Title: The Clinic
Author: Cate Quinn
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Date Published: January 23, 2024
Genre: Thriller
Rating: ★★⍣☆☆
REVIEW
This book started off very strong. It was fast paced, which was kept up the entire book due to the very short chapters, and immediately drew me in with the first chapter. However, the intrigue only lasted so long until the plot went entirely off the wall crazy. Nothing in this book past the first 30(ish) percent felt realistic. There were way too many plot points that weren't followed through on, and some of the side characters felt more compelling than Meg.
There was a twist near the end that felt extremely rushed and not very well explained. I wish the focus would have been narrower so that each idea could have been explored fully. Instead, we get a mishmash of ideas that fizzled out.
I did really enjoy the setting, as luxury rehab centers definitely do exist. I thought the social commentary that the contrast in what that rich addicts versus poor addicts have access to was very well done, and an important concept in modern times. The fact that celebrities that go to rehab are looked at entirely differently than the every day person who has an addiction is very real.
Overall, this book had some really good parts, but as a whole it failed to keep it's focus and I found myself wanting to be done reading before I did.
Title: The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels
Author: Janice Hallett
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (Atria Books)
Date Published: September 14, 2023
Genre: Mystery
Rating: ★★★★⍣
REVIEW
This was one of the most unique books I think I've ever read. It has a very abnormal structure, which at first took some getting used to. Bouncing between WhatsApp, emails, and text messages, the narrative structure was difficult to grasp and follow at first. It wasn't until at least 10% of the way through that I managed to get into a rhythm. After that though, I enjoyed the reading process immensely.
This mystery was very well thought out to connect everything together. The ending was quite surprising, which I liked as I didn't see it coming. I was wondering the whole time whether or not there was going to be some sort of paranormal twist as well. After finishing, I definitely will read more at the author's works. If they're anything like this then I'll be happy.
I really enjoyed how the main character, Amanda, was not a likeable person. While I enjoyed reading all of her thoughts, texts, emails, and lies, her personality was quite jarring. It fit with her job though, as she was an investigative journalist who is competitive and always wanting the big break and upper hand. It is difficult to say much more about this book without giving anything away, but the mystery aspect of this book was done incredibly well.
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