Unfortunately, I couldn’t finish The Clinic by Cate Quinn. While there were some entertaining elements, like the distinct narration between characters and the plot concept, the writing felt very one dimensional. The female characters felt like cut out stereotypes with Cara’s only personality trait being that she is well mannered and Meg’s being addiction. No character felt fully developed and therefore, their connection with the reader was lost, making the book hard to read.
Additionally, I felt that the descriptive passages were full of a lot of unneeded adjectives which left nothing for the reader’s imagination. Even when it came to character descriptions, too much was listed all at once and it felt very superficial. Character quirks which can hint at both looks and personality (for example, nail biting-showing the state of the nails while also hinting at a more anxious character) were replaced with basic lists of hair and eye colours.
As previously mentioned, the plot itself is a brilliantly interesting idea and what first attracted me to the book. I just wish the writing was a little more developed. That being said, due to it’s more simplistic language and narration style, the book would be perfect for someone who is more invested in the action rather than the writing itself.
Aspiring Author