A review by niyou
The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I enjoyed the premise of The Book of Accidents and the concepts it explores like family and overcoming generational trauma.
What I didn’t like was the characterization. The characters felt flat and voices didn’t sound distinct. Everyone seemed to have the same personality - just slightly tweaked by their respective backgrounds.. Although the author obviously wants you to care for them the emotional pay off wasn’t there for me.
This was also why I felt the narrative lagged. I just wasn’t really interested in the frequent internal monologues from the protagonists. These monologues also took most of the tension out of the story as almost all of the characters’ motivations were spelled out.
All in all an interesting concept but ultimately an unrewarding read for me.
What I didn’t like was the characterization. The characters felt flat and voices didn’t sound distinct. Everyone seemed to have the same personality - just slightly tweaked by their respective backgrounds.
Spoiler
Not just Oliver and Jake who are de facto the same person but Maddie and Nate too.This was also why I felt the narrative lagged. I just wasn’t really interested in the frequent internal monologues from the protagonists. These monologues also took most of the tension out of the story as almost all of the characters’ motivations were spelled out.
All in all an interesting concept but ultimately an unrewarding read for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Bullying, Car accident, Child abuse, Cursing, and Death
Minor: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse