REVIEW: Night Film by Marisha Pessl @randomhouse @marishapessl
Night Film
by Marisha Pessl
Thanks so much to those who took part in the Bookstagram Readalong for this book this month!
Publish Date: July 1, 2014
Trade Paperback
640 Pages
Standalone
Genres: Mystery, Thriller
On a damp October night, 24-year-old Ashley Cordova is found dead in an abandoned warehouse in lower Manhattan. Though her death is ruled a suicide, veteran investigative journalist Scott McGrath suspects otherwise. As he probes the strange circumstances surrounding Ashley's life and death, McGrath comes face-to-face with the legacy of her father: the legendary, reclusive cult-horror film director Stanislaus Cordova--a man who hasn't been seen in public for more than thirty years.
For McGrath, another death connected to this seemingly cursed family dynasty seems more than just a coincidence. Though much has been written about Cordova's dark and unsettling films, very little is known about the man himself.
Driven by revenge, curiosity, and a need for the truth, McGrath, with the aid of two strangers, is drawn deeper and deeper into Cordova's eerie, hypnotic world. The last time he got close to exposing the director, McGrath lost his marriage and his career. This time he might lose even more.
My Review:
I have seen this book around for quite some time but kept putting off reading it - for what reason? I don't really know. But when a few Bookstagrammers were interested in a read along, I thought this was the PERFECT opportunity. As a fairly large tome, I sectioned this book out over the four weeks of July. I think this MAY have inhibited me from enjoying this book as fully as I could have if I had just binge read it like I do most books.
Here's my take - the format of this book is SO UNIQUE it makes you feel like you're reading about a true story. I got completely pulled into McGrath's world and HAD TO KNOW what happened to Ashley! I also REALLY want to watch one of Cordova's movies - so, damn you Pessl for making this so realistic! *shakes fist* I scoured all the letters, news clips, etc throughout this book and kept looking for clues thinking maybe, JUST MAYBE, I could make this somewhat interactive and force myself to figure it out before the book told me. Anyone who has read this book will know that this is NOT how this book works. 🤣
Honestly, I think for me, I appreciated and loved the format over the story line itself. There's been a love it or hate it feel for the ending of this book and now I know why. I was left wanting but after some time of letting it all soak in, I realize how could it have ended any other way? Especially considering Cordova's films and how ambiguous those are as well. I did enjoy Ashley's somewhat "Ring" vibe throughout.
For entertainment, unique formatting and the ability to pull you in, I'd give this 5 stars. However, since I'm still unsure how I FULLY feel about the ending and felt it was anticlimatic and left me slightly wanting... I deduct one star. I reserve the right to come back and change this view.. haha. Solidly, this is a book that will keep people talking for quite some time.
★★★★
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