Customer Reviews

The Mentor: A Novel

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Although bits and pieces of this book sound familiar at times--Gaslight? All About Eve? Deathtrap?-- it's a really fun read. Short chapters and steamroller plot make it a perfect on-the-bus-to-work book. You don't exactly like any of the characters, but they're always doing something interesting or unexpected. And you can't really predict how the plot is going to turn out. I had it figured all wrong. The book is creepy one minute and bitchy the next, so you're always in for something entertaining. It's the ultimate quick read. I don't read a lot of "thrillers" but this one seemed much better written than the few others I've sampled. Maybe not great literature, but great entertainment.

From the opening line, "New York is Emma's obsession" to the unpredictable ending, this book is a delight. The author takes you to the troubled heart of each character with insight and humor. The story reveals the need for status that drives New York's elite and the fear of humiliation that they mask with their facile sophistication. A compassionate picture of human desire. Fast-paced and compelling. Read it in one sitting. Waiting for the next one.

S. Stuart's The Mentor is a fast-paced, sharp-edged thoroughly enjoyable thriller set in the ego-driven world of New York's literary glitterati. It has enough twists and twisted characters to keep you hooked from the get-go. Since there's no real hero in the book, you never know who's going to emerge victorious... which is why I had to stay up all night to finish it. This is a really fun holiday read-- and if you thought your family was bad, get a load of these people. And kudos to the author for a great surprise ending!

None of the main characters in "The Mentor" are "good" people, beyond approach. On the contrary, they are significantly flawed, which lends to an interesting story.

Charles Davis is a once-heralded novelist, whose recent works have received progressively less-glowing reviews. His wife hires a temp who she met at her office to assist her husband organize his office. When Charles discovers that the efficient temp is writing her own, promising novel, he takes her under his wing, and simultaneously pries into her hidden past.

While some elements may seem predictable, the twists and turns make this a tight, fast-paced read. You are not sure with whom your sympathies lie at various points in the book, which, to me, made the book very interesting. This is definitely a very good read if you like psychological thrillers.

If you are looking for something fast-paced with a little action this is a good choice. I read it in one sitting and wished there was more. The characters were interesting. Real good travel reading!

Yes, some of the plot points of The Mentor are predictable, and others are implausible. But you'll probably enjoy the twists in the book.

Not one of the three main characters is totally likable, and the two characters who are admirable don't fare very well (both older females). But the reader does get caught up in the story. At 244 pages, this novel is only a few lunch hours long, and certainly worth that investment.

I like thrillers, and this book is part thriller, part domestic-disharmony novel. It's set in New York, among the glamorous folk, but very soon we also meet BadGirlSickGirl. Don't want to spoil it for you, so I'll just say that eventually it's hard to tell which character reaches the highest degree of Bad.

The book is not can't-put-it-down great, but is definitely quick and enjoyable. It's also Stuart's first novel, and I like it well enough to read whatever he writes next.

Yesterday I started The Mentor, and last night I had a serious decision to make: would I keep on reading, or would I get outside and take a good look at the lunar eclipse? I seriously did not want to put this book down. Yes, it's a thriller, but it also offers some wry commentary on the high price of fame. I give high marks to this contemporary take on Faust.

The Mentor is one of the best debut author novels I have read in a long time. Hopefully Sebastian Stuart has more novels of this quality in him and won't emulate his main character.

In The Mentor Charles Davis wrote a great novel that made him an instant great. Only problem is he hasn't been able to write anything that good ever again. His stuck up wife is a lot more successful than he is and his latest novel has got the lowest publishing contract ever. Emma Bowles has moved to New York to put her past demons behind her and jumps at the chance to work for the great author as she is writing a novel of her own. It is not long before Charles becomes obsessed with the shy young assistant and sees her as the answer to his personal and professional problems.

If you like the plot of this book also check out Hook by Donald E Westlake which goes along similar lines.

It's good to see that the present tense is not dead in literature. Stuart's wonderful use of the language and the fast pace of the scenes, make this novel a pleasure to read. A bit slim and commercial, but it is the perfect 'subway' book. Please check it out.

I loved this book - so much so that I read it in a day and a half. Mr. Stuart sure has a way of keeping his reader off guard and interested. Every time I found a character to cheer on, he/she did something so outrageous I was forced to look elsewhere for a hero. I love unpredictiblilty! I had no idea how this one was going to end. The more I read, the more I hoped it would last forever. Hope Mr. Stuart is working on his next book!