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A review by justinkhchen
The Performance by Claudia Petrucci
5.0
4.5 stars
A captivating literary fiction with an equally effective thriller core, The Performance definitely has tricks up its sleeve and fully surpasses my expectation. With its languid opening section, I was anticipating a beautifully written, yet plot-less character study. But once the main event was triggered, the pacing sped up, and the novel became much more event-driven.
A psychological take on Frankenstein, as well as commentary on societal expectation, The Performance explores aspects of how one survive in today's world (by 'performing' their expectant roles), and how does that action shape one's identity. The subject matter becomes even more layered when it involves 2 men and 1 woman—I love how 'gray' the novel portrays the male characters; they are evidently decent individuals, but the microaggression (intentional and unintentional) seeps through here and there.
There are moments in The Performance that genuinely give me chills, while many recent thrillers leave me unmoved. I predict eventually some authors will snag this idea and write a more fast-paced (and perhaps more surface level) iteration of it. But in the meantime, if you don't mind a slow build and literary-leaning prose, this is a stand out experience that is both engaging and thought provoking.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
A captivating literary fiction with an equally effective thriller core, The Performance definitely has tricks up its sleeve and fully surpasses my expectation. With its languid opening section, I was anticipating a beautifully written, yet plot-less character study. But once the main event was triggered, the pacing sped up, and the novel became much more event-driven.
A psychological take on Frankenstein, as well as commentary on societal expectation, The Performance explores aspects of how one survive in today's world (by 'performing' their expectant roles), and how does that action shape one's identity. The subject matter becomes even more layered when it involves 2 men and 1 woman—I love how 'gray' the novel portrays the male characters; they are evidently decent individuals, but the microaggression (intentional and unintentional) seeps through here and there.
There are moments in The Performance that genuinely give me chills, while many recent thrillers leave me unmoved. I predict eventually some authors will snag this idea and write a more fast-paced (and perhaps more surface level) iteration of it. But in the meantime, if you don't mind a slow build and literary-leaning prose, this is a stand out experience that is both engaging and thought provoking.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**