Genre: Mystery
Disclaimer: Reading is all about discovery, but this Book Review does not shy away from spoiling specific scenes as this is more of a look inside the good and bad of a book.
The Analysis:
This book has made the rounds in several BookTube pages, by avid readers espousing that the bad reviews it’s getting are not accurate. A misunderstanding of whether the book is a thriller or mystery. I’m all about accuracy in reviews as you know. So let’s book review it.
Here’s the Blurb:
When the cofounder of Snoop, a trendy London-based tech startup, organizes a weeklong trip for the team in the French Alps, it starts out as a corporate retreat like any other: PowerPoint presentations and strategy sessions broken up by mandatory bonding on the slopes. But as soon as one shareholder upends the agenda by pushing a lucrative but contentious buyout offer, tensions simmer and loyalties are tested. The storm brewing inside the chalet is no match for the one outside, however, and a devastating avalanche leaves the group cut off from all access to the outside world. Even worse, one Snooper hadn’t made it back from the slopes when the avalanche hit.
As each hour passes without any sign of rescue, panic mounts, the chalet grows colder, and the group dwindles further…one by one.
Now The Story:
Book Info:
Pages: 384
Author: Ruth Ware
Available: On Google Play
This story is told from the pov (point-of-view) of two females, Liz and Erin. Liz works for a fortune 500 company on a retreat and Erin works at the retreat location, maintaining the grounds etc.
Living in Liz’s head is hard. I have experienced anxiety and depression in my past so I’m no stranger to it. I’ve had the thoughts and feelings of inferiority to others and being dressed horribly and wishing you were anywhere else but with these people. Yet, I still found Liz insufferable. This is a hard way to live and my heart goes out to anyone who can identify.
My only advice: Never accept that this is somehow just how you are and you can’t change. Baby goals, little steps, become the person you want to be. And that’s someone who doesn’t live vicariously through strangers eyes.
Erin’s pov seemed to be getting more to the nitty gritty of what the story is about. She pointed out the intrigue between the characters and everyone’s differing motivations. At points, especially in the beginning, I much preferred Erin to Liz’s anxiety laced rants that seemed to reveal very little beyond her need for therapy. Eventually, I skipped a chapter because I had enough, like not everything has to be this hard, Liz. Its just sleeping arrangements. I took one point off for living in Liz’s head when my own is torture enough.
(But I don’t think most people would feel this way about this particular point.)
No one dies or goes missing until chapter 16. The first half is political intrigue; a setting up of the problem that leads to all this. In a movie these scenes would go by in a blink. As it stands, reading it is both interesting and tiresome, like where the death at. I took off another point here.
The book goes so much faster after that point. And you won’t be able to put it down.
I rolled my eyes at Rik (suspect and coworker of Liz’s) immediately throwing the surprise deaths at Inigos (suspect and coworker of Liz’s #2) feet just because he was the only one with one bar of cell reception. My second thought was here we go, the tomfoolery is about to start. That irrational blaming of anyone and anything, but what it actually is. Revealing ones poor character more than anything else. So basically the fun.
I was barreling toward the end, and I found myself wanting to stay up past my bed time to finish it.
I don’t read a lot of mystery/thrillers (something i’m trying to change) and this might have something to do with it, but I didn’t guess the killer.
I wasn’t surprised by Liz’s lie that she couldn’t ski. I’m not sure what movie it was by name. But killers pretending to be something there not as some sort of alibi is not a new plot point to me. It did occur to me, much earlier, that people could be lying about their level of skill on the slopes. I just didn’t use that info to convict anyone out of hand.
But this little nugget didn’t ruin my enjoyment of those scenes or the revelation.
The author committed two very tropey faux pas. One the killer laying out her entire plan before she murders the victim. Two, the victim hesitating to kill the killer. Or in this case, going to check if the killer was alive when she should be running. However, it makes sense for both characters. So, I didn’t hate reading those parts.
It wrapped up nicely with plenty of action in the end. We also got to see our characters a few days afterward to see how they were handling everything. I liked it.
Story At A Glance:
Recommendation: 3 out of 5*
The Ratings:
Book Cover Appeal:
🍓🍓🍓🍓
Story & Narration:
🍓🍓🍓
Romance:
Not Applicable
Character/(s) Personality:
🍓🍓🍓
*For most people this should land closer to a 4/5.
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