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A review by brooke_review
The Body Double by Emily Beyda
4.0
They say that everyone in the world has a doppelganger - someone else walking around with your face. Some people may view this premise as intriguing, others as chilling. Both sides of the coin are presented in The Body Double, a novel by debut author Emily Beyda, which brings this theory to life in a captivating, noir-esque sort of way.
Many people may be flattered to be told they have the face of a beautiful celebrity, but for the unnamed protagonist of The Body Double, this compliment goes so much further than skin deep. She is simply living her life, working a dead-end job at a seedy movie theater in a rundown part of town when her boss introduces her to a headhunter, Max. She is the girl he has been looking for - the girl with Rosanna's face, the face Rosanna needs.
Max offers this lookalike a proposition - to be Rosanna's body double. Rosanna, a reclusive celebrity who has been spending some time out of the spotlight due to personal struggles, would like to get back into the game, but feels unable to leave her home in the Hollywood hills. She needs a lookalike to pick up some of her engagements and spend some time in the limelight, letting the world know she is back.
This girl is the closest they have come to finding someone who could pass as Rosanna, but will she do it? She must give up her old life; never speak to anyone she knows again. Move to Los Angeles and train to become Rosanna. And of course, there is money involved - this position will be lucrative for her if she accepts. Which she does, although she may not fully be prepared for what her acceptance of this position involves.
The Body Double is a peculiar, atmospheric novel, which explores themes of identity, trust, and perception. The story has a murky, tense feel - all the while reading it, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop because things were going just too well for our unnamed protagonist. I could anticipate something lurking in the shadows, ready to pull the rug out from underneath Rosanna's media-polished life. Fans of film noir will find much to like about The Body Double and the spine-tingling vibes it gives off.
Readers will find this debut story contemplative and introspective. How much would you trust a stranger with an odd proposition, and how far would you go to fulfill a task handed to you? Do you believe your own perceptions of the world and the people in it, and if you do, how do you know that your perception is not skewed by factors you have no knowledge of?
I anticipate some readers finding this book to be a little slow and light on the plot. Also, the twist ending, or at least some aspects of it, are fairly predictable. I found the ending to be my least favorite part of this suspense novel, as I could have imagined more shocking ways to end this book after so much build-up. However, these factors did not detract from my overall enjoyment of this novel. I enjoyed the languid pace, as it felt right in line with the noir genre, and while the ending was a bit muddled and disappointing, I still really liked this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Many people may be flattered to be told they have the face of a beautiful celebrity, but for the unnamed protagonist of The Body Double, this compliment goes so much further than skin deep. She is simply living her life, working a dead-end job at a seedy movie theater in a rundown part of town when her boss introduces her to a headhunter, Max. She is the girl he has been looking for - the girl with Rosanna's face, the face Rosanna needs.
Max offers this lookalike a proposition - to be Rosanna's body double. Rosanna, a reclusive celebrity who has been spending some time out of the spotlight due to personal struggles, would like to get back into the game, but feels unable to leave her home in the Hollywood hills. She needs a lookalike to pick up some of her engagements and spend some time in the limelight, letting the world know she is back.
This girl is the closest they have come to finding someone who could pass as Rosanna, but will she do it? She must give up her old life; never speak to anyone she knows again. Move to Los Angeles and train to become Rosanna. And of course, there is money involved - this position will be lucrative for her if she accepts. Which she does, although she may not fully be prepared for what her acceptance of this position involves.
The Body Double is a peculiar, atmospheric novel, which explores themes of identity, trust, and perception. The story has a murky, tense feel - all the while reading it, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop because things were going just too well for our unnamed protagonist. I could anticipate something lurking in the shadows, ready to pull the rug out from underneath Rosanna's media-polished life. Fans of film noir will find much to like about The Body Double and the spine-tingling vibes it gives off.
Readers will find this debut story contemplative and introspective. How much would you trust a stranger with an odd proposition, and how far would you go to fulfill a task handed to you? Do you believe your own perceptions of the world and the people in it, and if you do, how do you know that your perception is not skewed by factors you have no knowledge of?
I anticipate some readers finding this book to be a little slow and light on the plot. Also, the twist ending, or at least some aspects of it, are fairly predictable. I found the ending to be my least favorite part of this suspense novel, as I could have imagined more shocking ways to end this book after so much build-up. However, these factors did not detract from my overall enjoyment of this novel. I enjoyed the languid pace, as it felt right in line with the noir genre, and while the ending was a bit muddled and disappointing, I still really liked this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.