Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
This was the first novel I read of Haynes' and I really liked it. The subject matter was pretty gory and the things that Catherine went through gave me a stomach ache! I will have to check out some of Haynes' other books soon.
Spoiler
I was really hoping that Catherine would come back and kill Lee out of self defense. I can't stand the thought of her and Stuart's lives being ruined because she is constantly worrying about that scum! I can't even imagine what it must have been like for her. The ending was so creepy with the letter from Lee and Naomi's grave.
OCD, PTSD, psychosis, sadism, sociopathic behaviors, fear, dread, annoying friends, patient neighbor/psychologist...Wow. This book was compelling, dark and disturbing, and a pretty good read. It held my interest even with it being over 550 pages long. The author could have done just a tad bit better with the ending, however.
The most disturbing part is the reviews saying they were so back and forth on believing Cathy or thinking she was a mental case. What?!?!? I don’t think that was the author’s intention. I think that’s just our messed up world and mentality towards women. Would be interesting for a book club to discuss.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder
Moderate: Abortion, Toxic friendship
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Alcohol
The story depicts an abusive relationship without shying away from detailing scenes of abuse and violence explicitly. Also, the emotions and thoughts in the victim's mind are the main focus, so they can be raw and brutal.
I sort of had a love/hate relationship with this book. It took me a while to get into the story, and by a while I mean almost the entire first half of the book. I like the separation of the past and present via time stamp however I found it hard to follow as it disjointed the reading experience somewhat. Cathy was a really hard character to connect with at first. Her OCD tendencies were very repetitive and although I know this is a technique used to emphasise such an illness, it became boring and difficult to read.
Don't even get me started on her so-called 'friends' who dismiss all her accusations that Lee is a monster. At one point she outright tells them that he pushes her about and they don't even seem to give a crap! It seems a little unrealistic to me. Finally on my list of book bashing is the time it took for Lee to re-appear in the novel. I read the whole thing expecting him to pop up somewhere and he fails to do so until the last 100 pages (if that). The majority of the action is shoved into the end of the book, and I found myself rushing through it to find out what had happened without being able to enjoying the teasing of a thriller throughout the novel.
Onto the good points: I really loved the ending, I felt it rounded off the story nicely. I enjoyed Haynes' writing - although it lacked pace, the novel was well written and her knowledge of the crime industry really showed.
In spite of the ratio of negative points to positive ones, I enjoyed reading this book and Haynes' style of writing, so much so, I have purchased another of her novels.
Don't even get me started on her so-called 'friends' who dismiss all her accusations that Lee is a monster. At one point she outright tells them that he pushes her about and they don't even seem to give a crap! It seems a little unrealistic to me. Finally on my list of book bashing is the time it took for Lee to re-appear in the novel. I read the whole thing expecting him to pop up somewhere and he fails to do so until the last 100 pages (if that). The majority of the action is shoved into the end of the book, and I found myself rushing through it to find out what had happened without being able to enjoying the teasing of a thriller throughout the novel.
Onto the good points: I really loved the ending, I felt it rounded off the story nicely. I enjoyed Haynes' writing - although it lacked pace, the novel was well written and her knowledge of the crime industry really showed.
In spite of the ratio of negative points to positive ones, I enjoyed reading this book and Haynes' style of writing, so much so, I have purchased another of her novels.
It was definitely a page turner though could have been crisper. The OCD tendencies described at the start went on in too much detail for too long. The lead up to her historical attack could have been shorter.
Also did people really text and take pictures with cell phones that much in 2003? I don’t remember doing that.
I think the last page was supposed to be a shocker but it was a bit meh to me.
Also did people really text and take pictures with cell phones that much in 2003? I don’t remember doing that.
I think the last page was supposed to be a shocker but it was a bit meh to me.
This book was a fabulous read for quite a while. During the last 1/3 I kept thinking it would be a 5-star book if the author added a twist such as our finding out that Catherine had been crazy and doing the self-wounding all along, which would lead to our realization that Lee had actually been innocent. Unfortunately there was no twist. I enjoyed the novel, but felt that the end should have been a tad more exciting with the element of some unexpected surprise added.
I don't really write reviews often but this book was AMAZING. It kept me wanting to read. I really liked the flashbacks to present day were just a few pages long, it's different from what other authors do. If you're hesitating about the book - don't! Buy it!!!
A good thriller that reminded me of Still Missing by Chevy Stevens or Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson.