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_jchinasa's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
4.5
rikadamons's review against another edition
1.0
ngl i was bored for most part of this but slay i love clairetaz
dizzymissliz's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
disturbing and also it took way too long to get into the story.
so anticlimactic.
so anticlimactic.
hannahbuell's review
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
eldaaurora97's review against another edition
3.0
"I wish it weren't true. I wish I could tell you I was a perfect person. That we were all perfect people. Especially since Claire and I have both been so flattened by time...But, you see, Claire and I--as well as Jenny, Luka, and Anna--we were real live women with brains and souls and beating hearts. It meant even though we loved one another, we often fouled things up." (265)
This particular quote sums up "Abroad" in a nutshell, inspired by the murder of Meredith Kercher and the subsequent trials of Amanda Knox. Rather than go and focus on the media circus and the legal stuff itself, Katie Crouch turns the story on its head and writes the murder from the victim's perspective. In the two months which precede the tragedy, Tabitha Deacon (or "Taz" for short) goes to Italy on a year abroad, in which she encounters the B4--a group of posh girls who have access to the best parties. While she finds belonging, a dark secret lingers upon them all, juxtaposed with the sacrifices made by ancient societies.
I came into this with a substantial familiarity with the case--I knew the characters involved, along with how the trial processed. To see Crouch reinterpret the story in her own way was quite interesting to see--her darker take on Tabitha's time on Italy stood out. Beyond the halcyon world Grifonia (expy Perugia), we see such colorful The scenes in which Tabitha interacts with the B4 takes a lot text and description; for the scene in the cathedral, "All the pews had been ripped away, leaving only the black-and-white marble floor, which someone had polished to a wet-looking shine. Everyone--young and old, male or female--was in black and white, as if utterly bled of color this night..."(42). The amount of wealth involved is seen not only through the parties, but also in the sexual encounters the girls have.
Speaking of which, I didn't think the girl making out with the Italian guy would be Claire (the American expy). For her character, there was something about her spirit which got to me. "Her loveliness grew fourfold by the end. Yet upon our first encounter, she was clumsy as a puppy, knocking into a lamp here, the counter there" (50). I was also touched with the scene in which Claire takes care of Tabitha after a night out--she also admonishes the B4 when they don't. In the real world, the two girls were seen as polar opposites--one a monogamist, the other a pleasure seeker. Crouch, on the other hand portrays them as both girls seeking for something more from their day to day lives. And it's seen how both girls interact with each other.
Crouch is a good writer--she not only describes the hedonistic world that Tabitha leads herself into, but also her ordinary life. From the last time she sees her father in Lucran to her friendship with Babs, we got a feel about what she was like beyond the shadow in the headlines. One scene which stood out which made her perspective valuable was a scene with Claire and their two Italian housemates. There, Claire puts the figs in the sink while everyone left, whereas Tabitha imagines them eating happily together as girls. Tabitha justifies this by saying "But soon blood would flow, and the others would, knowingly or not, change the truth" (124). It's interesting. Another one which stood out was her hook-up with Marcello in the church, where "his lips did, indeed, taste of salt. And when that essence was released behind my teeth, something permanent changed in me. A sort of breaking" (184). It's an interesting sensation--when combined with the taboo involved, is fascinating.
As for the praise that called it a "psychological thriller", I didn't get that much of it. The incorporations of Etruscan history and the girls sacrificed as "The Good Death" hinted at the history involved, but it didn't make the stakes more dramatic. If anything, I thought that the drama would be petty, with the horror of getting caught because of a hidden secret. The climax of the story, in which Ervin Bogdani kills Tabitha and she bleeds out before Colin comes over and reveals himself as a member of the Compagnia, was a bit hollow. To leave Tabitha alone and thinking of her life as she dies would be stronger, in my opinion--to solidify how Claire didn't kill her out of spite or anything. The following quote solidifies it with "And it was love, between Claire and me. We had done this horrible thing to each other, yet her cries were the last human sounds I heard on earth, and at the time there was no one else I'd rather had near. And I needed to hear something." (275). Then again, it was weird having her as a bystander, especially with what would happen next.
Overall, "Abroad" is a solid book about youth and tragedy, coming over from the most unexpected of places. Crouch does a good job in humanizing the two women involved, along with painting a picture of the scene it takes place. What's lacking is how the Compagnia is added towards the end, along with the murder itself. There's a lot to go through that didn't make it into the book, which prevents it from going to good to great. (7/10)
This particular quote sums up "Abroad" in a nutshell, inspired by the murder of Meredith Kercher and the subsequent trials of Amanda Knox. Rather than go and focus on the media circus and the legal stuff itself, Katie Crouch turns the story on its head and writes the murder from the victim's perspective. In the two months which precede the tragedy, Tabitha Deacon (or "Taz" for short) goes to Italy on a year abroad, in which she encounters the B4--a group of posh girls who have access to the best parties. While she finds belonging, a dark secret lingers upon them all, juxtaposed with the sacrifices made by ancient societies.
I came into this with a substantial familiarity with the case--I knew the characters involved, along with how the trial processed. To see Crouch reinterpret the story in her own way was quite interesting to see--her darker take on Tabitha's time on Italy stood out. Beyond the halcyon world Grifonia (expy Perugia), we see such colorful The scenes in which Tabitha interacts with the B4 takes a lot text and description; for the scene in the cathedral, "All the pews had been ripped away, leaving only the black-and-white marble floor, which someone had polished to a wet-looking shine. Everyone--young and old, male or female--was in black and white, as if utterly bled of color this night..."(42). The amount of wealth involved is seen not only through the parties, but also in the sexual encounters the girls have.
Speaking of which, I didn't think the girl making out with the Italian guy would be Claire (the American expy). For her character, there was something about her spirit which got to me. "Her loveliness grew fourfold by the end. Yet upon our first encounter, she was clumsy as a puppy, knocking into a lamp here, the counter there" (50). I was also touched with the scene in which Claire takes care of Tabitha after a night out--she also admonishes the B4 when they don't. In the real world, the two girls were seen as polar opposites--one a monogamist, the other a pleasure seeker. Crouch, on the other hand portrays them as both girls seeking for something more from their day to day lives. And it's seen how both girls interact with each other.
Crouch is a good writer--she not only describes the hedonistic world that Tabitha leads herself into, but also her ordinary life. From the last time she sees her father in Lucran to her friendship with Babs, we got a feel about what she was like beyond the shadow in the headlines. One scene which stood out which made her perspective valuable was a scene with Claire and their two Italian housemates. There, Claire puts the figs in the sink while everyone left, whereas Tabitha imagines them eating happily together as girls. Tabitha justifies this by saying "But soon blood would flow, and the others would, knowingly or not, change the truth" (124). It's interesting. Another one which stood out was her hook-up with Marcello in the church, where "his lips did, indeed, taste of salt. And when that essence was released behind my teeth, something permanent changed in me. A sort of breaking" (184). It's an interesting sensation--when combined with the taboo involved, is fascinating.
As for the praise that called it a "psychological thriller", I didn't get that much of it. The incorporations of Etruscan history and the girls sacrificed as "The Good Death" hinted at the history involved, but it didn't make the stakes more dramatic. If anything, I thought that the drama would be petty, with the horror of getting caught because of a hidden secret. The climax of the story, in which Ervin Bogdani kills Tabitha and she bleeds out before Colin comes over and reveals himself as a member of the Compagnia, was a bit hollow. To leave Tabitha alone and thinking of her life as she dies would be stronger, in my opinion--to solidify how Claire didn't kill her out of spite or anything. The following quote solidifies it with "And it was love, between Claire and me. We had done this horrible thing to each other, yet her cries were the last human sounds I heard on earth, and at the time there was no one else I'd rather had near. And I needed to hear something." (275). Then again, it was weird having her as a bystander, especially with what would happen next.
Overall, "Abroad" is a solid book about youth and tragedy, coming over from the most unexpected of places. Crouch does a good job in humanizing the two women involved, along with painting a picture of the scene it takes place. What's lacking is how the Compagnia is added towards the end, along with the murder itself. There's a lot to go through that didn't make it into the book, which prevents it from going to good to great. (7/10)
maedo's review against another edition
4.0
The narrator of Abroad is based, rather loosely, on the brief experiences of UK exchange student Meredith Kercher in Italy leading up to her murder. There is an Amanda Knox character (Claire), a Raffaele character (Colin, although he's British in this story), and
I'd say that if you are reading this book based on your interest in the Amanda Knox connection, you will likely be disappointed. The aftermath of the murder is limited to the very last chapter of the book, for one thing, and Claire/Amanda is sort of a peripheral character for the first half of the book. The book becomes far more interesting when Claire and our narrator Taz begin spending more time together and have a brief rift, for exactly the reason someone might have fought with the real Amanda Knox (you'll see what I mean).
Katie Crouch's writing has improved since Girls in Trucks. My main criticism of that book was that despite some risks she took with point of view, it didn't come together into a cohesive, meaningful story. Abroad is much more successful in that respect. Taz's need and loneliness in a foreign country are palpable. Particularly when she forms a relationship with one of the Italians on the bottom floor of her cottage, Marcello, who indicates from the start that he is going to use her for sex (he doesn't even get her name right for a while!), but Taz just lets it happen because he is confident and pushy and she wants to be wanted.
And I loved the way that need and loneliness complimented the small historical vignettes of women's murder, from ancient to finally present, that Crouch chose to intersperse. It all came together to form a brutal picture of female lives, the way we are used and discarded, or pitifully requiring mercy killing.
My biggest criticism of Abroad, which is entirely personal to me and your mileage may vary, is that I felt the storyline of Taz's relationships with the B4, a wealthy female clique of fellow British women, dominates the plot to the exclusion of other more interesting characters like Claire, Colin, and Marcello.
But thinking back on the whole of the book, I chose to bump it up from three stars to four, because for me it's like the literary equivalent of Sia's music: an excellent primer on what it feels like to be a certain type of woman -- young, privileged, searching, and coming up more wanting than you ever expected.
(Note: everything I've read about the real Meredith Kercher indicates she was actually happy-go-lucky and popular. Not sure if that's just the result of the way we tend to romanticize the dead or a reflection of true facts.)
Spoiler
the murder is actually committed by an outsider with a somewhat sketchy past (this would be Rudy Guede in real life, who I do believe actually killed Meredith).I'd say that if you are reading this book based on your interest in the Amanda Knox connection, you will likely be disappointed. The aftermath of the murder is limited to the very last chapter of the book, for one thing, and Claire/Amanda is sort of a peripheral character for the first half of the book. The book becomes far more interesting when Claire and our narrator Taz begin spending more time together and have a brief rift, for exactly the reason someone might have fought with the real Amanda Knox (you'll see what I mean).
Katie Crouch's writing has improved since Girls in Trucks. My main criticism of that book was that despite some risks she took with point of view, it didn't come together into a cohesive, meaningful story. Abroad is much more successful in that respect. Taz's need and loneliness in a foreign country are palpable. Particularly when she forms a relationship with one of the Italians on the bottom floor of her cottage, Marcello, who indicates from the start that he is going to use her for sex (he doesn't even get her name right for a while!), but Taz just lets it happen because he is confident and pushy and she wants to be wanted.
And I loved the way that need and loneliness complimented the small historical vignettes of women's murder, from ancient to finally present, that Crouch chose to intersperse. It all came together to form a brutal picture of female lives, the way we are used and discarded, or pitifully requiring mercy killing.
My biggest criticism of Abroad, which is entirely personal to me and your mileage may vary, is that I felt the storyline of Taz's relationships with the B4, a wealthy female clique of fellow British women
Spoiler
who turn out to be drug dealers, and are the reason Taz gets murderedBut thinking back on the whole of the book, I chose to bump it up from three stars to four, because for me it's like the literary equivalent of Sia's music: an excellent primer on what it feels like to be a certain type of woman -- young, privileged, searching, and coming up more wanting than you ever expected.
(Note: everything I've read about the real Meredith Kercher indicates she was actually happy-go-lucky and popular. Not sure if that's just the result of the way we tend to romanticize the dead or a reflection of true facts.)
beckylej's review against another edition
5.0
For Taz (Tabitha), a college student from Ireland, her year abroad in Italy starts innocently enough. As part of the Enteria program she'd chosen Grifonia for her year of foreign study. Her Italian is passable - not great, but enough to get by - and the city seemed a bit of a better choice than either Rome or Florence. Safer. Unfortunately for Taz her time in Grifonia will end in tragedy as her year abroad evolves into something quite different from the learning adventure she'd expected.
I'm finding it really difficult to piece together my thoughts on Katie Crouch's latest. It is a fabulous book - an emotionally draining book, but a fabulous one nonetheless. The story is inspired by the Amanda Knox trial - something Crouch admits to having become a bit obsessed with in this essay from 2011.
Last October, in my review of Jennifer duBois's CARTWHEEL - yet another book based on the case - I admitted that I really didn't know anything much about the trial. My curiosity about ABROAD stemmed mostly from realizing it was a new direction of sorts in Crouch's writing (much of her other books are set in the South and aren't exactly what I'd describe as mysteries).
The story is told from Taz's perspective and as the doomed narrator there is a tension in simply waiting for her story to build to it's inevitable tragic end. She's a normal girl in every way. She craves acceptance, love, and friendship. She gets involved with a questionable crowd, but otherwise doesn't make any terrible decisions or go crazy in her year away from home. Instead, she explores the city and enjoys the freedom of being a young twenty-something in a college town.
But the town's history is one that's filled with tragedy. Crouch borrows a real group called the Compagnia della Morte to help build a backstory in which the women of Grifonia have never truly been safe. Profiles of other Compagnia assisted deaths are sprinkled throughout the book as Taz catches glimpses of these very same women throughout her story. They are heralds of Taz's fate, though it takes some time for that to become clear.
Ultimately Taz's story is one of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Pieces of the story and the people involved all come together in a whirlwind of circumstance that seemingly can't be stopped.
ABROAD has to go down as a favorite of mine this year. It was a powerful read, one that I found myself truly unable to tear myself away from. I apparently got a little too wrapped up in Taz's tale, too, considering how incredibly unsettled I felt upon turning the final page.
I'm finding it really difficult to piece together my thoughts on Katie Crouch's latest. It is a fabulous book - an emotionally draining book, but a fabulous one nonetheless. The story is inspired by the Amanda Knox trial - something Crouch admits to having become a bit obsessed with in this essay from 2011.
Last October, in my review of Jennifer duBois's CARTWHEEL - yet another book based on the case - I admitted that I really didn't know anything much about the trial. My curiosity about ABROAD stemmed mostly from realizing it was a new direction of sorts in Crouch's writing (much of her other books are set in the South and aren't exactly what I'd describe as mysteries).
The story is told from Taz's perspective and as the doomed narrator there is a tension in simply waiting for her story to build to it's inevitable tragic end. She's a normal girl in every way. She craves acceptance, love, and friendship. She gets involved with a questionable crowd, but otherwise doesn't make any terrible decisions or go crazy in her year away from home. Instead, she explores the city and enjoys the freedom of being a young twenty-something in a college town.
But the town's history is one that's filled with tragedy. Crouch borrows a real group called the Compagnia della Morte to help build a backstory in which the women of Grifonia have never truly been safe. Profiles of other Compagnia assisted deaths are sprinkled throughout the book as Taz catches glimpses of these very same women throughout her story. They are heralds of Taz's fate, though it takes some time for that to become clear.
Ultimately Taz's story is one of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Pieces of the story and the people involved all come together in a whirlwind of circumstance that seemingly can't be stopped.
ABROAD has to go down as a favorite of mine this year. It was a powerful read, one that I found myself truly unable to tear myself away from. I apparently got a little too wrapped up in Taz's tale, too, considering how incredibly unsettled I felt upon turning the final page.
toofondofbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Grifonia is an ancient Italian city which plays host to swarms of foreign exchange students every year. Irish student Tabitha Deacon arrives wanting to immerse herself fully into Italian life and so turns down the university accommodation and quickly finds herself renting a room in a small cottage with two Italian women and an American student, Claire. Tabitha, or Taz as she prefers to be known, is very insecure and desperately wants to fit in, and so finds herself unable to resist when the cliquey Brit Four invite her to join their group. The Brit Four lead a very lavish lifestyle and Taz finds herself at increasingly decadent and dark parties. The sense of foreboding is gradually heightened as Taz gets further involved in their world.
Abroad is very loosely based around the murder of British student Meredith Kercher in 2007; Amanda Knox was convicted of the crime, but this novel focuses on the fictionalised story of before.
From the beginning of this novel the reader knows that Taz’s time in Grifonia doesn’t end well, and the tales woven through her story of young women throughout ancient Etruscan civilisations who have befallen horrible, often sacrificial fates due to their being women, gives this novel a haunted feel all the way through. The narrative style adds to this by evoking such a sense of longing and loss; it is reminiscent of Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones with it’s slightly distant, dream-like quality. It just makes the reader ache for these lost young women.
This novel is wonderfully written and an utterly engrossing read, albeit discomforting at times due to it’s links to a real life case. I highly recommend this book.
I gave it 9 out of 10 stars.
Abroad is very loosely based around the murder of British student Meredith Kercher in 2007; Amanda Knox was convicted of the crime, but this novel focuses on the fictionalised story of before.
From the beginning of this novel the reader knows that Taz’s time in Grifonia doesn’t end well, and the tales woven through her story of young women throughout ancient Etruscan civilisations who have befallen horrible, often sacrificial fates due to their being women, gives this novel a haunted feel all the way through. The narrative style adds to this by evoking such a sense of longing and loss; it is reminiscent of Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones with it’s slightly distant, dream-like quality. It just makes the reader ache for these lost young women.
This novel is wonderfully written and an utterly engrossing read, albeit discomforting at times due to it’s links to a real life case. I highly recommend this book.
I gave it 9 out of 10 stars.
literary_princess's review against another edition
3.0
I loved the story idea and the way the author teased it out throughout the book, but I was disappointed in the quick and fairly anticlimactic, almost sterile climax. A great setting with lots of potential for conspiracy, but it never quite made it there. Also, it needed more sex.
Recommend to fans of [b:The Likeness|1914973|The Likeness (Dublin Murder Squad, #2)|Tana French|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348934952s/1914973.jpg|6504351] or [b:The Secret History|29044|The Secret History|Donna Tartt|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327733397s/29044.jpg|221359].
Recommend to fans of [b:The Likeness|1914973|The Likeness (Dublin Murder Squad, #2)|Tana French|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348934952s/1914973.jpg|6504351] or [b:The Secret History|29044|The Secret History|Donna Tartt|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327733397s/29044.jpg|221359].