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A review by livres_de_bloss
If I Let You Go by Charlotte Levin
2.0
2.5
I really enjoyed “If I Can’t Have You” so I was super keen to find this book in the shop last week. Unfortunately, it widely missed the mark for me.
The whole book has a manic, anxious vibe. It was difficult to get immersed in it as it had such a relentlessly unpleasant undercurrent. This was exacerbated by utterly loathsome characters. I like Nish most but everyone else was… awful. I didn’t see the purported charm to Janet… she needed extensive therapy and an intervention. Her actions in the book were very warped and I found her lies and actions difficult to stomach. She could be cruel (her actions toward Mary illustrate this well) and I found her so difficult to empathize with or like.
Colin was a caricature, stereotypical, a villain. His character wasn’t nuanced or complex which made Janet’s situation (and how she found herself there) even more baffling. Mia and Robbie were vacuous and the fast and furious dynamics between the couples seemed inauthentic given the circumstances of how they all met.
As above, I liked Nish. Despite how Janet treated her, she always tried to include, support, and be there for her.
The book was fast but I didn’t enjoy reading it. Disappointingly, I had most of it figured out early on too. It’s a real shame, I was expecting another banger like the author’s first book. I grow increasingly disenfranchised with thrillers; so many seem geared toward parents and totally miss the mark for me.
I really enjoyed “If I Can’t Have You” so I was super keen to find this book in the shop last week. Unfortunately, it widely missed the mark for me.
The whole book has a manic, anxious vibe. It was difficult to get immersed in it as it had such a relentlessly unpleasant undercurrent. This was exacerbated by utterly loathsome characters. I like Nish most but everyone else was… awful. I didn’t see the purported charm to Janet… she needed extensive therapy and an intervention. Her actions in the book were very warped and I found her lies and actions difficult to stomach. She could be cruel (her actions toward Mary illustrate this well) and I found her so difficult to empathize with or like.
Colin was a caricature, stereotypical, a villain. His character wasn’t nuanced or complex which made Janet’s situation (and how she found herself there) even more baffling. Mia and Robbie were vacuous and the fast and furious dynamics between the couples seemed inauthentic given the circumstances of how they all met.
As above, I liked Nish. Despite how Janet treated her, she always tried to include, support, and be there for her.
The book was fast but I didn’t enjoy reading it. Disappointingly, I had most of it figured out early on too. It’s a real shame, I was expecting another banger like the author’s first book. I grow increasingly disenfranchised with thrillers; so many seem geared toward parents and totally miss the mark for me.