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3.18 AVERAGE
3.18 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
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:
Yes
I knew her right away but did not know myself at all, and that absence of knowledge — the realization that everything I have ever been or done is no longer accessible to me — felt just as final as death. I might be alive but there is nothing to me, no there there, no stuff, just a bare tree waiting to be dressed, festooned with ornaments others wish to see.
I really enjoyed diving back into the mystery/thriller genre with this book. One of my favorite settings in a book is pre-modern technology – at-home computers, cell phones, etc. and this book is set in early 1980s Pennsylvania. People had to work so much harder to gain information that we so readily have at our fingertips today.
As you’re reading, I would keep in mind to not gloss over the chapter headings – they tell you exactly which twin’s POV you are getting the story from and the chapter’s timeframe. I enjoyed the blend of past and present – while only experiencing the past from Jude’s perspective. Kat’s slow descent into figuring out who she is, in addition to who she was prior to her accident was really well done.
The Big House is mostly left to your own thoughts and they may or may not be worse than what actually transpired. Considering Violet’s attitude and actions – I’d say my thoughts are correct. I still just can’t with Verona – she doesn’t deserve the ending she received. One point that I would have liked to have clarified – is what really happened with the twin’s father.
I would like to thank Henry Holt and Co. for the opportunity to read this book that is chock full of sisterly bonds, found family (of a sort), revenge, tough (and I mean it) subjects, and mystery. This book was a psychological thriller of a whole different ball game for me, it was fast and slow somehow at the same time – I loved every minute with Jude & Kat.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
An intriguing concept involving mirror twins and amnesia, but took too long to build anything particularly interesting. Especially for such an unhinged ending.
I would recommend trigger warnings for this book. Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan audio for an early release
I would recommend trigger warnings for this book. Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan audio for an early release
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Pedophilia
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
The year is 1983 and Kat Bird wakes up from a coma after a terrible accident. The only face she remembers is that of her twin sister Jude. They are mirror twins, even more similar than identical twins- according to Jude. And Jude is all Kat has to rely on to fill in all of her missing memories.
Kat begins noticing strange people following her, and starts to doubt some of the larger than life stories Jude tells her about their lives before the car crash. This story is creepy, confusing, and very unsettling.
I personally would have liked a little more clarity in the final quarter, but I can also rationalize it as an intentional decision by the author. I also wanted one final twist, but the big twist at around 80% was fairly shocking.
I think this is a good choice if you like character driven mysteries and if you like strange novels like Bunny by Mona Awad.
Kat begins noticing strange people following her, and starts to doubt some of the larger than life stories Jude tells her about their lives before the car crash. This story is creepy, confusing, and very unsettling.
I personally would have liked a little more clarity in the final quarter, but I can also rationalize it as an intentional decision by the author. I also wanted one final twist, but the big twist at around 80% was fairly shocking.
I think this is a good choice if you like character driven mysteries and if you like strange novels like Bunny by Mona Awad.
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A cult book that barely explains the cult
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
The narrator of this book was great. I love how she embodied each character. As for the story, it started off good and then became a bit confusing. Overall, it was a good story.
Thank you MacMillan Audio and Henry Holt for review copies! This is a creepy and atmospheric book, nicely narrated (audio) and written in a way that does give a solid sense of unease. The cover alone brings you into a world that feels uncertain, filled with missing information, and being upside down.
Abbott Kahler definitely weaves an interesting tale of mirror twins, one twin in an accident that leaves her with amnesia and the other twin perhaps telling a less than truthful version of their childhood (is she lying? deceiving? something else?). A lot of the themes in this book worked for me in general and the writing is effective, the plot unique. Alas for me a lot of the book is also more confusing than engaging, keeping me from really feeling drawn into the story and invested in figuring out just what is/did happen to Jude and Kat. The narration as noted was excellent, the writing strong, it was just a story that became lost in the details and moodiness, not enough clarity and underdeveloped pacing that left me unsure about the overall book.
Abbott Kahler definitely weaves an interesting tale of mirror twins, one twin in an accident that leaves her with amnesia and the other twin perhaps telling a less than truthful version of their childhood (is she lying? deceiving? something else?). A lot of the themes in this book worked for me in general and the writing is effective, the plot unique. Alas for me a lot of the book is also more confusing than engaging, keeping me from really feeling drawn into the story and invested in figuring out just what is/did happen to Jude and Kat. The narration as noted was excellent, the writing strong, it was just a story that became lost in the details and moodiness, not enough clarity and underdeveloped pacing that left me unsure about the overall book.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was received in a giveaway. Thanks to Henry Holt Books for this Advanced Reader Copy.
This book moves back and forth between timelines, and much of the time this is done with such craft and careful consideration. Abbot Kahler knows how to tell a story and how to draw the reader in. The first half of this book left me with so many questions and a desire to read faster to get the answers—a sign of a great suspense novel.
So much of my reading experience was enjoyable, but there was a point where the story lost momentum even as more answers were being revealed. By the last 75 pages, I was hoping for a new twist to re-engage me since so much had been sorted out by that point. I think had the pacing kept up, this would have been a 4 star read.
The topics and themes of this book were right up my alley, and I wish for just a little more consideration in the end of the book as we got in the beginning. However, this is a great fiction debut for this author, and I cannot wait to read another one by her where I think her style and pacing will be more refined.
This book moves back and forth between timelines, and much of the time this is done with such craft and careful consideration. Abbot Kahler knows how to tell a story and how to draw the reader in. The first half of this book left me with so many questions and a desire to read faster to get the answers—a sign of a great suspense novel.
So much of my reading experience was enjoyable, but there was a point where the story lost momentum even as more answers were being revealed. By the last 75 pages, I was hoping for a new twist to re-engage me since so much had been sorted out by that point. I think had the pacing kept up, this would have been a 4 star read.
The topics and themes of this book were right up my alley, and I wish for just a little more consideration in the end of the book as we got in the beginning. However, this is a great fiction debut for this author, and I cannot wait to read another one by her where I think her style and pacing will be more refined.