What do readers think of Metropolis by B. A. Shapiro? Write your own review.

This is a very engaging story which becomes a mystery at the end. In the front half of the book you follow a variety of characters and wonder how will there paths intersect. Of course they do in unexpected ways. At the intersection of the paths of the characters are unique challenges to be met by various combinations of characters. The characters are unique but for the fact each is interesting and you really what to know more about them and how each will escape his or her troubles. In the end a interesting and enjoyable read.

I perceived the Metropolis Storage Warehouse as the central character of the story with all its secrets and hidden objects. The other main characters were well developed and believable for the purpose of the story. The theme of the novel was survival; survival from an abused partner, from losing a corporate career, from fear of deportation, from lack of resources or from mental illness. Each character had their own short chapter which made the pace excellent. It was a quick read, and I enjoyed the unique set-up with all the characters intercepting with each other. The only flaw was the ending which was a bit forced. I am interested to read more novels by B. A. Shapiro. Thank you BookBrowse and Netgalley for a book in return for an honest review.

The plot of Metropolis revolves around an accident at a storage facility in Boston. Chapter by chapter we meet the cast of characters and learn that some of them are illegally living in their storage units, unbeknownst to the facility's owner. I felt I knew and understood some of the characters better than others, but the ones who were well fleshed out were fine examples of the principle that, for the most part, no one is all good or all bad. The psychological twists and turns kept me guessing, and I felt satisfied with the way the story ended. This was the first book I had read by this author, and it made me want to read her previous books.

B.A. Shapiro writes a good story, just not the kind of story I can rave about. Lots of different storylines being bounced around with multiple characters who live in or whose lives revolve around a Boston storage unit facility. Some of them are more interesting than others, some made me sad, some gave me the creeps, some made me wonder what they were doing there. The writing is fine and the plot line of living/working/hiding in a storage unit is not unplausible. I just found myself wishing the characters had offered a little more to make me take a vested interest in them. I can't say I wouldn't recommend this book but be prepared for a very light read.

Metropolis, the clever title of B.A. Shapiro's newest novel, contains two elements which I have enjoyed in her earlier works: many and diverse characters, and the element of mystery and suspense. In this novel, the Metropolis is not a city, as the title might suggest, but the name of a storage warehouse in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to which each of her characters is, in some way connected. And yes, it is the element of mystery which connects them all to the warehouse, but somehow the psychological build up, the mystery in this novel is lacking, and I was able to guess the outcome when only three quarters of the way through the book. Add to this, characters which I often found lacking in development which made their action and interaction often unbelievable. The result - for me - is a Metropolis which is less clever and exciting then I had hoped.

This book was billed as a psychological thriller but a page turner it was not. With the setting in a self storage building with quirky renters, it sounded interesting, but I found it predictable with mostly happy endings for all. Writing was good but other than that I do not recommend.