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A review by bookph1le
Do No Harm by Christina McDonald
4.0
This book is so messed up--and I mean that as a compliment. Look past the spoiler tag at your own peril.
So I have to say, I admire how the author took me down the rabbit hole from there. This book nudged me just enough to make me feeling increasingly uneasy about Emma, until it finally pushed me straight over the edge. Then what kept me going was my hope that Nate would finally realize that Emma was manipulating him, that she was not exactly a model person for Josh to look up to, and that Nate would do the right thing in the end. I kept hoping this right up until that hope was crushed.
In some ways, the book isn't satisfying because I wanted Emma to get what was coming to her. She's a black hole, and I cared so much about Josh as a character I didn't want her to get away with her crimes. Finishing it disappointed me because I envisioned all kinds of bad things in Josh's future. There are a lot of victims in this book, and Josh is most definitely one of them.
But from a literary standpoint, I admired this book, as I always tend to do with fiction driven by dark characters. I always get more out of books that leave me uncomfortable, that make me think a lot about what I'd do if I were in the character's shoes. I certainly would not do what Emma had done, but I thought the author did an excellent job of unfolding events before me such that it wasn't a surprise to me to witness Emma's fall.
Spoiler
Initially, I could understand where Emma was coming from, and how, in her head, doing what she did was necessary. That doesn't mean it's something I'd do, but I thought the author did a good job of setting up the dilemma and making Emma's choice believable.So I have to say, I admire how the author took me down the rabbit hole from there. This book nudged me just enough to make me feeling increasingly uneasy about Emma, until it finally pushed me straight over the edge. Then what kept me going was my hope that Nate would finally realize that Emma was manipulating him, that she was not exactly a model person for Josh to look up to, and that Nate would do the right thing in the end. I kept hoping this right up until that hope was crushed.
In some ways, the book isn't satisfying because I wanted Emma to get what was coming to her. She's a black hole, and I cared so much about Josh as a character I didn't want her to get away with her crimes. Finishing it disappointed me because I envisioned all kinds of bad things in Josh's future. There are a lot of victims in this book, and Josh is most definitely one of them.
But from a literary standpoint, I admired this book, as I always tend to do with fiction driven by dark characters. I always get more out of books that leave me uncomfortable, that make me think a lot about what I'd do if I were in the character's shoes. I certainly would not do what Emma had done, but I thought the author did an excellent job of unfolding events before me such that it wasn't a surprise to me to witness Emma's fall.