Book Review
Title: Stalker Stalked by Lee Matthew Goldberg
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 4.25 Stars
Where do I even begin talking about Stalker Stalked, the first thing would be to say I am not a huge fan of thrillers and I very rarely find them to be outstanding but Lee Matthew Goldberg blew me away with this book. It was gritty, real and really creepy in places and it just gripped me from the very first page to the very last. We are following Lexi who is a pharmaceutical sales rep with some nasty addiction in the form of pills and alcohol so she is a really unreliable protagonist which I enjoyed. After her boyfriend breaks up with her, Lexi’s reliance of pills and booze increases but she also becomes obsessed with a T.V. show called Socialites. This change in her mentality really highlight the pathological level that Lexi is on after her breakup. We also learn early on that Lexi is a seasoned stalker as this is how she got many of her ex’s to date her in the first place but she soon begins turning up at the filming location for Socialites and begins trying to befriend the stars because she thinks if they become friends her life will get better.
Lexi believes that this tactic will work because it has been the basis and eventual downfall of all her romantic relationships even if she refuses to admit it. While we do get to see some of her prior issues and behaviour, the novel is primarily focusing on how her behaviour is spiralling out of control and her eventually hitting rock bottom which made for some fascinating reading. This isn’t everything about the novel though, even if it was it would still be good but Goldberg brings in the additional plotline of Lexi being stalked herself which takes the novel to a whole new level pitting stalker against stalker. I loved the fact that the entire novel aside for Lexi’s story is a sharp critique of reality shows in general which an entire generation seem to be obsessed with even if I don’t understand the appeal myself. Goldberg has really thought about the cultural impact of these shows and social media on the ordinary person and really puts them under harsh inspection which it really needs especially in this modern age.
Looking at social media and reality shows through Goldberg’s eyes actually made something stand out to me and it that these reality shows are often an acceptable form of stalking for the public as we get to intrude on the private lives of people for our own entertainment often to the detriment of the people on the show. While I didn’t like Lexi as a character I am aware that we aren’t supposed to like for her because she is just as bad as the person stalking her and she deserves to feel violated and uneasy as she has made other people feel that way in the past. Despite this Stalker Stalked was a gripping read that I couldn’t put down once I started it especially since it is on the shorter side. Eventually I did begin to feel some pity towards Lexi and we begin to understand how she got where she is and where she was heading and none of it is nice to witness from an outsider’s perspective.
Overall, Stalker Stalked was thrilling and gripping and at times reminded me of Requiem for a Dream but with a creepier atmosphere. Goldberg is definitely an artist when it comes to crafting an unlikeable character who we want to keep reading from and the twist of the stalker becoming the stalked wasn’t anywhere near as cheesy as it sounds. I would highly recommend this for people looking for a quick, creepy and gripping read and it would be perfect for the Halloween season coming up to really get into the creepy and spooky mindset.
Buy it here:
Paperback/Hardcover: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
Kindle Edition: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
Комментарии