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sgmcnamara's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
agirlsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
annatherbook's review against another edition
3.0
This was a book what I went through fast! It was good but not as amazing as I had hoped but I think I need to stew on this one a bit!
charspages's review against another edition
2.0
I got this book to get me out of my reading slump - yep, the very one that has been haunting me for the better part of three years now. I know that that's a lot to ask of one book, but I loved the synopsis and was in the mood for something Riverdale-ish, with mystery and lots of over-the-top ridiculous drama.
Spoiler alert: this book did not get me out of my slump. Instead, I think it may have plunged me into a new one. Also, this book is nothing like Riverdale. It is much worse.
PLOT: 2 / 5
Man, when I tell you that this story line was confusing as fuck, it doesn't even come close. This plot is a mess that's all over the place, like [a:Marisha Pessl|2362|Marisha Pessl|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1375299170p2/2362.jpg] was trying to squeeze three novels into one.
The premise of the story is interesting, slightly reminescent of [b:Before I Fall|6482837|Before I Fall|Lauren Oliver|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1361044695l/6482837._SY75_.jpg|6674135] in that five characters get caught in a single moment of time before they die, thus reliving that day over and over until they find a way out. Unlike other stories along these lines, the characters get a say in how to exit this space-time-vacuum that's sucked them in: they have to vote unanimously for one single person who survives, while the rest of them dies.
Killer premise with lots of potential for conflicts, tension, and desperate games of deceit, right?
Yeah, no. Sadly, the potential of this premise was killed when Marisha Pessl began letting the characters relive the same day over and over again, without anything significant happening that would drive them towards the vote. I get that that was supposed to illustrate the monotony of the so-called Neverworld Wake, which drives you crazy until you'd do anything to get out of it - even die. I do believe that that is an idea which could have been utilized in a very clever way, but unfortunately, fell completely flat for me. Instead of intrigued and worried, I was bored.
Then Pessl adds different sub-plots to the story, such as the mystery of revealing what really happened to Jim, a friend of the main group who died in uncertain circumstances.
At that point, I gave up on this book. The mystery of Jim's death was supposed to be the igniting incident, the driving focus behind all the characters' actions, yet it was treated like some forgotten side-story that only made an appearance when it came down to drawing out the characters' time in the Wake and pushing them towards reaching a decision in regards to the vote. I understand the idea behind it, I do, but I feel like it wasn't well-executed and therefore unbelievable.
More than that, I absolutely detested the resolution to Jim's death. The first plot-twist had me shocked enough, but that second one felt like it was poorly thrown in just for shock.
I also think a lot of story lines were mentioned, but not brought to a satisfactory, sensible end. Sometimes, it felt more like reading the author's notes for a novel than a thought-out, complete book.
Overall, I feel like this book was trying to achieve too much at once and would have benefitted from streamlining the plot in a way that'd combine the sub-plots without causing too much confusion.
CHARACTERS: 1 / 5
My biggest issue with this book were its characters because, even after a hundred pages, even after two hundred pages, I did not care for any of them.
BEATRICE HARTLEY is both the protagonist and the narrator of the novel. Her tone is quite strong and distinct, yet at the end of the novel, I still felt like I couldn't tell you anything about her. When you spend 324 pages inside someone's head, that's not what you want to happen. You want to grow close to the character, to feel their pain, their love, their joy, to understand every thought that flits around their head. Bee's personality was slippery, and difficult to grasp, like trying to hold on to water that slips through your fingers. In the end, I couldn't tell you much about her.
The same goes for the side characters, characters that we as readers get to spend the better part of 300 pages with. Sadly, after all that time, none of them felt fleshed out or real to me. They all seemed like sketches of characters, with one pronounced character trait and nothing much to back it up. I felt like I was watching these characters through that type of milky glass door that some people have in their home, like I could make out their silhouettes, but nothing substantial.
The only character that showed enough depth and an own agenda was MARTHA ZIEGLER. She was the only one who made me care about her enough that I could honestly form an opinion about her, whereas I just did not care about the other characters. At all.
WORLD BUILDING: 4 / 5
I did enjoy the Neverworld Wake, the world that Pessl built as a single moment in time that is stuck on a loop until a decision unravels it. I felt like the Wake was a dangerous, wildly unpredictable place that changed the laws of physics and biology just enough to mess with your mind, but not enough to seem completely unbelievable.
My favorite part about the Wake was the decay, the way it began rotting from the inside out. This, I thought, added a threatening, spooky element to it.
Overall, I think Pessl's world-building was quite solid, though it could have benefitted from a little clearer structures.
WRITING STYLE: 4 / 5
My favorite thing about this novel, and the reason I finished it, is for sure Marisha Pessl's writing style. She has a unique voice, a distinct tone that is both poetic and haunting. I truly enjoyed how her phrasing could go from sharp and poignant to soft and delirious. The only times I felt her writing fell rather short was during scenes that were centered on the action, meant to provide shocking twists at break-neck speeds. In those instances, I often felt like Pessl's poetic prose stood in the way, forcing me out of the scene in order to comprehend what had actually happened because the action'd gotten lost in a thicket of pretty phrases.
By and large, I am fascinated with Pessl's way with words and with her ability to phrase sentences beautifully without being pretentious.
DIVERSITY: 2 / 5
This book tried to include some diverse themes and characters into its storyline, such as suicide or self-harm, for example. One page even mentions sexual harrassment in the workplace, another abusive parents. One of the characters, Kipling, is gay.
My problem with it was this: while the book mentioned those things, it did nothing to resolve them. Issues such as suicide, or self-harm, or sexual harrassment, are but simple mentions in one line that are never actually looked at from differing angles. There was a lot of potential for discussion of important topics, for example cheating in relationships, but that discussion never came. Most of these issues were mentioned once, without really making clear their connection to the plot (except for the suicide), and then just left there.
Don't get me wrong: not every book out there has to be a deep, multi-level analysis of rape culture and its effects on teenage girls. Not every book has to center on gay teens coming out or dating. In fact, it's rather refreshing to have a character be gay and just, you know, experience things like any other character.
However, if these things are simply mentioned without contributing to the story or the character's development, it feels a little like they were just thrown in for diversity cookie points. There are countless authors out there who include diverse characters and topics into their stories effortlessly and naturally. This was not the case in this novel.
Some plot points even directly contradicted these things - for example when Kipling, who was introduced as gay, goes out to spend time with a woman who strips for him in the Wake. (Also? Having a gay character exploit a clueless woman sexually? Not a good look.) This is never talked about, it just is.
Most of the diverse topics Pessl tried to cover were that way, and so, they didn't sit right with me. It felt like she was trying to do something, but wasn't entirely sure of what.
OVERALL RATING: 2 / 5
This book was, by and large, just super, super boring. When it wasn't boring, it was confusing, which is only mildly better than boring, because the confusion is never cleared up in a satisfying way.
Lots of loose ends are simply tied together in any which way they'll fit, leading to a plot line that is so entangled and knotted it could be headphones you just got from your pocket.
The characters are forgettable and unlikable, with a lack of personality that just bores you. And while the book wasn't overtly problematic, it for sure didn't do anything in the department of diverse storytelling, either.
The novel's saving grace are the interesting, if slightly confusing world building, and Pessl's drop-dead gorgeous writing. Other than that, though, there isn't much to gain here, so I feel it's a reading experience one can do without.
I wanted this book to be for me, but it just wasn't.
Spoiler alert: this book did not get me out of my slump. Instead, I think it may have plunged me into a new one. Also, this book is nothing like Riverdale. It is much worse.
PLOT: 2 / 5
Man, when I tell you that this story line was confusing as fuck, it doesn't even come close. This plot is a mess that's all over the place, like [a:Marisha Pessl|2362|Marisha Pessl|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1375299170p2/2362.jpg] was trying to squeeze three novels into one.
The premise of the story is interesting, slightly reminescent of [b:Before I Fall|6482837|Before I Fall|Lauren Oliver|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1361044695l/6482837._SY75_.jpg|6674135] in that five characters get caught in a single moment of time before they die, thus reliving that day over and over until they find a way out. Unlike other stories along these lines, the characters get a say in how to exit this space-time-vacuum that's sucked them in: they have to vote unanimously for one single person who survives, while the rest of them dies.
Killer premise with lots of potential for conflicts, tension, and desperate games of deceit, right?
Yeah, no. Sadly, the potential of this premise was killed when Marisha Pessl began letting the characters relive the same day over and over again, without anything significant happening that would drive them towards the vote. I get that that was supposed to illustrate the monotony of the so-called Neverworld Wake, which drives you crazy until you'd do anything to get out of it - even die. I do believe that that is an idea which could have been utilized in a very clever way, but unfortunately, fell completely flat for me. Instead of intrigued and worried, I was bored.
Then Pessl adds different sub-plots to the story, such as the mystery of revealing what really happened to Jim, a friend of the main group who died in uncertain circumstances
Spoiler
, and time travelAt that point, I gave up on this book. The mystery of Jim's death was supposed to be the igniting incident, the driving focus behind all the characters' actions, yet it was treated like some forgotten side-story that only made an appearance when it came down to drawing out the characters' time in the Wake and pushing them towards reaching a decision in regards to the vote. I understand the idea behind it, I do, but I feel like it wasn't well-executed and therefore unbelievable.
More than that, I absolutely detested the resolution to Jim's death. The first plot-twist had me shocked enough, but that second one felt like it was poorly thrown in just for shock.
Spoiler
Now, don't get me wrong - I love an unreliable narrator as much as anyone, finding they often contribute a lot of intrigue to a story. This, too, fell rather flat for me, though, and so I found myself annoyed with the entire ending.I also think a lot of story lines were mentioned, but not brought to a satisfactory, sensible end. Sometimes, it felt more like reading the author's notes for a novel than a thought-out, complete book.
Spoiler
For example, the entire time travel theory Pessl introduced in the Wake was interesting and new enough to make me care about time travel all of a sudden, a concept I normally don't enjoy because it usually doesn't seem very logical. Pessl's take on time travel and how one might achieve it was interesting and new in the beginning, then grew confusing and illogical over time.Overall, I feel like this book was trying to achieve too much at once and would have benefitted from streamlining the plot in a way that'd combine the sub-plots without causing too much confusion.
CHARACTERS: 1 / 5
My biggest issue with this book were its characters because, even after a hundred pages, even after two hundred pages, I did not care for any of them.
BEATRICE HARTLEY is both the protagonist and the narrator of the novel. Her tone is quite strong and distinct, yet at the end of the novel, I still felt like I couldn't tell you anything about her. When you spend 324 pages inside someone's head, that's not what you want to happen. You want to grow close to the character, to feel their pain, their love, their joy, to understand every thought that flits around their head. Bee's personality was slippery, and difficult to grasp, like trying to hold on to water that slips through your fingers. In the end, I couldn't tell you much about her.
The same goes for the side characters, characters that we as readers get to spend the better part of 300 pages with. Sadly, after all that time, none of them felt fleshed out or real to me. They all seemed like sketches of characters, with one pronounced character trait and nothing much to back it up. I felt like I was watching these characters through that type of milky glass door that some people have in their home, like I could make out their silhouettes, but nothing substantial.
The only character that showed enough depth and an own agenda was MARTHA ZIEGLER. She was the only one who made me care about her enough that I could honestly form an opinion about her, whereas I just did not care about the other characters. At all.
WORLD BUILDING: 4 / 5
I did enjoy the Neverworld Wake, the world that Pessl built as a single moment in time that is stuck on a loop until a decision unravels it. I felt like the Wake was a dangerous, wildly unpredictable place that changed the laws of physics and biology just enough to mess with your mind, but not enough to seem completely unbelievable.
My favorite part about the Wake was the decay, the way it began rotting from the inside out. This, I thought, added a threatening, spooky element to it.
Overall, I think Pessl's world-building was quite solid, though it could have benefitted from a little clearer structures.
WRITING STYLE: 4 / 5
My favorite thing about this novel, and the reason I finished it, is for sure Marisha Pessl's writing style. She has a unique voice, a distinct tone that is both poetic and haunting. I truly enjoyed how her phrasing could go from sharp and poignant to soft and delirious. The only times I felt her writing fell rather short was during scenes that were centered on the action, meant to provide shocking twists at break-neck speeds. In those instances, I often felt like Pessl's poetic prose stood in the way, forcing me out of the scene in order to comprehend what had actually happened because the action'd gotten lost in a thicket of pretty phrases.
By and large, I am fascinated with Pessl's way with words and with her ability to phrase sentences beautifully without being pretentious.
DIVERSITY: 2 / 5
This book tried to include some diverse themes and characters into its storyline, such as suicide or self-harm, for example. One page even mentions sexual harrassment in the workplace, another abusive parents. One of the characters, Kipling, is gay.
My problem with it was this: while the book mentioned those things, it did nothing to resolve them. Issues such as suicide, or self-harm, or sexual harrassment, are but simple mentions in one line that are never actually looked at from differing angles. There was a lot of potential for discussion of important topics, for example cheating in relationships, but that discussion never came. Most of these issues were mentioned once, without really making clear their connection to the plot (except for the suicide), and then just left there.
Don't get me wrong: not every book out there has to be a deep, multi-level analysis of rape culture and its effects on teenage girls. Not every book has to center on gay teens coming out or dating. In fact, it's rather refreshing to have a character be gay and just, you know, experience things like any other character.
However, if these things are simply mentioned without contributing to the story or the character's development, it feels a little like they were just thrown in for diversity cookie points. There are countless authors out there who include diverse characters and topics into their stories effortlessly and naturally. This was not the case in this novel.
Some plot points even directly contradicted these things - for example when Kipling, who was introduced as gay, goes out to spend time with a woman who strips for him in the Wake. (Also? Having a gay character exploit a clueless woman sexually? Not a good look.) This is never talked about, it just is.
Most of the diverse topics Pessl tried to cover were that way, and so, they didn't sit right with me. It felt like she was trying to do something, but wasn't entirely sure of what.
OVERALL RATING: 2 / 5
This book was, by and large, just super, super boring. When it wasn't boring, it was confusing, which is only mildly better than boring, because the confusion is never cleared up in a satisfying way.
Lots of loose ends are simply tied together in any which way they'll fit, leading to a plot line that is so entangled and knotted it could be headphones you just got from your pocket.
The characters are forgettable and unlikable, with a lack of personality that just bores you. And while the book wasn't overtly problematic, it for sure didn't do anything in the department of diverse storytelling, either.
The novel's saving grace are the interesting, if slightly confusing world building, and Pessl's drop-dead gorgeous writing. Other than that, though, there isn't much to gain here, so I feel it's a reading experience one can do without.
I wanted this book to be for me, but it just wasn't.
infinitezest's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
honnari_hannya's review against another edition
2.0
3.5 Stars
This had a very slow start, an even slower middle, and then a super action-packed ending. The pacing was erratic and thus a little off-putting. It definitely didn't build that same sense of dread that Night Film managed to, though NF had a less fantastical premise. I also hated the "twist" at the end where Bea isn't actually a good person, because it felt like a cop out and totally unnecessary. We see enough into Bea's head to know that she's not all that perfect, or even kind when it comes down to it, and it didn't need to be driven home like that.
Was an interesting read overall, and will definitely pick up more of Pessl's works in the future.
This had a very slow start, an even slower middle, and then a super action-packed ending. The pacing was erratic and thus a little off-putting. It definitely didn't build that same sense of dread that Night Film managed to, though NF had a less fantastical premise. I also hated the "twist" at the end where Bea isn't actually a good person, because it felt like a cop out and totally unnecessary. We see enough into Bea's head to know that she's not all that perfect, or even kind when it comes down to it, and it didn't need to be driven home like that.
Was an interesting read overall, and will definitely pick up more of Pessl's works in the future.
drymming's review against another edition
1.0
DNF at 10%. I didn’t connect with the characters. I need more.
blackaliss's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25