Conflicted

I just finished Next to Heaven by James Frey. I chose this book as one of my Book of the Month selections for June without realizing who the author was. I was intrigued by the book’s description. It was part mystery and part glimpse into the lives the super rich.  When the book arrived, I put it all together but decided to give the book a try. After finishing the book, I find myself very conflicted.

First, I know Mr. Frey has admitted to using AI to write his books. However, this book was not bad. There were a lot of characters and I struggled to keep them straight. On the other hand, the characters were interesting and the story kept me engaged and turning pages, mainly because it took forever for the murder to occur. Fortunately, it did not take me long to figure out and ultimately confirm who did it. No spoilers.

Secondly, I was one of those who read A Million Little Pieces back in the day. I even saw the Oprah show where he was featured. At that time I could not figure out how any human could survive all of this things. Guess what?  They didn’t. I still have the book but felt like were all deceived by this author.

When I evaluate the full picture of this book, I would give the story a solid 4. Knowing the author, I would give rounded 2 and probably would not have even selected this book. Was it a waste of time?  I don’t think so. In total, I would give it a 3.

Until next time, keep turning those pages....