bit is just unnecessary and unsuccessful.
Disclaimer: I won this book in a #bookstagram giveaway.
Content Warnings
Minor: Mental illness, Miscarriage, and Suicide