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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
I’ve never felt so wrapped up in a story that I have experienced such an emotional response to the characters. While reading I was frustrated but understood how Cathy found herself in the relationship she was in with lee. The progression of their relationship is a big eye opener of how someone can end up in such a volatile situation and how hard it can be to break out of it.
Absolutely amazing. Just finished and covered in goosebumps and OMG it was fantastic. Can't wait to read more by her
This book is a thriller not a mystery, if that distinction is important to you. In fact there's nothing to solve, it's all in the open. I appreciate how the author took the time to build the story and the atmosphere. Giving you the essence of how fuck the situation was. But it took too long, way longer than necessary, at least for me.
I think the book was meant to be a page turner, each chapter only contains around 5 pages but it took at least around 180 pages for something to actually happened. And you'd think the story would get more interesting from there, but no. It keeps dragging. And just when things get thrilling around the ending, it ended too soon. The chapters are short but the narrative is still dragging a lot.
I like the alternating past/present narratives here, it's effective and powerful. I found the character of Catherine as she was before and as she is now quite unsettling. And the contrast between the now and then of the story made me feel uncomfortable. It's also interesting to see how the main character dealt with her ocd and PTSD due to the aftermath of the abuse and that gut-wrenching crime but it got to be tedious at some point.
I admit the story is creepy at times and quite a disturbing story that doesn't skimp on violence details. Which might make it something you'd want to avoid if you are particularly sensitive to scenes of domestic abuse and rape. But It's just not as thrilling as I expected it to be and I think the story could've been cut into a 300 pages book.
It's a good book but I didn't enjoy reading it.
I think the book was meant to be a page turner, each chapter only contains around 5 pages but it took at least around 180 pages for something to actually happened. And you'd think the story would get more interesting from there, but no. It keeps dragging. And just when things get thrilling around the ending, it ended too soon. The chapters are short but the narrative is still dragging a lot.
I like the alternating past/present narratives here, it's effective and powerful. I found the character of Catherine as she was before and as she is now quite unsettling. And the contrast between the now and then of the story made me feel uncomfortable. It's also interesting to see how the main character dealt with her ocd and PTSD due to the aftermath of the abuse and that gut-wrenching crime but it got to be tedious at some point.
I admit the story is creepy at times and quite a disturbing story that doesn't skimp on violence details. Which might make it something you'd want to avoid if you are particularly sensitive to scenes of domestic abuse and rape. But It's just not as thrilling as I expected it to be and I think the story could've been cut into a 300 pages book.
It's a good book but I didn't enjoy reading it.
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Holy CRAP this book was creepy.
I try to read a reasonable number of the NaNo novels out there, just to be supportive, and this is definitely one of the better ones. (Leaving aside The Night Circus as being unfairly amazing.) This felt like a more compelling, more believable Before I Go To Sleep.
I try to read a reasonable number of the NaNo novels out there, just to be supportive, and this is definitely one of the better ones. (Leaving aside The Night Circus as being unfairly amazing.) This felt like a more compelling, more believable Before I Go To Sleep.
An eerie and disturbing topic for a debut novel which makes it quite brave. Does the author carry it off? Well, yes! I was disturbed, intrigued and engrossed all at once and think the author deals with a difficut topic incredibly well.
Woahhhhhh. This was exactly what I needed, after reading a few books that didn't hit the mark recently.
Now I totally get the hype.
It was a long one, and took me a few days to finish. But it was the only one to hold my interest and the last quarter absolutely FLEW.
The domestic abuse was gritty and harrowing, and so cleverly written. I'd say on Cathy's anxiety scale it was 95 at times! Made me stressed, uncomfortable but was oh so gripping. The dual time line was superb, and although it took me a while to get used to, it really helped me keep the two stories separate.
The characters were fantastic, and Lee's personality was so believable. A family member has had problems with domestic abuse, and so much of this book rang true to her story.
Mind blowingly believable.
Here comes a book hangover.
Now I totally get the hype.
It was a long one, and took me a few days to finish. But it was the only one to hold my interest and the last quarter absolutely FLEW.
The domestic abuse was gritty and harrowing, and so cleverly written. I'd say on Cathy's anxiety scale it was 95 at times! Made me stressed, uncomfortable but was oh so gripping. The dual time line was superb, and although it took me a while to get used to, it really helped me keep the two stories separate.
The characters were fantastic, and Lee's personality was so believable. A family member has had problems with domestic abuse, and so much of this book rang true to her story.
Mind blowingly believable.
Here comes a book hangover.
Into the Darkest Corner was an inspiring book about one woman's determination to overcome the OCD she suffers as a result of an abusive relationship. The book jumps back and forth in time five years which can be a little confusing if you’re not expecting it. Although typically I do not care for time jumping books, in this case it was able to very clearly illustrate how changed the main character was by the abusive relationship. The time jumping effectively showed just how mentally and spiritually draining these types of relationships can be. It was sorrowful to see such a vibrant lady reduced to getting the shakes if someone came to her front door.
I marked off two stars because certain aspects of the plot were very predictable and parts of the book that were supposed to come across as “coincidence,” such as her new neighbor just happening to be a clinical psychologist, seemed very contrived and forced. Of course with this kind of book it is hard not to retell the same story over and over.
Overall though I liked Into the Darkest Corner. The author knew how to write and the main character's everyday struggle was explained well. I believe the time jumping aspect of this book saved it from being boring however as the reader continues reading it to see just what the final straw was that broke the character so completely
I marked off two stars because certain aspects of the plot were very predictable and parts of the book that were supposed to come across as “coincidence,” such as her new neighbor just happening to be a clinical psychologist, seemed very contrived and forced. Of course with this kind of book it is hard not to retell the same story over and over.
Overall though I liked Into the Darkest Corner. The author knew how to write and the main character's everyday struggle was explained well. I believe the time jumping aspect of this book saved it from being boring however as the reader continues reading it to see just what the final straw was that broke the character so completely
Need a good book to read this weekend? This one is only $1.99 on Kindle right now and it’s pretty terrifying. (I mean that in the best way best possible.)
If you were a fan of Gone Girl or Room, you’ll recognize that same feeling of dread and terror and the suspense of not being able to stop reading (just one more chapter!). The biggest difference between this book and those is that unlike in Gone Girl (horrible ending) and Room (loss of momentum near the end), Into the Darkest Corner steadily builds suspense until the last few climactic chapters. The ending is satisfactory and I read the last page with disappointment that I now have to find a new book that will hold my attention just as well.
A warning though—no spoilers, just general plot information—that Into the Darkness is a book based entirely around some very psychologically disturbing domestic violence. It’s not as graphic as Still Missing, but just be aware going in that it does have some disturbing, violent portions.
Into the Darkness is about Catherine Bailey and is told both from a present-day point of view and will alternate with flashbacks to her relationship with Lee, her increasingly creepy and violent then-boyfriend. The alternating took some getting used to for the first few chapters, but checking the date (especially the year) at the top of each chapter gives you a quick clue about what time period you’ll be reading about. (The chapters don’t strictly alternate. Occasionally there are several in a row of flashbacks or of present-day events.) In the present day, Catherine is struggling with severe OCD and panic attacks and slowly, chapter by chapter, a bit more of her story is revealed.
It was a completely unnerving and riveting book and if you’re in the mood for a psychological thriller, well—you can’t do better than this. (The fact that’s $1.99 on Kindle helps too.)
If you were a fan of Gone Girl or Room, you’ll recognize that same feeling of dread and terror and the suspense of not being able to stop reading (just one more chapter!). The biggest difference between this book and those is that unlike in Gone Girl (horrible ending) and Room (loss of momentum near the end), Into the Darkest Corner steadily builds suspense until the last few climactic chapters. The ending is satisfactory and I read the last page with disappointment that I now have to find a new book that will hold my attention just as well.
A warning though—no spoilers, just general plot information—that Into the Darkness is a book based entirely around some very psychologically disturbing domestic violence. It’s not as graphic as Still Missing, but just be aware going in that it does have some disturbing, violent portions.
Into the Darkness is about Catherine Bailey and is told both from a present-day point of view and will alternate with flashbacks to her relationship with Lee, her increasingly creepy and violent then-boyfriend. The alternating took some getting used to for the first few chapters, but checking the date (especially the year) at the top of each chapter gives you a quick clue about what time period you’ll be reading about. (The chapters don’t strictly alternate. Occasionally there are several in a row of flashbacks or of present-day events.) In the present day, Catherine is struggling with severe OCD and panic attacks and slowly, chapter by chapter, a bit more of her story is revealed.
It was a completely unnerving and riveting book and if you’re in the mood for a psychological thriller, well—you can’t do better than this. (The fact that’s $1.99 on Kindle helps too.)