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3.07 AVERAGE
3.07 AVERAGE
Please do yourself a favor and don't waste your time on this. I can only describe it as a hot mess.
The plot was good but the characters were all unlikeable. I did not like the style of writing the author chose. I really only read this book because the movie is coming out and looks good.
how can so much crazy shit happen but be so boring?
When I read the reviews, most of the poor ones were because this book looked too much like Gone Girl and the reader did not like that book at all. So, right away, if you did NOT like Gone Girl or the style of that book, do NOT read A Simple Favor. Sorry if that comes as a spoiler but it's basically the same storyline.
Now that it's out of the way, I love those kind of books. You get Stephanie, Emily and Shawn 1st point of view. They all have weaknesses, they are all twisted in some way, they all have something to hide. Some more than others. I must admit that Stephanie was a bit annoyin at first. She is described as a Captain Mom, she wants to be perfect - to look perfect - and she has this phoney tone that you just want to slap in the face. She is manipulative and egoist. And then...
... you realise she's not the worst!
The book mainly spends half of the story with Stephanie as a narrator, you may want to skip some chapters and skim through her part, and then travels back and forth between the three main characters. I must admit that I love vilains and had a lot of feels for Emily.
Now that it's out of the way, I love those kind of books. You get Stephanie, Emily and Shawn 1st point of view. They all have weaknesses, they are all twisted in some way, they all have something to hide. Some more than others. I must admit that Stephanie was a bit annoyin at first. She is described as a Captain Mom, she wants to be perfect - to look perfect - and she has this phoney tone that you just want to slap in the face. She is manipulative and egoist. And then...
... you realise she's not the worst!
The book mainly spends half of the story with Stephanie as a narrator, you may want to skip some chapters and skim through her part, and then travels back and forth between the three main characters. I must admit that I love vilains and had a lot of feels for Emily.
I liked the underlying storyline, but there was so much unnecessary detail that didn't add anything for me personally. The first few blog chapters actually had me questioning whether to bother continuing reading. I persevered and did enjoy it for the most part, but it was definitely slow and some of Stephanie's chapters just seemed superfluous.
I did want to read it before watching the movie. Having watched the Gone Girl movie first before reading and the movie being so draaaaaawwwwn out, I didn't want to make that mistake again, so here's hoping the movie is better....
I did want to read it before watching the movie. Having watched the Gone Girl movie first before reading and the movie being so draaaaaawwwwn out, I didn't want to make that mistake again, so here's hoping the movie is better....
I kept seeing the preview for this movie everywhere! I was really nervous because it seemed really dark and creepy. I’m not usually a horror fan so I wasn’t sure if the movie was going to be for me. I knew that I loved the two actresses that were going to be playing the leading ladies so I wanted to know more. Then one day I was driving around town with my husband and a discussion about this movie occurred. I mentioned how I wished this movie was a book because then I’d feel more comfortable about it. Silly me didn’t realize that it was indeed a book first. Once I realized my mistake I quickly ordered this as fast as I could. I had to wait a little longer than expected because I just had to have the movie tie in edition cover.
The book arrived on a Thursday. That Saturday I promptly picked it up and binge read the whole thing in one sitting. I was determined to see the movie that day and again silly me didn’t realize the movie didn’t come out for another two weeks. Womp womp womp.
The book was very easy to get through, but I have to say it left me a little disappointed. I wanted more from it than I got. The writing came off a little bit lackluster and I wanted more twists and turns. I felt like I was just following bread crumbs and I wasn’t getting the thrills and chills I expected based off of the amazing trailer that I had been haunting me for weeks. It was very simple and I hated some of the plot points. Stephanie’s side story line was talked about way too much and didn’t feel 100% necessary to the story. It felt like the authors way of just throwing something taboo into the mix. I also couldn’t stand the romance that takes place in this book. It felt so rushed. I understood why it occurred, but the pacing seemed off.
The movie was interesting too. They definently changed parts to make it more engaging and entertaining. I still had problems though. I felt like now they added things that also didn’t make sense to the plot. It is a movie that I would watch again if it was on TV, but I wouldn’t go out searching to watch it.
I think that we have had so many amazing thrillers that it is hard to have these average ones stand up next to them. I feel like because I know what it feels like to be brought through a book with a lot of twists and turns that when I get one that just kind of does it, it doesn’t come off as entertaining as it could have if I didn’t read those other books.
3 stars for both the book and the movie.
The book arrived on a Thursday. That Saturday I promptly picked it up and binge read the whole thing in one sitting. I was determined to see the movie that day and again silly me didn’t realize the movie didn’t come out for another two weeks. Womp womp womp.
The book was very easy to get through, but I have to say it left me a little disappointed. I wanted more from it than I got. The writing came off a little bit lackluster and I wanted more twists and turns. I felt like I was just following bread crumbs and I wasn’t getting the thrills and chills I expected based off of the amazing trailer that I had been haunting me for weeks. It was very simple and I hated some of the plot points. Stephanie’s side story line was talked about way too much and didn’t feel 100% necessary to the story. It felt like the authors way of just throwing something taboo into the mix. I also couldn’t stand the romance that takes place in this book. It felt so rushed. I understood why it occurred, but the pacing seemed off.
The movie was interesting too. They definently changed parts to make it more engaging and entertaining. I still had problems though. I felt like now they added things that also didn’t make sense to the plot. It is a movie that I would watch again if it was on TV, but I wouldn’t go out searching to watch it.
I think that we have had so many amazing thrillers that it is hard to have these average ones stand up next to them. I feel like because I know what it feels like to be brought through a book with a lot of twists and turns that when I get one that just kind of does it, it doesn’t come off as entertaining as it could have if I didn’t read those other books.
3 stars for both the book and the movie.
The Simple Favour by Darcey Bell tries to be a twisting, turning, scandalous psychological thriller. Unfortunately it is far from the exciting thriller it tries to be.
Stephanie is a stay-at-home mommy blogger. A single mother to 6-year old Miles, she was left a widow after a tragic car accident took the lives of both her husband Davis and her half-brother Chris. She now spends her time blogging to her online community of mom friends. In the real world, Stephanie’s best friend is Emily; Miles’ best friend Nicky’s mom. The two women are best friends, made even closer by the fact that their sons are also best friends. Emily works in the fashion industry and is glamorous and successful and everything that Stephanie admires. But when Emily goes missing, leaving her son in her care, Stephanie starts to wonder if she ever really knew her best friend at all.
A Simple Favour tries to shock the reader with reveal after reveal of shocking family history, secrets and lies. But for me it was all a little bit silly and I felt the author just went overboard. I don’t feel it was very realistic and Stephanie’s blog is ridiculously cringey and, if it was real, I doubt she’d have the online following she’s portrayed to have in this book.
Emily’s story is wholly unbelievable and just goes to far into the ridiculous. So many lies and so many different twists and turns that it feels like the author was desperately clutching at straws for that shock twist ending that just never comes.
The end of A Simple Flavour is disappointing and wrapped up quickly with no real resolution of what will happen next for any of the characters. It was an easy read but nothing exciting or gripping for me.
Thanks to NetGalley, Darcey Bell and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Stephanie is a stay-at-home mommy blogger. A single mother to 6-year old Miles, she was left a widow after a tragic car accident took the lives of both her husband Davis and her half-brother Chris. She now spends her time blogging to her online community of mom friends. In the real world, Stephanie’s best friend is Emily; Miles’ best friend Nicky’s mom. The two women are best friends, made even closer by the fact that their sons are also best friends. Emily works in the fashion industry and is glamorous and successful and everything that Stephanie admires. But when Emily goes missing, leaving her son in her care, Stephanie starts to wonder if she ever really knew her best friend at all.
A Simple Favour tries to shock the reader with reveal after reveal of shocking family history, secrets and lies. But for me it was all a little bit silly and I felt the author just went overboard. I don’t feel it was very realistic and Stephanie’s blog is ridiculously cringey and, if it was real, I doubt she’d have the online following she’s portrayed to have in this book.
Emily’s story is wholly unbelievable and just goes to far into the ridiculous. So many lies and so many different twists and turns that it feels like the author was desperately clutching at straws for that shock twist ending that just never comes.
The end of A Simple Flavour is disappointing and wrapped up quickly with no real resolution of what will happen next for any of the characters. It was an easy read but nothing exciting or gripping for me.
Thanks to NetGalley, Darcey Bell and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
I read the whole thing in one sitting if that tells you anything about the page-turner-ness of the story. I was just assuming that it would be much creepier and scarier. But it was fine.
I read this book as the hype for it from the movie was considered a big deal, and I genuinely wanted to know if the book could elaborate more on the insanity that it was.
Sadly it really didn’t, save for making certain relationships more expanded and deaths explained more clearly, I was left just as confused about the motivations of these characters when I first looked into it.
Overall the book was an interesting read, with a lot of early ramped up tension and inner thoughts, but still felt lacking somewhere I can’t put my finger on. I feel that the author has a lot of potential to expand in the genre and I don’t think anyone should judge her too harshly on a first novel, because while I wouldn’t come back to it, I didn’t hate it.
Sadly it really didn’t, save for making certain relationships more expanded and deaths explained more clearly, I was left just as confused about the motivations of these characters when I first looked into it.
Overall the book was an interesting read, with a lot of early ramped up tension and inner thoughts, but still felt lacking somewhere I can’t put my finger on. I feel that the author has a lot of potential to expand in the genre and I don’t think anyone should judge her too harshly on a first novel, because while I wouldn’t come back to it, I didn’t hate it.
Read due to information that Paul Feig adapted this into a movie to be released later this year, that said...meh.
I would classify this as a summer or "beach read." There wasn't much complexity to the diction nor the pacing of the book, it did tease itself a bit about the genre of which Stephanie chose to chronicle and connect herself with the rest of the world. I was slightly surprised by a few twists and degree of intimacy with relationships throughout the book. Not recommended for younger audiences (teens) but, the suspense reminded me of an adult version of Pretty Little Liars.
I would classify this as a summer or "beach read." There wasn't much complexity to the diction nor the pacing of the book, it did tease itself a bit about the genre of which Stephanie chose to chronicle and connect herself with the rest of the world. I was slightly surprised by a few twists and degree of intimacy with relationships throughout the book. Not recommended for younger audiences (teens) but, the suspense reminded me of an adult version of Pretty Little Liars.