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A Line in the Dark
by
The most important thing is that Jess Wong is Angie Redmond's best friend, even if Angie can't see how she truly feels. It's okay that Jess is the girl on the sidelines that nobody notices. That means she's free to watch everyone else and be at Angie's side. But when Angie starts falling for Margot, a girl from the nearby boarding school, Jess can already see what's going
...more
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Hardcover, 288 pages
Published
October 17th 2017
by Dutton Books for Young Readers
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Heidi
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Community Reviews
Showing 1-30
Start your review of A Line in the Dark
I really feel like this book was poorly marketed. If you're anything like me, you were drawn in by that gorgeous and sinister cover, and a title that seems to promise something dark and creepy - but the book's content is very different. There were some things I liked, but overall it lacked the darkness and thrills required for a mystery/thriller.
Let's start with what I did like. I quickly realized that A Line in the Dark was not the book I was expecting; that it read more like a quiet contempora ...more
Let's start with what I did like. I quickly realized that A Line in the Dark was not the book I was expecting; that it read more like a quiet contempora ...more
Feb 11, 2017
Elle (ellexamines)
rated it
it was ok
Shelves:
author-love,
y-2017releases,
x-arcs,
lgbtq,
authors-of-color,
mystery-suspense,
2-star,
z-2017reads,
y-notowned
This was weird. And not in a good way.
I know this is marketing itself as dark, creepy, and atmospheric, but I'm going to be totally honest: it's not. There is embarrassingly little atmosphere. The tone is uninteresting, but occasionally inconsistent. And truly, this book just doesn’t go dark enough.
The only creepy thing about this book is something I'm pretty sure wasn't meant to be creepy - Jess' crush on Angie. I had a crush on my girl best friend once. It was deep. It was intense. It was not ...more
I know this is marketing itself as dark, creepy, and atmospheric, but I'm going to be totally honest: it's not. There is embarrassingly little atmosphere. The tone is uninteresting, but occasionally inconsistent. And truly, this book just doesn’t go dark enough.
The only creepy thing about this book is something I'm pretty sure wasn't meant to be creepy - Jess' crush on Angie. I had a crush on my girl best friend once. It was deep. It was intense. It was not ...more
1.5 stars
SEE MY VIDEO REVIEW HERE!
Unfortunately this had everything I wanted but nothing was executed to my satisfaction. The two halves of the book did not come together (first person in the 1st half and 3rd person + texts and transcripts in the 2nd half). There was an excess use of the modifiers "really" and "super", which adds superfluous bulk to the writing and shows that the word choice wasn't strong enough and needs to improve. There were also times where one thing would be explained mul ...more
SEE MY VIDEO REVIEW HERE!
Unfortunately this had everything I wanted but nothing was executed to my satisfaction. The two halves of the book did not come together (first person in the 1st half and 3rd person + texts and transcripts in the 2nd half). There was an excess use of the modifiers "really" and "super", which adds superfluous bulk to the writing and shows that the word choice wasn't strong enough and needs to improve. There were also times where one thing would be explained mul ...more
I really wanted to like this book :(
Pros:
-There's great diversity
-Asian main character
-queer girls
Cons:
-The first half of this book was so boring I almost quit many times
-I didn't like any of the characters so I just didn't care what happened to them
-there was a shift from first person to third in the second half that felt strange. it almost made this seem like two different books
-the thriller aspect wasn't at all thrilling and the conclusion was just annoying
I'm really sad I didn't like this ...more
Pros:
-There's great diversity
-Asian main character
-queer girls
Cons:
-The first half of this book was so boring I almost quit many times
-I didn't like any of the characters so I just didn't care what happened to them
-there was a shift from first person to third in the second half that felt strange. it almost made this seem like two different books
-the thriller aspect wasn't at all thrilling and the conclusion was just annoying
I'm really sad I didn't like this ...more
A Line in the Dark is a book that came highly recommended to me, and since I was already eyeballing it in the store, I felt like this would be perfect for a November read.
I was right, because I truly enjoyed this book.
The book follows a teenage girl named Jess, who is extremely passionate about drawing. Jess has a best friend named Angie and the two have been thick as thieves for a really long time, until Jess notices a girl approach Angie at the Creamery where she works and it kind of puts a we ...more
I was right, because I truly enjoyed this book.
The book follows a teenage girl named Jess, who is extremely passionate about drawing. Jess has a best friend named Angie and the two have been thick as thieves for a really long time, until Jess notices a girl approach Angie at the Creamery where she works and it kind of puts a we ...more
CW: (view spoiler)
2.5 Stars
It’s not a psychological thriller.
It's not a dark mystery.
It’s scarier.
It’s a …..*screams in terror*... love triangle.
It just felt like a book about an obsessed creepy stalker girl yearning after her Disney princess best friend who fell for the misunderstood snarky rich girl. Wait. It didn’t feel like that. It WAS that. After looking at the chilling cover I was expecting so much more. The thing that I need ...more
2.5 Stars
It’s not a psychological thriller.
It's not a dark mystery.
It’s scarier.
It’s a …..*screams in terror*... love triangle.
It just felt like a book about an obsessed creepy stalker girl yearning after her Disney princess best friend who fell for the misunderstood snarky rich girl. Wait. It didn’t feel like that. It WAS that. After looking at the chilling cover I was expecting so much more. The thing that I need ...more
3.5 stars
I'm a sucker for a psychological thriller and the synopsis coupled with that gorgeous cover sold me.
I liked Jess well enough. She's loyal and smart and just a bit stalker-ish to keep me guessing on what she was up to. I felt like Angie, Margot, and Ryan were never really fleshed out. I'm not sure if it was on purpose, but it was quite effective in making me not trust anyone.
Plot wise it was more of a quiet anticipation than a thriller. It was slow moving, but I was interested the entire ...more
I'm a sucker for a psychological thriller and the synopsis coupled with that gorgeous cover sold me.
I liked Jess well enough. She's loyal and smart and just a bit stalker-ish to keep me guessing on what she was up to. I felt like Angie, Margot, and Ryan were never really fleshed out. I'm not sure if it was on purpose, but it was quite effective in making me not trust anyone.
Plot wise it was more of a quiet anticipation than a thriller. It was slow moving, but I was interested the entire ...more
Let’s get something straight, this is not an f/f romance. There’s no “happy” ending about it. A Line in the Dark is a mystery thriller that fuses relevant themes in the plot. It isn’t dark or twisted per my standard. The plot is straightforward, it’s predictable. However, it’s engaging which what matters the most. I finished it in one gulp. It’s fast paced. You’ll like and distrust the characters at the same time.
The story follows Jess Wong, who’s in love with her best friend Angie Redmond. They ...more
The story follows Jess Wong, who’s in love with her best friend Angie Redmond. They ...more
Oct 15, 2017
CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian
rated it
it was ok
Shelves:
american,
young-adult,
queer,
mystery-thriller,
east-asian,
fiction,
reading-in-colour,
own
To be honest, I was expecting this to be better, as I LOVED her last SF dulolgy, especially the first book Adaptation; those books were exciting and page-turning and had great alien conspiracies and bisexual romance. Unfortunately in A Line in the Dark there were quite a few things that didn't work for me: very awkward POV switch two thirds of the way through, flat characters, and just a general not great grip on the thriller genre conventions. The twist ending fell flat for me, partially becaus
...more
4.75 stars
A Line in the Dark is the first contemporary mystery I've ever loved.
It's a story about unhealthy friendships and relationships between three teenage girls, all three of them queer.
The narrator is Jess Wong. She's Chinese-American, she has always loved art, and she's in love with her best friend Angie. This crush is unrequited, and that becomes even more clear when popular, beautiful Margot starts flirting with Angie. But Margot and her rich friends are not good news - under the money ...more
A Line in the Dark is the first contemporary mystery I've ever loved.
It's a story about unhealthy friendships and relationships between three teenage girls, all three of them queer.
The narrator is Jess Wong. She's Chinese-American, she has always loved art, and she's in love with her best friend Angie. This crush is unrequited, and that becomes even more clear when popular, beautiful Margot starts flirting with Angie. But Margot and her rich friends are not good news - under the money ...more
1.5 stars
I bought this book on a whim because I needed something quick to read.
This book is not a thriller. Just like The Birthday Girl by Melissa de la Cruz, A Line in the Dark is not a thriller. If anything, I would say it's a contemporary book with a pinch of mystery. A very, very, small pinch. I don't know whose idea it was to market this as a thriller, but they are sorely mistaken if they thought anything in this book was remotely close to a thriller. And lots of readers will be in for a d ...more
I bought this book on a whim because I needed something quick to read.
This book is not a thriller. Just like The Birthday Girl by Melissa de la Cruz, A Line in the Dark is not a thriller. If anything, I would say it's a contemporary book with a pinch of mystery. A very, very, small pinch. I don't know whose idea it was to market this as a thriller, but they are sorely mistaken if they thought anything in this book was remotely close to a thriller. And lots of readers will be in for a d ...more
Jan 21, 2018
Danika at The Lesbrary
added it
Oof. I can't say that was fun. It was quick read, and captivating, but even before it got into the mystery, it was painful to read. That toxic friendship and jealousy gets to me. No one is particularly likable, and there's no real moment of catharsis after that strangled, uncomfortable feeling that permeates the whole book. It's well done, but it wasn't exactly enjoyable for me (which is why I'm not rating it.)
...more
Jan 25, 2018
CW (The Quiet Pond) ✨
rated it
liked it
Shelves:
audiobook,
realistic-fiction,
2018,
thriller,
young-adult,
has-lgbtqa-rep,
diverse-shelf,
has-poc-rep,
ownvoices
UPDATE: It's been a few hours since I finished this book and 1) I've bumped up the rating because I've given it more thought, and 2) I cannot stop thinking about it.
I take back what I said about the ending being a missed opportunity regarding the character development. Thinking about it more carefully and reflecting on the events that led up to the ending, I'm now more inclined to say that Lo's storytelling was fantastic. Without giving away what happens, the second half of the novel weaves such ...more
I take back what I said about the ending being a missed opportunity regarding the character development. Thinking about it more carefully and reflecting on the events that led up to the ending, I'm now more inclined to say that Lo's storytelling was fantastic. Without giving away what happens, the second half of the novel weaves such ...more
3.5 rounded up
This book suffers from a bit of an identity crisis. The cover (which is what first drew me to the book) portrays a super creepy, goth feel but that's not really what the book is. The book itself is almost like 2 books. The first part is great. It's a first person narration through Jess. Jess is a high school girl trying to figure her life out. There is a lot here about identity and the intense friendships girls develop at this age. Then someone dies and it becomes a mystery/thrille ...more
This book suffers from a bit of an identity crisis. The cover (which is what first drew me to the book) portrays a super creepy, goth feel but that's not really what the book is. The book itself is almost like 2 books. The first part is great. It's a first person narration through Jess. Jess is a high school girl trying to figure her life out. There is a lot here about identity and the intense friendships girls develop at this age. Then someone dies and it becomes a mystery/thrille ...more
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2.5/5 Stars
Jess has been in love with her best friend Angie for as long as she can remember. Angie doesn't know the way Jess feels about her and when she begins to fall for a private school girl named Margot, everything begins to change.
I don't know why this book was marketed as a dark psychological thriller... It's more of an obsession/stalker story, which I am usually a big fan of.. ...more
2.5/5 Stars
Jess has been in love with her best friend Angie for as long as she can remember. Angie doesn't know the way Jess feels about her and when she begins to fall for a private school girl named Margot, everything begins to change.
I don't know why this book was marketed as a dark psychological thriller... It's more of an obsession/stalker story, which I am usually a big fan of.. ...more
I don’t read much realistic young adult fiction. It’s just not my jam. I already lived through high school once and taught it for another four years, so when it comes to teen angst, I’ve graduated twice. But I love YA fiction that brings another element along with it, like a historical bent or a bizarre fantasy world or a dystopian nightmare scenario. A Line in the Dark is a delightful combo: a YA thriller. And it’s super thrilling because it’s a known and universally accepted fact that there is
...more
I liked this! A phycological thriller with queer girls + Chinese main character + drama + secrets = perfection. But I just didn't like it as much as I thought I would.
Here's why:
- There's a shift between first and third person POV halfway through, and it felt awkward. I liked the first person much more.
- I wanted more from the ending? It wasn't what I was expecting, but it just shocked me and then it was over. Maybe that's the point of a thriller (I don't read many, obviously), but I wasn't a ...more
Here's why:
- There's a shift between first and third person POV halfway through, and it felt awkward. I liked the first person much more.
- I wanted more from the ending? It wasn't what I was expecting, but it just shocked me and then it was over. Maybe that's the point of a thriller (I don't read many, obviously), but I wasn't a ...more
*3.5 stars*
I have thoughts about A Line in the Dark : partly that the mystery was slightly lackluster (you could see whodunit early), but mostly that Malinda Lo's writing and the unrequited love between Jess and Angie were the best parts of this book. If it had just focused on their "relationship," and expanded from there, it would have been a better read, for me at least. There wasn't enough build-up for me to invest in who was killed or why. ...more
I have thoughts about A Line in the Dark : partly that the mystery was slightly lackluster (you could see whodunit early), but mostly that Malinda Lo's writing and the unrequited love between Jess and Angie were the best parts of this book. If it had just focused on their "relationship," and expanded from there, it would have been a better read, for me at least. There wasn't enough build-up for me to invest in who was killed or why. ...more
this asian sapphic thriller be like?? hell yes??? but then actually NO :(
this book: *ends with a supposedly super shocking plot twist*
me: okay AND???????????
i think the main issue with this book was the fact that the ending needed more development.
as in, i wanted to have /catharsis/ and read about more of the aftermath, but in the book the "aftermath" was placed before the actual "revealed incident," and the thing is that i read this as an AUDIOBOOK so i can't go back and relisten to the book t ...more
this book: *ends with a supposedly super shocking plot twist*
me: okay AND???????????
i think the main issue with this book was the fact that the ending needed more development.
as in, i wanted to have /catharsis/ and read about more of the aftermath, but in the book the "aftermath" was placed before the actual "revealed incident," and the thing is that i read this as an AUDIOBOOK so i can't go back and relisten to the book t ...more
This book is a classic the things we do for love type book. I read it in one day and it's a super quick easy read. I enjoyed it but I would not consider it to be a favorite. I enjoyed the characters but didn't love them enough to completely be invested in them. By the time the book was over I just kind of went... oh... okay then. I was impressed because it did have a better ending than I thought it was going to and the book kept me guessing throughout it which was great but overall when I think
...more
3.5/5
Pros:
-Loved the diversity! Queer girls+Chinese main character.
-Super quick read was intrigued with the story!
Cons:
-Ending was a bit rushed
-POV shift
-Wasn't as "thrilling" as I was hoping it would be ...more
Pros:
-Loved the diversity! Queer girls+Chinese main character.
-Super quick read was intrigued with the story!
Cons:
-Ending was a bit rushed
-POV shift
-Wasn't as "thrilling" as I was hoping it would be ...more
*A huge thanks to Penguin Random House for providing me an eARC. This,by any means, did not affect nor influence my review."
3.5 stars
Twisting, dark and disturbing, A Line in the Dark by Malinda Lo is a diverse read that explores the depths of friendship, identifying and accepting one’s sexuality, love obsession and murder.
What I liked:
• Dark atmosphere and eerie vibe from the very beginning.
• We were welcomed by an intriguing prologue but the story started 14 weeks ahead of the time when the pro ...more
3.5 stars
Twisting, dark and disturbing, A Line in the Dark by Malinda Lo is a diverse read that explores the depths of friendship, identifying and accepting one’s sexuality, love obsession and murder.
What I liked:
• Dark atmosphere and eerie vibe from the very beginning.
• We were welcomed by an intriguing prologue but the story started 14 weeks ahead of the time when the pro ...more
Oct 18, 2017
PinkAmy loves books, cats and naps
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
GRADE: B
4 STARS
If a tree falls in a forest, and no one hears it fall, did it make a sound? The philosophical conundrum attributed to Charles Berkley makes me ask, “If a novel highlighting mental illness never mentions mental illness, is the book still about mental illness?
A LINE IN THE DARK is marketed like a psychological thriller, but reads more psychological than thriller, though mental illness is never addressed. Jess and her best friend Angie have an enmeshed relationship, mostly from Jess’ ...more
4 STARS
If a tree falls in a forest, and no one hears it fall, did it make a sound? The philosophical conundrum attributed to Charles Berkley makes me ask, “If a novel highlighting mental illness never mentions mental illness, is the book still about mental illness?
A LINE IN THE DARK is marketed like a psychological thriller, but reads more psychological than thriller, though mental illness is never addressed. Jess and her best friend Angie have an enmeshed relationship, mostly from Jess’ ...more
So this one is interesting.
I went into the novel bored out of my mind. I put the novel away.
Four days later, I continue from where I left off, and I just can't stop reading it.
I can't say entirely what compelled me to put this book on my TBR, because from the summary this is definitely not a book that I would go for. Not to mention, the book doesn't really fill any of the tags that are associated with it.
Namely, psychological thriller. I've read a couple before and those aren't it.
May be con ...more
I went into the novel bored out of my mind. I put the novel away.
Four days later, I continue from where I left off, and I just can't stop reading it.
I can't say entirely what compelled me to put this book on my TBR, because from the summary this is definitely not a book that I would go for. Not to mention, the book doesn't really fill any of the tags that are associated with it.
Namely, psychological thriller. I've read a couple before and those aren't it.
May be con ...more
I'm torn. A Line in the Dark on the surface is my bread and butter: a psychological thriller with diverse characters, an unreliable narrator, and a love triangle. Plus, look at that cover! It opens with a bang (literally) but I was left feeling...unsatisfied at the end? I have some somewhat incoherent thoughts:
Jess Wong has had a long-standing crush on her best friend, Angie. And everything was peachy while it was just the two of them, but then Angie meets Margot, a student at the ritzy private ...more
Jess Wong has had a long-standing crush on her best friend, Angie. And everything was peachy while it was just the two of them, but then Angie meets Margot, a student at the ritzy private ...more
This book fucking FLOPPED
First of all, it made me feel like liking girls is a dirty, teenage-only thing. And I like girls, and I fucking hate that it made me feel like that. Girls liking their best friend isn't drawing them naked time and time again over the years, isn't boycotting their relationships, isn't jerking off to the thought of being with them instead of their girlfriend, isn't looking under her shorts or cleavage at every chance you get. It's daydreaming about holding hands, and foreh ...more
First of all, it made me feel like liking girls is a dirty, teenage-only thing. And I like girls, and I fucking hate that it made me feel like that. Girls liking their best friend isn't drawing them naked time and time again over the years, isn't boycotting their relationships, isn't jerking off to the thought of being with them instead of their girlfriend, isn't looking under her shorts or cleavage at every chance you get. It's daydreaming about holding hands, and foreh ...more
Malinda Lo's A Line in the Dark is a fast, compulsive read, perfect for anyone looking to dig their way out of a reading slump. I'd compare it to a better, less bleak version of Tiny Pretty Things. The first chapter should be required reading for anyone who writes in first person--the mood, the sensory details, the character interactions and interior thoughts... Color me impressed. Lo's writing is the perfect combination of sometimes lush, sometimes sparse, and always purposeful.
Which means that ...more
Which means that ...more
actual rating: 2.5
This wasn't bad necessarily ...it was just way more relationship drama than it was mystery-thriller and honestly I probably wouldn't have read past the first few chapters if it didn't have lesbian characters in it. There were definitely parts of it that were interesting, but I feel like it wrapped up way too quickly at the end and although the ending makes sense in a way it just felt like a bit of a let-down. I think this would be a really good for readers who are still in thei ...more
This wasn't bad necessarily ...it was just way more relationship drama than it was mystery-thriller and honestly I probably wouldn't have read past the first few chapters if it didn't have lesbian characters in it. There were definitely parts of it that were interesting, but I feel like it wrapped up way too quickly at the end and although the ending makes sense in a way it just felt like a bit of a let-down. I think this would be a really good for readers who are still in thei ...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "A Line in the Dark" Ending (Contains Spoilers) | 1 | 23 | Jan 06, 2018 08:15AM | |
| "A Line in the Dark" Ending (Contains Spoilers) | 1 | 13 | Jan 06, 2018 08:14AM |
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Hi Goodreads! I've only created this profile to claim my name here, and I don't check messages here or add friends. I invite you to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, or visit my website at malindalo.com.
BIO: Malinda Lo is the bestselling author of Last Night at the Telegraph Club, winner of the National Book Award, the Stonewall Book Award, and the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, as we ...more
BIO: Malinda Lo is the bestselling author of Last Night at the Telegraph Club, winner of the National Book Award, the Stonewall Book Award, and the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, as we ...more
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