Susanne

So, I'm not familiar with Cornwell's Scarpetta series, so maybe that biases me. (Though novels should stand on their own merits.) The plot was terrible - convoluted and contrived. There were so many coincidences I stopped caring. Sometimes you can pull off a “master plot” with lots of “coincidences” that end up being part of the plan all along, but this was just sloppy and overwrought. I didn't care about any of the characters, and identified the most with a minor character that took up all of ten pages. It was dull and bland and I'm sorry I actually finished it.

Overwrought. Contrived.

The ending didn't fit my understanding of the characters. It was totally unbelievable for me. Suddenly everything works out because one of the characters has a sudden change of heart? What.

It wasn't a bad read, but it would have been better at 200 pages or so.

I ordered it after reading all the rave reviews and didn't get the hype. It read like the stuff I thought was poetry in the third grade - basic, boring sentences just spaced out on the page. I was hoping for beautiful language, interesting concepts, or something worthwhile, but it was like a gross mashup of every sentimental teenage angsty quote on Pinterest. Resold immediately.

The author was definitely brave to share her emotional journey with readers - but it didn't resonate with me, as I was hoping for something more along the lines of Richard Siken's Crush or even something Andrea Gibson-y.