It was alright

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nat27 Avatar

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I loved the initial concept of this book, and was really hooked from reading the online preview. I really enjoyed the first half of the book itself, but the ending did not appeal to me as much.

The main character of Erma is dark and interesting. As an academic writing about literature, she allows the author to reflect on the relationship between reader and text. The harassment accusations made against her at the start of the book intrigued me, as did her friendship with her colleague Kanika. I would have liked to see these elements explored further and didn't really feel that the questions I had at the start were answered by the ending.

I enjoyed the inclusion of chapters from a choose-your-own-adventure novel, reflecting the subject of Erma's research. It gave a unique angle to the book, but the intertwining of the two narratives didn't work as well towards the end.

The ending in general was a bit of a let down for me. It was action-packed and full of twists, but got a bit too far-fetched. In particular, the reveals about Erma's family background and the expalantion of Jenny's behaviour seemed rushed.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read