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A review by donasbooks
The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Thank you to the author Rachel Hawkins, publishers St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of THE HEIRESS. All views are mine.
I got away with it. That was all I cared about. It feels good to write that down, I must say. The clear, pure truth of it, no excuses, no explanations. I had gotten away with murder, and I was glad for it. p96
Three (or more) things I loved:
1. I love the conversational narrative voice. Experts always tell writers to strive for sounding like they're talking to a friend over coffee, but its hard to affect. *This* is it.
2. Ask him about what he’s reading (the Roman history book I gave him for Christmas), ask him his thoughts on the hierarchy of fast-food chains (Burger King is overrated, Arby’s deserves more love, he can’t fuck with Taco Bell after some drunken incident in college), ask him about politics (a conversation that lasted for nearly all of Missouri), and he has plenty to say. When it comes to his family? Nothing. This scene contains excellent development of both main characters and their relationship, as well as plot development–they're driving into a Hazy present composed only of his memories. That is one unsafe situation for everyone! Such good friction, too.
Three (or less) things I didn't love:
This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.
1. This contains a great many characters, but they don't often interact. More often, the author describes one or more characters describing yet other characters. But it's all dialogue and summary, essentially.
2. This book is hard to follow. Multiple perspectives in multiple time periods, but they're all in first person, and there's nothing stylistically to distinguish them from each other.
3. The ending is neither well-plotted or memorable.
Rating: 🏰🏰.5 /5 mountain castles
Recommend? Maybe
Finished: Sep 3 '24
Format: Digital arc, NetGalley
Read this book if you like:
🏚 creepy houses
👨👩👧👦 family stories, family drama
🩸 sibling rivalry
💇♂️ boys' coming of age
🔪 murder mystery
I got away with it. That was all I cared about. It feels good to write that down, I must say. The clear, pure truth of it, no excuses, no explanations. I had gotten away with murder, and I was glad for it. p96
Three (or more) things I loved:
1. I love the conversational narrative voice. Experts always tell writers to strive for sounding like they're talking to a friend over coffee, but its hard to affect. *This* is it.
2. Ask him about what he’s reading (the Roman history book I gave him for Christmas), ask him his thoughts on the hierarchy of fast-food chains (Burger King is overrated, Arby’s deserves more love, he can’t fuck with Taco Bell after some drunken incident in college), ask him about politics (a conversation that lasted for nearly all of Missouri), and he has plenty to say. When it comes to his family? Nothing. This scene contains excellent development of both main characters and their relationship, as well as plot development–they're driving into a Hazy present composed only of his memories. That is one unsafe situation for everyone! Such good friction, too.
Three (or less) things I didn't love:
This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.
1. This contains a great many characters, but they don't often interact. More often, the author describes one or more characters describing yet other characters. But it's all dialogue and summary, essentially.
2. This book is hard to follow. Multiple perspectives in multiple time periods, but they're all in first person, and there's nothing stylistically to distinguish them from each other.
3. The ending is neither well-plotted or memorable.
Rating: 🏰🏰.5 /5 mountain castles
Recommend? Maybe
Finished: Sep 3 '24
Format: Digital arc, NetGalley
Read this book if you like:
🏚 creepy houses
👨👩👧👦 family stories, family drama
🩸 sibling rivalry
💇♂️ boys' coming of age
🔪 murder mystery
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Violence, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Incest