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jenniferlnstone's review
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
emilymayferg's review
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
lhart2222's review
3.0
3/5
Well this was an incredibly hard book to rate, at certain points it could have been all 5 ratings, but in the end, I settled for 3*.
The adage goes “don’t judge a book by its cover”, well according to this book don’t judge one by its blurb either. If you want a scary book, about a lone woman in an eerie cottage on the cusp of potential doom, this isn’t it. I know I was disappointed at first as well. However, if you want a book to create mass intrigue and to take you on an absolute roller coaster, then do read this book.
We follow a newly single, newly unemployed Jan Hamlin as she rents an isolated cottage that backs onto the sinister Coleshaw woods. It’s winter, it’s dark, it’s cold and she’s all alone beside the cottage’s owner’s dog Tinder. A few weeks into living there Tinder begins to act strangely just after nightfall, Jan thinks he can smell an intruder in the garden. She plots what to do, informing the owner and her friends, they all say it’s just foxes, but Jan knows it is not.
The second people we follow are a young couple who after one miscarriage have tried for another baby. Ian and Emma Jennings want a home birth this time after their first baby brought them bad feelings towards hospitals. They have been assigned Anne Lamb as a midwife someone who specialises in home births and has a great track record or does she?
This book is not what I expected, I was initially disappointed at that, but after reading a few chapters I must admit I was hooked. I really wanted to find out what was going on, and the only way to find out was to read on, so I did. The more I read the more came up, it was gripping, which for me is the best thing about this book by far.
The story was soo different from things I’ve read, adding so much to the book than I originally thought possible. The style of writing is enjoyable, not spending too much time on characters or descriptions and not too little either, giving each account its desired effect on the reader. I found myself getting through the book reasonably quickly, as a slow reader I finished it within two days.
But this book doesn’t come without its faults and in my opinion, some are major. For starters, some glaring continuity errors were just so lazily ignored it made certain parts hard to feel any emotion for. I know, not all books are supposed to be realistic, but at certain points in this one, too many coincidences happen that just seem out of reach. Not only that but certain things are just so easily missed by the characters you’d think they weren’t part of the story. Like I said the book is very different, but still I managed to figure out what was going on long before being told, however, I still enjoyed reading the real truths.
Overall this book was more than expected but not quite as good as it could have been. It was soo close to a higher rating if only certain cliches and errors would have just been erased. I’m not sure why this is, but towards the end of the book, it just seems it’s laziness and the author was just happy to finish.
Do read this book, it’s definitely worth the time as it does create a completely new realm of what you think is possible.
Well this was an incredibly hard book to rate, at certain points it could have been all 5 ratings, but in the end, I settled for 3*.
The adage goes “don’t judge a book by its cover”, well according to this book don’t judge one by its blurb either. If you want a scary book, about a lone woman in an eerie cottage on the cusp of potential doom, this isn’t it. I know I was disappointed at first as well. However, if you want a book to create mass intrigue and to take you on an absolute roller coaster, then do read this book.
We follow a newly single, newly unemployed Jan Hamlin as she rents an isolated cottage that backs onto the sinister Coleshaw woods. It’s winter, it’s dark, it’s cold and she’s all alone beside the cottage’s owner’s dog Tinder. A few weeks into living there Tinder begins to act strangely just after nightfall, Jan thinks he can smell an intruder in the garden. She plots what to do, informing the owner and her friends, they all say it’s just foxes, but Jan knows it is not.
The second people we follow are a young couple who after one miscarriage have tried for another baby. Ian and Emma Jennings want a home birth this time after their first baby brought them bad feelings towards hospitals. They have been assigned Anne Lamb as a midwife someone who specialises in home births and has a great track record or does she?
This book is not what I expected, I was initially disappointed at that, but after reading a few chapters I must admit I was hooked. I really wanted to find out what was going on, and the only way to find out was to read on, so I did. The more I read the more came up, it was gripping, which for me is the best thing about this book by far.
The story was soo different from things I’ve read, adding so much to the book than I originally thought possible. The style of writing is enjoyable, not spending too much time on characters or descriptions and not too little either, giving each account its desired effect on the reader. I found myself getting through the book reasonably quickly, as a slow reader I finished it within two days.
But this book doesn’t come without its faults and in my opinion, some are major. For starters, some glaring continuity errors were just so lazily ignored it made certain parts hard to feel any emotion for. I know, not all books are supposed to be realistic, but at certain points in this one, too many coincidences happen that just seem out of reach. Not only that but certain things are just so easily missed by the characters you’d think they weren’t part of the story. Like I said the book is very different, but still I managed to figure out what was going on long before being told, however, I still enjoyed reading the real truths.
Overall this book was more than expected but not quite as good as it could have been. It was soo close to a higher rating if only certain cliches and errors would have just been erased. I’m not sure why this is, but towards the end of the book, it just seems it’s laziness and the author was just happy to finish.
Do read this book, it’s definitely worth the time as it does create a completely new realm of what you think is possible.
kerrie98's review
3.0
This book had me questioning whether to continue reading it at first. I am glad I stuck with it, the further in the book I read the more questions I had and the more the different characters linked with each other. Overall a good read
jscoleman's review against another edition
medium-paced
3.75
I had no idea what tf I was reading through any of this book but I did enjoy it. It was a lot of fun to read and every new thing that happened I wanted to go tell my husband immediately.
Lots of twists I guess but also no twists if that makes sense? I’d convince myself it was one thing then find out new shocking info and change opinions and that just kept happening.
Lots of twists I guess but also no twists if that makes sense? I’d convince myself it was one thing then find out new shocking info and change opinions and that just kept happening.
chloejeanwoodhead's review
3.0
3⭐
What a weird book... I don't think I can say anything other than that. It was definitely a page turner, as I wanted answers, but it was the most bonkers and unexpected* plot. This does not necessarily mean it was bad, it was just ✨unhinged✨.
*By unexpected I mean in the sense I thought this would be a ghost story not... You know what...
What a weird book... I don't think I can say anything other than that. It was definitely a page turner, as I wanted answers, but it was the most bonkers and unexpected* plot. This does not necessarily mean it was bad, it was just ✨unhinged✨.
*By unexpected I mean in the sense I thought this would be a ghost story not... You know what...
hannahnwalding's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Infertility, Child death, and Miscarriage
gloomynomad's review
5.0
Woah! That was bloody amazing! So gripping since the very start, so many twists and turns, very clever plot line. Just what I needed to get out of my reading slump. Great first read of the year!
panicatthebookstore's review
3.0
I never read reviews before reading a book because I like to go in open-minded. But on this occasion, I do wish I'd at least looked into the book before I started reading, especially this week. This story seems to solely revolve around couples going through late miscarriages and stillbirths. This Sunday is 3 years since my son was stillborn, so this couldn't have been worse timing if I'm honest.
But that said, I finished the book just so I didn't need to come back to it.
I've read a few from this author and I've enjoyed them so far, but this one was definitely not a favourite.
If it had been purely about Jan, staying in a secluded cottage, with weird things happening after dark. That would have been brilliant. But the discovery of what it was making the noise outside the cottage could have been something else entirely and would have been a lot better, in my eyes. As for the rest of the story; the baby losses, the whole thing with the clinic etc, I just don't think any of that was needed.
I have a few more books by Lisa on my shelf so I'm hoping the next one I pick up is better.
But that said, I finished the book just so I didn't need to come back to it.
I've read a few from this author and I've enjoyed them so far, but this one was definitely not a favourite.
If it had been purely about Jan, staying in a secluded cottage, with weird things happening after dark. That would have been brilliant. But the discovery of what it was making the noise outside the cottage could have been something else entirely and would have been a lot better, in my eyes. As for the rest of the story; the baby losses, the whole thing with the clinic etc, I just don't think any of that was needed.
I have a few more books by Lisa on my shelf so I'm hoping the next one I pick up is better.
pillywiggin's review
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I enjoyed the "strange noises and partially seen creatures from the woods" aspect of this story; however, once the second strand of the plot came into play, I figured out pretty much what was happening right away. The book never lived up to the early promise of suspense. The final resolution a year after the events was just not for me.