I love reading thrillers, but a big problem I have with them is the lack of likeable characters and interesting character dynamics. Everyone is always so awful to each other, everyone wants only what's best for themselves, they all just seem like walking stereotypes; there's the bitch, there's the abuser, there's the perfect housewife who iSn'T sO pErFecT aFtEr aLL.
Especially the male characters are always so punchable and misogynistic.
Just now I'm reading a book that I thought would be different and I was so stoked. Finally, FINALLY a book where I can understand everyone's motives and where even the men are likeable, which isn't often the case in thriller books.
"Oh hey, a hot, gentle nerd whose girlfriend just died is part of the group of people who are desperately trying to survive. Aaaaaaaaaaaaand he's practically an Andrew Tate fan. Bummer.
Oh, but THIS character seems nice! A kind and fair, but hot-headed guy who is pretending to date a woman to hide the fact that he's gay (with her consent, she knows he's gay!!), but he loves this woman sososo much in a platonic way and she loves loves loves him too in a platonic way and they care about each other's well being more than any of the couples in this group do and- oh he died? Got eaten by sharks, huh? Okay. Yikes. So which guy do we have left in the group? Oh, the control freak with the redpill YouTube channel? Nice."