Helpful Score: 2
A mind-numbingly dull soap-opera of a book. The first 85% of the book is taken up by the (uninteresting) protaganist's musings on her family history, introductions to various uninteresting people (some of whom we learn about at great length but who subsequently vanish (and not in the mysterious way)), and loooong anecdotes about her daily activities (her first day at a new job, and no one talks to her! her grandmother wants to go shopping with her! her hotel has nice sheets!).
******SPOILER ALERT*****
Ultimately, there turns out to be almost no mystery beyond the question of which non-entity fathered Haskell (we never meet most of the candidates - at least one is long deceased). And the characters are such cardboard-cutouts that the family story doesn't make up for the lack of any appreciable plot. Most of the characters are discarded almost immediately and certainly none of them ever grow or develop at all. Even Haskell couldn't care less about these people. Once she determines who she believes her biological father is, she loses all interest. She feels no connection, doesn't want to know his family, in fact, would have been pretty equally satisfied with a Saint Bernard. This would be fairly sensible (after all, he wasn't interested in her either), except for the fact that the entire plot of the book is her determined search for his identity (and a few thrown-in bits about the cause of her mother's death). Haskell's love life is even less fascinating, with the deep hints of a possibly incestuous romance failing to even achieve the "ick factor," and the main puzzle being what could possibly cause a man to consider a second date with her (in a brief nod to plausibilty, Haskell's initial fiance accepts her abrupt and unreasonable breaking of their engagement with an impassivity that the reader guesses is hiding not heartbreak but intense relief).
In an attempt to justify the "thriller" designation, the last 30 pages or so include a fairly exciting scene of deception, attempted murder, and wild chases through a deserted museum. Too bad the only characters I'm still rooting for are the statues.
******SPOILER ALERT*****
Ultimately, there turns out to be almost no mystery beyond the question of which non-entity fathered Haskell (we never meet most of the candidates - at least one is long deceased). And the characters are such cardboard-cutouts that the family story doesn't make up for the lack of any appreciable plot. Most of the characters are discarded almost immediately and certainly none of them ever grow or develop at all. Even Haskell couldn't care less about these people. Once she determines who she believes her biological father is, she loses all interest. She feels no connection, doesn't want to know his family, in fact, would have been pretty equally satisfied with a Saint Bernard. This would be fairly sensible (after all, he wasn't interested in her either), except for the fact that the entire plot of the book is her determined search for his identity (and a few thrown-in bits about the cause of her mother's death). Haskell's love life is even less fascinating, with the deep hints of a possibly incestuous romance failing to even achieve the "ick factor," and the main puzzle being what could possibly cause a man to consider a second date with her (in a brief nod to plausibilty, Haskell's initial fiance accepts her abrupt and unreasonable breaking of their engagement with an impassivity that the reader guesses is hiding not heartbreak but intense relief).
In an attempt to justify the "thriller" designation, the last 30 pages or so include a fairly exciting scene of deception, attempted murder, and wild chases through a deserted museum. Too bad the only characters I'm still rooting for are the statues.
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