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A review by boundbywords
The Fake by Zoe Whittall
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I deeply enjoyed Whittal's π»ππ π©πππ π²πππ
ππ π·πππππ (released and read in 2016), so you can imagine my anxious anticipation to pick up her newest release. Sadly, this read like it was written by a completely different author.
Being mistaken as a thriller in more early reviews than I can count, π»ππ ππππ is actually consistent with the authors' usual narrative: a multi-perspective account of characters dealing with contemporary and realistic issues like grief, loss, mental health and interpersonal relationships. The addition of a scam artist, and inevitably, themes resembling a thriller storyline, just made this one feel more forced rather than genuine for me. I would have liked to see it (the scam) be a catalyst early on, instead of the driving force of the entire bookβit didn't add intrigue, just annoyance.
I felt like both the characters and I were strong-armed into suspending our beliefs about Cammie (the con-artist's) intentions and then told to react and deal with it realistically and calmly, but none of it felt purposeful? The amount of exposition in here took away from an opportunity to help us truly understand the characters, especially Cammie, which may have been the point, but ended up painting her as an entitled gnat rather than a possibly misunderstood butterflyβit made ALL of the characters feel as relatable as cardboard cutouts.
If you're looking for quick read with some insights into grief and mental health (specifically anxiety, OCD and agoraphobia), I would give this one a try.
Being mistaken as a thriller in more early reviews than I can count, π»ππ ππππ is actually consistent with the authors' usual narrative: a multi-perspective account of characters dealing with contemporary and realistic issues like grief, loss, mental health and interpersonal relationships. The addition of a scam artist, and inevitably, themes resembling a thriller storyline, just made this one feel more forced rather than genuine for me. I would have liked to see it (the scam) be a catalyst early on, instead of the driving force of the entire bookβit didn't add intrigue, just annoyance.
I felt like both the characters and I were strong-armed into suspending our beliefs about Cammie (the con-artist's) intentions and then told to react and deal with it realistically and calmly, but none of it felt purposeful? The amount of exposition in here took away from an opportunity to help us truly understand the characters, especially Cammie, which may have been the point, but ended up painting her as an entitled gnat rather than a possibly misunderstood butterflyβit made ALL of the characters feel as relatable as cardboard cutouts.
If you're looking for quick read with some insights into grief and mental health (specifically anxiety, OCD and agoraphobia), I would give this one a try.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Addiction, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Kidnapping