24.10.24
Moriarty's tenth novel is about to come out so finding the only other one I hadn't read in the library was serendipitous. This was a fun yet surprisingly complex read - a woman forgetting the last ten years was almost like time travel but it cleverly stopped short of 'young her undoes the mistakes of older her', examining all the implications. Talking of mistakes, I enjoyed it all the way up to the ending(s), which were hugely disappointing, considering what had gone before.
I listen to Elizabeth Day's podcast, 'How To Fail' and, while I wouldn't be as crass as to say, 'Here's an example!', this is not a particularly successful novel. It seemed poorly planned and plotted, and not only were the (universally unlikable) characters inconsistent and unconvincing but so was the genre - it seemed to be heading for a thriller and then suddenly it was just a dull domestic drama. It certainly wasn't unsettling, gothic or terrifying, as billed (billed! Magpie! Ha!).
Apparently, I had similar thoughts about another Day novel.
70%
The idea of a clone trying to solve their own murder isn't new but I really enjoyed this take on the theme. It's strikingly well written on both a sentence and chapter level, the characters are interesting, the worldbuilding is clever and the issues of identity, parenthood, death and the ethical use of technology are well explored. What spoilt it was the annoying ending that exposed various plot holes and didn't address its own implications. But the first 90% - fantastic!
01.03.23
I can read all sorts of fantasy, but books about triplets set in the real world seem a bit too far-fetched to me. Indeed, it was hard to relate to the three main characters and, despite them supposedly having different personalities, I couldn't really tell them apart (so that was realistic, I suppose). As usual, I liked the insight into middle-class Australian life but there was nothing memorable here.
