The Cry of the Lake by Charlie Tyler: A Book Review
Genre: Thriller
[Disclaimer: I received an advanced review copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.]
Charlie Tyler has written an engrossing tale in her debut novel, The Cry of the Lake, though at the beginning the switching of character POV can be overwhelming. As the story moves along though, Tyler clearly knew that all character POVs were needed to allow the most detail to be given for the final reveal. Without them, the ending would not have made sense. At the same time, however, I wonder if an omniscient third-person narrator or even a limited one would have quelled the confusion. There is evidence though that Tyler switched narrator POV as in some areas there is missed third person language rather than the first person the book is told in. If that makes sense.
I enjoyed reading Tyler’s novel after the confusion of the switching POV was settled. I do have one complaint: after page 129, the story seems to jump pace rapidly. Until this point, the pace was filled with suspense, slow and calculating, while after, it seemed as if Tyler just wanted to finish the story. If the pace would have continued at what it was, I feel that the book would have been more enjoyable at the end with a satisfying release of suspense at the end. It would also have been nice to know more of Emily’s story though I guess that does give room for a legacy sequal. I would not recommend a direct sequal for Tyler though; Lily’s story is wrapped up quite nicely.
Who would most enjoy the work and who should stay clear (if necessary):
If you enjoy seeing all parts of the story, Tyler seems to be your author, but if you would rather one narrator, I suggest to find a different book. If you enjoy mystories and suspense, The Cry of the Lake should also be put on your to-read list, but otherwise I do not think many others will enjoy this book.
Plot: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Writing: 8/10
Editor: 8/10
Total: 36/40
Title: The Cry of the Lake
Author: Charlie Tyler
Edition: Free PDF Copy
Published: July 21, 2020
Publisher: darkstroke
ISBN: 979-8646758614
If you want to get it: Amazon; Barnes&Noble (not available)
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