I think Abrams’ ability to “spin” keeps the book afloat and makes it a page turner. In my opinion, it’s the plot that drives the book, not character development. And yes, the plot is overly complicated–as @stradmom and @mathmom pointed out–but it kept me wanting to see how it would all come together at the end.
The New York Times gave the novel a mixed review. On the one hand, the reviewer said, “In page after page of efficient and serviceable prose, Abrams creates an exceedingly convoluted but potentially intriguing landscape” and:
…one is struck by Abrams’s considerable powers of invention. Not only does she succeed in keeping the pages turning, but the fusillade she triggers bespeaks a genuine gift for weaving a daunting number of plot threads into her labyrinthine but accelerating design. Her narrative never pauses for breath — let alone contemplation.
But at the same time, the reviewer felt that the novel fell short, that the characters had skills (over-the-top genius ones, at times) that “are functional rather than organic. Too often, Avery and her supporting cast are whomever the story requires them to be.” He adds:
Readers searching for dimensional characters whose inner lives inform a consistently credible narrative won’t find them in this book; its climactic events, and the behaviors of the principals, require a particularly willful suspension of disbelief.
I don’t disagree. Ling and Noah are useful tools, but there was barely a back story for either of them. And I really didn’t like the way Rita was written. The bad guys are pretty stock characters (I just knew that it would come out that Stokes had killed the former president). Even so, I got what I came for: “Abrams has realized what surely was her chief ambition — not to enlighten, but to entertain.”
Okay, I am just about convinced Jared is King. It makes sense.
I agree the novel was plot driven. Lack of real character development was mentioned in quite a few of the less positive consumer reviews I read. But, as mentioned above, the yarn was well spun and Abrams kept my attention. When an author keeps my interest, I am willing to take the leap of faith that the impossible can happen.
Definitely solid on plot, weaker on characterization. Major Vance was simply Bad Guy #1 with no redeeming qualities, although Agent Lee had some depth. I like the notion of Ling and Noah as pawns, no depth to either of them. (And how did Ling suddenly have several days off?)
I had trouble with some of the gaps - it was never explained why Justice Wynn would have abandoned his son for so long and then rely on the son’s happy memories of his childhood vacations in order to solve the puzzle.
And Avery just magically makes the connections with her Incredible Memory; too much Deus Ex Machina for my taste.
There was a note in the forward that the book had been rejected previously and undergone some rewrites.
I think Judge Wynn also recognized a fellow freak – a genius with almost superhuman gifts. The judge designed an insane puzzle – an elaborate scavenger hunt with a solution well beyond the abilities of the average human. It required an equally brilliant mind to crack his code.
He had to have had her pegged from the start. He knew that she had an eidetic memory and had majored in everything from Chemistry to French literature. She had only worked for him for two years. How much of that time was spent creating his puzzle? It was clear that he mapped it out with her in mind (the bottle in the Voltaire book, etc.)
But here’s where I have a beef: I am totally willing to accept Avery’s super magical incredible incomparable intellect as part of the suspension of disbelief. But once I agree to do that, please don’t ask me to also accept stupidity that does not align with that level of genius. I simply can’t believe that a law clerk of the Supreme Court would sign a document without reading it, especially in the presence of her mentor and boss, who she knows has incredibly high standards and no tolerance for legal sloppiness.
I just read a great interview with Stacey Abrams. I am embarrassed to admit that until I read it, I did not know that Judge Wynn was black. I did not know that Chief Justice Teresa Roseborough was black. Maybe there were hints or a description that I missed; maybe not. But it’s clear I embraced what Abrams calls the “universality of Whiteness.”
…what I grew up disliking so much was that in books that I read for most of my life, the only time you read about race as an explicit attribute was when it was being used to create others. The presumption was a universality of Whiteness, and they would then describe the Native American character or the Latino character or the Black character or the Asian American character.
They would only ascribe race to someone who wasn’t White. And that always chafed at me, as a reader, because it pushes you out of the story. You’re immersing yourself. And whether I’m in the heather with the Brontës or I’m out in outer space, I should get to have the same experience of seeing myself in the story and not be jarred out of participation because you find what I look like and who I am to be a departure from the narrative.
And so for me it is, yes. I gave hints throughout the story, and I wasn’t trying to be coy. Avery’s mom is White, her dad is Black. There is a scene where I describe her father. Howard Wynn is Black. Teresa Roseborough is Black. For me, the other piece of this is that it should be something that is not considered a departure to have multiple characters in this kind of book be African American or Latino or White. It should be possible that the world that I created… and that characters, as I see them, could be where they are, doing what they do.
Fascinating discussion. I really have great admiration for the author, even though the plot did get pretty tangled at times. I appreciate the insights everyone has added. Will try to get the book back from the library.
Just quickly chiming in here, with nothing profound to say. I had to read the book twice, cover to cover, to make even some sense of the plot. (Maybe I’m just slow, but I don’t think so.) It was a page turner for sure, but even after two reads I still don’t understand a lot. Again, maybe it’s me, but – I would not read another Stacy Abrams book.
I did enjoy her language and complex sentences.
Carry on. You guys know a hell of a lot more about chess than I do.
Oh that’s so interesting. I also assumed Wynn and Roseborough were white. I guess I was too busy turning pages to be paying attention. I did have some notions as to what the various characters looked like, so I’ll have to go and see if it’s just that I said ___ reminds me of my friend ___ and made them look a little like that.
I agree that if Avery is supposed to be so brilliant and careful, why exactly would she sign something she hadn’t read. I guess we just have to assume she trusted Wynne.
As much as I liked the book, this also bothered me. Along with not realizing her house might be bugged and that someone might be following her movements.
For Justice Wynn the hint was early in the prologue.
Bushy eyebrows, twin shocks of alabaster against bronzed skin, lifted and lowered in rage.
I couldn’t find the passage that made me think Chief Justice Roseborough was black. I’ll keep looking.
@veryhappy, oI think the chess component is just a small part of the complex book. You read this twice, I should too, what are your other issues and questions , I’m curious.
Wait, what ? Wynn and Chief Justice were black? Wow, how did I miss that!,!,
It bothered me that she signed a document she hadn’t read. It was approving the guardianship right ? But, I checked it up to being so so so overwhelmed by this curmudgeon that she didn’t question his authority. It spoke to Wynns domination.
Regarding her memory, I knew someone in high school school who had that ability,it is just otherworldly , so I didn’t doubt her talents. It would make her an outstanding poker player and chess player to be able to recognize patterns and strategies .
My older son has a memory like that. I remember discussing spelling tests after having read Temple Grandin’s book Thinking in Pictures with him. And he said, “Doesn’t everyone do that. When I do a spelling test, I just close my eyes and see the teacher writing the words on the board and I write them down again.” Uh no. Not everyone does spelling tests that way. He’s the one who played chess seriously.
I have a somewhat visual memory. I often remember where something was on a page, but I really suck at learning anything aurally, so I really struggled with languages until I spent a gap year in France and learned one language fairly fluently.
The most confusing parts were the relationships between the two bio tech firms, what their merger would mean, why Stokes needed to sabotage it, and what Wynn’s goals were for that technology.
I understand the medical part about being able to conduct genocide at a cellular / genetic level- I think of 21st century evil Hitler, a holocaust with genetic precision.
Would appreciate if someone could just outline that plot for me. I know I’m being lazy, but reading this twice isn’t too appealing right now , @veryhappy so impressed you did this.
Wynn wanted the technology to cure Boursin’s Syndrome for his son. Stokes wanted to sabotage it so others would not discover he was aiding the development of a weapon that could be used to target and eliminate Muslims.
But didn’t Wynn know about the human experiments and the absolute horrible repercussions if the companies merged and Technology abused for political purposes?
I’m confused for Wynn to get medical results didn’t he need companies to merge ?
@caraid I’m so surprised Abrams didn’t make it more obvious her two Supreme Court justices were black. I fact, I wonder how many readers caught this fact
From article
And so for me it is, yes. I gave hints throughout the story, and I wasn’t trying to be coy. Her mom is White, her dad is Black. There is a scene where I describe her father. Howard Wynn is Black. Teresa Roseborough is Black. For me, the other piece of this is that it should be something that is not considered a departure to have multiple characters in this kind of book be African American or Latino or White. It should be possible that the world that I created, with the exception of the creation of, you know, this chromosomal time bomb that writ large this story should be possible and that characters, as I see them, could be where they are, doing what they do.
Well, I finished my second read about three weeks ago and returned the book, so I’m not really ready to articulate my issues!! Nevertheless, here are some things I remember:
But I had trouble keeping all the characters straight – during the first read, I didn’t bother to differentiate between the FBI guy (good) and the DHS guy (bad).
I too felt Avery was too perfect to be true. I felt her mother was way too much trouble to be true. Her visiting the Chief Justice was absurd.
Ling the roommate doctor had too much scientific understanding of those complex concepts to be true. (To me, anyway.)
The Trust and Estates guy knowing everything about the law that Avery didn’t was too good to be true, as was his availability to help.
Wynn’s assuming that Avery would figure out his clues, and Jared’s figuring things out from when Wynn acted as his father way back in the olden days, was unrealistic.
The Indian scientist person with the bad arthritis was hoping the medicine would “cure” her, but anyone in her position would know those kinds of treatments take decades to get off the ground.
So would Justice Wynn have known that the likelihood of Jared being “cured” of Boursin Syndrome was pretty darn slim.
The Chief Justice selecting Avery to clerk for her after Wynn’s death was unlikely.
All in all, a pretty fantastical tale. Fun, but too convoluted for my [simple] brain!
ETA: The rando guy who just happened to have the videos of the torture of the Muslims and was able to provide it. That was another clue from Wynn that Avery figured out, and it was just too clever by half.
Also, some of the clues needed to be figured out chronologically or they wouldn’t work.
@VeryHappy - I agree with you. This was a fun read but a bit too convoluted and fantastical for me, as you point out. Both Avery and Jared happen to be geniuses, figuring out impossible clues. Jared is amazing how he manages to jam up the frequencies just in time! I see them as a king/queen combo - each protecting the other. Interesting how they each have a parent who has been absent/abandoning, creating all kinds of ambivalent feelings, but somehow this all gets resolved at the end where they can see them in a newer, more forgiving light. This, for me, was the character growth I enjoy looking for. Vance at the end was a surprise for me as well.