The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

 Synopsis

Evelyn Hardcastle will die. Every day until Aiden Bishop can identify her killer and break the cycle. But every time the day begins again, Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest. And some of his hosts are more helpful than others . . 

Loved

• The ingenuity. Wow, this is one of those books that just demands respect for its brilliance, creativity, and incredible ingenuity. Throughout this whole story I kept thinking "How did he [the author] keep track of all this?" Answer: a whole wall and years of sticky notes to keep track of everything (according to the author interview). This story is so original and fresh- I highly doubt anyone has read anything quite like it. Imagine the brilliance of Agatha Christie combined with the dark, twisty puzzles of the Christopher Nolan's The Prestige-- all served up with some Groundhog Day, and that's what we've got here. 

• The brilliance. There are some books out there that as you're reading them, you know they are way beyond your scope and you are just hanging on to their coattails to try and grasp their genius. I felt this way with The Night Circus, where I had zero clue what was going on, but I was there for it. During this entire story of 7 1/2 Deaths I had exactly NO idea what was happening, what everything meant, and how in the world all the tiny details I was trying to remember would all fit together. But they DO and it WORKS!!! If you're just willing to be okay with not knowing what's going on and being completely in the dark, prepare to have your mind blown as the pieces come together at the end and everything starts to make sense. 

• The ending. Wow! Talk about whodunnit. This has so many layers, twists and turns, and there's SO much more to this than just a murder mystery. Stuart Turton really does Agatha Christie proud with an ending so unexpected and unpredictable, that probably only she could guess it. However, we get reveals, betrayals, shocks, and answers before we even come close to the big reveal of the murderer at the end- which makes for a twisty and wild ride.

• The characters. This story is so unique in that we aren't just reading about characters, we are experiencing them as Aiden inhabits each of their bodies for a day while solving the mystery. It's fascinating to watch Aiden try to separate his personality and thoughts from the impulses, drives, traumas, and instincts of his "hosts." This story is also interesting in that every single character is morally gray (or just morally black ;), and we don't have anyone- not a single person!- who is completely good. Everyone has secrets, betrayals, and hidden motivations that drive them.

• The writing. Stuart Turton (the author) says in his interview "I love beautiful writing, lines so good they bug you a week later." This is evident in Turton's writing, because his writing is beautiful and full of lines, descriptions, and thoughts that are poignant and stay with you. These thoughtful lines are an interesting vehicle for carrying such a dark, twisty and haunting tale.

Didn't Love

• I absolutely loved this book and I'm so glad I read it. However, reading it wasn't always fun, per se, just because I had no clue what was going on. It wasn't until the very very end that I started getting answers, and for every answer there were ten questions behind them. So I just had to be okay with not knowing what was going on. I did expect a huge mind blowing ending, which it was mind blowing in many ways, but I expected it to be maybe even more so. I also expected the author to walk us cleanly through every question and answer it outright, but most of the answers came as I read through the discussion questions at the end and thought about the book for a few days afterward. And maybe the author intended this, since it is a very thought provoking story. I would just warn readers to not expect to know what's going on, and be okay with not having many answers until the end of the book.

Content

• Language: 
• Uses of "damn," and "hell."

• Sexual content: 
• Talks of affairs and children born from lovers outside of marriages.
• A few kisses on the lips and cheek, nothing described.
• Aiden wakes up in one host who had spend the night with a woman- wakes up next to a naked woman and talks about them getting dressed together.
• One of the hosts is a rapist. Aiden has to fight the host's constant lust- lewd thoughts and urges toward women.

• Violence
• A woman shoots herself in the stomach to kill herself.
• A few characters are beaten very severely- almost to the point of death. 
• Lots of murders throughout the story- gunshot wounds, slitting throats, stabbing ribs, drowning, poisoning and stabbing (including children).
• Main character is threatened and constantly followed by someone who wants to kill him, which is frightening. Many near misses of almost being killed.
• LOTS of talk of murder, suicide, beating, threatening, and remembering past deaths.


• Other themes: 
• Many disturbing and frightening scenes and images. This isn't a horror story, but definitely a thriller, and maybe flirts with horror a little. Be prepared for LOTS of death and violence.
• Lots of references to drugs- many of the characters distribute and use drugs, mainly laudanum.

Overall Thoughts

This is a brilliant, clever, original, and mind-bending story. Stuart Turton deserves to be applauded for successfully weaving such a complex story with countless tiny details that all fit together meticulously. This book is definitely worth reading if you want to have your mind worked, puzzled, and then blown. I would caution readers to not get frustrated with not having answers, and just be okay with not knowing what's going on throughout the book. The answers will come and it's worth all the confusion to see the mystery, secrets, and details unfold! While this is an Agatha Christie-worthy whodunnit, this is so much more than a murder mystery- it's a dark, twisty tale full of fascinating morally gray characters, the exploration of alternative punishment, and a psychological examination of haunted people with twisted pasts. Definitely pick this one up if you're feeling up to a wild ride that'll stretch your mind, call on your utmost detective skills, and tease your brain with ideas and puzzles it's never imagined before.