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sam_hartwig's review
2.0
I really liked the concept of this book, but it didn't hit the mark for me. I think I like my mysteries with a bit more pace and excitement. The big reveal fell flat in my opinion, and although it was an original idea I wasn't all that invested in the story or characters by then.
enaminella's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
ksilvio's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking, Alcohol, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Physical abuse, Self harm, Gun violence, Addiction, Death, Grief, and Suicide
Minor: Fatphobia, Transphobia, Body shaming, Bullying, and Domestic abuse
suzie_q's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
missbookiverse's review against another edition
4.0
Ich liebe die Art von Thrillern, die Melanie Raabe schreibt: spannend und geheimnisvoll, aber ohne die menschliche, emotionale Seite außer Acht zu lassen. Das sind keine praktischen Pappattrappen, die da durch ihre gesponnenen Netze stolpern, sondern echte Frauen mit Ecken und Kanten. Norah ist ein bisschen unbequem, ich konnte ihre Handlungen nicht immer nachvollziehen (obwohl sie am Ende etwas mehr Sinn ergeben haben), aber sie ist intelligent (und verhält sich auch so) und ich habe ihr stets gern über die Schulter geschaut. Die Auflösung des Ganzen habe ich in Ansätzen erahnt, fand die Idee aber trotzdem originell und mir hat besonders gut gefallen wie Norah mit der Situation umgegangen ist (einzig den Perspektivwechsel fand ich überflüssig und die Autorin selbst ist leider auch nicht die beste Hörbuchsprecherin).
jillmlong's review
3.0
I found the plot to be very interesting but extremely slow. Not much seemed to be happening for much of the book. It picks up speed near the end and I will say that I was very impressed with the ending. The author did a good job tying the story together.
charlyritter's review against another edition
4.0
This was similar to the other books I have read by her insofar as the main character is a woman that gets increasingly more unreliable both to the reader (up to the point where you are not quite sure anymore whether you can trust her account) and with her ending up not knowing whether she can still trust herself or those around her.
This isolation of the main character was even exacerbated in this one since it does not only stem from plot developments and/or the main character being a recluse in a place she has lived in for a while but is already tied to the very premise of Norah having recently moved to a new city where she knows very few people.
As always, Melanie Raabe's writing style is beautifully lyrical which makes it pleasantly stand out in the thriller genre, all the while being addictive and really making you want to keep reading and find out how everything is connected.
I liked Norah as a character, if not always as a person. The descriptions of just having arrived in a new place where you are desperately trying to get a new start were relatable. I especially loved how the cold, anonymous city was described, together with Norah's frequent brushes with death through signs or posters she saw in the city. I most definitely did NOT call the twist(s) at the end – while I did note down one suspicion about 60% through that turned out to be kind of correct, it did so with a totally different character constellation than what I expected.
Speaking of twists, now for the things I did not like: It was just one too many for me personally. After the Big Plottwist head been revealed, I personally would not have needed any further (albeit minor) twists -- they felt kind of manipulative and try-hard to me. I would have been fine with just having Norah's reactions described. I personally could also have done without the very last paragraph on the very last page because to me it seemed at worst contradictory to what state of mind she had just reached towards the end, at best not full-on contradictory but still not quite in the same vein of the sense of belonging, cutting ties and break with the past that the ending seemed to have been about to me. I do see why [that thing I’m not spoiling] makes sense in context, but I'd personally have preferred to think it to myself, not for it to be explicitly in the book.
This isolation of the main character was even exacerbated in this one since it does not only stem from plot developments and/or the main character being a recluse in a place she has lived in for a while but is already tied to the very premise of Norah having recently moved to a new city where she knows very few people.
As always, Melanie Raabe's writing style is beautifully lyrical which makes it pleasantly stand out in the thriller genre, all the while being addictive and really making you want to keep reading and find out how everything is connected.
I liked Norah as a character, if not always as a person. The descriptions of just having arrived in a new place where you are desperately trying to get a new start were relatable. I especially loved how the cold, anonymous city was described, together with Norah's frequent brushes with death through signs or posters she saw in the city. I most definitely did NOT call the twist(s) at the end – while I did note down one suspicion about 60% through that turned out to be kind of correct, it did so with a totally different character constellation than what I expected.
Speaking of twists, now for the things I did not like: It was just one too many for me personally. After the Big Plottwist head been revealed, I personally would not have needed any further (albeit minor) twists -- they felt kind of manipulative and try-hard to me. I would have been fine with just having Norah's reactions described. I personally could also have done without the very last paragraph on the very last page because to me it seemed at worst contradictory to what state of mind she had just reached towards the end, at best not full-on contradictory but still not quite in the same vein of the sense of belonging, cutting ties and break with the past that the ending seemed to have been about to me. I do see why [that thing I’m not spoiling] makes sense in context, but I'd personally have preferred to think it to myself, not for it to be explicitly in the book.
marilynw's review against another edition
4.0
The Shadow by Melanie Raabe
There is so much foreshadowing and symbolism in this story. It's a work of art, in itself, with the gloomy, eerie, cold, atmosphere. It seems as if it's always nighttime, with descriptions of sounds and smells that bring back hazy memories of something sinister.
Norah Richter has recently moved to Vienna, from Berlin. She's lost her job and is being sued for reasons we don't know. Her long term relationship has been destroyed and now she's living in a big, empty flat. Norah seems to exist in her mind, often not noticing things around her unless the smells, sounds, and visuals remind her of sad, terrifying past events. I want to think she's in the middle of some kind of psychotic episode but Norah seems to be a hard worker, very good at her job, and has some devoted long time friends. But she rarely sleeps and her dreams are filled with blood and being unable to fix things. She's taken up smoking again, drinks way too much, sleeps with strangers and then kicks them out of her flat the next morning.
Strange things are happening, such as a beggar telling her, "On the eleventh of February, you will kill a man called Arthur Grimm . . . With good reason. And of your own free will." And then finding a tarot card that predicts death, being haunted by sights and sounds of Grimm, things disappearing or appearing in her apartment, her friends treating her differently or shunning her entirely. It's hard to know if Norah is a reliable narrator when everything about her seems so hazy and distant.
This story is very entertaining and the atmosphere is the star. Sights, sounds, smells, and darkness play big roles in the telling of this tale. It's amazing how the story can seem one way for so long and then there is an about face and it's something else, something that I was prepared for because I paid attention to the signs...but even as I paid attention, I couldn't trust what I thought was happening.
Published January 5th 2021
Thank you to House of Anansi Press Inc./Spiderline and NetGalley for this ARC.
There is so much foreshadowing and symbolism in this story. It's a work of art, in itself, with the gloomy, eerie, cold, atmosphere. It seems as if it's always nighttime, with descriptions of sounds and smells that bring back hazy memories of something sinister.
Norah Richter has recently moved to Vienna, from Berlin. She's lost her job and is being sued for reasons we don't know. Her long term relationship has been destroyed and now she's living in a big, empty flat. Norah seems to exist in her mind, often not noticing things around her unless the smells, sounds, and visuals remind her of sad, terrifying past events. I want to think she's in the middle of some kind of psychotic episode but Norah seems to be a hard worker, very good at her job, and has some devoted long time friends. But she rarely sleeps and her dreams are filled with blood and being unable to fix things. She's taken up smoking again, drinks way too much, sleeps with strangers and then kicks them out of her flat the next morning.
Strange things are happening, such as a beggar telling her, "On the eleventh of February, you will kill a man called Arthur Grimm . . . With good reason. And of your own free will." And then finding a tarot card that predicts death, being haunted by sights and sounds of Grimm, things disappearing or appearing in her apartment, her friends treating her differently or shunning her entirely. It's hard to know if Norah is a reliable narrator when everything about her seems so hazy and distant.
This story is very entertaining and the atmosphere is the star. Sights, sounds, smells, and darkness play big roles in the telling of this tale. It's amazing how the story can seem one way for so long and then there is an about face and it's something else, something that I was prepared for because I paid attention to the signs...but even as I paid attention, I couldn't trust what I thought was happening.
Published January 5th 2021
Thank you to House of Anansi Press Inc./Spiderline and NetGalley for this ARC.