I haven't reviewed a hit or miss novel for quite a while (dependent on when I post this, it may seem otherwise) as I have been on a bit of a reading streak. Kill All Your Darlings unfortunately wasn't the read for me, but it may be for you placing this novel into the hit or miss category. The premise of the story is intriguing but in my opinion, it is short lived. The beginning is intense and captivating, the middle flounders slightly but remains engaging, and the ending brings the story to a close without a bang.

I found the plot to be rushed with the way the story telling was divided between narrators and I found this created a disconnect with the ability to engage. The characters are the strength of Kill All Your Darlings as they are practical and you will appreciate following them, even if who you're following is choppy. The ending - let's just say this novel is a mixed bag with strengths in the characters and beginning, and for me, weaknesses in the plot pacing and ending. Is Kill All Your Darlings worth an hour of your time? It is a hit or miss and up to you to decide if Kill All Your Darlings should be your next read.

The pacing is choppy. Kill All Your Darlings switches between past and present and POVs so quickly that your head will spin. The switches are sometimes just two pages long before switching to another POV for two pages and then switching again. It creates a sense of whiplash having to navigate the changes and more often than not, this style of storytelling is engaging, but it fell short here. There isn't enough intensity to drive those continuous shifts which helps leans itself to what I feel is an average read. Fun, but not one I will remember a year from now. Plus, the story fizzles out the longer you read leading to a lacklustre ending despite a bombastic beginning. This shift is definitely something to take in consideration if you choose to read this novel.

Filled with relatable characters, they are the strength of Kill All Your Darlings. From Connor to the supporting characters, each introduction and subsequent appearance flows within the story making it easy to follow them and form opinions. Told in the past and present, you obtain puzzle pieces to solve the mystery from Connor, Rebecca, and Madeline. The benefit of following the story from those three POVs is the way they relate to the plagiarised book, providing unique insights into this thriller and where your mind goes as you try to piece together the pieces.

The supporting characters are written realistically helping enhance the protagonist's own thoughts and progression. Yes, there are silly decisions made, but the silly decisions are still realistic and enjoyable to read. Hats off to the character creation, I thought they were properly utilised in the story and the main reason I think this novel is a hit or miss, because the plot may be so-so but the characters are good.

Unlike the characters, the ending is a major component to the "miss" portion of this review. What began with intensity peters out the further the story goes until you are left with a predictable and in my opinion, boring ending. The sense of vindication you typically receive from identifying the killer and wrapping up the mystery is lost in Kill All Your Darlings and the solid characters are not enough to offset this lacklustre ending. Kill All Your Darlings is not the most exciting thriller, but the characters are decent and it is an easy read. It is one I think you will have fun reading if you choose to read this novel. Is it worth an hour of your time? That is for you to decide.

It's a good book, but it's nothing flash. Despite the misleads on the killer, Preston being the murderer is obvious. It couldn't be Zach because despite being a sleaze, he loved his wife and wouldn't kill her. It wasn't Connor, because duh. It wasn't Madeline, because also duh. So it had to be either Lance or Preston, the only other two characters who had presence. And though it ended up being both Lance and Preston whom murdered Sophia, only Lance had a solid motive for killing. Preston easily could have slandered Sophia or done some political thing to cover up Lance's harassment especially since it seemed he had been covering for him frequently and therefore, probably knew how to do it already. The murder was unjustified and didn't feel like it aligned with their motive to remain innocent and successful. What would have made more sense was for Preston to kill Sophia and frame Lance for it. It was the motive that unravelled as the story progressed, and a captivating thriller of stolen identity became boring.

The motives from all the characters did not have a lot of foundation to them. Madeline's return was strange, why would she return to a place she knew was dangerous when she could have threatened Connor much more surreptitiously and protected herself from danger. Rebecca's narrative felt forced, she was not truly part of the mystery and I still don't know how I feel about her place in the story. Was it really forced? Or did she have purpose being a narrator of a story she had little to no involvement in? I think the story would have been more captivating if it was all told from Connor's POV. That I feel may have made a better mystery.

The novel had pitfalls and plot devices go awry at the end. Kill All Your Darlings started with a bang but ended with a whimper. It's a decent lazy day read as following the characters as they attempt to unravel the mystery is engaging, it's just that the mystery itself isn't very mysterious and the abrupt narrative shifts prevented me from every becoming fully immersed. A good enough read, that's my thought.