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jeo224's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
4.25
I enjoyed this book thoroughly, including the voice of the main character with all her flaws and sarcastic cynicism. This book is filled with theatre - she is a theatre critic, after all - and theatre theory in the best way, with a story that builds and moves quickly, even while we are aware there is more to this protagonist. And then - there are twists, a lot of twists including one at the end that was less than predictable to me, at least (I often see twists coming and this does not diminish the book, to me, but it was fun to not see this one). I listened to this and the narration was excellent with the narrator catching the nuances of the emotions vocally every time - really a great job. It was also a change of pace to have a mystery center on a theatre critic.
tdeaux's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
phantomkitten's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
daylight_frames's review
2.0
I really wanted to like this. A theatre critic centered story? Right up my alley. I did like the twist and the sense of impending doom, but the main character was uncharismatic and honestly could have done without so much sexual assault.
gracekibira's review
5.0
THE AUDIOBOOK IS NARRATED BY LAURA BENANTI AND THE DIVA IS VOICE ACTING DOWN OKAY. THAT'S ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW.
This dark, noir (?) thriller was literally made for retired theater girlies like me. The references felt like they were easter eggs specifically for me. Like hello being a seagull/actress for Halloween??? IYKYK. That being said I don't know that this would be a 5-star read for someone who isn't into theater/has a history in theater. Would still recommend it to anyone because you don't NEED to have that connection but it made the experience so special for meeeee <3
So obviously I DEVOURED this book, but it's not without fault. The twist at the end was confusing because how is that a resolution? And it ended so abruptly that I thought I blacked out and missed something.
This dark, noir (?) thriller was literally made for retired theater girlies like me. The references felt like they were easter eggs specifically for me. Like hello being a seagull/actress for Halloween??? IYKYK. That being said I don't know that this would be a 5-star read for someone who isn't into theater/has a history in theater. Would still recommend it to anyone because you don't NEED to have that connection but it made the experience so special for meeeee <3
So obviously I DEVOURED this book, but it's not without fault. The twist at the end was confusing because how is that a resolution? And it ended so abruptly that I thought I blacked out and missed something.
kalliegrace's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
5.0
This was so much better than I expected it to be. Noir, reality-blurring, smart but self destructive main character, satisfying conclusion.
leaapolline's review
2.0
2.5 stars. It came together with more sense than I thought it would, but there were long stretches with nothing much to enjoy.
Recommended by Lucas, who liked it a lot more than I did.
Recommended by Lucas, who liked it a lot more than I did.
beau_reads_books's review
3.0
“He's pretending to be a person, too. And he's good at it. Better than me.”
Reading a book about a professional critic as a non professional critic was revealing in ways I did not appreciate but I feel much less acerbic than this narrator, that’s for sure. I love a solid noir style narrative, a refutable narrator, and healthy portion of self-destruction. A lot of really interesting theater theory and discourse was sprinkled throughout the novel, something I wasn’t expecting but genuinely enjoyed.
“But I am too fine a critic to endure bad art. It's a gift I can't accept.”
The main plot was only just a hair past unbelievable to feel authentic. What “Black Swan”, which has surprisingly similar vibes to “Here in the Dark”, got right was the gross fracture of reality: the shapeshifting, hallucinations, etc. were all pointedly surreal. In “Dark” everything felt relatively flat enough that by the time the reveal rolled around, it didn’t feel worth the effort the MC put in.
3.5/5 Stranger things have happened in New York City.
Reading a book about a professional critic as a non professional critic was revealing in ways I did not appreciate but I feel much less acerbic than this narrator, that’s for sure. I love a solid noir style narrative, a refutable narrator, and healthy portion of self-destruction. A lot of really interesting theater theory and discourse was sprinkled throughout the novel, something I wasn’t expecting but genuinely enjoyed.
“But I am too fine a critic to endure bad art. It's a gift I can't accept.”
The main plot was only just a hair past unbelievable to feel authentic. What “Black Swan”, which has surprisingly similar vibes to “Here in the Dark”, got right was the gross fracture of reality: the shapeshifting, hallucinations, etc. were all pointedly surreal. In “Dark” everything felt relatively flat enough that by the time the reveal rolled around, it didn’t feel worth the effort the MC put in.
3.5/5 Stranger things have happened in New York City.
lola425's review
4.0
As a fan of Sloski's criticism, I was excited to read this book. Great character building, the narrative flow is just right and I did not see the twist coming.
Combines my love of theater with my love of f*ucked up woman characters.
Combines my love of theater with my love of f*ucked up woman characters.