The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

DNF @ 33%. I listened to the audiobook so it may be better if I read it. But the narrators voice was so dull and made me want to fall asleep. The story started out good, but I got sidetracked by another book and lost interest when I came back to this. Oh well.

This is the most inventive, unique, utterly spellbinding book I've read in years. It seems like a typical closed door murder mystery, but there are so many different elements that make up this stunning novel.

Started with a very intriguing premise but it ran out of steam around the middle. The conclusion was more satisfying than I expected though as it was actually an ending with an explanation.

I love an unreliable narrator and this has an unreliable narrator in a totally unique way. The characters are developed and well rounded. The mystery is a really good one. The timeline stuff is so smart. This is a great book.

I liked the concept of the story but I was bored throughout most of it and ended up speed reading through the last 200 pages. There is way too many details and the story unfolds super slow - and worst of all the ending was not surprising.

This was a wild ride. My issue and why it didn't get more stars is because I had a lot of difficulty keeping track of everyone. Lots of moving parts that lead to some confusion for me.

Best book 2018. Death Note + Groundhog Day + Mirai Nikki x Agatha Christie

Man, what a ride that was! I feel like I need to reread it right away and try to pick up on things I missed the first time. I think reading a physical copy would help because I did confuse a few names. Some parts felt overly long, but that's my only issue. What a book!

Quantum Leap meets Cludeo.
Absolutely loved this book. Very cleverly written, original concept, great storyline which literally kept me on my toes. I was immersed in the novel and was trying to keep up with the complex plot. Cannot wait to see what Stuart Turton comes up with next.

BRILLIANT!

Having read hundreds of mysteries, this is the weirdest, most complicated book I have ever read. At moments, I considered giving up because the plot is so mind-bending it fatigued my brain.

On the whole, this book is a masterpiece, yet I probably wouldn't jump into another one by the same author for a year or so (until my poor little head recovers from this one).

I was randomly browsing through library books and came upon this one. It's a great page-turner if you're in the mood for a little murder mystery...

A very unique, compelling read.

Convoluted, confusing (in a good way) and gripping as hell. I loved this. Layers upon layers upon layers of clues and ingenious crime-solving. 4.5 stars.

Honestly, I've never been so happy about having no idea what's going on. The characters, the intricate plot, the chilling atmosphere...I can't even get my brain around how someone wrote this, but I'm glad they did.

Aiden Bishop wakes up alone in the forest with no memories except one name - Anna. He has no idea who he is, where he is, or how he ended up there. A compass pressed upon him by a mysterious stranger guides him to the Blackheath estate, where people seem to know him as Sebastian Bell. The mystery deepens when a man dressed as a plague doctor informs him that he has eight days and eight “hosts” to solve a murder that won't seem like a murder. If he can't convince the plague doctor of the answer in eights days' time, he will lose his memories and the whole cycle will start again.

Groundhog Day meets Agatha Christie in this complex, character-driven whodunnit in which nothing is what it seems. The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a bit hard to follow at times due to overlapping timelines and a complicated web of a plot, but the action keeps the story moving. In true Agatha Christie fashion, it keeps you guessing until the very end!

Wow... I love every single part of this book so much that I just want to cuddle with it and cherish it. I've never read such a thoughtful and amazing story. This book is officially my everything.

‘'I'm a man in Purgatory, blind to the sins that chased me here.''

What would it be like if one day we found ourselves in an another body? What if this happened on a daily basis? Us changing the vessel but retaining most of the traits that make us who we are? What if by changing identities we could turn back the time and prevent an injustice, a horrible crime? This is the wonderful premise of this exquisite novel by Stuart Turton, one of the most unique books of the year.

A man has the opportunity to stop the murder of a young woman, Evelyn Hardcastle. In full Groundhog Day mood, he is given eight days and eight identities in which he must find the one responsible for the crime, otherwise everything will become irreversible. So, during a gathering that commemorates a tragic incident in the Hardcastle estate, justice must prevail. However, the wrongs that must be made right reach beyond a single murder...

‘'Nothing like a mask to reveal somebody's true nature.''

The story is set in Britain, around the late 20s, early 30s from what I could gather and the thing that fascinated me most in this novel isn't the mystery itself or the unusual background- although they are both brilliant- but the focus on human nature and its various and interminable implications. I can't even imagine the Herculean task of creating eight different characters to become the vessels of one person, all with their own characteristics and mannerisms and resulting in such a successful and marvelously written story. I admit I was a little bit cautious prior to reading Turton's book. I thought it would be too confusing or wordy but I couldn't be more wrong. Obviously, I cannot write a single sentence about the plot but I swear a most solemn vow to you that you will find yourselves with your mouth open in shock for about 60% of the story. That's how perfect this book is. So many twists, so many different, complicated, tiny pieces of an exciting puzzle. I promise you you won't be bored or confused. And if you do get confused, it will be in the best way possible.

‘'Now you see them as I do,'' says the Plague Doctor, in a low voice. ‘'Actors in a play, doing the same thing night after night''.

There is seldom such a rich array of characters who are all interesting, secretive, twisted, kind, intelligent, manipulative. Think of any adjective in any language and it will apply perfectly to this perfect cast. As Aidan discovers clues -only to be left in the darkness soon after- so do we. As he meets the guests, as he gets the chance to live inside some of the characters, he gives us the opportunity to collect more evidence. We know nothing before he does and we obtain a much clearer picture of every person involved in the story. How many times can we claim this happens in a mystery? Not even in some of Christie's finest creations, in my opinion. Personally speaking, the figure of the Plague Doctor was the king of the story. Such a creepy, intimidating, cryptic character that elevated the novel into a whole new level. He embodies the concept of the Mask perfectly since nothing is as it first appears. Everyone undergoes a major transformation and every expectation and belief is turned upside down right until the spectacular ending.

I would love to tell you so much more- good, old, blabby me- but I can't. You absolutely, utterly (...again with the adverbs, I know...) NEED to read The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. It is a reading experience unlike anything we've seen and read before. I would like to end this text with a question taken from the Reading Group Guide, included in the book, which I feel captures the psychological weight and the very essence of the entire story.

‘'If you know someone you loved had a devastating secret, would you choose to find out what it was or love them for who they've become? If you knew you did something terrible, would you want to remember or live with that shadow for the rest of your life?''

Many thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com

Gave up about a quarter of the way. Not really my thing. It's not bad, I will probably give it another go later, but I don't feel it at all.

Oh my! What fun that was. I haven't enjoyed myself so much since Harry Potter. It's Quantum Leap meets Agatha Christie meets Groundhog Day, and you would think that would be too much (too confusing and contrived) but you would be wrong. It is WONDERFUL. Do yourself a favour and READ THIS BOOK. There is a WTF?? on just about every page. Definitely my favourite of 2018 so far (and probably for the last few years). Can't wait for the inevitable TV adaptation.

(You can also find this review on my blog.)

cw: off-page sexual assault, unchallenged fatphobia/fatshaming

This was fine. It's honestly a struggle for me to write a review because I have next-to-nothing to say about it. It's a shame because the beginning of the book had me pulled right in. I really wanted to know what was going on and who our main character was. The whole thing just gets pulled in so many different directions that there are almost too many mysteries to solve and I kind of stopped being invested in any of them. The reveal about why Aiden is at Blackheath was a bit out of left field and not expanded on enough, I was left feeling like I had been given a cop out explanation with no context. The biggest problem with this novel was that too much time was spent on things that I didn't care about and too little time was spent on things I did care about.

I also didn't really like the hosts who Aiden inhabited. He had only male hosts (I'm almost positive? I read it over such a long period of time.) and I think it becomes pretty obvious that this was written by a man. Aside from the general vibe of the writing, there was the way Aiden reacted to his hosts. In the body of an overweight man, Aiden became horribly disgusted and I was honestly horrified at his reaction. All he can think about is how awful this man is and how ashamed he is to be in this body. As Hannah points out in her review, this is then juxtaposed with a later host who is an actual rapist and who Aiden feels revulsion towards, but not nearly on the same level as he felt towards his fat host. This may be a controversial take, but only a man could think that being overweight is worse than sexually assaulting women on a regular basis.

I've honestly changed my rating several times already. Upon finishing, I figured 3 stars described how I felt about the book, but after a bit more thought, I decided that 2.5 would be closer. Writing this review, though, I need to bump it down to 2 stars. For me, 3 means “liked it” and 2 means “didn't like it” and I just didn't like this book. I didn't feel satisfied with the answers I was given, I didn't care much for the characters, and I immensely disliked the way Aiden's different hosts were portrayed.

I may be alone on some of this and I think that if these items aren't dealbreakers for you, you should give it a shot. Unfortunately, this book just didn't work for me.