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A review by espressoreader
The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
This is what happens when an author has a bunch of ideas on sticky notes and then decides to chose which one to use by playing pin the tail on the donkey. Unfortunately, the reader is the donkey in this scenario. The plot of this book was about 3 different mismatched and then mangled story arcs that were never spliced.
The alcoholism of the main character took too much time. Does it happen? Absolutely, but functional alcoholics are functional not constantly at the booze at the cost of other things, and dysfunctional alcoholics don’t make good narrators. Too much of the main character’s personality was obfuscated by the addiction. I am aware that it happens in life, but that does not render it a good person to select to guide the whole book.
Fail.
The alcoholism of the main character took too much time. Does it happen? Absolutely, but functional alcoholics are functional not constantly at the booze at the cost of other things, and dysfunctional alcoholics don’t make good narrators. Too much of the main character’s personality was obfuscated by the addiction. I am aware that it happens in life, but that does not render it a good person to select to guide the whole book.
Fail.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Torture, Toxic relationship, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol