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itsnotalakeitsanocean's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Considering I've never read any psychological thrillers like the ones mentioned in other reviews before, I somehow found this book to be kind of predictable and okay at best. I did find myself turning the page just to see what happened next, and although sometimes I was satisfied by what I read nothing felt particularly extraordinary to me.
What I liked:
What I liked:
- For all of its flaws, the writing is easy to read and the author has a good sense of the characters' individual voices.
- The author is good at giving Tangier a sense of place even if you haven't been there. Though it might be a little cliché, I also enjoyed the talk about the country's tombs and how it went through many different names depending on who had recently conquered it.
What I didn't like:
- There were long stretches where it didn't feel like anything was happening in the present day of the novel. I understand Alice is a 50's housewife and lacks the agency a lot of modern day women do for a reason, but the flashbacks to Bennington were more interesting than the novel's present day I couldn't help but wonder if the author intended it to be set at Bennington originally, only to change the setting to make it seem more unique.
- The characters stick to the roles and clichés they were written for and don't have much going for them outside of it. This is especially annoying with
Lucy, as she follows the psycho lesbian trope to a tee because she grew up poor and had an absent mother. Groundbreaking. The idea that Alice was supposed to be an equally unreliable narrator as well also fell short for me. - Although I said the author is good at making Tangier come to life, there is one thing that felt like wasted potential to me. There was talk of violent revolutions happening so that Morocco could gain its independence which felt like it was included more to say "do not enjoy this popular holiday destination!" rather than exploring how the city is a product of colonisation that white people enjoy at the expense of the people they've colonialised.
Lucy's scheming was almost comical at times, especially with how everything seemed to go off without a hitch. The novel relies a lot on dramatic irony over foreshadowing, so we know how Lucy's schemes are going to affect Alice, but even when Alice starts to realise the extent of Lucy's scheming at best she stamps her feet and tells Lucy to go away. Again, understandable considering the time period, but it doesn't make it all that compelling to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Animal death, Infidelity, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Self harm, Violence, and Forced institutionalization
samdalefox's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
This is just a bad book all around. The praise quoted on the front of the book are all lies. This is an extremely poor imitation of genuinely good thrillers like 'The Talented Mr Ripley'. Poor writing, poor pacing, flat characters, and zero twists. Everything was obvious from the first chapter. I sped read the last third and only completed it because I was reading it on a plane.
Also this would have been so much more compelling if it leaned more into Lucy and Alice having a genuine romantic relationship, rather than perpetuating the toxic trope of “all lesbians are bad and crazy and unhealthily obsessed with their female friends”.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting and Toxic friendship
Minor: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, Car accident, Death of parent, and Colonisation
lay_kone's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, Stalking, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Animal death
shayda's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Books with unreliable narrators are always fun, by which i mean i wanted to throw it across the room.
It was very well written, all the pieces fall into place neatly, making your stomach drop. I have a hard time with books where the villain wins and the emotions it provoked goes it show how invested i was in the story.
The themes of obsessive female friendships was fun to explore. It had an interesting snapshot of colonialism at this time, her husbands sucks ass, creepy pedo. Cant say i blame her for getting rid of him, just found her actions thereafter cruel.
It was sad but i guess realistic in showing the gaslighting that thrives when people want to get rid of women with mental illnesses and want to label them a mad woman. She truly had no chance poor girl.
The writing was gripping and plot was well executed!
It was very well written, all the pieces fall into place neatly, making your stomach drop. I have a hard time with books where the villain wins and the emotions it provoked goes it show how invested i was in the story.
The themes of obsessive female friendships was fun to explore. It had an interesting snapshot of colonialism at this time, her husbands sucks ass, creepy pedo. Cant say i blame her for getting rid of him, just found her actions thereafter cruel.
It was sad but i guess realistic in showing the gaslighting that thrives when people want to get rid of women with mental illnesses and want to label them a mad woman. She truly had no chance poor girl.
The writing was gripping and plot was well executed!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Infidelity, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, and Colonisation
abbeyhuffine94's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
I enjoyed the imagery and wanderlust aspect of this novel a lot. I really think the setting carried this novel but the plot is a good mystery as well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Murder
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
angel_lyd's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Tangerine is possibly the most mind boggling book i’ve read in a long time. It is beautifully written, you can feel the heat of Tangier throughout. The only reason this isn’t 5 stars for me is because the ending felt rushed, the blurb seems to make a big deal off the husband’s disappearance but I felt it happened quickly and some information was left out. Still a fantastic read though, Lucy Mason is terrifying.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
hannahlnh's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I found this book really enjoyable and was delighted by a female-led vintage mystery. I subtracted some points for some problematic tropes though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Colonisation
Moderate: Violence