Fascinating Concept that doesn't quite follow-through
Told in third person via multiple narrators with flashbacks to previous timelines, I found the concept of this book to be fascinating, but the storytelling format caused a disconnect for me. The book was both clever and ambiguous in characters and timelines despite the specific labels. I enjoyed the parts that were narrated by Detective Laurence Page as he followed the clues to the ultimate conclusion. He pieced together several apparently unrelated events into a cohesive story that led him and his partner the right place at the right time in the end, though at times it was difficult to sit through since the reader already knew or could guess most of the information.
When it comes to the brothers, I found their narratives to be ambiguous, especially with regards to their referenced names. At times they are referred to by their first names then others by the surname and that’s where I started to get muddled by the inconsistencies. Was I supposed to think that they were other than what they appeared to be? Was I not supposed to notice that there were two references to characters with the first names “Edward” and “Alan” also referred to as Leland and Hobbes at times? It made me think I was confused over the characters, but it was actually just a name reference confusion.
I enjoyed the exploration of Katie’s guilt for her actions surrounding the incident with her brother as a teenager. I found Katie and Sam’s relationship rather lacking but I suppose that provided the story a catalyst in places. They supposedly loved each other very much but their support of each other failed on the follow-through. I also enjoyed the parts narrated by Chris and would have loved to see more from him, though perhaps that was to ramp up the mystery.
I thought the futuristic journal kept by a serial killer was an intriguing idea and wished that had come to a more satisfactory conclusion. I found the end to be anticlimactic. Ultimately, I think that this story would have benefited from less narrators with just a straight-forward 3-narrator perspective from the Detective, Katie and Chris. While the brothers lent a distinctive foreboding feel to the book, I could have done without their ambiguous narratives.
Thank you to Celadon Books for a copy provided for an honest review.
When it comes to the brothers, I found their narratives to be ambiguous, especially with regards to their referenced names. At times they are referred to by their first names then others by the surname and that’s where I started to get muddled by the inconsistencies. Was I supposed to think that they were other than what they appeared to be? Was I not supposed to notice that there were two references to characters with the first names “Edward” and “Alan” also referred to as Leland and Hobbes at times? It made me think I was confused over the characters, but it was actually just a name reference confusion.
I enjoyed the exploration of Katie’s guilt for her actions surrounding the incident with her brother as a teenager. I found Katie and Sam’s relationship rather lacking but I suppose that provided the story a catalyst in places. They supposedly loved each other very much but their support of each other failed on the follow-through. I also enjoyed the parts narrated by Chris and would have loved to see more from him, though perhaps that was to ramp up the mystery.
I thought the futuristic journal kept by a serial killer was an intriguing idea and wished that had come to a more satisfactory conclusion. I found the end to be anticlimactic. Ultimately, I think that this story would have benefited from less narrators with just a straight-forward 3-narrator perspective from the Detective, Katie and Chris. While the brothers lent a distinctive foreboding feel to the book, I could have done without their ambiguous narratives.
Thank you to Celadon Books for a copy provided for an honest review.