You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.07 AVERAGE
3.07 AVERAGE
This book had a slow start that made me want to put it down at first, but the main reason I was having such a problem progressing in this story is Stephanie's blog post. I understand why they are there, but that style of writing isn't what I typical read. I only read this book cause I wanted to see the movie that is coming out, but I think I will wait to rent it later cause the story was just okay to me, many unanswered questions.
I was surprisingly let down by this read. It was well presented and I enjoyed the format, but the characters left something to be desired. I kept waiting for Stephanie or Shawn to be playing a game on the same level as Emily but they were both just caught up in her scheme. Once I realized that there was no real twist coming after part 1, I was bored. A character like Emily is only interesting when they’re not alone in their “smarter-than-Everyone” ranting. This just ended up being a worse version of Gone Girl for me.
This book was a little slow to start, and having seen the film it was hard not to compare it.
The book certainly improved though as the twists started to happen, and I’d certainly recommend it.
The book certainly improved though as the twists started to happen, and I’d certainly recommend it.
I’m not sure why I’ve seen so many negative reviews for this one. It’s a pretty decent domestic thriller, and the closest one I’ve read that actually does share similarities to the forever comparable Gone Girl. (It is not “the Next Gone Girl” but I would definitely consider it a read-alike.)
It’s fast past and twisty, which some scenes that are genuinely chilling. I thought the multiple POVs and blog entries were an great way to tell all sides of the story (although they were all unreliable).
The only thing I found frustrating was Stephanie, who needed to be smarter.
It’s fast past and twisty, which some scenes that are genuinely chilling. I thought the multiple POVs and blog entries were an great way to tell all sides of the story (although they were all unreliable).
The only thing I found frustrating was Stephanie, who needed to be smarter.
I don't know if I liked this book or not. I don't think I would have felt any differently had I not read it now that I have. I could take it or leave it. Normally a book leaves me feeling something more than this one did.
It starts off with Stephanie's blog, which I first thought I'd hate, then I started to like, and then started to dislike again as the story went on. She writes about being a mom to her son. But her best friend, Emily, has gone missing and she was left taking care of her son. She's frantic and doesn't know what to do, no one seems to be worried at first like she is. This is what she blogs about and how she gets her fears heard when no one else listens. Then when Emily's husband, Sean, comes home, things start getting more real.
Everyone in this story has secrets. They're big secrets. Life changing ones. Honestly, as more of the secrets were unraveled, I began to dislike the characters more and more. This made me sad, because I liked Stephanie at first. She seemed to be a good person who cared about her friend and the children. This isn't completely false, she does care about her friend and the children, but there's so much more to her that I just didn't like. Plus, some of the things she does just had me rolling my eyes at her. The other characters honestly weren't that likable either, especially Emily. Sean just kind of sucked, I never really liked him or cared much about his character, but Emily was the worst of them all.
I will say, this book does have foreshadowing to some of the secrets that are kept. If you pay close attention as you read, you'll spot them and know things right away. This can somewhat spoil the fun of twists and turns in the book because it makes it predictable, but at the same time, hints like that should be scattered about. People tend to leave some kind of trace with everything they do, and these things can leave a lasting mark that seem innocent but hide darker truths.
At this point, I'm still not sure how I feel about the ending. It was fitting for the story, but I don't feel like I have that satisfying feeling I get from reading some other books. This could be because this isn't my normal genre, and because I didn't feel connected to any of the characters. I wish I felt more satisfied, but I'm not dissatisfied either. So it is what it is. As I said from the start, this is a book I could take or leave. I will say, I think it could translate well into a movie, and my mom and I will be watching the movie version of this story soon.
It starts off with Stephanie's blog, which I first thought I'd hate, then I started to like, and then started to dislike again as the story went on. She writes about being a mom to her son. But her best friend, Emily, has gone missing and she was left taking care of her son. She's frantic and doesn't know what to do, no one seems to be worried at first like she is. This is what she blogs about and how she gets her fears heard when no one else listens. Then when Emily's husband, Sean, comes home, things start getting more real.
Everyone in this story has secrets. They're big secrets. Life changing ones. Honestly, as more of the secrets were unraveled, I began to dislike the characters more and more. This made me sad, because I liked Stephanie at first. She seemed to be a good person who cared about her friend and the children. This isn't completely false, she does care about her friend and the children, but there's so much more to her that I just didn't like. Plus, some of the things she does just had me rolling my eyes at her. The other characters honestly weren't that likable either, especially Emily. Sean just kind of sucked, I never really liked him or cared much about his character, but Emily was the worst of them all.
I will say, this book does have foreshadowing to some of the secrets that are kept. If you pay close attention as you read, you'll spot them and know things right away. This can somewhat spoil the fun of twists and turns in the book because it makes it predictable, but at the same time, hints like that should be scattered about. People tend to leave some kind of trace with everything they do, and these things can leave a lasting mark that seem innocent but hide darker truths.
At this point, I'm still not sure how I feel about the ending. It was fitting for the story, but I don't feel like I have that satisfying feeling I get from reading some other books. This could be because this isn't my normal genre, and because I didn't feel connected to any of the characters. I wish I felt more satisfied, but I'm not dissatisfied either. So it is what it is. As I said from the start, this is a book I could take or leave. I will say, I think it could translate well into a movie, and my mom and I will be watching the movie version of this story soon.
This wasn't what I expected...kind of a Girl on the Train meets Gone Girl. Darcey Bell certainly took a page out of Gillian Flynn's write dislikable characters book. I am interested in seeing the movie (once it's available for free), to see how well the actors pull off these roles. I can tell from the trailers they made some changes. Luckily, since I didn't think the book was spectacular, I am unlikely to care. I couldn't stand Stephanie, the beckiest of beckies writing a blog pretending to be the perfect mother. I didn't feel like they developed Emily's character enough for me to have a strong opinion on her...but she did remind me of a character from another book who I hated.....so there's that. I honestly don't know why they added the 2 (i think) chapters from Sean's point of view. Added nothing to the plot, just some minor discrepancies for things described by the other 2 characters.
Couple things annoyed me:
1) Don't write a book in multiple povs, if your writing style is going to be the same for each character. People don't speak the sam way, let alone think the same way. Other than the content, there was no way to tell whose character was narrating based on style alone.
2) I hate in when authors add poc just to add them. If you're gonna make a throw away character, can you please not make them Black? Just leave us out of your shitty tale if that's all you got. Thanks. \\
All in all it was fine, entertaining, and readable in 3 sittings.
Couple things annoyed me:
1) Don't write a book in multiple povs, if your writing style is going to be the same for each character. People don't speak the sam way, let alone think the same way. Other than the content, there was no way to tell whose character was narrating based on style alone.
2) I hate in when authors add poc just to add them. If you're gonna make a throw away character, can you please not make them Black? Just leave us out of your shitty tale if that's all you got. Thanks. \\
All in all it was fine, entertaining, and readable in 3 sittings.
This book was very interesting to read! It very clearly outlines the multiple layers of manipulation between the characters in the book. It also pairs well with the film version or the book. They’re interesting takes/tellings of the same story, and it was fun to experience both. This book had some shocking moments I didn’t anticipate, and I like the way it’s left open at the end.
Mi comentario de este libro es algo bipolar, creo que viéndolo desde una perspectiva general debo decir que me ha gustado, no porque sea una joya literaria, si no más bien por la facilidad con la que se lee, por la forma en que mantiene en ascuas al lector y porque el hecho de presentar a todos los protagonistas con su propio toque traumático ha hecho que no catalogue a nadie como “el malo”, que no tome partido por ninguno.
Ahora mis bipolaridades al respecto:
1) Me llenó la forma en que se desenvolvió la trama pero es contradictoria de alguna manera la personalidad algo ingenua y tonta de Stephanie que al mismo tiempo no tiene tapujos en mantener una relación incestuosa incluso después de su matrimonio.
2) Sean es el mejor amante, pero era casi virgen cuando se cruzó con Emily.
3) Los niños casi no tienen protagonismo en la trama y son de una edad en la que difícilmente pasarían de largo la desaparición de una madre y el emparejamiento nuevo de un padre.
4) La gemela… ufff… la gemela. Su paso por el libro me resultó tan plano que bien podría resumirse en una línea. Creo que podría haber fundamentado mucho más la psicosis de Emily.
5) El asesinato del agente de seguros se esperaba, pero me deja haciendo ruido la frialdad de Stephanie en su complicidad y los cabos sueltos de la compañía en sí que no reporta ni su desaparición, ni un reporte periódico de la investigación del caso que él seguía.
En síntesis, insisto en que la trama te mantiene atenta, en que el estilo de narración en el que se incorporan los post del blog y el armado psicológico del personaje de Stephanie me han parecido bastante buenos, por lo que para mí, pese a todos mis anteriores peros se lleva algo así como una puntación de 7 en una escala de 10.
Ahora mis bipolaridades al respecto:
1) Me llenó la forma en que se desenvolvió la trama pero es contradictoria de alguna manera la personalidad algo ingenua y tonta de Stephanie que al mismo tiempo no tiene tapujos en mantener una relación incestuosa incluso después de su matrimonio.
2) Sean es el mejor amante, pero era casi virgen cuando se cruzó con Emily.
3) Los niños casi no tienen protagonismo en la trama y son de una edad en la que difícilmente pasarían de largo la desaparición de una madre y el emparejamiento nuevo de un padre.
4) La gemela… ufff… la gemela. Su paso por el libro me resultó tan plano que bien podría resumirse en una línea. Creo que podría haber fundamentado mucho más la psicosis de Emily.
5) El asesinato del agente de seguros se esperaba, pero me deja haciendo ruido la frialdad de Stephanie en su complicidad y los cabos sueltos de la compañía en sí que no reporta ni su desaparición, ni un reporte periódico de la investigación del caso que él seguía.
En síntesis, insisto en que la trama te mantiene atenta, en que el estilo de narración en el que se incorporan los post del blog y el armado psicológico del personaje de Stephanie me han parecido bastante buenos, por lo que para mí, pese a todos mis anteriores peros se lleva algo así como una puntación de 7 en una escala de 10.
Wow. Just wow (as in a disappointed wow). I cannot believe it. A book I thought that would get me back into the thriller scene. Just a cruel reminder as to why I've been disappointed by thrillers lately (starting back when I read that A.J. Finn novel, The Woman in the Window). But let's stick with this one for now. So incredibly infuriating, and just a huge upset. Usually I'm not one to predict the outcome of a novel, but I predicted this one. I mean, it wasn't hard. At all. The story just kind of rats itself out. One last thing before I move on: the writing. Wow. Not my preferred style at all. Stephanie's voice and actually, let's make that the voice of all the characters, are just childish and not how people would actually talk like in REAL life. Boring, boring, boring. This was a movie, and I suspect only because it was marketed right from the sales line, that it is "...a chilling debut thriller in the vein of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train." I mean, I never read those two books, but I know enough that if I was the producer of those films and the authors of the books, I really wouldn't want this associated with my work...
i don't like to rate a book so low but this one was so goddamn boring.
It was hard to get through because the characters were either too annoying or naive or boring or killed off and the storyline wasn't great.
It was hard to get through because the characters were either too annoying or naive or boring or killed off and the storyline wasn't great.