Eliza Maxwell

[b:The Shadow Writer|41821478|The Shadow Writer|Eliza Maxwell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1553705428l/41821478._SY75_.jpg|65268006]
I want to thank everyone involved for me receiving an arc of this book. My apologize for my delayed review it in no way reflects negatively on this book at all because I loved it.
The Shadow Writer is a complex labyrinth of lies, manipulation, and characters that may or may not be guilty of heinous crimes or be victims of horrific family dynamics. Who's really to blame once the dust settles and the blood stops flowing?The murder mystery party at one point in The Shadow Writer reinforces the notion that no one is to be trusted when the crime game is afoot. Everyone has an agenda, a motive, an alibi. Pinpointing the protagonist in this story is not easy, probably by design. Actually, each person's role shifts around a bit, depending on the point of view, making it difficult to determine who to trust, who to believe, who to like, and who to despise. The protagonist in any story is meant to be flawed, but can those flaws balloon out of control and cross over into the unforgivable? Does that mean that person has really been the antagonist all along? The Shadow Writer overflows with questions and clues, yet watching the mystery unfold is exhilarating, with the suspense swirling around you and buffeting you toward that next chapterr
It takes immense talent to weave such a complex tale that won't completely befuddle the reader because of the mosaic of characters interconnected by chance or by force and the plot filled with twists and turns and surprises around every corner. Eliza Maxwell definitely has that talent because The Shadow Writer mystifies, intrigues, tantalizes, and entertains, expertly providing the reader with plenty of reasons to keep turning those pages. Who is Graye Templeton? Does she even know? Is her identity blurred beyond redemption, or is it crystal clear and neatly compartmentalized? Who is actually authorized to tell, and even finish, her story? Graye is a puzzle for the reader but even more so for herself. You may find yourself lost in these pages but it is worth it. I felt like this was a beautiful game of who done it and I needed to know why. Graye is so interesting that I think she may be a mystery to herself and the reader until the very end.… (más)

Haunting, sad story, although not necessarily suspenseful. It's a story of a girl who lived in the woods and longs for a family, and the naive young man who tries so desperately to save her, with disastrous consequences. Great setting as well, set in the backwoods and swamps of Texas (? I can't remember exactly which state).

The writing is beautiful and draws you in, making you feel as if you're really there. The book kept you turning the pages, wanting to know what happens next. Wonderful telling of how no good deed goes unpunished, and everything quickly spirals out of control in the second half of the book. Poor Henry is so naive and I truly felt bad for him, that he keeps trying and trying without a payoff, and he keeps digging further and further into the hole he's found himself in, until there's no turning back. His mother and sister-in-law were such good people. There are many characters in this book, and you will fall in love and hate some of them.

Speaking of characters, four stars because some of the characters weren't very fleshed out and seemed very one dimensional. I just felt like so much more could have been done with Eve's character, and she could have been so interesting. Same goes for Henry's stepfather. The romance also wasn't really a romance. I love a good love story, but I couldn't see the attraction between Henry and Eve. It seemed like one day she just came into the house, and all of a sudden they were in love, without any kind of buildup. Also a minor irk, but I never got an idea of how old the characters were. Referring to Eve as a "girl" made me think she was a little girl / teenager, when she wasn't.

Not really a HEA, but more of a bittersweet, more realistic ending for a dark story like this. Takeaway of the book is, and so many of us fall into this trap, that we can't always fix someone who's broken, no matter what we do for them, and love doesn't always conquer all.… (más)

Haunting, sad story, although not necessarily suspenseful. It's a story of a girl who lived in the woods and longs for a family, and the naive young man who tries so desperately to save her, with disastrous consequences. Great setting as well, set in the backwoods and swamps of Texas (? I can't remember exactly which state).

The writing is beautiful and draws you in, making you feel as if you're really there. The book kept you turning the pages, wanting to know what happens next. Wonderful telling of how no good deed goes unpunished, and everything quickly spirals out of control in the second half of the book. Poor Henry is so naive and I truly felt bad for him, that he keeps trying and trying without a payoff, and he keeps digging further and further into the hole he's found himself in, until there's no turning back. His mother and sister-in-law were such good people. There are many characters in this book, and you will fall in love and hate some of them.

Speaking of characters, four stars because some of the characters weren't very fleshed out and seemed very one dimensional. I just felt like so much more could have been done with Eve's character, and she could have been so interesting. Same goes for Henry's stepfather. The romance also wasn't really a romance. I love a good love story, but I couldn't see the attraction between Henry and Eve. It seemed like one day she just came into the house, and all of a sudden they were in love, without any kind of buildup. Also a minor irk, but I never got an idea of how old the characters were. Referring to Eve as a "girl" made me think she was a little girl / teenager, when she wasn't.

Not really a HEA, but more of a bittersweet, more realistic ending for a dark story like this. Takeaway of the book is, and so many of us fall into this trap, that we can't always fix someone who's broken, no matter what we do for them, and love doesn't always conquer all.… (más)