Book Review: The Bodies Out Back by Joseph E. Wright

image from Google

Before the end of the semester, I grabbed the chance to read a book using the Kobo app on my Mac, and being the book junkie/addict that I am, I was thrilled to be reading something new again. Now, before I explain my thoughts and actually review the book, I'd just like to say how awesome technology really is in terms of book-keeping and organizing. I also have this app on my tablet, and it just freaking makes me HAPPY. Now that's out of the way, let's get on to the book.

At a Glance

The book is about a young woman (Phillis) who finds the perfect apartment and agrees to take it under the assumption that her roommate was a girl (who was still on vacation). Her roommate (Pat) arrives a day early and is a man (but is actually gay) and that fact sprouts an argument between Phillis and her boyfriend, a member of the police force. The day Pat arrives, murders around the neighborhood start happening, and she and Pat try to uncover the mystery without the police's direct knowledge. (A lot of other things happen and the end could either shock or piss you off.)

Rating: The Story

I have to admit that the first chapter actually seemed great. I was hooked in under 3 chapters and I couldn't quit reading (despite having classes). I've always loved mysteries and whodunits so I had incredibly high expectations. When my suspicions about the roommate's true identity were confirmed, I was gleeful and excited for a little fling between the two main characters. That was besides the fact that the guy was actually gay.

The way the story was told was a typical A to B style. In the middle of the story though, I already had a guess on who the killer was - but something else proved to be the major shocker.

I was PISSED to the core. So freaking much. I can't decide if the author was just really, really good in keeping a reader on the hook or if he was just pure evil and misleading. I can't give the story away (you'll have to read it), but it just pissed me off so much. Using "pissed" twice (thrice) in one paragraph is proof.

Rating: Writing style

I'm incredibly picky in choosing what I read, and the common rule I have is that the writing style should be simple enough or if not, should complement the genre of the novel. I called out a few grammatical errors in the book while reading and sometimes, the paragraph was either too draggy or too quick that you have to reread the last sentences to understand what was happening.

Other thoughts

One word - pissed. It gave me so much hope during the first chapters until the last 3 or so and I'm not sure that's a good thing. I expected more from it, but can't really complain because (1) it's free on the Kobo store, (2) it hasn't been professionally published so the mistakes are forgivable, and (3) I don't have enough energy to.

If you're looking for a free, random read, try and check out The Bodies Out Back by Joseph E. Wright. Download the ebook from here. My opinions may differ from yours, so before you trash this book altogether, read it.

General Rating:  3 out of  5 bookmarks.