The Most Generic Characters and Plot "Twists" That Make Me Angrier Every Time I Think About Them
I got to read a few chapters of this book before requesting it as an ARC, and I thought it had potential. Nichols writes like a journalist. I thought that would make for a really compelling mystery.
Unfortunately, this book is populated entirely with stock characters and stereotypes that made it a slog. Whole chapters are dedicated to backstory, most of which lacks anything resembling nuance. This reads by a book written by a man who doesn't quite see women as people, or at least not enough to write them with any degree of depth. There's also a recurring theme of women finding authors attractive and assuming that they'll make tons of money and win lots of prominent awards. Okay. Sure.
There's also a disappointing lack of attention to detail. I did read an ARC copy, so I won't specifically quote the things I kept note of as I read, but even as someone who wasn't reading with an editorial intention, I spotted several factual errors about things that were central to the mystery.
So, here was my relationship to this book: started off optimistic that the characters would have an emotional journey. Got 110 pages before I gave up at another two-page summary of a bunch of random characters who are potential suspects. I figured I already knew who the villain was, and I had long since stopped caring about the characters, so I flipped to the end to see if I was right about the identity of the killer... Yup. And boy, some of the stereotypes that went into the writing of his character make me mad.
I'm giving this two stars since I didn't read the whole thing, and I'm going to give Nichols the benefit of the doubt rather than press on through the rest of this, because I'm having a miserable time.
Lastly, for those of you who would have gone into this without expecting that there would be explicit on-page SA of a minor by ANOTHER minor, now you know.
Unfortunately, this book is populated entirely with stock characters and stereotypes that made it a slog. Whole chapters are dedicated to backstory, most of which lacks anything resembling nuance. This reads by a book written by a man who doesn't quite see women as people, or at least not enough to write them with any degree of depth. There's also a recurring theme of women finding authors attractive and assuming that they'll make tons of money and win lots of prominent awards. Okay. Sure.
There's also a disappointing lack of attention to detail. I did read an ARC copy, so I won't specifically quote the things I kept note of as I read, but even as someone who wasn't reading with an editorial intention, I spotted several factual errors about things that were central to the mystery.
So, here was my relationship to this book: started off optimistic that the characters would have an emotional journey. Got 110 pages before I gave up at another two-page summary of a bunch of random characters who are potential suspects. I figured I already knew who the villain was, and I had long since stopped caring about the characters, so I flipped to the end to see if I was right about the identity of the killer... Yup. And boy, some of the stereotypes that went into the writing of his character make me mad.
I'm giving this two stars since I didn't read the whole thing, and I'm going to give Nichols the benefit of the doubt rather than press on through the rest of this, because I'm having a miserable time.
Lastly, for those of you who would have gone into this without expecting that there would be explicit on-page SA of a minor by ANOTHER minor, now you know.