The Searcher

by Tana French

I was ready to name The Searcher by Tana French my favorite book of the year until the conclusion completely tanked it. The slow-burn atmosphere and richly drawn characters had me hooked, and I appreciated the quiet tension that built throughout. SPOILER ALERT: The ending felt like a letdown, especially with the reveal about Tre’s gender, which seemed irrelevant and tacked on. Who cares if Tre is a girl or boy? It added nothing meaningful to the story and distracted from the emotional payoff the narrative had earned.