To me it as not good to have this plot be so removed, even if the story had to focus on other aspects, which weren’t even done so well, therefore I feel like this is one of the reasons the book kind of lost itself along the way. But then 2/3 into the book, this part of the story just sort of… Disappears, only to be picked up way later almost at the end of the book. The part about Agatha Christie being a course of study is where things start to go wrong, the first part of the book gives a lot of information on that, and it’s amazing and curious and intriguing all at once, great written paragraphs that stem from lectures and discussions that make you feel excited to read as you move forward.

The setting is done really well, you can picture quite vividly the ambiance of the university, whether it be from the descriptions of buildings and architecture, whether from the atmosphere from the moments the protagonist goes out for a run and describe her surroundings, I would also consider this to be another strong suit of the novel, it is very well set. Jess’s obsession with Alec isn’t nearly as interesting as her obsession with Lorna, because I simply couldn’t see a single thing to like or find curious about Alec, he feels like a prototype of a character, not fully fleshed out. The other characters in the book don’t feel nearly as interested, Georgie, Nick, and even Alec become so dull that you almost forget they exist at times. She only gains force by being a parasite on the better-developed character, professor Lorna. If it weren’t for that I’d say that the protagonist and narrator, Jess, would be a very easily forgettable character. I really loved this aspect of the book and the many layers it has, and how complex it is. It is meticulously done, the way Jess deposits all of her expectations into another person and becomes so dependent on her.

This is a relationship that goes beyond admiration, it turns into obsession. The best part about this book is the construction of the relationship between the narrator Jess Walker and professor Lorna Clay.

The truants kate weinberg