Final Rating:
Date of Completion: 28/01/2022
Cover:
I love it! The elegant, clean look is just perfect for the story and genre.
Writing:
There is something hypnotic and compelling about Eliza Jane Brazier’s writing in this book. Her conversational writing style and the constant atmosphere of unease kept me deeply engaged. I also enjoyed the two alternating points of view (POVs), as it gives readers the whole picture and adds more tension to the story. The contrast between these two narratives is skilfully used to raise interesting points for readers to consider. While these points are mainly about wealth inequality, they add depth to the story. My only criticism is that the time differences between these narratives made the story slightly disjointed and choppy.
I don’t believe that the disadvantaged can “pull themselves up by their bootstrap”; they’re born without boots
Storyline:
The character-driven storyline is surprisingly simple. I was particularly disappointed by the ‘game’ Lyla and her husband play. I had expected fierce, intense ploys, but these schemes are unrealistic and underwhelming. Despite this, the storyline is interesting enough because of the atypical characters and building climax. Sadly, I did find the climax dissatisfying and too simple.
Main character:
Lyla and Demi are unlikeable characters that are hard to relate to or root for. They are both self-serving characters who also manage to be passive and weak. These contrasting natures do not make the characters more complex and appealing, which might have been the intended goal. Instead, the characters became obvious plot devices with unclear motives and personalities. Still, their narratives and internal struggles are weirdly fascinating because of their unpredictability.
There is nothing more confusing than being sexually attracted to your husband
Secondary characters:
In line with the simple nature of the storyline, there are only a few secondary characters. These characters are even more unlikeable than Lyla and Demi! They are unrealistic caricatures whose every word and action is used to drive the storyline. Additionally, none of these characters experiences any growth or evolution during the story. We are simply given some information about their past to justify their behaviours.
All in all, ‘Good Rich People‘ presents a simple story filled with equally simple characters. The strong writing style and atypical main characters are the only things that kept me reading till the end. Perhaps I would have enjoyed this a lot more if I had been able to connect better with the storyline and characters.
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