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A review by oracleofdusk
The Breakdown by B.A. Paris
A couple of disclaimers:
One, I received this book from a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway. Second, I don't feel comfortable rating this book because of personal baggage I brought into it.
Let me explain and review at the same time. There's two main components to this book. Cass and her descent into a guilt-ridden psychosis and the actual mystery behind the death of the woman Cass saw on the side of the road. Both are well executed. The latter part--the mystery--hits you incredibly early, the stakes and confusion are promptly presented, and the figurative investigation unfolds at a good pace.
On the other hand, there's Cass. Cass is a well-fleshed out, realistic character. In fact, she reminds me of some of the people I went to high school with. Therein lies the problem. I did not get along with the people I went to high school with, and while characters don't need to be likeable or sympathetic to get you through a story, I can't deny that once I subconsciously made the connection, I became incredibly critical of the things Cass was doing. She seems to succumb to her own guilt far too quickly. She starts pulling away from reality by page 20 (and the font size on the book is relatively large) with seemingly no resistance. Yes, there are some people who would genuinely react that way, and this reaction is consistent with her character throughout the entire book, but I was already inclined to be frustrated with her.
The problem is that Cass is the main focus of this book. She is the lens through which the reader experiences the mystery. If you are already inclined to be critical of the window into that world, you are not going to fully enjoy the sight before you.
Do you see why I don't want to rate this book? It's properly executed. If you like the genre or the author, you will like this book, but the star system here are Goodreads is meant to be a subjective indicator of one's experience reading a book. I can honestly say my opinions on this book shouldn't be a factor in other people's decisions about whether or not to give this book a chance in the same way that my repeated struggle with the cover design shouldn't impact your decision. (There are black specs along the cover and inside flaps, and for some reason, I kept thinking they were some of the coffee grounds I had spilled that morning.)
In the end, I could risk this book become a sacrifice to the inherently flawed nature of star rating systems (albeit, in an incredibly small way), or I could write out a long and rather needless explanation of why this book has no ratings despite it being a First reads giveaway book. (While you don't have to star or review these books per the agreement you consent to when entering a giveaway, it seems in poor form not to, and I am already incredibly behind on that particular to read list.)
Point being, it is a well done book, and if you like the genre, I feel confident in saying you will like this book. I just wasn't inclined to like it.
One, I received this book from a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway. Second, I don't feel comfortable rating this book because of personal baggage I brought into it.
Let me explain and review at the same time. There's two main components to this book. Cass and her descent into a guilt-ridden psychosis and the actual mystery behind the death of the woman Cass saw on the side of the road. Both are well executed. The latter part--the mystery--hits you incredibly early, the stakes and confusion are promptly presented, and the figurative investigation unfolds at a good pace.
On the other hand, there's Cass. Cass is a well-fleshed out, realistic character. In fact, she reminds me of some of the people I went to high school with. Therein lies the problem. I did not get along with the people I went to high school with, and while characters don't need to be likeable or sympathetic to get you through a story, I can't deny that once I subconsciously made the connection, I became incredibly critical of the things Cass was doing. She seems to succumb to her own guilt far too quickly. She starts pulling away from reality by page 20 (and the font size on the book is relatively large) with seemingly no resistance. Yes, there are some people who would genuinely react that way, and this reaction is consistent with her character throughout the entire book, but I was already inclined to be frustrated with her.
The problem is that Cass is the main focus of this book. She is the lens through which the reader experiences the mystery. If you are already inclined to be critical of the window into that world, you are not going to fully enjoy the sight before you.
Do you see why I don't want to rate this book? It's properly executed. If you like the genre or the author, you will like this book, but the star system here are Goodreads is meant to be a subjective indicator of one's experience reading a book. I can honestly say my opinions on this book shouldn't be a factor in other people's decisions about whether or not to give this book a chance in the same way that my repeated struggle with the cover design shouldn't impact your decision. (There are black specs along the cover and inside flaps, and for some reason, I kept thinking they were some of the coffee grounds I had spilled that morning.)
In the end, I could risk this book become a sacrifice to the inherently flawed nature of star rating systems (albeit, in an incredibly small way), or I could write out a long and rather needless explanation of why this book has no ratings despite it being a First reads giveaway book. (While you don't have to star or review these books per the agreement you consent to when entering a giveaway, it seems in poor form not to, and I am already incredibly behind on that particular to read list.)
Point being, it is a well done book, and if you like the genre, I feel confident in saying you will like this book. I just wasn't inclined to like it.