Official Review: Five of Pentacles by Anna Munson

[Poppy Drear]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Five of Pentacles" by Anna Munson.]

---

1 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Five of Pentacles by Anna Munson follows a Florida waitress named Alice who, after learning about a local murder case, feels a strange compulsion to uncover the culprit. In the book's opening pages, she finds a paper bag full of cash in a hole, shortly before watching her coworker search for something in that exact area. Twenty pages later, he accidentally shows her a picture of the murder victim that he had saved on his phone. This sets the tone for the book: woefully heavy-handed and full of clues with immediately obvious implications.

There is a spiritual component to this book, lending it some unique flavor, but it isn't tied into the story very well at all. For instance, Alice wakes up every morning at 4:11 without fail, and the significance of this is revealed to be that the number four is "masculine and a worker," while 11 is "instinctual... and incredibly capable." It felt like 4:11 could've been any other time without changing the story - three represents creativity, seven represents analytical thinking, and so on. Even if it's more true to life that numerology and tarot readings are very vague, these elements felt pointless, with little actual impact on the story.

On top of that, the story itself has very little tension. From finding pictures of the murder weapon online to receiving one of the deceased's belongings as a gift, Alice's investigation is far, far easier than it would ever be in real life. While these coincidences could be explained as spiritual guidance from the universe, they still make for an unengaging and rather tedious read. Without any meaningful challenges, it feels like there aren't any stakes at all, making it hard to become invested.

It's also worth noting that there are a lot of obvious similarities between the author and the main character, such as living in Florida and working as a waitress. This leads me to believe that this story is probably something she wishes would happen to her. That's a good starting point, but on its own, it's just not engaging enough to make a good story. The book also contains a lot of grammatical errors, which displays a lack of polish.

Ultimately, I rate this book 1 out of 4 stars. If you have a very strong interest in tarot, it may be worth checking out, but otherwise, you're better off not reading it. Also, you should certainly avoid it if you suffer from mental illness, as it shows this struggle in a rather bad light.

******
Five of Pentacles
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[LuciusM]

Thanks for your critical interpretation of the book. It's unfortunate that the it did not capture your desires and expectations.

[SenSen]

I think it is really easy to write a character based on the perfect version of yourself, and I think one of the qualities of a good author is not indulging in that temptation. I'll avoid this book. Thank you for your review!

[Topsey]

Thank you for writing such a detailed and honest review of this book. It’s a shame that it failed to meet expectations but hopefully the author can improve for the future.

[Savvy_22]

Certainly get your point of view on this book , however in introspect one is entitled to explore their mind on a basis in which they will also want to share with the world but I'll take your word for it and avoid this book.

[Doziesixtus]

Thank you for the honest critique. I dont see myself reading a book that was rated 1 out of 4.

[NetMassimo]

Honestly, it's hard to understand what the author wanted to tell with this novel. I have no interest in tarots, so I'm clueless about a novel that's supposed to be a mystery with such a plot development. Thank you for your honest review!

[Valkyrie9]

Thanks for the honest warning - I will definitely skip this one.

[Pearl Akpan]

Thank you for an honest review. I am properly guided and know what to expect if I eventually decide to give the book a read.

[TheMazeRunner]

I wanted to read this book so badly, but it seems too easy for me! Great work with the review!