whimsydearest

  The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward is a truly dark and unnerving psychological thriller told from three main perspectives. - Ted: a man who lives in a boarded-up house with his cat and his daughter who occasionally visits. - Olivia: a highly intelligent cat who loves the bible. - Dee: the sister of a missing girl who's convinced that Ted kidnapped her sister, so she moves into the house next door to spy on him. Now, story’s pacing might not be everyone’s copy of tea. This book is a true slowburn. The story goes from mundane everyday tasks like eating and house repairs to jarringly messed up. On one hand, I found this juxtaposition created a sense of uncanniness and unease throughout the novel. On the other hand, I also found the story boring in parts. I think it’s also important to note that a lot of information is withheld from the reader upfront, but half the fun is trying to unravel what’s going on. The story is filled with twists and turns. Some reveals I saw ...

Jacob Finch Bonner is a bitter and disgruntled novelist teaching at a third-rate MFA writing program. Therefore, when Evan Parker—one of his most arrogant students—, boasts that he has an idea for an instant bestseller novel, Jacob dismisses him …, until he hears the plot. The story blows him away. Years pass without Jacob seeing the book published, so, out of curiosity, Jacob tries to look up what became of his former student to find that Evan had passed away from a drug overdose. Not wanting the story to die along with Evan, Jacob takes it upon himself to complete and publish it for himself. Sure enough, it’s a hit. He achieves national fame and everything seems to be going so well for him, until he receives an ominous tweet from an anonymous user, and Jacob’s entire world begins to fall apart. The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz is a clever psychological thriller that centers around a writer’s all-consuming obsession. The main character is extremely flawed and believable, and I feel lik...