Amber Herbert reviewed The Lost Manuscript by Cathy Bonidan
Review of 'The Lost Manuscript' on 'Goodreads'
I thought the premise was intriguing enough but was let down by the execution. Though epistolary novels are difficult to pull off because most of the characters feel paper thin, there are exceptions to this rule - -take Dracula, for example. There could have easily been more effort put into creating diverse and unique characters. There was just so little to go off that I had a difficult time caring for any of them. Adding more characters to the mix after each new plot point didn't help the matter.
The plot stretched thin to fill the space of a novel. This book could have been half the size and just as effective -- boring but not horrible. A lot of the banter within the letters seemed unimportant, like fluff, and should have been trimmed before publication.
The ending was frustratingly obvious. I saw the "twist" a mile away and audibly …
I thought the premise was intriguing enough but was let down by the execution. Though epistolary novels are difficult to pull off because most of the characters feel paper thin, there are exceptions to this rule - -take Dracula, for example. There could have easily been more effort put into creating diverse and unique characters. There was just so little to go off that I had a difficult time caring for any of them. Adding more characters to the mix after each new plot point didn't help the matter.
The plot stretched thin to fill the space of a novel. This book could have been half the size and just as effective -- boring but not horrible. A lot of the banter within the letters seemed unimportant, like fluff, and should have been trimmed before publication.
The ending was frustratingly obvious. I saw the "twist" a mile away and audibly groaned when the second author of the manuscript was revealed. There was nothing unique about this novel, and there was nothing that held my interest.
What baffles me most is that the review on the cover compares the novel to an addictive thriller. In no way is this book gripping, nor is it "moving." If anything, it's passable… but I wouldn't even go that far.
The only positive that came from finishing the book is the fact I ticked a box on my reading challenge.