Review: The Likeness

Rating:

I’d say this was a wild ride, but honestly the book was too slow for that. So perhaps it was a wild walk? This sounds like I didn’t love it, but honestly I did. The more bizarre and unrealistic it got the more trash I was for it. 

So what’s The Likeness about? Well we follow strong headed Cassie Maddox, a past undercover cop, as she gets a call from her boyfriend, a member of the murder squad, saying someone who looks exactly like her has been stabbed to death. Even stranger, this dead doppelganger was living under Cassie’s past undercover name Lexie. In a twist of fate, Cassie is asked to go undercover again, and pretend to be Lexie in the hopes she will discover who the killer is from the inside. 

Now let me just say the premise of this book is absurd. The idea that you could look exactly like someone, without being related, and simply slip into their life without anyone noticing is lucracy itself. However, French, to her credit, is such a masterful storyteller and writer that you can’t help but believe her. It was easy to look past this and instead immerse myself in the world she crafted. 

I feel like often times mysteries and thrillers are put together as the same genre, so if you were hoping to be on the edge of your seat with this one I think it’s safe to say you’ll be disappointed. Rather, French’s crime mysteries are slow as she takes the time and care to delve you into the psychology of each and every character. As Cassie goes undercover we are introduced to her doppelganger’s housemates who, in the vain of The Secret History, are a bunch of prestigious college students knitted tightly together. The closer Cassie gets to them the more she veers off the path of her mission, because as odd as these bunch may seem there is something enviably intoxicating about their friendship.

Honestly, it’s an interesting take on friendship, secrets, and how the two together can possibly kill you. If you’re someone who’s intrigued by the human mind, or someone who appreciates a nice build up, then The Likeness is a satisfying option. However, if you’re someone who can’t stand a slow pace and a lack of plot, then this will most likely bore you. Although those are things that usually bother me, French still managed to win me over. Even if it was through 400+ pages of tiny font.