Thursday, September 15, 2016

The Incident on the Bridge

The Incident on the Bridge


This book first got my attention due to the cover, to be honest.  And the premise appealed to me as well- a situation where something happened on a bridge but no one knows for sure what. I love mysteries like that so I was hopeful for this one. I saw some mixed reviews however so I was wary as well- one of the complaints I saw was that you find out early on what actually happened to the protagonist, and the rest is filling in the blanks. Upon reading it however I'm not sure I agree- you do sort of find out what happened but the resolution is very much in doubt, and it therefore made for compelling reading. 

Thisbe Locke is a top student and pretty responsible but she makes a mistake with the wrong guy and bad things happen from there, a domino effect of consequences that have a chilling result. After being humiliated by a guy she takes his car and parks it on the Coronado bridge- and when she disappears everyone assumes she jumped. The storytelling here is unique in that every chapter is a different POV, and there are many of them- we get not only Thisbe's perspective but her sisters, various witnesses as well as police and friends. Each perspective of course has a different angle, a different layer to add to the story, and I think this approach is problematic for some reviewers. I've seen some issues with this on some of the Goodreads reviews, for example. 

I personally liked the approach and other than a few minor issues it mostly worked for me. The story rolls along as each perspective adds their touch - one POV often segues into the next as the story keeps moving. It's an interesting way to do it. I can see where it might not be for everyone. For me the bigger issue is the writing- it's good but it's almost too descriptive, like the author is going for a literary feel with the language. Which is not necessarily a bad thing- good writing is good writing- but in a tale like this it felt a bit much at times. I also thought there were some extraneous plot points that I didn't care about or were not essential to the story. I found myself skimming a bit.  

There's also a creepy element with one of the POV's that I frankly didn't care for that much. I thought early on this might actually be a DNF, a story I didn't want to read, but I stuck with it and it kept me turning pages. It's a story in some ways about all the things that can go wrong- unintended consequences, how a simple text or teenage drama can have disastrous results. If you're a parent I can see this story making you want to confiscate your daughter's cellphone! And I think the POV switching was effective in raising tension- and some of the chapters are very short and this increases the momentum.

All in all I think this is an effective, somewhat unconventional story about a missing girl and what really happened. I read it in a day and the multiple POV's kept me reading even if I did skim a few times- mostly paragraphs that just seemed extraneous. It will make you think about how small things can turn into big things and how the world can be dangerous for kids. And it's well written if a bit flowery at times. 

9 comments:

  1. I love the cover! I've seen you mention this one before and was eager for your thoughts. I don't know if I would read it. I don't read YA and the revolving POV sometimes can backfire. But if I see it in the library, why not? I certainly am very curious now about what happened on the bridge!

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  2. Oh good, I am glad that you liked it for the most part!! I have been really curious, but like you said, the reviews were quite mixed. I don't like when random side plots are thrown in (seems like a waste of time to me!) but it also isn't a dealbreaker. It sounds like it's quite realistic, too, since stuff like that (teenage internet/phone drama leading to legit problems) really does happen. I definitely think this is one worth picking up for me (especially since I have seen it on Amazon for like, 90 cents hahah), so thanks for the great review!!

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  3. I love the cover and the basic "what happened" premise definitely catches my attention but I'm not sure this is the book for me! When it comes down to it the how it plays out doesn't sound like something I'd enjoy. But like Rita if I see it at the library I'll probably pick it up!

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  4. Fantastic review Greg, I saw the reviews you mentioned and was leary myself despite that awesome cover. You have me very curious.

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  5. This sounds really good! I admit, like you, I'm really drawn in by the cover (it's gorgeous!) but the mystery involved with the bridge sounds really cool too. I'll be sure to check this out sometime! Lovely review, Greg!

    Laura @BlueEyeBooks

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  6. I love the cover, I have a thing for bridges! It does sounds like a great read, thanks for sharing Greg! But remember to buy Omnia....!

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  7. I really like that cover too!!! And I'm always looking for good mysteries. Plus, YAY for multiple perspectives!! I love books like that. Great review!

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  8. It's a great cover, I can see why it got your attention. I think I have seen this cover on your blog before, it looks familiar. Glad to hear you thought it was a compelling read! And it sounds like the multiple point of views really work here and add to the suspense. Great review!

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  9. I totally get why the cover got your attention! I'm glad that this mostly worked for you on the inside too - it's funny how giving books a chance despite mixed reviews can work out for the best! Despite one of the POVs not working for you, I'm quite curious about this now :D Great review^^

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