Night Film

 Marisha Pessl

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐½
Genre: Mystery Thriller

Initial Impression
I got this book back in 2017 after hearing lots of praise for how interactive the story is—how it actively engages readers in solving the mystery. Based on all those great things I’d heard, I finally decided to get myself a copy. It sat unread on my shelf for far too long, so this month I finally tackled this brick!

Summary
The story opens with Scott McGrath, a disgraced investigative journalist whose career took a severe hit after he publicly condemned the elusive and controversial filmmaker Stanislas Cordova. McGrath is drawn back into the Cordova world when he learns of the apparent suicide of Stanislas’s twenty-four-year-old daughter, Ashley. Seeing this as a chance for personal and professional redemption, McGrath launches his own investigation. He begins by obtaining Ashley’s police file from Detective Sharon Falcone and enlists the help of Nora Halliday, a young woman he meets at the Waldorf Towers, and Hopper Cole, who knew Ashley from a wilderness therapy program.

As McGrath, Nora, and Hopper dig deeper into Ashley’s final days, they uncover unsettling events and conflicting accounts. Things kept interesting for me as they learned that Ashley escaped a mental institution called Briarwood Hall, aided by a night watchman named Morgan Devold. Their search leads them to various places Ashley had visited.

Interviews with people who knew Cordova—like his former wife and actress Marlowe Hughes—suggest that Ashley had violent tendencies and may have been affected by a "devil’s curse" tied to something that happened at Cordova’s remote estate, The Peak. McGrath and his team also meet Hugo Villarde, a former priest known as “the Spider,” who talks about strange rituals Cordova performed using children’s belongings to try to lift the curse. When McGrath sneaks into The Peak himself, the terrifying things he experiences make him believe that Cordova’s films and real life are disturbingly connected.

Characters

• Scott McGrath: A disgraced journalist seeking redemption through investigating Ashley’s death.
• Stanislas Cordova: The reclusive, controversial filmmaker whose dark work blurs fiction and reality.
• Ashley Cordova: Stanislas’s daughter, whose mysterious death sparks the investigation.
• Nora Halliday: A young aspiring actress working as a coat-check girl who assists McGrath.
• Hopper Cole: A young man with a personal connection to Ashley, revealed through shared tattoos.
• Inez Gallo (“Coyote”): Cordova’s longtime assistant, controlling the family’s public image and secrets.

Writing Style
The writing is richly descriptive and atmospheric, pulling the reader into a world where reality and fiction constantly blur. Vivid imagery and meticulous detail create strong sensory experiences—from lavish New York restaurants to bleak upstate institutions. The tone is suspenseful and tense, building dread through subtle, uncanny hints and portraying McGrath’s fragile grasp on sanity. Philosophical and metaphorical language explores truth, belief, and the human condition through evocative symbolism.

Setting and Atmosphere
The settings intricately weave a pervasive sense of unsettling mystery. The story moves through a labyrinthine New York City—from the misty, lamplit Central Park Reservoir to the opulent yet lonely Waldorf Towers and the grim Chinatown warehouse where Ashley’s body was found. These urban spaces range from “thriving yet empty” to claustrophobic.

In contrast, the mental institution Briarwood Hall feels cold and restrictive. Cordova’s estate, The Peak, is both beautiful and frightening, filled with strange rituals, hidden tunnels, and creepy film sets. Other far-off places, like the empty beach in Montauk and the dark, misty island of Chiloé in Chile, add to the heavy and unsettling mood. Details like bad smells, icy wind, and eerie silence make the world feel magical but twisted, where it’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s not.

Overall Impression
In my opinion, this story delivers an intensely atmospheric and richly detailed world that blurs reality and imagination, making for an immersive experience. The vivid writing style and pervasive suspense echo the dark, controversial works of Cordova himself. The characters are compelling—I wouldn’t say I loved them, but I appreciate the depth the author gave them.

However, I feel the deliberate ambiguity, paired with the many shifting perspectives and unanswered questions, can sometimes feel disorienting and overwhelming—making it hard to understand what’s really true. Also, I don’t think the story needed over 500 pages to be told. Overall, it was an entertaining mystery thriller—just not a favorite of mine.

Key Themes

• Obsession and its Consequences
• Family Secrets and Legacies
• The Power and Influence of Art
• Loss, Grief, and Isolation
• Psychological Vulnerability and Disorientation

10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World

 Elif Shafak

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Initial Impression
Having never read anything by Elif Shafak before, I went into this book with no expectations. That said, I’d heard so many good things about both the story and the writing. It’s been sitting on my TBR for a while, so I was excited to finally dive in.

Summary
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World opens with the death of its protagonist, Tequila Leila, whose body is found in a metal rubbish bin on the outskirts of Istanbul. Despite her heart having stopped, her brain remains active for ten minutes and thirty-eight seconds. During that time, her consciousness drifts like a tide pulling away from the shore, and her memories come flooding back, blurring the boundaries of time.

In these final moments, Leila revisits key episodes from her life: her birth in the city of Van, her father’s rejection for not being a boy, and being raised by his first wife as an “auntie” to her own self. She remembers the loneliness of her childhood, the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of her uncle, and the way her religiously conservative family pulled her out of school. Eventually, she runs away to Istanbul with just five lira and twenty kurush in her pocket.

In Istanbul, Leila is forced into sex work, sold to a brothel by hustlers. Life in the red-light district is unforgiving, but she finds a love interest, and that is D/Ali, a leftist artist and student. Their relationship shows a rare moment of tenderness and equality, until it’s shattered due to a grave event.

The novel unfolds like a series of vivid memories, with each chapter peeling back a layer of Leila’s life as we inch closer to understanding her murder. It is more like the story going backwards to understand what happened. The central themes—memory, identity, belonging, and chosen family—are explored with raw honesty and compassion.

Characters
Shafak develops her characters through a rich, non-linear lens, revealing their inner worlds and traumas while grounding them in Istanbul’s complex social fabric.

Tequila Leila is the heart of the novel. Her final minutes are filled with memories that reveal a life marked by pain, strength, and love.

D/Ali is Leila’s great love. A politically active artist from a Turkish-German guest worker family, his untimely death haunts her.

Nostalgia Nalan is a trans woman and one of Leila’s five closest friends, who plays a key role in trying to give her a proper burial.

Sabotage Sinan is Leila’s childhood friend from Van. Bookish and gentle, he was her earliest ally, sneaking her books and news like a "sabotage radio".

Jameelah is a young Somali woman trafficked to Istanbul and forced into sex work. She meets Leila at a venereal disease hospital.

Zaynab122 is a spirited Arab woman with dwarfism. She defies expectations and reads fortunes in coffee grounds.

Hollywood Humeyra is a nightclub singer who fled an abusive marriage. Her new identity is both a shield and a reinvention.

These five friends represent Leila’s chosen family—the ones who stood by her when the rest of the world turned away.

Writing Style
This was my first time reading Elif Shafak, and I didn’t know what to expect. Her writing is layered, lyrical, and deeply immersive. She weaves personal stories with social critique, often using a fragmented, non-linear narrative. While I usually don’t enjoy that structure, I found myself pulled in by the beauty of her prose and the emotional weight behind it.

Setting and Atmosphere
Set in Istanbul, the novel breathes life into the city through vivid sensory details—smells of tobacco, sweat, fried food, and perfume. Shafak calls Istanbul a “she-city,” and this feminine portrayal adds texture to a setting that's both brutal and beautiful.

The city itself becomes a character: oppressive, chaotic, but also a place of unexpected grace. Whether it's the brothel, Leila’s modest apartment, or the shadowy streets, every place is infused with memory and meaning.

Overall Impression
This is a novel that stays with you at least for some time. It explores resilience, the search for dignity, and the power of chosen family with heartbreaking honesty. Shafak doesn’t shy away from hard truths—violence, societal rejection, abuse—but she also highlights moments of love, solidarity, and human connection. This is something that I really appreciated in the book.

The story’s emotional impact comes not just from Leila’s journey, but from the strength of the bonds she forms with others who, like her, live on the margins. This makes it a great choice if you are looking for a character-driven story. 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World is thought-provoking, painful, and unexpectedly hopeful.

Key Themes

• Death and the Afterlife
• Memory and Trauma
• Identity and Belonging
• Chosen Family vs. Biological Family
• Resilience and Survival

The Wedding People

 Alison Espach

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Initial Impression
This book won the Goodreads Choice Award for readers’ favorite fiction last year, so I was very curious to see how it measured up for me—especially since many of my friends had given it high ratings and glowing reviews. I went into it with high expectations, which is normal when the hype is really big.

Summary
Phoebe Stone arrives at the Cornwall Inn, a nineteenth-century Newport hotel, having left St. Louis and everything behind—the husband, the house, and the luggage after her divorce. Her true purpose for being there is to end her life by suicide that evening, viewing the hotel as her happy place for this final act.

Upon her arrival, she is immediately swept into the unfolding preparations for a wedding, realizing the hotel is teeming with "wedding people." A striking encounter with the bride, Lila, in the elevator leads Phoebe to reveal her intention to die.

However, Lila's distress over the prospect of a suicide during her wedding week inadvertently begins to pull Phoebe back from the brink. Phoebe later has a significant encounter with Gary, the groom, in the hot tub, where she reiterates her suicide plan but also admits that she has decided not to go through with it. This moment creates an unexpected connection between them, fostering a sense of being "alive" and seen.

When Lila’s original maid of honor is unable to attend, Phoebe steps into the role, further immersing herself in the wedding events. Through conversations and shared vulnerabilities, Phoebe eventually helps Lila to realize something important and take a very daring step that changes everything.

Characters
The author did an excellent job with the characters. The story features a diverse cast of characters, each contributing to Phoebe Stone's journey of self-discovery and the unfolding events of the wedding week.

Phoebe Stone: The main protagonist of the story. The book is narrated from a third-person perspective, but the narration has a strong focus on Phoebe’s internal thoughts, feelings, and observations. To be frank, due to the character’s name, Lisa Kudrow was all the time in my mind while reading this book. She was Phoebe for me! Phoebe is struggling with many problems, like divorce, infertility, and several miscarriages. When she comes to the hotel, she is full of burdens. However, this trip transforms her life in a way she didn’t expect—leading her to unexpected connections.

Lila: She is the bride, and her wedding is the central event. While on the surface she is beautiful and almost perfect, underneath she also has her own struggles. She faces lots of pressure to be the special person she is not.

Gary: He is the groom and a gastroenterologist who is older than Lila. He is a widower whose first wife, Wendy, died of cancer. He has a daughter, too. Gary is portrayed as a kind, sincere, and perceptive man who has learned to prioritize making others happy after Wendy's death, often suppressing his own feelings.

Matt: Phoebe's ex-husband, a philosopher and professor. He had an affair with Mia. Matt is initially portrayed as distant and uncaring about Phoebe's struggles. However, he becomes deeply concerned when Phoebe disappears and eventually decides to do something about it.

Jim: Gary's brother-in-law, an engineer. He was very close to his sister, Wendy, and was deeply affected by her death. He plays an important role in the story.

Marla: Gary's sister, a lawyer and mayor. She is often critical and judgmental, particularly towards Lila and her choices. I found her to be unintentionally funny due to the absurd remarks and statements she kept making.

Writing Style
Being the first book I read by Alison Espach, I had no idea how the writing would be, so I had no expectations there. The author used the third-person style of narration to focus on Phoebe’s emotions and feelings. To me, the writing was more in line with Phoebe’s internal voice—analytical and quite self-deprecating. When you read the book, you will definitely experience a blend of wit, cynicism, and frankness. It serves the story very well.

Setting and Atmosphere
The Cornwall Inn, a nineteenth-century Newport hotel—a grand, historic location—serves as a central stage for the unfolding events. The initial atmosphere you will feel when you start the book is more about despair, since the main character is trying to attempt suicide. There is heavy isolation and the presence of the wedding and wedding people creates an overwhelming feeling of chaos (in Phoebe’s perspective). Soon, that atmosphere changes to hope, connection, and self-discovery. So the reader will feel a contrast and a shift in the atmosphere clearly.

Overall Impression
The Wedding People is basically an insightful journey through the mind of its protagonist, making it an engaging read worthy of a strong four-star rating. I liked the characters and the atmosphere of the book. I feel it is a book that many readers can have a good time with. Although it appears to be a simple story on the surface, it has an underlying depth to it. Why was this not a 5-star read? Maybe I expected more? Or perhaps the hype felt a lot more than what was delivered—regardless, I had a good time following Phoebe’s story.

Key Themes

• Lonliness
• Isolation
• Divorce
• Infertility
• Wedding
• Hope
• Self-discovery
• Grief
• Self-acceptance
• Reinvention

The Paying Guests

 Sarah Waters

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Historical Fiction + LGBTQ+

Initial Impression
I bought this book from Book Depository in 2018 when I found it in the bargain bin. A hardcover edition in the bargain bin was something hard to pass up—especially since I heard lots of great things about Sarah Waters’ writing, so this was a good opportunity for me to get one of her books to experience her writing style myself. For no particular reason, the book stayed on my shelf unread since then. When it appeared on my “Physical Books to Tackle” challenge on the wheel of TBR, I was so excited to dive into it.

Summary
The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters is a story set in South London in 1922. The story revolves around Frances and her mother. The two ladies are struggling with their financial situation after the funds were mishandled by the father. After he passed away, they were left with nothing but debts and the large house they owned.

The best way for them to survive during these difficult circumstances was to take in lodgers. So they accept a young married couple, Leonard Barber and his wife, Lilian. At first Frances has a sense of panic and unease towards the couple, but soon things start to change when she becomes friends with Lilian, and eventually things will get more complicated.

Characters
The author did a great job with the characters. They are multifaceted, and as the reader progresses in the story, they get to know more about the other side of them, which was not apparent in the beginning.

Frances Wray: She is one of the two main protagonists. A single woman in her late twenties living with her widowed mother in a large house. She handles everything now that her father has passed and left them nothing but debts. As you progress in the story, you will learn that she had a past love affair with a woman named Christina.

Lilian Barber: Leonard’s wife and the other main protagonist in the story. She is 22 years old, stylish, and has exotic tastes. She forms an intense bond with Frances that at first she finds difficult to understand.

Mrs. Wray: She is Frances’s mother. A widow in her fifties who is also struggling financially. Her initial fondness for Mr. Barber creates a good contrast to what her daughter feels about him.

Leonard Barber: He’s Lilian’s husband. Works in an insurance company and annoys Frances with his suggestive remarks towards her.

Writing Style
The novel is narrated in the third-person style. I feel the author deliberately concentrated on Frances’s thoughts and feelings in the narration. It seems her perspective is the main focus of the story. Being my first Sarah Waters’ book, I think her writing is rich and she uses a descriptive language style. Most of the narrative is about diving deeply into Frances’s thoughts so that as readers we see the relationship from her eyes.

Setting and Atmosphere
The author did a good job depicting London in the 1920s. That historical atmosphere can be felt very clearly in the story. This is when it comes to the setting. When it comes to the narrative atmosphere, it keeps shifting according to the state of the characters. So it is safe to say that the atmosphere was highly dynamic, and it kept shifting from unease to intimacy to tension and finally to guilt and turmoil.

Overall Impression
If I were given one line to explain my feelings about this novel, it would be: I wish I liked it more. While the writing kept me engaged and shows the author’s expertise in her field, it took me a long time to feel invested in the story and the characters. The pacing is very slow, and to be frank, this story didn’t need over 500 pages to be told. 200 pages could be easily trimmed from the novel without affecting the story. I don’t own any other Sarah Waters book on my shelves—this is the only one—but even if I had more, I would not rush to read them.

Key Themes
- Forbidden Love and Desire

- Social Class

- LGBTQ Love

- Secrecy and Deception - Identity and Self-Discovery