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theeclecticreview's review against another edition
3.0
I chose this book because of the psychological thriller element, but although I was really invested in Regi's heart-wrenching story, it fell short for me.
The signs of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) described in the novel are well-researched. I had a friend with this disorder who was traumatized and developed similar compulsions, i.e. excessive door locking, counting, and extreme cleaning after his home was broken into.
I was intrigued by Ms. Manning's plot beginning with an eye-opening prologue and then giving the reader a look into the life of an interesting and vulnerable main character trying to deal with a traumatic secret and a very real mental health disorder while moving on with her life as a traditional college student. The suspense is gradual but effective and the idea of using Instagram posts as a relief for her anxiety is unique. However, the ending was confusing and did not mesh with the climax of the story which was unbelievably coincidental and unfortunately, a real let down for me.
Overall, this is a promising thriller told in past and present. The well-written scenes are compelling and nail-biting as well as moving and heartbreaking. The characters are intriguing and mysterious. Unfortunately, I had more questions than answers at the end.
Thank you to Ms. Manning for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.
The signs of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) described in the novel are well-researched. I had a friend with this disorder who was traumatized and developed similar compulsions, i.e. excessive door locking, counting, and extreme cleaning after his home was broken into.
I was intrigued by Ms. Manning's plot beginning with an eye-opening prologue and then giving the reader a look into the life of an interesting and vulnerable main character trying to deal with a traumatic secret and a very real mental health disorder while moving on with her life as a traditional college student. The suspense is gradual but effective and the idea of using Instagram posts as a relief for her anxiety is unique. However, the ending was confusing and did not mesh with the climax of the story which was unbelievably coincidental and unfortunately, a real let down for me.
Overall, this is a promising thriller told in past and present. The well-written scenes are compelling and nail-biting as well as moving and heartbreaking. The characters are intriguing and mysterious. Unfortunately, I had more questions than answers at the end.
Thank you to Ms. Manning for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.
c_marie_writes's review against another edition
3.0
Meh... I guess this one was ok... but not what I had hoped for. Definitely a bit twisty throughout, a lot of Now/Then chapters, and then a bizarre ending which I had to go back and check again to make sure I heard it right.
That being said, I've never read Nina Manning before, and I'm not sure if I'll check out her other works, if they're anything like this one. Just wasn't a huge fan.
That being said, I've never read Nina Manning before, and I'm not sure if I'll check out her other works, if they're anything like this one. Just wasn't a huge fan.
the_empty_bookself's review against another edition
3.0
I am just so confused?
I had to read a load of reviews to understand exactly what has happened here and I still don’t get it?!
I’ve read this book over two days because it was so good but now I’m like ‘huh?!’
Regi is a lady who is hiding from her past, she has OCD and becomes obsessed with ‘cleanstagram’ She has started a uni course in her 30’s and has moved in with three millennials, so she is the odd one out in the group.
The chapters jump between ‘then’ and ‘now’ giving you an insight into the dark secrets of a past life. I think I kind of understand what happened but if anyone would like to discuss this further please enlighten me!
A good psychological thriller which has made my head hurt trying to figure it out!
I had to read a load of reviews to understand exactly what has happened here and I still don’t get it?!
I’ve read this book over two days because it was so good but now I’m like ‘huh?!’
Regi is a lady who is hiding from her past, she has OCD and becomes obsessed with ‘cleanstagram’ She has started a uni course in her 30’s and has moved in with three millennials, so she is the odd one out in the group.
The chapters jump between ‘then’ and ‘now’ giving you an insight into the dark secrets of a past life. I think I kind of understand what happened but if anyone would like to discuss this further please enlighten me!
A good psychological thriller which has made my head hurt trying to figure it out!
zarlina's review against another edition
2.0
For 8 hours (audiobook) or so, I absolutely loved this. I love what others would see as fillers and I fully enjoyed the slow pace with not a lot of action, thinking you get closer to finishing the puzzle piece by piece. Then, during the last 40 minutes, the whole book is ruined. The supposed to be big reveal is terribly executed and makes no sense at all, and the only thing it did was confuse the hell out of me. You can't just turn it all around, make your readers realise that they've basically been lied to through the whole book, and call it a twist. A twist is meant to make you feel like everything just makes sense, that all of the pieces are now coming together perfectly, not make you stop for a moment and wonder what the hell you've missed.
It gets two stars because until those last minutes, I truly enjoyed the book, but no one should be allowed to string their readers along for hours just to let them know that nothing they've learned through the book matters, because it has nothing to do with the final revelation anyway.
Save your time and your money, this one isn't worth it.
It gets two stars because until those last minutes, I truly enjoyed the book, but no one should be allowed to string their readers along for hours just to let them know that nothing they've learned through the book matters, because it has nothing to do with the final revelation anyway.
Save your time and your money, this one isn't worth it.
tatterededges's review against another edition
3.0
This book should have been a novella starting at around the 70% mark.
The first 70-80% of this book is a repetitive cycle of Reggi having anxiety attacks, flashbacks and OCD.
Literally nothing happens. At all.
And then the last fifth of the book it all kicks off. I didn’t see the twist coming, which is always good but honestly the actions and motivations of Reggi at the end are nonsensical so how would you see it coming?
4 starts for the end, 2 stars for the rest of the book.
The first 70-80% of this book is a repetitive cycle of Reggi having anxiety attacks, flashbacks and OCD.
Literally nothing happens. At all.
And then the last fifth of the book it all kicks off. I didn’t see the twist coming, which is always good but honestly the actions and motivations of Reggi at the end are nonsensical so how would you see it coming?
4 starts for the end, 2 stars for the rest of the book.
btpbookclub's review against another edition
4.0
Straight away I was intrigued and hooked! The story focuses on Regi who is the eldest of her housemates attending uni! She has a form of OCD and something from her past is haunting her... But what?
It's a bit of a wierd story for me because it flicks between the present and her past. But I didn't expect the outcome that happened at all, the thing that was haunting her I thought it was far worse than it was. For me it was more of a mystery than thriller... A really good read, I did enjoy it. I was just trying to figure Regi out for most of the story! Different. Unique. Brilliantly written. Page turner and a lovely ending. Highly recommend. A well deserved four stars from me.
It's a bit of a wierd story for me because it flicks between the present and her past. But I didn't expect the outcome that happened at all, the thing that was haunting her I thought it was far worse than it was. For me it was more of a mystery than thriller... A really good read, I did enjoy it. I was just trying to figure Regi out for most of the story! Different. Unique. Brilliantly written. Page turner and a lovely ending. Highly recommend. A well deserved four stars from me.
kazza27's review against another edition
4.0
It is apparent from the outset that Regi is dealing with some significant mental health issues and is trying her best to control them. Living in a shared house is not helping the anxiety and need for order but there is something else triggering this anxiety. What or who is it ?
She is tidying the summerhouse and Mini one of her housemates is really impressed and compares her to a cleanstagrammer who are people on Instagram who have millions of followers for showing their immaculate homes to others. Regi is fascinated and also calmed by the sense of order as someone with OCD that she craves.
She starts looking at Mrs Clean’s posts and finds comfort in them, as the story progresses you know that Regi is hiding dark secrets from her past and will this stop her being able to move on with her life.
When she starts to study again she meets Will but can she trust him ? Regi starts to become obsessed with the fact there is a child next door but no one else in the house sees or hears it. Is she right or is it her mind playing tricks on her.
This is really fastpaced story that I read in one sitting. I genuinely felt for Regi and I needed to find out what her secrets were and I can tell you I didn’t see what was coming at all. It does deal with some difficult issues, which could be difficult for some people to read.
If you enjoy a dark psychological thriller you will love this one !
She is tidying the summerhouse and Mini one of her housemates is really impressed and compares her to a cleanstagrammer who are people on Instagram who have millions of followers for showing their immaculate homes to others. Regi is fascinated and also calmed by the sense of order as someone with OCD that she craves.
She starts looking at Mrs Clean’s posts and finds comfort in them, as the story progresses you know that Regi is hiding dark secrets from her past and will this stop her being able to move on with her life.
When she starts to study again she meets Will but can she trust him ? Regi starts to become obsessed with the fact there is a child next door but no one else in the house sees or hears it. Is she right or is it her mind playing tricks on her.
This is really fastpaced story that I read in one sitting. I genuinely felt for Regi and I needed to find out what her secrets were and I can tell you I didn’t see what was coming at all. It does deal with some difficult issues, which could be difficult for some people to read.
If you enjoy a dark psychological thriller you will love this one !
georgilvsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
The perfect life? ...Or the perfect lie?
Regi moves into a new home, starts a new routine and also gives herself a new identity.
This was a great thriller!
I was so surprised with the ending and how everything came together.
Filled with unease and many twists, this is the perfect read for thriller/suspense readers.
Also a reminder that social media is not all it seems.
Regi moves into a new home, starts a new routine and also gives herself a new identity.
This was a great thriller!
I was so surprised with the ending and how everything came together.
Filled with unease and many twists, this is the perfect read for thriller/suspense readers.
Also a reminder that social media is not all it seems.
zooloo1983's review against another edition
3.0
I am not quite sure how I feel about this book and I am finding it hard to write this review. I found the narrator to be perfect for the book, she got the pacing and intensity perfectly. She knew the right moments to add tension with changing the pace of her voice and pitch. She got me riled up, shocked and completely hooked. I will definitely be listening to her narrate again and the fact she has books on my list I can’t wait.
Back to the book, I did find it fascinating. This story of Regi, her crippling OCD and we are in a house with her and 3 other girls when we meet her. She is trying to recover from a shocking incident one that we have no idea about at the start. We just know that she is struggling, she is trying to re-enter a world with people but she has a compulsion. Her OCD is taking over her life and to see someone struggle so much was hard to read. Each of us has a small part of OCD, I have certain things which I have OCD over, and in a way, I could relate to the way Reg felt if she didn’t complete the routine. She felt something bad would happen, the little voice in her head that is quite destructive.
We also have a “Then” section of the book which broke my heart. This story of a woman completely in love but she is abused, not just physically but mentally too. She is being worn down, broken, and she is just a shell of a woman. This was not easy to read.
The entire book was unsettling, it was dark and tense and a page-turner. However, the jigsaw pieces weren’t slotting in to place, and for me, I had to get someone to explain to me their theory on the book and it then made complete sense to me. I did struggle, I found the book clever but in the last 10%, the execution just lacked a little bit of clarity for me. But that is after the event, during the listening for me I was hooked and I wanted to keep listening and listening and listening. I was listening when I was running at 6:30 am instead of my normal morning playlist. I wanted to know why Regi had her compulsions, I wanted to know who this woman was and why was Instagram so pivotal to Regi.
I adored The Daughter-in-Law but unfortunately, The House Mate just didn’t reach the same level as that did. I will read another book by Ms Manning though because I still find her writing so enticing.
Back to the book, I did find it fascinating. This story of Regi, her crippling OCD and we are in a house with her and 3 other girls when we meet her. She is trying to recover from a shocking incident one that we have no idea about at the start. We just know that she is struggling, she is trying to re-enter a world with people but she has a compulsion. Her OCD is taking over her life and to see someone struggle so much was hard to read. Each of us has a small part of OCD, I have certain things which I have OCD over, and in a way, I could relate to the way Reg felt if she didn’t complete the routine. She felt something bad would happen, the little voice in her head that is quite destructive.
We also have a “Then” section of the book which broke my heart. This story of a woman completely in love but she is abused, not just physically but mentally too. She is being worn down, broken, and she is just a shell of a woman. This was not easy to read.
The entire book was unsettling, it was dark and tense and a page-turner. However, the jigsaw pieces weren’t slotting in to place, and for me, I had to get someone to explain to me their theory on the book and it then made complete sense to me. I did struggle, I found the book clever but in the last 10%, the execution just lacked a little bit of clarity for me. But that is after the event, during the listening for me I was hooked and I wanted to keep listening and listening and listening. I was listening when I was running at 6:30 am instead of my normal morning playlist. I wanted to know why Regi had her compulsions, I wanted to know who this woman was and why was Instagram so pivotal to Regi.
I adored The Daughter-in-Law but unfortunately, The House Mate just didn’t reach the same level as that did. I will read another book by Ms Manning though because I still find her writing so enticing.
oviyabalan's review against another edition
3.0
The book started out interesting. Present, Past and a Social media world. Looking into three different aspects of someone's life and their obsessions with different things started out interesting, to being bit dragged out to finally having the perfect knot to the bow in the end.
Pros: I loved how all three stories came together in the end.
Cons: I only wish the middle parts of the story were bit more fast paced. Also, the social media revelation wasn't surprising.
Thanks to #Negalley for the advanced copy.
Pros: I loved how all three stories came together in the end.
Cons: I only wish the middle parts of the story were bit more fast paced. Also, the social media revelation wasn't surprising.
Thanks to #Negalley for the advanced copy.