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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
another book i read earlier this year and forgot to mark it. i forget the exact dates. im glad i reinstalled the goodreads app on my phone that should help me keep more on top of keeping track.
For a short book, only about 250 pages, this story was amazing! The characters were so diverse and real, and the story just drew me in and held me in. I do feel that the ending was a little hurried and predictable, but that doesn't mean I didn't throughly enjoy getting there. Everyone should read this book, especially since its so short and doesn't take much time.
dark
emotional
medium-paced
excellent read--very suspenseful. I admired the way that the author gives you details in just the right places--never too much, never too little. It builds from a story into a mystery before you realize it. I will be looking forward to her next book.
After reading mixed reviews, I wasn't sure that I was going to like this. It was a perfect weekend book. I started it Saturday morning- read during the 'down' parts of our day and finished it Saturday night.
I really enjoyed it- it had enough 'mystery' to keep me guessing and enough little ghosty parts to keep me on edge. I will admit that I guessed who the killer was LONG before she figured it out, but I guess I'm just that smart ;)
I thought it was kind of disturbing but not overly so. And the writing was pretty good. She made the characters seem 'real' but didn't use so much detail that it bogged you down.
I think that this was a great, quick read and I would recommend it.
I really enjoyed it- it had enough 'mystery' to keep me guessing and enough little ghosty parts to keep me on edge. I will admit that I guessed who the killer was LONG before she figured it out, but I guess I'm just that smart ;)
I thought it was kind of disturbing but not overly so. And the writing was pretty good. She made the characters seem 'real' but didn't use so much detail that it bogged you down.
I think that this was a great, quick read and I would recommend it.
3.75/5 - I really like this first outing of Jennifer McMahon's. I loved The Winter People when I read it a few years ago and picked this up earlier this year wanting to read more of her work. I didn't realize this was her first book and you can really see the growth between this and some of her newer work. Parts of the mystery played out that actually took me by surprise, a few things I did not see coming. I highly recommend this to mystery/thriller fans.
I really enjoyed this book ... it was a fairly quick read and fairly well written. I figured out the mystery fairly early which was disappointing but I remained engaged until the end of the book. It was, overall, a very entertaining read.
'Promise Not to Tell' is a suspense novel, part thriller, part ghost story, with some drama aspects sprinkled on the top.
The book follows Kate Cypher in two narrative timelines. In the past timeline she is a 10 year old outcast, mainly due to her family of hippies and her being new in town, in New Canaan, Vermont. Despite trying to stay away from her, Kate becomes best friends with Delores, the school 'freak', constantly picked on and nicknamed 'The Potato Girl'.
In the present timeline she is a school nurse living in Seattle, who goes back to her hometown to make living arrangements for her mother who suffers from Alzheimer's. Once back in New Canaan, Kate learns of the murder of a young girl, which seems to be a copycat murder of Delores' murder over 30 years ago. As events in the present and the past unfold, all secrets come to light, leading to the final reveal.
The book started out intense, and both timelines kept me engaged. I became invested in the characters and I was very intrigued by the plot. Sadly though, the more the book neared the end, the more I felt everything was rushed and I started seeing plot holes in the story line. There are things that were never revealed (for example Why did Artie die from chocking on a raw potato since the ghost was a good ghost watching over Opal? What was up with M is for monkey?! ) and the ending felt like a mushy Hollywood happy ending. I feel the book would have been better if it stayed a thriller, without trying to incorporate any paranormal elements.
Having said all that, this was McMahon's debut novel, and I am definitely curious to check out her other novels.
The book follows Kate Cypher in two narrative timelines. In the past timeline she is a 10 year old outcast, mainly due to her family of hippies and her being new in town, in New Canaan, Vermont. Despite trying to stay away from her, Kate becomes best friends with Delores, the school 'freak', constantly picked on and nicknamed 'The Potato Girl'.
In the present timeline she is a school nurse living in Seattle, who goes back to her hometown to make living arrangements for her mother who suffers from Alzheimer's. Once back in New Canaan, Kate learns of the murder of a young girl, which seems to be a copycat murder of Delores' murder over 30 years ago. As events in the present and the past unfold, all secrets come to light, leading to the final reveal.
The book started out intense, and both timelines kept me engaged. I became invested in the characters and I was very intrigued by the plot. Sadly though, the more the book neared the end, the more I felt everything was rushed and I started seeing plot holes in the story line. There are things that were never revealed (for example
Having said all that, this was McMahon's debut novel, and I am definitely curious to check out her other novels.
Let's not pretend that Kate is not a shit. Her terrible attitude and rudeness were very difficult for me at first and almost made me quit the book. But I think this is important to her growth. She internalizes so much after Del's murder that it changes her.
When we first meet her, she has cruel thoughts about her mother, is self-pitying about her divorce, and is extremely distant with everyone she meets. She's an unreliable narrator and a downright annoying person. But as we continue to learn more about her as a person, we start to see the many factors that contributed to this.
As Del's murderer- and Tori's- are revealed, we start to have hope that Kate can get a fresh start as an emotionally developed person. We don't get to see that, but her closure with Del seems significant.
All that is to say, that I thought a lot about these characters and this story after I put the book down- about Kate but also the tiny ghost of Del and the fate of Opal. There is nothing ground-breaking about this novel, but it was great nonetheless.
When we first meet her, she has cruel thoughts about her mother, is self-pitying about her divorce, and is extremely distant with everyone she meets. She's an unreliable narrator and a downright annoying person. But as we continue to learn more about her as a person, we start to see the many factors that contributed to this.
As Del's murderer- and Tori's- are revealed, we start to have hope that Kate can get a fresh start as an emotionally developed person. We don't get to see that, but her closure with Del seems significant.
All that is to say, that I thought a lot about these characters and this story after I put the book down- about Kate but also the tiny ghost of Del and the fate of Opal. There is nothing ground-breaking about this novel, but it was great nonetheless.
mysterious
medium-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A decent thriller with supernatural elements.