This book was compared to both The Talented Mr. Ripley and Cruel Intentions, and I can completely see why the comparison was made. I was really intrigued by the premise of Ada trying to do whatever she could to join the ranks of the elite and I was sure this was going to be a gossipy type of novel about a blatant social climber, but I was completely wrong.
This book has lush, poetic writing and the story is complex and multi-layered. There's death and a lot of secrets and many things the reader uncovers along with Ada. There are a few twists and turns, but overall, this is a literary novel about an entitled young woman trying to find herself and lying to everyone (and herself) along the way.
I think it was extremely difficult to like any of the characters in this book because they were all either superficial or genuinely detestable. There was also an antagonist thrown in for no other reason than to cause more drama, but it was really unnecessary. However, I found myself rooting for Ada and wanting her to succeed, though I wasn't happy about it.
I think this is a really successful novel and I'd be very interested to read Laura Vaughan's future works.
This book has lush, poetic writing and the story is complex and multi-layered. There's death and a lot of secrets and many things the reader uncovers along with Ada. There are a few twists and turns, but overall, this is a literary novel about an entitled young woman trying to find herself and lying to everyone (and herself) along the way.
I think it was extremely difficult to like any of the characters in this book because they were all either superficial or genuinely detestable. There was also an antagonist thrown in for no other reason than to cause more drama, but it was really unnecessary. However, I found myself rooting for Ada and wanting her to succeed, though I wasn't happy about it.
I think this is a really successful novel and I'd be very interested to read Laura Vaughan's future works.