Thoughts on : Tangerine by Christine Mangan
Tangerine by Christine Mangan
Genre : Psychological thriller
Stand alone
About the Book :
The last person Alice Shipley expected to see since arriving in Tangier with her new husband was Lucy Mason. The two friends—once inseparable roommates—haven’t spoken in over a year. But there Lucy was, trying to make things right and return to their old rhythms. Alice has not adjusted to life in Morocco, too afraid to venture out into the bustling medinas and oppressive heat. Lucy—always fearless and independent—helps Alice emerge from her flat and explore the country.
But soon a familiar feeling starts to overtake Alice—she feels controlled and stifled by Lucy at every turn. Then Alice’s husband, John, goes missing, and Alice starts to question everything around her: her relationship with her enigmatic friend, her decision to ever come to Tangier, and her very own state of mind.
I was so curious to see what I would think of this book. It has received very mixed reviews from the people I follow, and some comparisons (Gillian Flynn, Patricia Highsmith) that made me wonder what the book was about.
Would I say these were apt comparisons? Not really. I can see why they’ve been made (the atmosphere, the twisted female character) but if you’re a fan of either, you’ll probably be disappointed.
Tangerine was an interesting reading experience for me. I went from loving it to liking it, and I can see why it’s been so divisive. It has some of my favorite things in a thriller : it’s character-driven, the pace is slow and it’s very atmospheric. I loved discovering Tangier and would have loved to see even more of it and the people there.
However, the more the story unfolded, the less enthused I was about it all. Alice has to be one of the most naive and passive characters I have ever seen. Toward the end, I felt as though her mistakes existed solely to drive the story where the author wanted it, and consequently the story just didn’t feel as dark or scary as it could have. While Alice seemed to be dealing with some mental health issues, I just didn’t quite get her. It’s possible the author was trying to depict her as someone still scarred by the past, who can’t act or react with rational thought; but for me, it just made the story, and therefore the ending, frustrating and predictable.
I’m a bit sad about it, because I adored the first two thirds of the book. I was fascinated by both Lucy and Alice, wondering where the truth was and what had happened between them. The story oscillated between their time at school and Tangier, and I liked trying to piece it all together. It’s unfortunate the ending wasn’t as strong as the beginning, but at least I got to explore a bit of Morocco!
Oh and I love that cover.
I appreciated this book but can’t say that I loved it so I get where you’re coming from.
Yes, it seems we share some similar feelings about it! I think this was the author’s first novel so I would be interested in trying her next book if there is one.
Just wanna remark on few general things, The website style and design is perfect, the
content is really good :D.