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There are currently 26 member reviews
for Metropolis
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Mimi M. (Brunswick, GA)
Life Storage
According to Sparefoot, the US boasts more than 50,000 self-storage facilities. Metropolis by B.A. Shapiro gives you a whole new perspective of what might be going on inside these units where we castoff a portion of our lives. There are just "so many mysteries inside a building he'd always considered lifeless."
In Metropolis, you meet six unforgettable individuals whose lives become entangled after an accident occurs. Yet the real question - was it really an accident?! You will meet Zach the owner of the facility. Who happens to be an ex-drug dealer. Rose who is Zach's Office manager. Rose allows you to do all kinds of things with your unit if you pay her a little extra in cash and on the side. You have an immigrant, a lawyer, and an abused Mom all who are hiding big secrets in their storage space. Finally, you have Serge who gives the reader a special glimpse of these secrets through his photographs.
Metropolis is a mystery you won't want to put down! It will also have you thinking about every storage facility you drive by and what hidden secrets might just be inside.
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Susan P. (Boston, MA)
Metropolis
The idea of this book was so intriguing to me, because I used Metropolitan Storage (the real-life Metropolis) for 6 years. It is exactly as described -- not cozy and a little creepy but clean and quiet -- and I always thought it'd be a great place to hide something nefarious. (The actual staff are wonderful.) This novel had a good premise but it's more about the characters (most of whom are likeable) and their problems (temporarily solved by the storage place) than any real mysteries. It was a page-turning read -- the problems wrap up in a satisfying way but a tad too pat.
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Joan N. (Evanston, IL)
Building Lives
The lives of six people are intertwined because of their involvement in the Metropolis Storage Company building in a gentrifying part of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Although I was a bit confused by the timeline, it held my interest and kept me involved because of the suspense of what was to happen with the elevator. The outcome wasn't what I thought it would be. The characters were engaging—each different, each a bit needy, living conflicted lives. I would recommend this book for light reading.
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Catherine S. (Marietta, GA)
Entertaining Story
The Metropolis is, the somewhat familiar story, of a group of disparate people whose lives intersect at a storage facility called The Metropolis. I enjoyed the book and found it moved right along. To me, the characters were not all that original. The "mystery " in the book comes in the last third of the book, and much of the first parts are a lot of description. The book does touch briefly on some immigration issues and "white privilege". If you are looking for something that is a lighter read, this book may be for you.
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Deborah C. (Seattle, WA)
Interesting twist on the suspense genre
The best thing about this book was its setting--a self-storage warehouse in an old building in Cambridge, MA. The story centers around an accident (or was it?) at the warehouse and is told from the perspectives of a varied cast of characters connected with the warehouse. There's a lot of foreshadowing, and part of the story takes place after the events at issue, which keeps up the suspense but can be overwhelming at times. Overall, a solid effort and enjoyable read.
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Nanette C. (Sarasota, FL)
Character Driven Story in Unique Setting
"Metropolis" by B.A. Shapiro is primarily set in a storage facility. Yes, the type you rent when you have overflow furniture or are in-between homes. But Metropolis, the facility envisioned by Shapiro, is full of life. Three people are living there for extremely different reasons. A lawyer has set up shop after being fired by his firm. (Trust me, he's a good guy.) And then we have the owner and the office manager, both of whom have pivotal roles in the story.
Shapiro's entry point is an auction of the possessions left in the building's units after Metropolis has been sold. This device gives the reader a glimpse into the lives of people with whom we will become friends over the course of the book. From there Shapiro weaves her story through chapters told from a particular character's perspective. It gets a bit complicated at times -- and Shapiro has a tendency to over-include information learned during her research -- but ultimately it works.
I read "Metropolis" over the course of a few days and found I was always eager to return to it. It's not a book I feel compelled to discuss with friends or to put in someone else's hands, but it's definitely an enjoyable read. Perfect for the lazy days of summer.
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Henry W. (Lake Barrington, IL)
What is next?
This is a very engaging story which becomes a mystery at the end. In the front half of the book you follow a variety of characters and wonder how will there paths intersect. Of course they do in unexpected ways. At the intersection of the paths of the characters are unique challenges to be met by various combinations of characters. The characters are unique but for the fact each is interesting and you really what to know more about them and how each will escape his or her troubles. In the end a interesting and enjoyable read.
