Reviews

Case Histories by Kate Atkinson

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duncanvb's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Not her best (some bad jokes, has sentences that aren't perfect) and the mysteries aren't all created equal, both in the unfolding and the creaky connections. Doesn't mean it isn't really good, though.

rayvn1004's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

katieinca's review against another edition

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4.0

I might not have read this if I'd paid more attention to what it was about - among other things, parents losing children. (I bought it because it's set in Cambridge and well-reviewed, and I was headed there on vacation.) But I'm so glad I did. The mothers and fathers and sisters in this book are so ...human. Flawed, in very recognizable ways. I don't think a male author could have written them. The women for sure, but maybe not the men, either. It's full of mourning for women and girls who disappear, temporarily or forever, and the fact that we live in a world where that's somehow normal, but it doesn't give in to despair.

missjaward's review against another edition

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reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

_changingtime's review against another edition

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1.0

Review available at https://bit.ly/2Vw8Ye5

jesslolsen's review against another edition

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3.0

Pay attention or you will lose the story thread easily. It rambles on and then jumps around so if you like fast paced thrillers or mysteries, this one may not be for you.

I listened to the audio book version while traveling for work and if I hadn’t been able to listen to 6 hours in one day, I don’t think I would have stuck with it. I felt like this is one I couldn’t listen to in small bits and pieces, I needed the time to absorb the characters - because to me this book was more about the characters, and why they are who they are, than the actual ‘mysteries’.

There is not one entirely likable character in this story, and while that doesn’t necessarily ruin a story, it doesn’t make it hard to want to hear how things end for them.