Alys, Always

May, 2012
5/10 

Alys, Always is a novel about a manipulative woman named Frances who schemes her way to the top of the professional and social ladder. In doing so she lies and cons everyone around her, taking advantage of every situation. Not one person in her life, family, coworkers or "friends," catches on to the deception. You can't really call someone a friend if you have scammed them from the very beginning, can you? Anyways, so far it sounds like the plot of a delicious betrayal filled with twists and backstabbing atrocities BUT (and I am sad to say this is one but of many) the book overall was a draaaaaag. 

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Ok, this may be a bit dramatic (but don't you LOVE Neil Patrick Harris!) 

The protagonist checked all the boxes to fit the perfect maniacal egocentric bitch from hell but the plot and writing packed no punch. To make is worse, I found it unbearable to listen to her inner monologue and analysis of situations written in the first person. I seriously wanted to scream on several occasions. The whole book is the boastful ramblings of self-entitled, socially awkward, boring, wannabe intellectual: 

Oh Janis Dickinson you are a nightmare but you prove my point perfectly. 

This lead to me put the book down for over a month to take a bit of a break, mostly to reduce my blood pressure. I had to force myself to finish… force. This is also the reason why it has taken me so long to write a review.

I hate writing bad reviews. Reviewers on the internet are like stars in the sky: amillionfuckingbillion of unoriginal dots in the never-ending blackness. So I write this review knowing that if the author does happen to read it, which she won't, she will know that I am only one opinion in a sea of asshole opinions. 

Anyways, in the end Frances gets what she wants but this reader didn't. Not sure that's the ending the author was hoping for. 

Xx