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Book Review: Fly on the Wall

FLY ON THE WALL by E. Lockhart
4 Stars
Verdict: A short tale of naked truths.


Contemporary usually isn’t my thing. I need life threatening stakes, magic, and twisted, villainous plans – but E. Lockhart’s books are a welcomed break from what I call ‘the norm’. They’re short, and packed full of emotion and meaning. FLY ON THE WALL in particular felt relatable, full of diversity, and got me thinking about life in the way a demon fight never could.

Gretchen sees herself as ordinary, which is why she loves drawing her larger-than-life comic book muses. Her drawing style isn’t appreciated by her art teacher, and she doesn’t really like the other students. In fact, she’s a bit judgemental – until she becomes a 'fly on the wall', and learns the naked truth about the people she had previously dismissed.

Just like Gretchen, the plot starts off a little ordinary, and the overall pace of the book is helped by the fact its so short. It sets the scene, twists, makes a point, and ends without room for much more. I personally wanted a quick read, so this was perfect for me at the time.

I think most people will be able to find a character they can relate to. Usually, with this many characters, the focus would be too diluted for me to connect to any of them, but I think the large cast was handled well. I thought the transformation would leave Gretchen a passive character, but somehow it worked.

The style, the plot, the characters, the length – it's all a little unconventional, but somehow Lockhart pulls off the unconventional.

Source: Bought it!
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