The Protégé by Jody Gehrman - Book Review

Publication Date: 07th March 2023

Genre: Academic Psychological Thriller 

3.7 Stars 

One Liner: Good pace and premise; not really dark or twisted 

***

Dr. Hannah Bryers is an anthropology professor and a forensic expert at Mad River University. She is most comfortable with dead and rotten bodies than living people. Socializing terrifies her. 

Winter Jones is Hannah’s student and TA. However, she is out to seek revenge and destroy Hannah one step at a time. She seems to be successful too, and Hannah still has no clue who is targeting her. Of course, Hannah won’t give up without a fight. 

Who will win this war? Why is Winter intent on destroying Hannah? 

The story comes in the first-person POV of the main characters, Hannah and Winter. 

My Thoughts: 

This one has dark academia vibes sans paranormal elements though it doesn’t explore the elements. The setting feels heavy (even if it isn’t). This works well to sustain momentum and mood. 

The main characters have alternating POVs (mostly), which means that the reader knows what’s going on, while the characters don’t yet have a clue. I enjoy this style of narration as it focuses on when and how the characters figure out things and what happens afterward. 

The book sets the tone from the very first page. Characters are established right away, and they continue to be who they are. This can be an advantage or a disadvantage, depending on what the reader prefers. 

The beginning is a little slow. The first chapter by Hannah has a lot of technical jargon. Though I like to learn new things, I almost zoned out because of the dry narration and too much technicality. Luckily, Winter’s POV set things back on track. 

The second half is fast-paced as things happen one after another. I could finish the book in two days (less than 3 hours), which is always a plus. Another reason I rounded up to 4 stars. 

The characters aren’t entirely likable, of course. But I couldn’t feel anything for them either. Winter is definitely more interesting, so sadly, her past and the things that affect her aren’t presented in detail. This is a kind of book that limits things to the surface level. 

The climax and end are predictable but enjoyable. The steady pace keeps the reader going despite the lack of depth. This isn’t a book to read if you want something dark or twisted. It’s a Lite version of a dark psychological thriller. What you see is what you get; pretty much. 

To summarize, The Protégé is a decent thriller if you want something light and fast-paced. The forensic and anthropologic details are cool to read (even if some terms are hard to understand). There are a few queasy descriptions of dead and rotten bodies, so be prepared. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books, for the eARC.  

#NetGalley #TheProtege