pineconek's Reviews (816)

I listened to this one and had trouble finishing it since it dragged towards the 2/3rds mark. The way California in this time period was captured and portrayed was far more interesting than the pseudo-Manson main plot. I enjoyed the narration but couldn't help with the nagging sense of "... if you're gonna write about Manson, just say you're writing about Manson" that became apparent as the book progressed.

I enjoyed the movie and decided to give the book a shot. The book was, unfortunately, a chore. I'm always guarded when I read about scientists... especially female scientists because the characterization tends to be pretty poor. That's what I felt with the narration here - the main character is more of a caricature than a person (and the same could be said of the team that goes in with her) which was distracting throughout the book.

I listened to this one on walks to and from work in the Montreal area a few months after getting back from New York. The author really helped capture the magic of those places. I'm always a fan of how she writes fairytale-like characters with serious troubles. It's an enchanting read.