Expectations can make or break a reading experience. I’d love to go into each book without any, but it’s those expectations that get me picking up the book in the first place. When I stumbled upon Mister Tender’s Girl, I’d been on the lookout for a unique, creepy read. I had thought, based on the synopsis, this would lean more into the supernatural; that Mister Tender’s presence in the narrative would prove more unsettling than it actually was. For the most part, this didn’t end up feeling like a fresh thriller approach and the eerie dynamics I had hoped for didn’t exist. In the end, for me, this felt like the same old thing in thriller land with slightly fancier packaging.
So, yes, unmet expectations were my first disappointment, but maybe this book could have redeemed itself in other ways. Instead, it was entirely too long with an unnecessary subplot and some notions about mental health that were, at the very least, harmful. The ending played out in a way that seemed over-the-top and ludicrous to me.
This wasn’t what I hoped it would be and it wasn’t something I could readjust myself for to enjoy. I wouldn’t recommend it. Trauma is a reality and people who have panic attacks are not victims. They are survivors who’ve been deeply injured by a horrific experience and like any severe injury, there are lasting effects.
That’s all I have to say about this. I’m moving on.
So, yes, unmet expectations were my first disappointment, but maybe this book could have redeemed itself in other ways. Instead, it was entirely too long with an unnecessary subplot and some notions about mental health that were, at the very least, harmful. The ending played out in a way that seemed over-the-top and ludicrous to me.
This wasn’t what I hoped it would be and it wasn’t something I could readjust myself for to enjoy. I wouldn’t recommend it. Trauma is a reality and people who have panic attacks are not victims. They are survivors who’ve been deeply injured by a horrific experience and like any severe injury, there are lasting effects.
That’s all I have to say about this. I’m moving on.