Do you ever get confused when a story has too many characters to keep track of ?
I try to keep up when new characters appear, but after the seventh introduction my brain stops taking attendance. If I need a family tree, a map, and notes, I’m already bored.
Name of Book: The Match
Author: Harlan Coben
Publisher: Random House UK
Publication Date: Mar 17, 2022
No. of Pages: 400
Format: Netgalley DRC
He is known as Wilde, the boy from the woods.
Discovered living a feral existence in the Ramapo mountains of New Jersey, he has grown up knowing nothing of his parents, and even less about his own identity.
Until now.
When a match on a DNA database puts him on the trail of a close relative - the only family member he has ever known - Wilde thinks he might be about to solve the mystery of who he really is.
Only this relation disappears as quickly as he's resurfaced. Undaunted, Wilde continues his research, becoming caught up in a secret community committed to exposing anonymous online trolls.
Then one by one, people start to die, and it soon becomes clear that a serial killer is targeting this secret community.
And that the next victim could be Wilde himself . . .
My Opinion
The Match by Harlan Coben is a medium-paced mystery thriller that kicks off with a high-adrenaline start. The opening chapters immediately pull readers into a tangled web of secrets, setting up strong intrigue and emotional stakes. The premise is gripping, and the early momentum makes it hard to put the book down. However, as the story progresses, the narrative becomes increasingly crowded. One by one, new characters are introduced, and instead of adding clarity, their presence makes the plot feel overly complicated and harder to follow. The suspense is still there, but the constant layering of connections and backstories slows the impact. I’ve watched several Harlan Coben adaptations and enjoyed their tight storytelling, so this was my first time reading one of his novels. I wasn’t expecting the book to feel this complex. While the twists are clever and the core idea is strong, the character overload made the experience less engaging than I had hoped.
- Characters ------------------ ⭐⭐⭐
- Atmosphere ---------------- ⭐⭐⭐
- Writing Style -------------- ⭐⭐⭐
- Plot ------------------------- ⭐⭐⭐
- Intrigue -------------------- ⭐⭐⭐
- Logic ---------------------- ⭐⭐⭐
- Enjoyment ---------------- ⭐⭐⭐
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