Kristina answers “I have been seeing such negative ratings...”

A Goodreads user asked this question about The Witch Elm:

I have been seeing such negative ratings for Tana French's newest standalone The Witch Elm...I am really surprised. Waiting patiently for the release date so I can read this for myself, I feel it will be a great fall read, I hope I am not going to be disappointed?

Kristina Coop-a-Loop Depends on if you've read her books before, and if you have, what you like about them. TF is not a crime writer, despite the fact that all her novels …moreDepends on if you've read her books before, and if you have, what you like about them. TF is not a crime writer, despite the fact that all her novels involve crimes. She merely uses the crime to explore the lives of the characters, to explore personalities and perspectives. If you enjoy more traditional plot-driven crime novels, you may not like this. I see so many complaints about the narrator being unlikable--eye roll. It's not the author's job to make a great person you will like. How boring is that? I didn't care for Toby either, but that was beside the point. The novel made me think, kept me re-evaluating the motives and personalities of the characters, and was a fascinating read. Stories involving unreliable narrators can be amazing if well done. I have some quibbles with the ending, but otherwise think it's brilliant prose and complex storytelling. (less)

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