Extremely detailed narrative that went in a different direction than expected...

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Saint X was definitely an interesting read for me. I read an excerpt before receiving the physical book and was intrigued by what was shaping up to be an interesting "murder mystery". While overall I did like the book, it did not lead where I expected it to from the opening chapters (which is not necessarily a bad thing).

The book focused primarily on the story of Claire, who was just a child when her older sister Alison was found dead while they were on a family vacation (this is not a spoiler, this is mentioned in the synopsis). The story goes back and forth between two timelines - current day, and 1995, when the vacation took place. What takes place in the current day is interesting and unexpected, and as a reader, I was constantly engaged, trying to anticipate where things were leading. I liked seeing where Claire's life had led and how Alison's death impacted Claire into adulthood.

While the story is told from Claire's perspective, the book also intertwines the stories of other vacationers and islanders that are peripherally related to the plot. I did feel that some of those stories could have been left out, as they had no impact whatsoever on the book.

I also found the writing to be overly detailed at many points. While I was never bored, I did sometimes wish the chapters would be shorter and I definitely could've done with a lot less detail. A lot of the details just weren't necessary to tell the story, in my opinion.

There was one minor aspect of the story which was mentioned in passing, but at several points throughout the book. It was a something I would expect to read about in a fantasy book and did not feel that it had a place in this book. I did find myself rolling my eyes at it each time it was brought up.

All in all, this book falls right in the middle for me. I wanted to love it - and while I did think it was a good book and I enjoyed going on the journey of Claire's search for answers, the points mentioned above definitely brought my star rating down a bit. Also, if you are looking for a thrilling mystery book, this is not it. That said, it's still a book that I would suggest others read and decide on for themselves, because I do think it will have an audience that receives it well.