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Interference
They were the perfect couple—but not all is as it seems.
Young married couple Gabriel and Chloé have a picture-perfect life. But when athletic Chloé suddenly drowns, Gabriel is left to grapple with the mysterious circumstances of her death. Brokenhearted, he pours out his grief in a bereavement group and is consoled by photographer Emma. While the two grow closer, Gabriel can’t help but feel Chloé’s presence everywhere he goes. And as revelations about Chloé slowly emerge, he begins to wonder, is Emma really that different?
From prize-winning and bestselling author Amélie Antoine comes a dark and evocative novel that will keep readers guessing until the final moments—will Gabriel be able to move on with Emma, or will the mystery of Chloé’s death consume him?
Young married couple Gabriel and Chloé have a picture-perfect life. But when athletic Chloé suddenly drowns, Gabriel is left to grapple with the mysterious circumstances of her death. Brokenhearted, he pours out his grief in a bereavement group and is consoled by photographer Emma. While the two grow closer, Gabriel can’t help but feel Chloé’s presence everywhere he goes. And as revelations about Chloé slowly emerge, he begins to wonder, is Emma really that different?
From prize-winning and bestselling author Amélie Antoine comes a dark and evocative novel that will keep readers guessing until the final moments—will Gabriel be able to move on with Emma, or will the mystery of Chloé’s death consume him?
190 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 4, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 887 reviews
July 10, 2018
This was a very cleverly written book. The story had me thinking that I knew what was happening and it was was being predictable, then it takes some turns which I never saw coming or expected in any way. Now this is a very good writer who certainly put the WoW factor in what could have been an ordinary story being told.
The book is relevant and very current in the way it is written and had myself with many questions that were all answered by the end of the story. I really enjoyed this book, especially since it was a fresh and different type of suspenseful mystery and I was feeling many emotions about the characters involved.
The reason I didn't give 5 stars was because the story took place in France and two of the characters seemed to be French with French names as well, but it seemed to be overly American and English speaking to me without an alternative explanation. This puzzlement of mine however, did not take away from the story in any way.
I highly recommend this very different book and have given it 4 mysterious 🌟🌟🌟🌟 stars!!
The book is relevant and very current in the way it is written and had myself with many questions that were all answered by the end of the story. I really enjoyed this book, especially since it was a fresh and different type of suspenseful mystery and I was feeling many emotions about the characters involved.
The reason I didn't give 5 stars was because the story took place in France and two of the characters seemed to be French with French names as well, but it seemed to be overly American and English speaking to me without an alternative explanation. This puzzlement of mine however, did not take away from the story in any way.
I highly recommend this very different book and have given it 4 mysterious 🌟🌟🌟🌟 stars!!
August 5, 2016
Far-fetched "twist", unlikable female characters, and bland writing
Once again a Kindle free first of the month selection ends up disappointing, leaving me and many other readers/reviewers wondering where and how are these books chosen?
Billed as a psychological thriller, there is nothing thrilling nor even suspenseful about Amelie Antoine's offering. What sounded like an interesting and off- beat read from the description soon devolved into tedium. We meet Chloe and her husband Gabriel. Chloe's death is hinted at from the beginning- so no spoiler alert there, and there are also hints at something odd about it. This was intriguing. Soon Chloe is dead...as Chloe herself witnesses her now invisibility. More intrigue.
And here is where Antoine had the opportunity to really take off. I kept waiting for a kind of SIXTH SENSE to develop, or at least an eeriness. She has Chloe present but invisible. She has a grieving, devastated spouse. Use it!
Instead, we are taken back through their rather dull and predictable marriage. And what's even odder- though we are subjected to pages and pages of this, we still don't get to really know who these people are. They remain static, flat cardboard cutouts. For example, Gabriel likes to cook. He bakes a cake and some white chocolate raspberry cookies. But those are character facts. They don't take us anywhere. It is as though the author checked these traits off a list and was done.
Chloe is self-absorbed, selfish, a physical trainer. Gabriel is a banker. She sees him one day. He's cute. She opens an account and asks him to lunch. Other than that, I have no idea what these two are doing together. There is no spark between. No charisma.
Many reader/reviewers noted they couldn't get to the big twist. Many wrote it ruined the book for them. I was delighted that at least something was happening...though as I stated above it was the most ridiculous, not to mention improbable turn I have ever seen.
Absolutely incredulous. Do they not have lawsuits in France? This event does not pass the smell test, not to mention the participation in it by the two females takes th he B word to a whole new level.
Again, many readers were upset at the ending. I cheered Gabriel on. Couldn't wait for him to complete the deed and wondered where my Christian values had gone.
I also wonder where the editors were and the publishers and Amazon and Kindle.
There are so many wonderful writers out there who cannot get seen or heard, and something like this gets lifted up.
Good Lord, what a world we are living in.
Read something, anything by Dennis Vickers. Stimulate your mind.
Do not bother with this. It isn't even good trash!
Once again a Kindle free first of the month selection ends up disappointing, leaving me and many other readers/reviewers wondering where and how are these books chosen?
Billed as a psychological thriller, there is nothing thrilling nor even suspenseful about Amelie Antoine's offering. What sounded like an interesting and off- beat read from the description soon devolved into tedium. We meet Chloe and her husband Gabriel. Chloe's death is hinted at from the beginning- so no spoiler alert there, and there are also hints at something odd about it. This was intriguing. Soon Chloe is dead...as Chloe herself witnesses her now invisibility. More intrigue.
And here is where Antoine had the opportunity to really take off. I kept waiting for a kind of SIXTH SENSE to develop, or at least an eeriness. She has Chloe present but invisible. She has a grieving, devastated spouse. Use it!
Instead, we are taken back through their rather dull and predictable marriage. And what's even odder- though we are subjected to pages and pages of this, we still don't get to really know who these people are. They remain static, flat cardboard cutouts. For example, Gabriel likes to cook. He bakes a cake and some white chocolate raspberry cookies. But those are character facts. They don't take us anywhere. It is as though the author checked these traits off a list and was done.
Chloe is self-absorbed, selfish, a physical trainer. Gabriel is a banker. She sees him one day. He's cute. She opens an account and asks him to lunch. Other than that, I have no idea what these two are doing together. There is no spark between. No charisma.
Many reader/reviewers noted they couldn't get to the big twist. Many wrote it ruined the book for them. I was delighted that at least something was happening...though as I stated above it was the most ridiculous, not to mention improbable turn I have ever seen.
Absolutely incredulous. Do they not have lawsuits in France? This event does not pass the smell test, not to mention the participation in it by the two females takes th he B word to a whole new level.
Again, many readers were upset at the ending. I cheered Gabriel on. Couldn't wait for him to complete the deed and wondered where my Christian values had gone.
I also wonder where the editors were and the publishers and Amazon and Kindle.
There are so many wonderful writers out there who cannot get seen or heard, and something like this gets lifted up.
Good Lord, what a world we are living in.
Read something, anything by Dennis Vickers. Stimulate your mind.
Do not bother with this. It isn't even good trash!
August 12, 2016
A case study in how people don't behave.
Plenty of spoilers below, so don't read if you've any interest in reading this absolute car crash of a novel.
Twists aren't good just because they're surprising, they need to actually make sense in the context of the story. The twists in this novel are idiotic. Chloe wasn't dead, it was all just a TV show? Are you serious? For €500,000 a woman is willing to put her entire family, her friends and her husband through 6 months of anguish? Not only that but she's willing to live basically in solitude for the duration? I can't imagine a human being who would find that to be a worthwhile trade, least of all when she and her husband seem to be quite successful and are able to live comfortably. Chloe's opinion of her husband's grieving doesn't really make sense either: she's annoyed that he's moping around, even though that is completely ideal for her situation in the game and any prospect of getting back with her widower husband. She also seems keen for him to sell off her old, expensive clothes. She'll presumably want to wear them again at some point? Or is that what the €500,000 is for?
As for Emma, she was in on the whole scheme too? Okay, let's just invalidate basically her entire story so far. Emma's story is told in the first person, she talks of her dreams of becoming a photographer, and how she's moving away to help that dream. She doesn't mention any TV shows. When she first bumps into Gabriel she just describes him as a man, not "this guy I've been paid to seduce". Why is Emma lying to us? Is she in cahoots with the author in trying to pull the wool over our eyes? There are right and wrong ways to mislead a reader for a twist, having the characters straight-up lie is not the right way. This comes into Chloe's story too, when she's "haunting" Gabriel. She puts glitter paint in the bathroom somehow, despite not being able to go near the house. She messes up his order in the cafe so that her favourite drink gets added to the order. How could she have possibly achieved that?
Anyway, Emma - who originally is made to pretend to fall in love with Gabriel - ends up doing the same thing that literally every single character who has ever been in that situation does she falls in love with Gabriel. Why? Just because he "gets" her.
Emma's story ends with another completely nonsensical twist: unknown to her she is now the focus of yet another reality TV show, which is revealed in the brilliant line "Benjamin takes off his glasses and discreetly checks that the micro SD card hidden in one of the temples is working." How do you even go about discreetly checking that an SD card is working? Did he discreetly take it out, plug it into his laptop and watch back what had just been recorded? And what is the topic of this reality show? This is just a twist thrown in, purely for the sake of there being a twist.
Gabriel as a character is barely worth talking about. He seems to immediately forgive his wife for faking her death, along with basically everyone else in the book. Chloe's manager who was nasty to her prior to her "death" no longer is, because apparently faking your own death is how you earn respect in the workplace. As we later find out though Gabriel didn't actually forgive her and in the end he murders her. Although a murder isn't really necessary, she seems to just stumble towards her own death. He gives her too much to drink and some extra painkillers, and basically suggests she goes swimming, which she agrees to, of course, "No wait for me! I want to go swimming too!" literally just lines after saying "My head is spinning...I'm too weak to sit up."
In all, I don't really know what the point of this book was. Is it meant to be disparaging of reality TV? It paints the reality TV people as comic-book villains who care about nothing but ratings. Yet, in the end, the show is a flop. So what's the point? This isn't a damning indictment of reality TV culture because the book itself even concedes that people wouldn't watch this show. It's funny, because the TV show is just the events of the book, so the author isn't showing much confidence in her own story.
I think this is just cheap fiction trying to cash in on the popularity of books like Gone Girl. It's a shame because up until the twist, the book had me interested, but the twist completely ruined it.
Plenty of spoilers below, so don't read if you've any interest in reading this absolute car crash of a novel.
Twists aren't good just because they're surprising, they need to actually make sense in the context of the story. The twists in this novel are idiotic. Chloe wasn't dead, it was all just a TV show? Are you serious? For €500,000 a woman is willing to put her entire family, her friends and her husband through 6 months of anguish? Not only that but she's willing to live basically in solitude for the duration? I can't imagine a human being who would find that to be a worthwhile trade, least of all when she and her husband seem to be quite successful and are able to live comfortably. Chloe's opinion of her husband's grieving doesn't really make sense either: she's annoyed that he's moping around, even though that is completely ideal for her situation in the game and any prospect of getting back with her widower husband. She also seems keen for him to sell off her old, expensive clothes. She'll presumably want to wear them again at some point? Or is that what the €500,000 is for?
As for Emma, she was in on the whole scheme too? Okay, let's just invalidate basically her entire story so far. Emma's story is told in the first person, she talks of her dreams of becoming a photographer, and how she's moving away to help that dream. She doesn't mention any TV shows. When she first bumps into Gabriel she just describes him as a man, not "this guy I've been paid to seduce". Why is Emma lying to us? Is she in cahoots with the author in trying to pull the wool over our eyes? There are right and wrong ways to mislead a reader for a twist, having the characters straight-up lie is not the right way. This comes into Chloe's story too, when she's "haunting" Gabriel. She puts glitter paint in the bathroom somehow, despite not being able to go near the house. She messes up his order in the cafe so that her favourite drink gets added to the order. How could she have possibly achieved that?
Anyway, Emma - who originally is made to pretend to fall in love with Gabriel - ends up doing the same thing that literally every single character who has ever been in that situation does she falls in love with Gabriel. Why? Just because he "gets" her.
Emma's story ends with another completely nonsensical twist: unknown to her she is now the focus of yet another reality TV show, which is revealed in the brilliant line "Benjamin takes off his glasses and discreetly checks that the micro SD card hidden in one of the temples is working." How do you even go about discreetly checking that an SD card is working? Did he discreetly take it out, plug it into his laptop and watch back what had just been recorded? And what is the topic of this reality show? This is just a twist thrown in, purely for the sake of there being a twist.
Gabriel as a character is barely worth talking about. He seems to immediately forgive his wife for faking her death, along with basically everyone else in the book. Chloe's manager who was nasty to her prior to her "death" no longer is, because apparently faking your own death is how you earn respect in the workplace. As we later find out though Gabriel didn't actually forgive her and in the end he murders her. Although a murder isn't really necessary, she seems to just stumble towards her own death. He gives her too much to drink and some extra painkillers, and basically suggests she goes swimming, which she agrees to, of course, "No wait for me! I want to go swimming too!" literally just lines after saying "My head is spinning...I'm too weak to sit up."
In all, I don't really know what the point of this book was. Is it meant to be disparaging of reality TV? It paints the reality TV people as comic-book villains who care about nothing but ratings. Yet, in the end, the show is a flop. So what's the point? This isn't a damning indictment of reality TV culture because the book itself even concedes that people wouldn't watch this show. It's funny, because the TV show is just the events of the book, so the author isn't showing much confidence in her own story.
I think this is just cheap fiction trying to cash in on the popularity of books like Gone Girl. It's a shame because up until the twist, the book had me interested, but the twist completely ruined it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 24, 2016
Interference is one of those books I wish we could discuss after you finish reading it. But I want you to be as surprised as I was when I read it.
This story is about a man and a wife who seem to really love each other and about another women that plays an important role. Each chapter is told from the pov of each of the three characters. On yes, there is a tragic death.
Ok that's all I'm saying about the plot.
The characters, they are interesting. Some of the reviews I read talked about not really liking one or two of them. I get that, but it's ok to have a bad, unlikable characters; just don't have a poorly written one. And in my opinion they are not poorly written.
I want to give this more than a 3 but there is something that holds me back. For originality I give it a 4 or higher. It is well written and interesting. I think at the end of the day it was just a little bit hard to buy into the "reality" of what happens.
It is a good read and one that I recommend for the lovers of the mystery genre.
This story is about a man and a wife who seem to really love each other and about another women that plays an important role. Each chapter is told from the pov of each of the three characters. On yes, there is a tragic death.
Ok that's all I'm saying about the plot.
The characters, they are interesting. Some of the reviews I read talked about not really liking one or two of them. I get that, but it's ok to have a bad, unlikable characters; just don't have a poorly written one. And in my opinion they are not poorly written.
I want to give this more than a 3 but there is something that holds me back. For originality I give it a 4 or higher. It is well written and interesting. I think at the end of the day it was just a little bit hard to buy into the "reality" of what happens.
It is a good read and one that I recommend for the lovers of the mystery genre.
August 17, 2016
If I could unread this, I would. The only reason I read it through to the end was because I was stuck on a six hour train ride. Apologies to the author; I hate to be so harsh, but the story feels like only a cheap imitation of legitimate thrillers. The "twist" is so dumb, my jaw was literally hanging open as I read it because I could not believe the author was serious. If this description is actually intriguing you and tempting you to read it, don't. I just saved you several hours of your life. You're welcome.
August 2, 2016
Twists and turns
The author pulled off a quick story with lots of great twists and turns. I quite enjoyed this Kindle First.
The author pulled off a quick story with lots of great twists and turns. I quite enjoyed this Kindle First.
August 28, 2016
I received this as my Kindle First selection. Since they started the program, this was the first time that I actually had any interest in what was offered, so I was pretty excited...
First, the writing style...
The MMC is written in third person while the two FMCs are written in first. That is, until the very end where we have a random chapter about Emma (the second FMC) written in third person. I couldn't figure out a logical reason for this, and to be honest, I found Gabriel's chapters a bit tedious. For instance, there's a chapter in which Chloe (the wife) reminisces about when she first met an old friend, Simon. In her voice, this felt real...I could relate. It immediately switched to Gabriel's POV in which he described his wife's relationship with Simon even further, but it read like a bulleted list, i.e. Chloe met Simon, Chloe ran with Simon on the weekends, Chloe blah blah... I lost interest.
The characters
The FMCs are completely unlikable, and I mean totally and completely, 100% bitches. There is nothing redeemable about them. The MMC was meh. He is boring, and the only interesting thing about him is that you feel sorry for him in light of how bitchy the FMCs are.
The plot twist
I love plot twists. I love when I can't see them coming--when I can't predict what's going to happen--and I can say, with all honesty, this one surprised me. Normally any book that can do that would receive an automatic high rating from me on principle alone. Here's why it didn't. It was dumb. It was in no way believable that this would happen, and while I can respect that this is fiction, I can't just read a book based on a RL marriage and accept this magic fairy land plot twist. The legal ramifications alone would be staggering...
I did like the ending, so there is that.
First, the writing style...
The MMC is written in third person while the two FMCs are written in first. That is, until the very end where we have a random chapter about Emma (the second FMC) written in third person. I couldn't figure out a logical reason for this, and to be honest, I found Gabriel's chapters a bit tedious. For instance, there's a chapter in which Chloe (the wife) reminisces about when she first met an old friend, Simon. In her voice, this felt real...I could relate. It immediately switched to Gabriel's POV in which he described his wife's relationship with Simon even further, but it read like a bulleted list, i.e. Chloe met Simon, Chloe ran with Simon on the weekends, Chloe blah blah... I lost interest.
The characters
The FMCs are completely unlikable, and I mean totally and completely, 100% bitches. There is nothing redeemable about them. The MMC was meh. He is boring, and the only interesting thing about him is that you feel sorry for him in light of how bitchy the FMCs are.
The plot twist
I love plot twists. I love when I can't see them coming--when I can't predict what's going to happen--and I can say, with all honesty, this one surprised me. Normally any book that can do that would receive an automatic high rating from me on principle alone. Here's why it didn't. It was dumb. It was in no way believable that this would happen, and while I can respect that this is fiction, I can't just read a book based on a RL marriage and accept this magic fairy land plot twist. The legal ramifications alone would be staggering...
I did like the ending, so there is that.
August 4, 2016
HOW good is this book !!!! On two counts as well........firstly as a tremendous story with some truly shocking moments along with secondly,the fact it's not full of mistakes so I'm highly impressed. AND it's a translated tale which puts those writing in English as a first language to shame............or it should do. Just a fantastic job altogether.
I got it before the official release date on the Amazon First programme. It was my pick this month and what a great decision that was.
My favourite character of the story was Emma. I can't say too much about the plot as I refuse to do spoilers. That's just thoughtless. Aside from the jawdropping occasions there were some very funny lines in it as well.
It's such a cleverly done, touching, maddening, funny, sad and different story, I must say, so do give it a go-you'll thank me later, you know !!
I got it before the official release date on the Amazon First programme. It was my pick this month and what a great decision that was.
My favourite character of the story was Emma. I can't say too much about the plot as I refuse to do spoilers. That's just thoughtless. Aside from the jawdropping occasions there were some very funny lines in it as well.
It's such a cleverly done, touching, maddening, funny, sad and different story, I must say, so do give it a go-you'll thank me later, you know !!
August 13, 2016
Wowza. And not in a good way.
When I started reading this book I was interested in the characters and wondered whether or not Chloe was a ghost or spirit or had somehow been kidnapped. I felt bad for Gabriel and noticed that Chloe didn't seem to have much empathy as she watched him grieve. When the plot twist happened I was stunned . I almost thought I misread it. When I realized that was really the twist, I wished it was a paperback instead of my Kindle so I could throw it across the room . I did finish the book but from that point on I had to regard it as a farce. And maybe that's what the author intended. Maybe it's actually a brilliant satire! Certainly nothing about the twist or the characters was believable. The ending was entirely predictable and made our poor victim Gabriel finally beyond redemption . I do think this author is interesting - just notice how polarized the reviews are. I'm not sure I find her interesting to read anymore of her works after being taken for a ride like that.
When I started reading this book I was interested in the characters and wondered whether or not Chloe was a ghost or spirit or had somehow been kidnapped. I felt bad for Gabriel and noticed that Chloe didn't seem to have much empathy as she watched him grieve. When the plot twist happened I was stunned . I almost thought I misread it. When I realized that was really the twist, I wished it was a paperback instead of my Kindle so I could throw it across the room . I did finish the book but from that point on I had to regard it as a farce. And maybe that's what the author intended. Maybe it's actually a brilliant satire! Certainly nothing about the twist or the characters was believable. The ending was entirely predictable and made our poor victim Gabriel finally beyond redemption . I do think this author is interesting - just notice how polarized the reviews are. I'm not sure I find her interesting to read anymore of her works after being taken for a ride like that.
August 3, 2016
Whoa!
I cannot say anything about this book without giving it away. If you can hang in through 75% of the book it is worth it. After the major "wow" hang on because another one is right at the end. This would be a great movie!
I cannot say anything about this book without giving it away. If you can hang in through 75% of the book it is worth it. After the major "wow" hang on because another one is right at the end. This would be a great movie!
September 10, 2016
The book opens with a chapter entitled Chloé. She speaks in a disembodied voice, a personal commentary delivered with such self-assurance that she seems to have escaped the confines of time: “I feel like I'm in the here and now, as if the future and the past don't exist anymore. As if this moment could go on indefinitely.” (p.1) We remind ourselves not to think ill of the dead, but.... Chloé seems oblivious to her tone which hints at a disturbing self-regard. She insists: “I love Gabriel, and I love that he loves me.” Her soliloquy contines. It's a jarring departure from the usual literary ghost cathartically divulging regrets and moving toward an evolving self-awareness meant to admonish the reader. Antoine maintains that sense of unease throughout the book.
There are three main characters. Each chapter is told from the viewpoint of one of the characters. In addition to the ghostly candor of Chloé, there is the voice of her grief-stricken husband Gabriel, and that of a woman named Emma. Emma's connection to Gabriel and Chloé is at first unclear. We learn she is a photographer. She longs for a career in photojournalism. Instead, she is stuck in a boring job recording the clichéd moments of staged happiness: “I have nothing but disdain for all the honeys, sweethearts, babies, my loves, sweetie pies, baby dolls, sugars, pumpkins, lambs, sweet peas, Prince Charmings, and princesses. I just can't take any more 'I do's,' first dances, and flower-covered layer cakes.” (p.9) These are the characters the reader is challenged to understand in this very eerie narrative.
That's all I can say about this book. It's not the sort you will re-read, but the puzzle is emotionally gripping right up to the end. This was a Kindle first-reads selection, and I was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable I found the book. The translator did an excellent job of translating the book into English.
There are three main characters. Each chapter is told from the viewpoint of one of the characters. In addition to the ghostly candor of Chloé, there is the voice of her grief-stricken husband Gabriel, and that of a woman named Emma. Emma's connection to Gabriel and Chloé is at first unclear. We learn she is a photographer. She longs for a career in photojournalism. Instead, she is stuck in a boring job recording the clichéd moments of staged happiness: “I have nothing but disdain for all the honeys, sweethearts, babies, my loves, sweetie pies, baby dolls, sugars, pumpkins, lambs, sweet peas, Prince Charmings, and princesses. I just can't take any more 'I do's,' first dances, and flower-covered layer cakes.” (p.9) These are the characters the reader is challenged to understand in this very eerie narrative.
That's all I can say about this book. It's not the sort you will re-read, but the puzzle is emotionally gripping right up to the end. This was a Kindle first-reads selection, and I was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable I found the book. The translator did an excellent job of translating the book into English.
December 8, 2016
I love a trashy read when I have a long rush-hour commute but this is seriously one of the most ludicrous stories I've ever read, really jaw-droppingly silly.
On top of the truly heinous plotline, the writing is lots and lots of expository telling, and the translation is into American English, so that characters in St.Malo use terms like 'gotten' and 'faucet', thus destroying any sense of atmosphere or place.
The biggest mystery here is how this book ever got published...
On top of the truly heinous plotline, the writing is lots and lots of expository telling, and the translation is into American English, so that characters in St.Malo use terms like 'gotten' and 'faucet', thus destroying any sense of atmosphere or place.
The biggest mystery here is how this book ever got published...
August 14, 2016
Kindle First burns me again.
Usually I reserve one star for books I can't finish, but I did this time to see what the plot contrivance was.
My mistake.
I love an unreliable narrator (or three), but this was excruciating--from the author's choosing first person for two characters and third person for another, to the awful characters, plot, and denouement. Other reviewers cover it much better than I could, with spoilers and without, so I hope you'll pardon me if I don't bother. The author already wasted three hours of my life.
(Besides, I summarized the plot for my husband, who said, "It makes me want to throw up." Pretty much.)
Two good things: 1) the translation was superb, and 2) it was *only* three hours of my life.
Usually I reserve one star for books I can't finish, but I did this time to see what the plot contrivance was.
My mistake.
I love an unreliable narrator (or three), but this was excruciating--from the author's choosing first person for two characters and third person for another, to the awful characters, plot, and denouement. Other reviewers cover it much better than I could, with spoilers and without, so I hope you'll pardon me if I don't bother. The author already wasted three hours of my life.
(Besides, I summarized the plot for my husband, who said, "It makes me want to throw up." Pretty much.)
Two good things: 1) the translation was superb, and 2) it was *only* three hours of my life.
February 6, 2017
Wow.
This was good. I didn't know what kind of book I was reading. It kept surprising me. I can't recommend this enough. You will think, okay, I know what's going on here--NOPE!
That was fascinating.
You hear from the perspective of three different characters as time passes by.
I don't want to say anything else for fear of spoilers, but if you like psychological dramas, suspense, thrillers, murder mysteries ... or all of the above give it a try.
This was good. I didn't know what kind of book I was reading. It kept surprising me. I can't recommend this enough. You will think, okay, I know what's going on here--NOPE!
That was fascinating.
You hear from the perspective of three different characters as time passes by.
I don't want to say anything else for fear of spoilers, but if you like psychological dramas, suspense, thrillers, murder mysteries ... or all of the above give it a try.
August 12, 2016
fast read, got better, interesting take on this. I liked the ending!
May 28, 2019
This one is hard to rate. I'm not sure what I thought of it... There were things I liked and things I didn't like. I guess that leaves me middle of the road with 3 stars. It was ok, worth a read, but not great.
February 14, 2017
After reading many reviews of this book, I just had to read it myself. Rarely have I seen so many mixed reviews of a book. And now I know why. The two Female characters are very different from each other. Chloe is most certainly a narcissistic, spoiled little bitch. Emma is not, although many other readers saw her as such. Yes, she is narcissistic, but carelessly thoughtless. She hasn't really thought her role in this story through.
The plot twist really surprised me, as it will you. It is COMPLETELY unbelievable, but then again, who knows?
The ending was very satisfying. I actually liked this story. It was a fun read.
Thank you, Kindle First...
The plot twist really surprised me, as it will you. It is COMPLETELY unbelievable, but then again, who knows?
The ending was very satisfying. I actually liked this story. It was a fun read.
Thank you, Kindle First...
January 6, 2018
Vraiment Sympa. J'avais un peu deviné le truc, donc ça m'a coupé la surprise, mais il faut avouer que le premier retournement de situation est plutôt bien fait :)
Seul bémol : la fin est un peu laissée en suspens, mais je suppose que c'était l'idée.
Seul bémol : la fin est un peu laissée en suspens, mais je suppose que c'était l'idée.
August 12, 2016
Interference Amelie Antoine, Maren Baudet-Lackner Review
Rating: 3/5
Interference tries to play smart. It’s one of those $1.99 offers in Kindle First and I can’t just pass on this indie type thriller with marital themes and affairs. It’s also hugely advertised on its apparently “shocking” twist at the end. It was a fine sunny day for me and I felt like picking something quick and an easy-to-digest fast paced read so I had to pick this one up. It’s just 192 pages so that won’t be a huge problem, won’t it?
Well, Interference feels like those types of media that try to act smarter or more complex than it actually really is. Take films like Now You See Me; the entire concept is already laid out on the table but then the makers can’t help but to add insubstantial elements to the story which might come off at first as surprising but then as you venture to think about it, it gets unrealistic. The entire thing may be entertaining but once it gets to that particular twist you just totally lose respect for the plot or the story in general.
Interference is like that. The first few chapters got me hooked; we are introduced to a broken husband moving on from the loss of his wife. But then as we go along there’s an eerie atmosphere in the air which makes us ponder on what actually happened. This may be an equivalent to a summer beach read because this book is absolutely quick. It gets up on its feet and jogs the plot along, never minding to leave neither incoherent filler nor unnecessary detail. It shows us the situation, introduces the characters, and solves the mystery. A couple of pages in and my thumb is continuously pressing on the right side of the screen, eager to know what happens next.
But then we get to the twist. The fucking twist. I kind of suspected it at first while reading but immediately debunked that idea because it felt totally far-fetched from the events of the story. But then, weirdly, my suspected twist was the actual twist and... why? It totally broke the characters of everyone, it felt cheesy and only felt like it could’ve been executed the way it was executed in the story by 10%. It got silly, the story ultimately got silly and it became really difficult to stay serious with it after the sheer ridiculousness of the plot and the characters. That twist will make you hate everyone and will question the point of their stupidity. But, on a better note, although things got silly, that didn’t mean I lost interest. I still needed to know what happened up to the very end. Albeit the mood of the entire thriller got lost, the silliness of the story just kept me going. Again, the twist tried to act too smart but then it just confounds everything up into this giant ball of plot hole mess.
As a whole, Interference may be best enjoyed for a shallow thriller. If you’re interested for a very quick read that will take up only a part of your time, then this is an interesting option. Just don’t expect for a deep paradox within the context of the story because the events of the plot make up for an unintended humorous read. I quite liked it for the wrong reasons the author wanted.
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Rating: 3/5
Interference tries to play smart. It’s one of those $1.99 offers in Kindle First and I can’t just pass on this indie type thriller with marital themes and affairs. It’s also hugely advertised on its apparently “shocking” twist at the end. It was a fine sunny day for me and I felt like picking something quick and an easy-to-digest fast paced read so I had to pick this one up. It’s just 192 pages so that won’t be a huge problem, won’t it?
Well, Interference feels like those types of media that try to act smarter or more complex than it actually really is. Take films like Now You See Me; the entire concept is already laid out on the table but then the makers can’t help but to add insubstantial elements to the story which might come off at first as surprising but then as you venture to think about it, it gets unrealistic. The entire thing may be entertaining but once it gets to that particular twist you just totally lose respect for the plot or the story in general.
Interference is like that. The first few chapters got me hooked; we are introduced to a broken husband moving on from the loss of his wife. But then as we go along there’s an eerie atmosphere in the air which makes us ponder on what actually happened. This may be an equivalent to a summer beach read because this book is absolutely quick. It gets up on its feet and jogs the plot along, never minding to leave neither incoherent filler nor unnecessary detail. It shows us the situation, introduces the characters, and solves the mystery. A couple of pages in and my thumb is continuously pressing on the right side of the screen, eager to know what happens next.
But then we get to the twist. The fucking twist. I kind of suspected it at first while reading but immediately debunked that idea because it felt totally far-fetched from the events of the story. But then, weirdly, my suspected twist was the actual twist and... why? It totally broke the characters of everyone, it felt cheesy and only felt like it could’ve been executed the way it was executed in the story by 10%. It got silly, the story ultimately got silly and it became really difficult to stay serious with it after the sheer ridiculousness of the plot and the characters. That twist will make you hate everyone and will question the point of their stupidity. But, on a better note, although things got silly, that didn’t mean I lost interest. I still needed to know what happened up to the very end. Albeit the mood of the entire thriller got lost, the silliness of the story just kept me going. Again, the twist tried to act too smart but then it just confounds everything up into this giant ball of plot hole mess.
As a whole, Interference may be best enjoyed for a shallow thriller. If you’re interested for a very quick read that will take up only a part of your time, then this is an interesting option. Just don’t expect for a deep paradox within the context of the story because the events of the plot make up for an unintended humorous read. I quite liked it for the wrong reasons the author wanted.
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September 22, 2016
2.5 stars
I loved this book...until the "twist." Then I wanted to throw it at the wall (but wisely the reconsidered, this being the digital age and my wall already bearing pockmarks from several iPhones and a previous Kindle).
Summary: Chloe decides that it's time for her "final swim," and leaves her husband Gabriel behind. The story is written in Chloe's perspective as she watches Gabriel painfully deal with his grief, and eventually begin a relationship with Emma, an aspiring war reporter. But why can't Chloe move on? And why is Emma so besotted after such a short time that she is willing to put her entire life on hold for Gabriel? Why was Chloe so motivated to hurt Gabriel--why not simply leave? The beginning of the book makes it clear that Chloe's death was planned...
When it all came out (after my initial "DAFUQ" moment), I wanted to march (er...swim, but ideally fly) over to Paris and demand that the author "Fix this!" There are "OMG, I never saw THAT coming!" twists, and then there are "MTV The Real World Paris (Bretagne)" twists. This twist was the latter.
Consensus: read the first half of the book and make up the second half in your head. If it involves leprechauns riding unicorns over the Louvre, it'll still be more believable than the original storyline.
I loved this book...until the "twist." Then I wanted to throw it at the wall (but wisely the reconsidered, this being the digital age and my wall already bearing pockmarks from several iPhones and a previous Kindle).
Summary: Chloe decides that it's time for her "final swim," and leaves her husband Gabriel behind. The story is written in Chloe's perspective as she watches Gabriel painfully deal with his grief, and eventually begin a relationship with Emma, an aspiring war reporter. But why can't Chloe move on? And why is Emma so besotted after such a short time that she is willing to put her entire life on hold for Gabriel? Why was Chloe so motivated to hurt Gabriel--why not simply leave? The beginning of the book makes it clear that Chloe's death was planned...
When it all came out (after my initial "DAFUQ" moment), I wanted to march (er...swim, but ideally fly) over to Paris and demand that the author "Fix this!" There are "OMG, I never saw THAT coming!" twists, and then there are "MTV The Real World Paris (Bretagne)" twists. This twist was the latter.
Consensus: read the first half of the book and make up the second half in your head. If it involves leprechauns riding unicorns over the Louvre, it'll still be more believable than the original storyline.
July 29, 2019
Oh boy. I am very conflicted about Interference. On one hand, I couldn't stop reading this; on the other hand, the reason I couldn't stop reading because it was a train wreck. On one hand, it had a totally unexpected twist; on the other hand, it was a far-fetched, bullshit twist. On one hand, this is a book I'll likely not forget; on the other hand, I really wish I could forget it.
In all honesty, Interference wasn't terrible, but it was a disappointment. Completely awful people doing things that were beyond the pale, with the exception of Gabriel, who finally did something worse than terrible and I was fine with that.
Considering this book is partially about the loss of loved one and the grief that naturally comes with, and having recemtly lost my dad, I should have been, more careful going in. The grief and loss I dealt with, but that twist , was a huge slap in the face. Tread carefully.
In all honesty, Interference wasn't terrible, but it was a disappointment. Completely awful people doing things that were beyond the pale, with the exception of Gabriel, who finally did something worse than terrible and I was fine with that.
Considering this book is partially about the loss of loved one and the grief that naturally comes with, and having recemtly lost my dad, I should have been, more careful going in. The grief and loss I dealt with, but that twist , was a huge slap in the face. Tread carefully.
December 30, 2016
I found this book an easy, smooth read. The build-up of tension and mystery was good and kept me turning the pages. The characters were well drawn and the issue of grief is explored thoroughly and sensitively.
However, about two-thirds of the way through comes the big twist which somehow feels a bit of a cheat on the author's part. Of course, as readers, we suspend our disbelief willingly...to a certain extent. But when a twist could never happen in real life, not least because it would be morally wrong and cause outrage (and that's all I can say without giving a spoiler), it kind of ruins the feel of what promised to be a good story and reliable characters.
In the last third there are a couple more unexpected twists which turn everything upside down again. I gave 'Interference' four stars despite the twist disappointment because I enjoyed the first two-thirds so much.
However, about two-thirds of the way through comes the big twist which somehow feels a bit of a cheat on the author's part. Of course, as readers, we suspend our disbelief willingly...to a certain extent. But when a twist could never happen in real life, not least because it would be morally wrong and cause outrage (and that's all I can say without giving a spoiler), it kind of ruins the feel of what promised to be a good story and reliable characters.
In the last third there are a couple more unexpected twists which turn everything upside down again. I gave 'Interference' four stars despite the twist disappointment because I enjoyed the first two-thirds so much.
August 17, 2016
Ah, sweet revenge!
At the beginning I wasn't sure what was going on with Chloe. Had she left her husband? If so, how was she watching him? It soon becomes clear and then I wondered where this story was headed. Is it about how well we really know the people we care about? Well, ultimately that is what this story covers, but the twist about half way in puts a whole different spin on it! You know there is a reckoning coming for two characters and you keep waiting to find out what it will be! The ending did not disappoint!
At the beginning I wasn't sure what was going on with Chloe. Had she left her husband? If so, how was she watching him? It soon becomes clear and then I wondered where this story was headed. Is it about how well we really know the people we care about? Well, ultimately that is what this story covers, but the twist about half way in puts a whole different spin on it! You know there is a reckoning coming for two characters and you keep waiting to find out what it will be! The ending did not disappoint!
September 8, 2016
This is a tricky one to review. People really hated it or really liked it. It is not predictable. There are unreliable narrators. As a reader, you have to go along with the story for the reward. A man loses his wife and tries to move on with his life, or can he? Anything else is a spoiler.
Provided by publisher and Kindle First
Provided by publisher and Kindle First
October 19, 2017
4.5 stars! I could not put this book down! What a wild ride! When I started reading Interference, I was set on a thriller. Then as I got into it, I adjusted my expectations to more love story, then BAM! A twist I did not see coming! And just when I got over that surprise, the ending twisted again! I loved all the plot twists, and I loved that the story was set in France. Great read!
April 9, 2018
Where did this book come from why haven't I heard about it before today??? I picked this book for a reading challenge because of the title and cover color. But , wow! I was surprised at how good it was. Excellent psychological thriller.
October 17, 2018
3.5/4 Stars
I really was into the first part of this book but the "twist" didn't play well for me. But that being said, I enjoyed reading Interference. My opinion did not stop me from finishing this book. I actually didn't want to put it down and thought it was well written all in all.
I really was into the first part of this book but the "twist" didn't play well for me. But that being said, I enjoyed reading Interference. My opinion did not stop me from finishing this book. I actually didn't want to put it down and thought it was well written all in all.
June 5, 2024
Déçue, on m'en avait dit beaucoup de bien, mais... bof !
Le début était un peu "jolie romance pas intéressante", puis le deuil, puis la nouvelle rencontre, puis le retournement de situation assez incroyable. L'histoire se situerait dans une sorte d'univers parallèle, pourquoi pas, mais là, non. Puis la fin, prévisible. Pourtant, même en lisant des polars, je ne cherche pas trop qui est le coupable parce que je sais qu'on me le dira tout à la fin - avec des explications, mais j'avais prédit la fin bien à l'avance.
Je l'ai lu jusqu'au bout parce qu'il se lit vite, mais c'était vraiment pour voir ce qui avait tellement plu à ma collègue...
Le début était un peu "jolie romance pas intéressante", puis le deuil, puis la nouvelle rencontre, puis le retournement de situation assez incroyable. L'histoire se situerait dans une sorte d'univers parallèle, pourquoi pas, mais là, non. Puis la fin, prévisible. Pourtant, même en lisant des polars, je ne cherche pas trop qui est le coupable parce que je sais qu'on me le dira tout à la fin - avec des explications, mais j'avais prédit la fin bien à l'avance.
Je l'ai lu jusqu'au bout parce qu'il se lit vite, mais c'était vraiment pour voir ce qui avait tellement plu à ma collègue...
November 9, 2016
What a truly awful book.
Do you remember those games that you used to play as a child where you'd write the start of a story and fold the paper up and the next person has to continue it? At the end you read it out and had a good laugh at how ridiculous the story was.
Quite possibly, this was the method used for creating this book.
The first half drags along like a wet Sunday, but I kept going as I'd heard there was a twist. A fantastic twist. A twist you won't believe.
More. Fool. Me.
A twist which makes sense is usually a good start. One that adds something to the novel is usually a given. Unfortunately this twist is neither and instead you're left thinking WTAF?!!
From this point onwards it's really a car crash of a book, with no redeeming features (not that there were many to begin with).
If you do still feel the need to read this book can I implore you to read it on Kindle so that no trees sacrifice their life for this absolute rubbish?!
Do you remember those games that you used to play as a child where you'd write the start of a story and fold the paper up and the next person has to continue it? At the end you read it out and had a good laugh at how ridiculous the story was.
Quite possibly, this was the method used for creating this book.
The first half drags along like a wet Sunday, but I kept going as I'd heard there was a twist. A fantastic twist. A twist you won't believe.
More. Fool. Me.
A twist which makes sense is usually a good start. One that adds something to the novel is usually a given. Unfortunately this twist is neither and instead you're left thinking WTAF?!!
From this point onwards it's really a car crash of a book, with no redeeming features (not that there were many to begin with).
If you do still feel the need to read this book can I implore you to read it on Kindle so that no trees sacrifice their life for this absolute rubbish?!
October 11, 2017
Complètement bluffée et totalement convaincue par ce roman au scénario invraisemblable ! Rien que pour ça, je salue le tour de force. Je recommande sans détour. ☺
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