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A review by nika_nix
The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I'm very disappointed by this. First of all, the audiobook pretty much spoiled what i expect was supposed to be a plot twist. And those page turning sound effects every other second were annoying and pointless.
I also hated the way this was written. I actually think the plot idea is great and I quite enjoyed all of the reveals but this just does not work as a novella. Part one feels like overly rushed first draft of a basic thriller and the second part feels like a really long last chapter of a really good thriller. But they don't work well together at all.
There was so much potential, but I feel like this would've worked way better had it been a regular novel and not this half-assed short summary of a book. Nothing was thrilling because there was no time to actually develop anything, we were just told the story, nothing was shown or explored in depth. What a shame.
I also hated the way this was written. I actually think the plot idea is great and I quite enjoyed all of the reveals but this just does not work as a novella. Part one feels like overly rushed first draft of a basic thriller and the second part feels like a really long last chapter of a really good thriller. But they don't work well together at all.
There was so much potential, but I feel like this would've worked way better had it been a regular novel and not this half-assed short summary of a book. Nothing was thrilling because there was no time to actually develop anything, we were just told the story, nothing was shown or explored in depth. What a shame.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder