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There are currently 21 member reviews
for Look What You Made Me Do
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Beth B. (New Wilmington, PA)
Disassociation fog in Look What You Made Me Do
Prepare for a roller coaster ride when you engage with this cleverly plotted novel. Its readers become invisible observers into the escapades of Kate, Phoebe, Jack, Tony, and Conor. Elements of the story include misdirection, intention, outcome, prevention, discipline, anger, and grief. Particularly interesting is the shoplifting episode. I marvel at the skill with which a male author displays insight into a daughter's description of her mother: bitch, vampire, squid. Wait for an aha moment. One could classify this book as open-ended -- its readers could easily imagine what might happen next. I intend to read more of John Lanchester's fiction.
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Kathryn W. (Weatherly, PA)
Creative and complex
Although I felt it was slow to grab my interest I did find it to be an entertaining book. It was also very thought provoking reminding us that revenge can be taken too far. I was pleasantly surprised how humorous some of the dialogue was considering the subjects of betrayal and revenge. There were enough plot twists to keep the reader interested and the ending definitely will give book clubs a lot to discuss.
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Kristin C. (Princeton, WV)
Great plot and character development
This book started out pretty slowly and then quickly picked up the pace. I don't want to give any spoilers, but there's unreliable narrators, amazing plot twists (that actually make sense), fast pacing, and great character development, especially of Kate and Phoebe.
I highly recommend reading this book. I took it with me on a weekend trip and easily finished it that weekend. It's great vacation reading! Part thriller, part mystery, part revenge.
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Evonne B. (Bellevue, WA)
A twisty tale of revenge that will keep you guessing!
Middle aged Kate is grieving a sudden death when she gets another shock - a widely popular TV series mimics the intimate lives of her and her husband. How did this happen? Did her husband kiss and tell or??? When Kate sets out to uncover the truth she discovers an old and painful connection to the author of the series.
That author - Phoebe - has some tricks up her sleeve, but then mysterious things happen that seem to point to her own husband's secret life. The story is a who-done-it what-done-it why-done-it - well told and kept me engaged throughout. A definite strong 4 stars from me!
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Maren C. (HARVARD, MA)
A generational revenge story
From the first page, Lanchester's unique writing style draws the reader in. He deftly creates interest through word choice and initial character development, making the reader want to immediately know more about them.
The premise is intriguing , although this is where more character development would come in handy. The reasons the characters have for their particular acts of vengeance seem shallow and would be better supported beyond the flashbacks and into daily impact and interactions. Action switches from passive to a sudden jolt/twist that is distracting at first, but quickly reveals itself to the reader before it's even written about.
A good change of pace from typical thrillers, but could use a bit more in the way of explaining character motives.
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Katherine M. (Seattle, WA)
Cleverly-crafted revenge tale set in London, offers a slow burn and a character-driven battle of betrayal
Look What You Made Me Do is touted as "a black comedy of love, trust, resentment, and entitlement."
From Booker-longlisted author John Lanchaster, this revenge tale revolves around two women: Phoebe, writer of the British hit TV series 'Cheating' (and her partner Tony), and 'baby boomer' Kate (and her architect husband Jack). Kate believes she sees her decades-long marriage in the details of the show and enacts revenge on Phoebe.
The story is told through first person accounts, with long sections of stream of consciousness, with some major plot points only slowly being revealed through meandering thoughts. Some of them are enjoyable, like an indulgent peek into the minds of narcissists; as a result, staying focused on the plot of the book was sometimes difficult.
The characters in this London-set novel, are wholly unlikeable—and I generally don't have an issue with this—but in this case, I didn't have a stake in what happened to these people. The full consequences of their actions aren't revealed until the final pages of the book, and the payoff was a little unsatisfactory and rather abrupt. There is little suspense to this battle of betrayal, given the outcome.
For a novel that is centered around a revenge plot, this is a character-driven story and it takes a long time for much to actually happen; the characters' relationships are essentially the focus, rather than the actions of the characters. It takes cleverly crafted writing to pull this off, but it may not work for a reader who expects the storyline to be more clear. This sets this book squarely in literary fiction territory, rather than suspense or women's fiction (or any other category that the character's actions, or readership that the novel may suggest).
There is very little time devoted to the 'Cheating' TV show (there are some script pages included); the novel may have been strengthened with more focus on the TV series.
The novel is incredibly British (I say this as a Brit living in the States), so be aware of this if you think you will be bothered by English punctuation and spelling differences; there are many expressions like "getting off with" someone and mentions of English places and shops (US readers might have to look them up, if they don't recognize them). These things may add to the charm or may drive a reader bonkers. But the language is essential, given the choice of perspective that Lanchester chose for this novel. I would have loved more comedy from this 'black comedy;' the topics of affairs and revenge might not be funny for some readers, but the dry humor could have been pushed a little further in this case.
If you enjoy a revenge tale with a literary bent, one that delves into the minds of resentful, snotty people, this is it.
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Betsey V. (Austin, TX)
Page turning revenge tale
If you're looking for a propulsive page-turner, you've come to the right book. Told in first person by two different women who don't know each other, the reader gets a first row seat into Kate, the Boomer art historian now doing charity work at a prison, married to successful architect Jack, and Millennial screenwriter Phoebe, married to a handsome schoolteacher. Although the blurb showcases an intergenerational tension, which is present, I experienced this book more as a classic tale of ruthless retribution.
Lanchester's crackling wit and seductive, page-turning plotting and pace kept me gripped to the narrative. What connects the two women is a new Netflix phenomenon called Cheating, written by Phoebe. Parts of it are included in the novel, but that, to me, was the least impressive, as it didn't have that White Lotus, Breaking Bad, or DTF St Louis touch--shows that soared to the top of streaming series and kept friends talking endlessly about it. It seemed pretty basic and just an ingredient that ties the two women together. What you may think of as a denouement is followed by a twisty, tasty turn that is backed up and organic (for the most part), and I didn't see that one coming! Oh it's a delicious and entertaining story that will command attention from commercial and literary fans alike. 4.5 stars
