I want to preface by saying that I understand that many people love this book and that is completely fine. Different people enjoy different books, and if it brought you joy, you got more out of the book than I get out of writing this post.
This book, by Chris Whitaker, is the sort that would appeal to me. The prose, the hook, the characters, everything. But prepare for a rant (and spoilers):
Firstly, the prose. Look, I love detailed prose. Words that paint pictures in your head. But this book does it non stop. It does it far too often and at times when it just comes across as pretentious. It loses the effect very early on and just becomes overly wordy. We get it. Colours. I never, ever scan when I'm reading, but I found myself scanning. However many editors went over this, it needed more.
I think the overall problem behind this, and the problem with the book in general, is that the author was attempting to write a thriller that doubled as literary fiction and succeeded at neither.
The cliches and unrealistic character decisions. Why on earth is Patch robbing banks and sending the money to charities? We get it, he's a criminal with an heart of gold. When he's low on cash it makes sense. But there are times when he doesn't keep a penny. He's says to Saint that without the money, the charities will never find Grace. But the homeless people aren't looking for her. And sure, he grew up poor, but there is no mention of him giving any of the money he earns from his paintings to charity. So why? Just why?
The book reads like literary fiction, but character development is sacrificed for plot like it's a thriller. So really, the book has the flowery prose of literary fiction without any depth, and the thriller aspect is slowed down by the prose. The two can be combined, but not like this.
Saint. The better of the two protagonists in my opinion. Joins the police instead of going to Dartmouth in another cliche. But she spends the entire book doing everything for Patch and she is never once his priority. She never seems to have any happiness. Ever. At least Patch had some passion with Misty. Saint marries a guy she doesn't like, is abused, and spends the rest of her life harking after a guy who doesn't like her. Why can't she have a life? She's an intelligent, capable woman. At some point, she should let Patch go, or at least go after something she wants (that isn't him).
Oh, and other unrealistic points include a famous, distinctive looking, one eyed criminal escaping from prison(!), staying on the run in America and never getting caught. Oh and a lowly police officer managed to stop an execution going ahead in an afternoon. Oh, and a doctor was found guilty for murder and sentenced to death, when in reality he was helping pregnant girls get abortions but never mentions it and saves his own life, because he has to keep their secret even after they are dead. For reasons. Also, the reveal about Saint's abortion. Why include that? What does it add? And she still didn't tell her Grandmother what happened?
Which leads to the ending. What a let down. Grace was real, and Eli's child. But we barely meet her. Barely spend any times with her. Patch spends the entire book searching for her, and by rescuing her he's at peace, but the lack of exploring her and their new relationship was just underwhelming. A book this long needs an ending that hits. But everything is tied up so quickly it can't explore any of the ramifications. Couldn't he have exchanged some of the tree descriptions for an ending that worked?
It would have been so much better if Patch and Saint ended up together. Either Grace wasn't real, which would have added some substance, and he realises Saint is all he needed, or she was real, and after he rescues her he can finally let her go and get together with Saint, who has been by his side for 30 years.
What did you guys think? Am I being overly harsh? What are your thoughts on this book?
by letoelles