Great American Survival Stories: Lyons Press Classics
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Although survival is often taken for granted - something every human strives to achieve on a daily...
Bill Hader recommended The Hit (2002) in Movies (curated)
Cujo
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Outside a peaceful town in central Maine, a monster is waiting. Cujo is a two-hundred-pound Saint...
Gerald's Game (2017)
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Gerald's Game is a 2017 American psychological horror film directed and edited by Mike Flanagan and...
Gerald's Game
It’s A Sin
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Created by Russell T Davies, this 5 part drama tells the story of a group of young friends living in...
Joe Pera Takes You to Breakfast (12)
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Can't sleep? Joe Pera (along with his lazy dog Gus) can help you with his peaceful, quiet, monotone...
Comeback Season (2006)
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Walter Pearce (Liotta), a married man, tries to win back his wife (Headley) after cheating on her....
Sid & Judy (2019)
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Revealing new look at Judy Garland fifty years after her tragic, untimely death. Fusing the...
Dean (6925 KP) rated Christine (1983) in Movies
Nov 1, 2022
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Secret Place in Books
Feb 13, 2018
This was a typical Tana French mystery in many ways. This novel is compelling, as always, featuring thoughtful and reflective characters and a detailed, well-plotted mystery. The story is told in alternating chapters by Stephen (in the present-day) and then flashes back to various sections told by the girls of St. Kilda's, who are telling bits of the story leading up to Chris' death. It's an excellent technique because Stephen's portion covers basically 24 hours, as he and Antoinette rush to solve the crime before the girls can cover their tracks once and for all. But by going into the past, French effectively builds suspense and allows us to meet the various teens in her tale (about eight in all, which is a lot at times).
Overall, she does an good job of capturing teen culture: particularly, I'm sure, the culture of British teens in boarding school (shockingly, something I'm not too familiar with). While the descriptions of the girls gets a little tedious (a lot of blond, straightened hair), their personalities are clear and develop easily over the course of the novel. The commentary on the bonds of teen friendship is excellent. For me, Stephen wasn't one of my all-time favorite French protagonists, but I enjoyed the dynamic between him and Conway and how the window into their lives is basically less than 24 hours.
The mystery portion was a little less enjoyable for me than some of French's other novels and a bit of a let down at the end, but it was still a great read. One of my favorite things about French's books is how they easily transport you into another world while reading--you find yourself lost in the characters and their world--and this one was no exception. 3.5 strong stars. I'm looking forward to her next novel, which is supposed to feature Conway again.
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