Friday, November 8, 2019

The Ghostwriter

Book: The Ghostwriter
Author: Alessandra Torre

Four years ago, I lied. I stood in front of the police, my friends and family, and made up a story, my best one yet. And all of them believed me.

I wasn't surprised. Telling stories is what made me famous. Fifteen bestsellers. Millions of fans. Fame and fortune.

Now, I have one last story to write. It'll be my best one yet, with a jaw-dropping twist that will leave them stunned and gasping for breath.

They say that sticks and stones will break your bones, but this story? It will be the one that kills me.-Goodreads

Review: The Ghostwriter is about Helena, a reclusive writer dying of cancer, who enlists the help of a ghostwriter to help her finish her last story. 

Something terrible happened to Helena's husband and daughter and the book is building up to the big reveal. The first 2/3 of this book were painfully slow and boring. Tedious. I feel like this section could have been edited down significantly.  Helena, a woman dying of cancer who tragically lost her husband and child should be a sympathetic character but I could not stand her. She was one of the  most selfish characters I can remember reading about in recent memory. There were also sections written from the point of view of Mark (ghostwriter) and Charlotte (publisher) which seemed unnecessary and didn't add anything to the plot. Now, a strong ending can make up for unlikable characters and a slow start. The last third was undoubtedly the best part of the book. It was more fast paced and kept me turning the pages. Was it enough to make this a book I'd recommend? No. I am in the minority on this one, everyone in my book club seemed to love it. 


Grade: 3/5

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