Thursday, August 30, 2018

Harper, Jane (Force of Nature)

I'm writing this review too late! I recall lots of things, but probably not the things I tend to write about in my reviews, like overall impressions or the quality of the writing or other broader aspects.

So, instead I will say that I didn't enjoy it as much as the first one (The Dry), which is likely a factor of The Second Novel syndrome, but is also likely a factor of the ending being both disappointing and out-of-left-field at the same time. It didn't feel as well crafted as the first novel, in which the reveal made tons more sense in the context of the story she was telling.

This novel felt... icky. The vibe of this group of women makes your skin crawl. As do all the horrible beasties that will kill you in the Australian outback. And the bizarrely uninteresting interaction between Falk and his partner. (Also, who the heck would go on a group hike like this without liking each and every one of the people you were going with?? This is why leadership activities blow chunks.)

Harper is still an excellent writer, and nothing about this novel dissuaded me from wanting to continue to read her writing, which is probably the most useful thing I can say here.

No comments: