This isn't meant to be a detailed analysis and review, so I'm not going to touch on the themes or more specific aspects of the story. I just wanted to throw some thoughts on here after finishing the book a couple of days ago.

I enjoyed this book after a few false starts when I got it last year. I got the book a long while back, and I'd begin it, and put it down, again and again. The first few chapters weren't bad, but they didn't hook me, and I'd end up reading something else as a result.

But, then I picked up Hendrix's newer novel "How To Sell A Haunted House" and really enjoyed it. I noticed a couple of pacing issues in that book, but enjoyed it so much, I decided to buckle down and finish Book Club.

Haunted House gave me a better feel for Hendrix's writing, who first came on my radar because of his book Paperbacks From Hell. Once I got a sense of his tone and style, it was a lot easier to get sucked into Book Club.

But now that I've read two of his novels, I think the trend between them is definitely a problem with third acts, and I was curious if anyone else felt the same way, or if this was unique to these two books in his catalog.

The central parts of the books and the rising action both get really intense and exciting, and he dumps a ton of new concepts at you and hints at larger plot points and more story to tell, then it's like he got a phone call in the middle of a discussion and he quickly "wraps things up" with "and then they have a big fight, win, and it's all resolved, the end!" And he runs off to talk to his aunt or whatever.

In Haunted House he suddenly throws all these other puppets and dolls into the battle, and he never explains how they gained sentience, and he doesn't touch on the other paranormal elements he introduced.

And in Book Club, he quickly adds in that Slick is going to possibly turn into a vampire, a possible vampire association, and only briefly touches on his central characters lives in an epilogue fashion.

I can see what he may be going for here- leaving the reader wanting more, introducing an element of mystery to his stories, chilling implications....

But I think he doesn't do a great job of having that effect. He certainly does make me wish there was more, but not in a "Oh no, what a terrifying thread left hanging!" And more in a "This feels like it was setting up for a sequel that won't ever come" way.

I think this is magnified by the fact that his endings feel truncated, so we're so suddenly thrown into the final confrontation, that I end up lingering on those under developed aspects even more. I end up feeling like, if the third act had had more time to breathe, then maybe there'd have been more satisfaction for those elements.

As for the frustration I mentioned in the title- Book Club has some pretty realistic depictions of middle class suburbia, at least from my country bumpkin perspective. I found myself disliking everyone in the novel except Ms. Greene. I sympathized with the main character, and I found myself infuriated with how she was treated.... And then the time skip happens and she's in lock step with everyone! Ahhh! Haha, it was a great example of how easily people can be pressured into conformity and a lack of empathy for people outside their circles, but man, that entire section of the book raised my blood pressure!

I know Hendrix is in the HorrorLit subreddit, not sure if he browses here, so I'll just crosspost it there, so if you end up reading this- keep up the good work! I know I had some criticisms, but I still enjoy your books a lot.

Anyone else have similar feelings, disagree?