Reviews

Dope by Sara Gran

smelendez's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

5.0

kathrinpassig's review

4.0

Die straighte Version der "Claire de Witt"-Serie, ohne den Surrealismus. Der Plot ist überraschender, als ich währenddessen dachte, und ich mag weiterhin Grans Hardboiled-Stil sehr. Außerdem hatte ich noch nicht so viel über das Drogenmilieu im New York von 1950 gelesen, und wenn, dann nur von Männern, ich war also schon wegen des Settings interessiert. Minor nitpick: Alle sind zu nett zueinander, die Polizei lässt Joe ohne besonderen Grund einfach wieder laufen (mehrfach!), aber das klassische Hardboiled-Genre, so wie ich es bisher kannte*, ist ja auch unrealistisch, nur halt an anderen Stellen.

* Ist hier undokumentiert, weil es zu lange her ist, aber von Hammett, Chandler und Cain habe ich mal alles gelesen. Inzwischen natürlich auch alles wieder vergessen. Ich darf die 1990er Jahre hier niemals nachtragen, sonst dauert mein Projekt "50% Bücher von Frauen", bis ich 100 bin.

shangraham's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense 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? Yes

4.5

missmim's review

2.0

This is a quick, easy read. Gran really amps up the noir style to a degree that sometimes feels forced. Still, the main character, Jo, was interesting and the ending was completely unexpected for me, so I'll give her points for that. Also, I kept thinking about the book for days, which is another plus.

lovesresqdogs's review

A good quick read. Interesting story wiht a real twist at the end. Interesting to wonder who Shelley is, my first thought was an old lover ?

failmaven's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

mehitabels's review against another edition

4.0

I was immensely pleased with this book. An ex-druggie making her way through 50's NYC, convinced to take on a p.i. job. Jo was likable and believably an addict, without the pity or self-martyrdom that usually goes with these types of characters.

Excellent twists, surprising characters, taut writing and a nice dose of humor to go along. I really enjoyed this. I can actually say this would also make a great movie . . . hmmm, perhaps I will try my hand at screen writing.

sandin954's review against another edition

3.0

Set in 1950s New York City, this book had a great atmosphere and really made the seedier side of life in the city come alive. The plot was a bit standard issue though very dark.

glitchreads's review

5.0

Five star -honestly- I just love Sara Grans writing. I’m not typically willing to read historical stories but I was so into it because goddamn they’re just a pronominal writer.
Here’s the thing I think I realized: This was my 3rd book by them, and I figured out why I just love their work. They understand people! Characters never feel flat, it feels real, there’s such an understanding & empathy level that turns characters into whole humans. I don’t often see that in books.
I would recommend their writing even if I haven’t read it yet at this point, 3 amazing books in a row by the same person shows not just talent but consistent quality that I wish I didn’t feel so rare!

jeffmauch's review

4.0

I don't remember how this book ended up on my reading list, but I'm glad it did. It's not something I would have read had I picked it up off the shelf at the library. It sounds like a run of the mill, find a missing person in the underworld type story. I know that doesn't sound all that bad, but it's a style of novel that I've just read to many of, most of which weren't particularly good. So the question is what makes this stand out and why did I like it? A few reasons really, first it's written with a female protagonist, a former drug addict as well which adds depth to the character. Second, it takes place in the 1950's and is written well in both it's period specific language and descriptions. You really find yourself falling in love with the protagonist and her story and it twists and turns at times quite unexpectedly. It's a short but engrossing read that is well crafted and sharp and I hope the author writes more like it.