AB

This is awful!

Revisado: 03-28-25

I do not understand how this has so many good reviews. I would rate this far below mediocre.
I really needed something lighthearted so I tried to keep listening, but this is terribly written and terribly narrated. Do not waste any money on this. I’m not sure how this author has a career.

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Not much of a mystery and drags

Revisado: 02-22-25

I’m sorry that I listened to the good reviews and paid for this book.

This is not a cozy mystery if that is what you are after. I also don’t find it to be much of a compelling mystery either. The pace is incredibly slow and the plot is silly and irritating. This is mostly a novel about tragedy and trauma, and the stupidity of blaming a young teenager for an accident. The so-called mystery is incidental.

Also, the main character is written in a wildly inconsistent manner. She is tight lipped with people she’s known from her past, but instantly tells her whole life story to two strangers. I understand that it might be easier to speak to a stranger than people you have shared trauma with, but I just did not find it believable and it seems like a very crude mechanism of exposition in order to explain her past to the reader. I’m not sure why there was no editor to point that out. Yes, exposition in a way that doesn’t scream exposition is a difficult task for a writer, but that’s what separates the good ones from the not so good ones.

I think the main thing this book has going for is its setting. I really wanted to learn more about the islands and they make for such a great backdrop, but I don’t feel that the author took full advantage of that opportunity.

Don’t get me wrong, I like well done novels and interesting character studies but this isn’t that, nor is it an escapist mystery.

Ultimately, this book commits the biggest sin of all: it’s dull.

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Fun, but starts to drag

Revisado: 02-07-25

I really enjoyed this book at the start and, as preposterous as the plot is, which is often the case with romance novels, the author created some interesting characters. It’s also set in a very idyllic background. However, this book would’ve benefited greatly from a good editor. It started to drag towards the end and get repetitive. It’s pleasant and good escapism.

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Just as fun as the first book

Revisado: 01-24-25

These books are pure fun escapism with wonderful characters and gadgets and plots. There’s also some good stuff in there about friendship and growing up, but I mostly just read them because they’re such a great and well -written escape from reality.

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Enjoyable listen

Revisado: 11-11-24

It’s well-written and it was diverting and honest enough to keep me listening. I don’t know that it quite works because we live in Andy’s head for so long and then we only get a very small view of Jen’s take on the situation. I also don’t know why she never actually tried to directly tell him what more she needed. It’s like the author couldn’t decide if it was more that they weren’t right for each other or that Jen really just wanted to be on her own.

I think there was also a real clash between the narrators for me. I was so tuned into listening to the male narrator and how dynamic he was, and how much life he brought to the narration that was shocking when it switched to the female narrator. She was too one- note for me so that it really took me out of the book. It wasn’t really like I was getting her perspective, but rather back-matter filled in from what was missing when Andy was talking.

Most importantly, the book ends with Jen preparing to travel and having quit her job, but we all know that the pandemic is coming and that she will either get trapped in another country or not be able to go on her trip. It seems like a kind of cruel trick to play on her and an odd place to end.

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It’s okay. Entertaining enough

Revisado: 09-15-24

Well, I finished the book and it was entertaining enough. There were parts I found tedious and it could use a good edit. Yes, it tries to take on serious issues, including depression and considering suicide, but it’s basically a fairytale/romantic comedy. If you want to spend some time confronting issues of loneliness and confusion, but know that it will get wrapped up in a nice tidy way, then this is the book for you. To be clear: I like plenty of books that are happy and romantic comedies, but this just felt kind of slight and was very predictable.

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Enjoyable but problematic

Revisado: 08-17-24

I love the world-building here. The conception of the island and its inhabitants is very compelling. However, the book could’ve used some editing around the ending. It was incredibly misguided. I think the author was trying to find a profound way to end the story and took a misstep. It was not a necessary conclusion.

The narrator is excellent.

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esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Mediocre/ didn’t finish

Revisado: 08-11-24

It’s a familiar set up: enemies becoming friends and lovers while investigating a mystery. It’s OK, but starts to drag. I just didn’t care enough about the characters and I could see where the plot was going, so I just had no impetus to finish.

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Disappointing

Revisado: 08-11-24

I am a fan of the truly devious series, and this was more of the same tropes: a mystery and murder in the past and a mystery and murder in the present with teenage protagonists. Unfortunately, the characters are not compelling. They all come across as snarky sociopaths, especially the main character. I know the author was trying to convey an awkward, sarcastic person who is coming into themselves, but instead, the main character just comes across as completely unfeeling. It’s made me wonder if the author is a bit of a sociopath since there is no consideration or thought towards the people who are killed. I also don’t see the characters exchanging any kind of simple niceties such as saying thank you. There are no stakes because these aren’t real people. I also found the narrator kind of grating. If there is going to be another entry in the truly devious series, I hope the Johnson will return to form because this was not good at all.

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Fun, nicely written, and good character studies

Revisado: 07-16-24

This is a charming, well-written book with a realistic, but sunny outlook on how building connections between people can change lives. If you’re looking for something light and life-affirming, you will like this. It’s also witty and not treacly.

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