A review by maggiewen
Nightshift by Kiare Ladner

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

3.0

“Obsession is about not wanting to be the self. Wanting to be other.”

I was almost 100% sure this was going to be a five start read for me. At least four starts but it didn’t even come close. 

The premise is so interesting: an obsessive women who ruins her own life chasing another woman, but the story went so slowly that the slow burn kind of burned out by page 100. I really liked Meggie and Sabine’s relationship at the beginning, it felt new and mysterious, and I was expecting it to feel a little less mysterious as we got to know the characters but we never really did. The only thing I think I know about them is that Meggie likes to drink and Sabine is an “it girl.” Their relationship (which I don’t even know if I want to call a relationship) felt really surface level and just boring when it has so much potential to be exciting or even a bit spooky.

To be honest I don’t think I can even talk about the plot because there was barely any. Like I’m not able to say at which part of the book was the climax because I don’t think there was one. The plot in this book is just a straight line, and sometimes I can excuse that if I like the characters but I don’t even like the characters. Sabine felt manipulative and selfish (especially towards the end) and Meggie was just…boring.

Nightshift is a pretty short and easy read if you don’t actually feel like reading, but if you want something complex and intriguing, this is not it.

“Women aren’t scared of being fascinated by other women.”
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