I picked up this book because I wanted to try out a genre I don't normally go for. Instant regret.
The main character is a pathetic stalker who is obseI picked up this book because I wanted to try out a genre I don't normally go for. Instant regret.
The main character is a pathetic stalker who is obsessed with a man who doesn't want her. She cheats on her boyfriend to be with him, stalks the other woman he is sleeping with, and does not learn anything. I do not mind unlikable characters (in fact, I often prefer them) but the main character here is insufferable.
It’s a sad state of affairs when a book about such a fascinating, gruesome topic should bore me to the point of quitting. I think the writing style isIt’s a sad state of affairs when a book about such a fascinating, gruesome topic should bore me to the point of quitting. I think the writing style is to blame: once I saw “indifferent adumbration” used as a descriptor for a shadow, I got unpleasant flashbacks to The Marriage Portrait and knew I was in trouble.
In short, this is way too over-written for my taste. I felt like I was slogging through quicksand just to get to some interesting part. Also, seeing from reviews that there is graphic animal violence in this book, I am glad to be quitting it.
This joins my list of "lyrical" historical fiction to stay away from (see also: The Mirror and the Light).
The first DNF of 2024 (might as well get it over with).
I picked up this book while in a slump (both reading and emotional), thinking that it might be The first DNF of 2024 (might as well get it over with).
I picked up this book while in a slump (both reading and emotional), thinking that it might be a quick, entertaining read. I have no problem with unlikeable, narcissistic, gross and unreliable narrators (see Eileen) but Irina is too one-dimensional to take seriously. She comes off as 2edgyforme, try-hard in a cringy way. Her inner monologue is hateful towards everyone around her but is not complex in any way. There is no message, no social commentary to take away – just a whole lot of irritation. The writing isn’t great, either. I knew I had to throw in the towel when Irina and her mom were talking about how "extra" she is....more
Lump this in with A Ladder to the Sky as a popular thriller that everyone else seemed to love except me.
At some point I hated this book so much that ILump this in with A Ladder to the Sky as a popular thriller that everyone else seemed to love except me.
At some point I hated this book so much that I forced myself to continue reading purely from the hope that the ending might somehow redeem everything. It didn’t.
The writing is flat, empty, and emotionless. We are told instead of shown; the characters’ thoughts, motivations, and actions lack nuance. According to my kindle, the author uses the word “stare” (or stared, or stares) 49 times throughout the book. The characters are one-dimensional, half-drawn embodiments of stereotypical Lifetime movie roles: the handsome doctor carrying on an affair with the most beautiful woman in town, the said mistress who lacks any other defining characteristic, the troubled teenager with a drug-related past, the well-meaning but dense detectives, the autistic kid who comes under suspicion just for being different. I didn't care about any of them, not even the missing girl, because the author didn't put any effort into making me care. The constant shift of POVs became really annoying, especially when it cut to someone thinking the same thing we know they've been thinking and staring at the previous character.
The “plot twist” was so moronic that I envisioned a laugh track playing over the scene (and the subsequent Lifetime movie scenes).
Also: I am not in the law enforcement field, but I consume a lot of true crime and have followed investigations. The police have an anonymous tip line for a reason. The whole “we need to find out who the tipster was!” was a weak plot device to get the police on the “right track.”
And don���t get me started on the unhinged “villain” and our main antagonist, the psycho child straight out of The Orphan. The author tried really hard to write a menacing, sadistic, manipulative 9-year-old and failed miserably. If you want to read a good portrayal of a sinister little kid, try The Push. Avery was so poorly drawn as a sociopath that I wasn’t even entertained; I was bored. Think about it: if all sociopaths were this obvious, there would be no crime or serial killers in the world. The author needs to read a true crime book or two.
I am convinced that the author wrote this book with the hope of a Lifetime movie deal ((view spoiler)[there's even an obligatory stair death scene (hide spoiler)]).
I admit that I'm pretty picky when it comes to horror stories, but these were just bad, filled with plot holes and one dimensional characters with fudI admit that I'm pretty picky when it comes to horror stories, but these were just bad, filled with plot holes and one dimensional characters with fudge for brains. The first story started out promising. In a claustrophobic nightmare, a newly wedded girl becomes trapped within a large cave system when her husband unknowingly shuts her in. First off: who padlocks a cave door without checking or calling out first? What if a neighbor kid had been exploring down there? Second: none of the family tied the girl's disappearance to this event? There was no mention of a police investigation either; the family just "assumed" she was maybe kidnapped or ran away. And don't get me started on characters' stupidity and dumb decisions when (view spoiler)[a young girl gets kidnapped/lured into the caves to become a sex slave (hide spoiler)].
The second story was over-long, not interesting enough to justify its length. ...more
**Time for another unfavorable review of a popular book**
Though I love beautiful prose, I find that when a book is overwritten, I am pulled out of the**Time for another unfavorable review of a popular book**
Though I love beautiful prose, I find that when a book is overwritten, I am pulled out of the story. Instead of being absorbed in the pages or feeling invested in the protagonist's troubles, I am constantly kept on the surface because of the constant reminder that... well, I am reading. I am reading words that the author thought sounded pretty together, and that's why there are so many of them on the page, because the author could not quite stop themselves. When it comes to writing a plot- or character driven- narrative, sometimes less is more.
Take, for instance, this description of a dress: The gown rustles and slides around her, speaking a glossolalia all of its own, the silk moving against the rougher nap of the underskirts, the bone supports of the bodice straining and squealing against their coverings, the cuffs scuffing and chafing the skin of her wrists, the stiffened collar hooking and nibbling at her nape, the hip supports creaking like the rigging of a ship. It is a symphony, an orchestra of fabrics
and imagine 340 pages of this flowery over-description. There's a section where Lucrezia is described opening a package using two compasses, and it goes on and on. Seriously.
Sometimes, the descriptions are awkward: "the horses pass through the narrow gates like a knife through bread"
The plot is basic and flows like a tide of molasses - sickly sweet and tedious. The characters are cardboard, cliche - down to the outwardly strict nurse who secretly harbors a heart of gold. Lucrezia, of course, has no faults. There is a particularly cringy scene straight out of a Disney movie in which Lucrezia nurses back to health a handsome young man, who of course becomes the love interest (*barf*).
I particularly had a bone to pick with the characterization of Lucrezia, who is based on a historical figure. Not much is known about the circumstances of her life except for the fact that she married young to a man ten years her senior, and died soon after (later rumored to be poisoned). I understand creative, poetic liberty in writing a character, but I noticed a trend in historical fiction that female protagonists must tick off certain traits:
-She must be different from those around her/does not fit in (Check: Lucrezia is sensitive, intuitive, intelligent, talented, artistic... unlike her snobby, superficial sisters) -Despite these traits, her family does not love/accept her (Check: Lucrezia's mother is cold toward her, her siblings are half-written but mean) -She is attuned to the natural world (Check: Lucrezia's fascination and encounter with the tigress, Lucrezia "falling in love" with the painting of the marten) -She is delicate but beautiful in an understated way (Check: Lucrezia is thin, small for her age, the author goes on and on about her hair; even the segments about Lucrezia being sick/about to puke are detailed in a delicate, flowery way) -She must be quiet but headstrong (Check: "it is not.... in my nature to acquiesce, to submit")
Also, why have Lucrezia state this so self-assuredly and then act mousy and weak anyway? For a *strong, smart, female character* she has a lot of lapses in judgment.
All of this is to say that for me, Lucrezia does not stand out from any other historical fiction protagonist I have encountered (ex. Circe, who is also "not like other girls"). She has been pigeonholed into a role, a neat box, as if to pander to the expectations of the genre. Why can't the main character throw tantrums, have sloppy habits, be acne-riddled, frizzy-haired, enjoy gossiping, hoard superficial trinkets, be human? I think this does a disservice to the real figure of Lucrezia, who is plopped into the cardboard cutout of "list of qualities the main character must have to be better than everyone else around her without explicitly saying so." The author's modern mentality is superimposed on the 1500s figure, which made Lucrezia an even harder sell for me. She pushes for freedom and independence during a time when women - especially the nobility - were taught to be subservient. Marriage and childbearing were their lot from birth, so I didn't buy that Lucrezia was shocked and horrified by her betrothal to an older man. Simply put, I did not care about Lucrezia because I could not overlook the author's choices - both writing style and characterization.
I was also disappointed because the Italian Renaissance is such a storied, animated place in time, but this book failed to transport me there. Instead, I kept checking the progress of my ebook, impatiently waiting for something to happen that would change my mind. Sadly, nothing did....more
A bit disappointed with this one. To me, it was neither scary nor mysteriously compelling. The author's writing style became a little too flowery at tA bit disappointed with this one. To me, it was neither scary nor mysteriously compelling. The author's writing style became a little too flowery at times, and the characterizations were lacking. Also, the narrator talks to his wife constantly through the narrative, which became a little repetitive and annoying.
I think The Fisherman provided a stronger account of grief and loss....more
This book was on my "haunted house" horror list for October, but I couldn't get past the insufferable, snooty characters and boring dialogues. Oh no, This book was on my "haunted house" horror list for October, but I couldn't get past the insufferable, snooty characters and boring dialogues. Oh no, the rich lady is mad that the lot next door is being built upon because she can't walk around naked anymore!
Um... get some curtains, weirdo.
DNFed because I couldn't take the rich people problems anymore....more
This was disappointing after a wait full of anticipation.
As others indicated, there is no narrative, just a collection of the author's musings about sThis was disappointing after a wait full of anticipation.
As others indicated, there is no narrative, just a collection of the author's musings about society, history, technological development, vegetarianism, and so on. This would be fine except that each topic was more of a broad overview without much depth or new insight. Also, the author continually inserts himself by bringing up some tone deaf/insensitive tweets he'd made in the past, how "woke" tweeters got fired up about it, what twitter arguments he got into.... I was beginning to think that this book was penned as a general comeback to anyone who ever disagreed with him on the internet.
(And yeah, maybe don't tweet about how many people die of flu, car accidents, etc. in response to a mass shooting event just to make a point about data vs. emotion. That's more than a little tone deaf.)...more
I picked up this book after finishing Eileen, but this collection of short stories seem shallow and bland in comparison to the novel.
None of the storiI picked up this book after finishing Eileen, but this collection of short stories seem shallow and bland in comparison to the novel.
None of the stories truly stood out to me, moved me, or made me think deeply. The characters are harsh, angry, selfish people who act callously. There are no transformations or revelations in any of the stories; rather, they struck me as ugly, gratuitously gross, and rather pointless. It honestly felt like a collection of fiction written by an edgy thirteen year old rather than by an award winning author....more
As a few other reviewers have pointed out, I probably would not have been so disappointed by this collection if it wasn’t marketed as “inspired by ShiAs a few other reviewers have pointed out, I probably would not have been so disappointed by this collection if it wasn’t marketed as “inspired by Shirley Jackson,” who is the queen of subtle horror. And subtle these stories are not.
Take, for instance, the fact that I became so frustrated with one story that I began laying out the plot in a “Choose Your Own Adventure” style questionnaire and sending it out to my friends:
Imagine you are a journalist investigating mysterious deaths on a creepy little island in New England. Cut up bodies keep washing ashore. A severed arm is holding a carved wooden seagull. You see these seagulls all around the island, in people's windows and on buildings. The townspeople keep talking about how the "Hag" is hungry and will eat on the winter solstice (two days away). Do you: A) get the hell out of there B) go exploring the island by yourself C) go to the library and read a bunch of books about how the island is hungry and needs human sacrifice, but still take your time hanging out
In short, it felt like I was reading the script of a cliché, uninspired horror movie, complete with a predictable (almost cringy) ending. Again, I would have let this slide as “not my cup of tea” if it were not for the tribute to Shirley Jackson.
None of the stories in this collection interested or creeped me out. Rather, I felt like I was being beaten over the head with tired horror movie plot points. Maybe my expectations for this one were too high? In any case, I was dismayed that this collection did not work for me....more
I've noticed that I am extremely picky when it comes to short stories, especially horror stories. I look toward Shirley Jackson as a master of the subI've noticed that I am extremely picky when it comes to short stories, especially horror stories. I look toward Shirley Jackson as a master of the subtle art of instilling dread in the reader. I went into this collection with high hopes after reading glowing reviews, and though I felt disappointed after the first few stories, I pushed through to give the book a fair chance.
Though the author definitely has some good ideas, the writing was sadly lacking. Horror - especially horror featuring monsters or scary entities - should make us visualize and fear the terror. The stories here really needed more description. When describing a scary entity, all we are told is that it doesn't look human, or looks different from the narrator, or looks to be made of angles. This stylistic choice did not help to build the feeling of dread I was waiting for.
The stories also lacked subtlety. At the end of Elo Havel, for instance, the narrator states his intentions several times in the concluding paragraph (when his intentions were already hinted at before this). This happens regularly throughout the story collection. It was as though the author did not trust the reader to draw their own conclusions and felt the need to hammer in his point.
The stories lack individual voices. One narrator could be the same as the previous - there was no difference in style or atmosphere to distinguish them. I know there is a limit in how much short fiction can accomplish, but I was very underwhelmed.
Some notes on individual stories: "Leg" - Great opening, kept my attention. Reminded me of "The Thing." "In Dreams" - Good premise, brings up the question of autonomy and the horrors of losing self-control "Myling Kommer" - Creepy but rather predictable by the end"Come Up" - Unlikeable main character, Gone Girl vibes "Palisade" - My attention wandered by the middle of the story; the plot was a bit unclear and lackluster "Curator" - Goes with the ecological horror trope of "humans bad for planet." Not that it's inaccurate, but did not present anything new. "To Breathe the Air" - I liked this story but wish the writing was more descriptive. I could not envision the citizens or how/why they were different from the narrator. Suffers a little too much from telling instead of showing (ex. "I killed him"). "The Barrow-Men" - Again, I could not really envision what the Barrow-Men are. This verged on horror comedy, but was too short to elicit any feelings of true scariness. "The Shimmering Wall" - I liked this idea (being able to reach another city through a shimmering, non-solid wall) but I felt like the horror element was missing due to lack of description. "Grauer in the Snow" - This one felt like a fever dream. I thought it was just okay. "Justle" - Another bodysnatchers-type horror "The Devil's Hand" - I really liked the mood and sinister atmosphere here (a different spin on selling your soul to the devil) "Nameless Citizen" - in the same vein as "Curator" "The Coldness of His Eye" - I thought the characters here were all unlikable and the ending lacking nuance "Daylight Come" - Again, description would have helped me visualize and like this more. I couldn't really picture what an eater of darkness looks like. "Elo Havel" - I liked the premise but it lacked depth of character "His Haunting" - Another body invasion horror "Haver" - I liked this concept (a mental patient painting upcoming horrors) ...more
This was my first attempt at reading a book by Lawson, and I dived into it with high expectations due to the many positive reviews.
I guess her humor This was my first attempt at reading a book by Lawson, and I dived into it with high expectations due to the many positive reviews.
I guess her humor just isn't my style. I got a lot of "look how quirky-clumsy-cute I am" vibes from the constant references to serial killer aliens and the chapter devoted to her losing her shoes. I just couldn't take it anymore: she tried too hard to paint herself as an awkward ditz with a long-suffering husband who puts up with her antics (*haha she wanted to burn down the house while looking for her cell phone, her husband said no, haha so funny!*)
I might be optimistic and try another book by her, but this one just grated on me....more
I just could not get into the premise of this book. After all animals suddenly start transmitting a deadly virus to humans, humanity loses its collectI just could not get into the premise of this book. After all animals suddenly start transmitting a deadly virus to humans, humanity loses its collective mind and embraces cannibalism (complete with slaughterhouses/humans raised for slaughter) as a protein source. (Why couldn't society just embrace plant-based "meat"/protein products, or go vegan? I didn't buy that everyone would go insane and accept cannibalism, especially considering the long-standing social/religious/moral stigma around it).
I understand that the author was trying to make a point about animal rights and the meat industry, but it was done in a grotesque, gratuitous, unfeeling way. Beyond these descriptions, the plot is vacant and the main character (Marcos, a slaughterhouse worker) is bland and unlikeable. Instead of being poignant or profound, this book just feels empty and weirdly dirty....more
I was disappointed with this one after having enjoyed The Night Always Comes. I believe this is because The Motel Life is much slower-paced with extendI was disappointed with this one after having enjoyed The Night Always Comes. I believe this is because The Motel Life is much slower-paced with extended scenes of dialogue and little action. There was one part where Frank tells his girlfriend a made up story that goes on for pages and I struggled with boredom - I just couldn't get into the characters' stories, especially when neither had a distinct voice. I had to give up at 20% when I felt myself losing motivation to keep reading, which is always a sign that a book isn't for me....more
The content of this book is highly disturbing, which I expected for a true crime case of this magnitude. However, the author's writing style (fictionaThe content of this book is highly disturbing, which I expected for a true crime case of this magnitude. However, the author's writing style (fictionalizing and dramatizing real events) pulled me out of the book and made it hard to keep reading. There were a lot of repetitions, such as Sanford's description of the weight he carried, which slowed down the pace. Additionally, the dialogue was just bad - a lot of
"Sanford! Hey Sanford!" "Hi. What."
and the grandmother spoke like a stereotypical villain. Sanford's ordeal was truly harrowing, but the book's presentation of events was sadly lacking....more
"Disappointing" sums up my thoughts on this book, particularly because (at least from the first several chapters) I thought this would be a 4/5 read f"Disappointing" sums up my thoughts on this book, particularly because (at least from the first several chapters) I thought this would be a 4/5 read for me.
I guess my major complaint is how flat and unrealistic the characters are. Ted, who finds out that his wife has been cheating on him, does not think twice about over-sharing his wish to murder her with a stranger he meets at an airport. Lucky for him, this mysterious, beautiful, red-headed woman has her own dark, murderous secrets, and she encourages his plans without batting an eye. Realistic, right?
The "villains" of the story (let's face it, everyone in this book is pretty awful) are wooden caricatures. Miranda's voice is particularly cringy and poorly-developed. It definitely felt like a male author channeling every "evil hot wife" stereotype there is. And don't get me started on the Detective, who writes god-awful limericks about how beautiful the perfect, red-headed Lily is and how much he wants to bang her. Was he supposed to be the likable, quirky hero of the book? Because he seemed like a complete neckbeard.
By the end, I was turning the pages not from any desire to know what happens next, but to finish as fast as possible with the hope that the ending would redeem the book (it didn't)....more
I read this thriller after being sorely disappointed by The Kind Worth Killing, but I thought a different author might redeem the [2 and a half stars]
I read this thriller after being sorely disappointed by The Kind Worth Killing, but I thought a different author might redeem the genre for me.
I had a lot of issues with the one-note, oversimplified characters, which made it hard for me to care about any of them. Each character seems to be defined by a single trait: Laurence is always "fat," Helen is always vulgar and obnoxious, Lydia is constantly selfish and clingy with creepy "Norma Bates" vibes. Just like in The Kind Worth Killing, there is a great emphasis on personal appearance, which sends a strange message about goodness and morality. Laurence only meets "the love of his life" when he loses weight, indicating that he did not deserve happiness as an obese person. The author points out constantly how unattractive and odd-looking Helen and Bridget are; consequently, Helen *must* be selfish and crass, while Bridget *has to be* vengeful and petty. Of course, Annie has a cleft lip, which means that she couldn't have been an honest, law-abiding person. Of course not.
Karen, on the contrast, is red-haired, gorgeous, kind, smart, and caring. (Please tell me why every redheaded woman in thrillers has to be the perfect Mary Sue? If I see this trope repeated in one more book, I'll just quit the genre altogether.) She is so gorgeous, of course, that she becomes a successful international model within a week. The author practically trips over herself describing how beautiful Karen is (WE GET IT!), even getting the sleazy detective to sexually harass her in order to beat Karen's beauty into the reader. (Were there no tape recorders in the 1980s? Why couldn't she record his disgusting comments and go to the media?)
The characterization (or lack thereof) really tainted my reading experience. It reminded me of a fairy tale in which all the ugly characters are evil, while the heroes need to be beautiful. I could not immerse myself in the writing, either, as the author does a lot of telling rather than showing. The plot, while entertaining to a degree, sadly could not make up for all of these deficiencies....more
Over time I have become more comfortable with DNFing a book that just doesn't appeal to me. On the surface, I thought this would be right up my alley:Over time I have become more comfortable with DNFing a book that just doesn't appeal to me. On the surface, I thought this would be right up my alley: history, a morbid fascination with presidential assassinations, and unpacking the myths surrounding them.
However, I quickly got bored and tired of Vowell's self-indulgent writing style. How many times does she feel the need to point out how quirky/nerdy she is? She can't stop talking about how much she talks about presidential assassination facts to her friends and how they must be so annoyed with her. To me this felt like an attempt to come off as cool, different, edgy.
I had to give up on this book because I became very annoyed after the first chapter....more
I think the author's style just didn't work with me. The characters seemed unrealistic, quirky, and annoying. When the Realtor kept repeating the sameI think the author's style just didn't work with me. The characters seemed unrealistic, quirky, and annoying. When the Realtor kept repeating the same unfunny joke over and over again, I just had to give up.
Perhaps I'll come back to this one in the future and give it another chance. For now I had to throw in the towel. ...more
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