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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Good book. Sad, with hopeful moments. Abrupt ending. Would have loved a little more of Katie’s life after her travels.
Katie receives news that her sister Mia has died while travelling in Bali. The authorities claim it was suicide but Katie has a hard time believing it. She eventually follows her sister's footsteps through her travels to find out the truth. The truth and the stories are a bit too convenient at times, but it kept me entertained.
3.5~4 stars. This book is definitely more a mystery than a thriller, but more than that it is really a character-driven story delving into the complicated relationship between two very different sisters. As I have a sister, and we are quite different in our personalities, I felt like I could connect to this aspect of the story. I also enjoyed the variety of settings the characters travel to (Maui, Australia, Bali), although I wish we'd been given a bit more in the way of description, to really provide ambience and make the reader feel like they are there with the characters. I do think that many of the plot points were quite predictable (often foreshadowed a few pages before they were revealed). The greatest weakness here, though, is the big reveal of "what happened that night" to Mia. I was disappointed by the explanation, which I feel like one could poke some holes into (). I think the emotional impact could have been more powerful if the author had gone with a different ending.
Overall, though, this book raises some good questions about what makes us the people we are, touching on themes of guilt, loss, self-sabotage, and family along the way.
Spoiler
it is very convenient that the eyewitnesses just happened to not see Noah there with Mia... I didn't find the explanation for this very believableOverall, though, this book raises some good questions about what makes us the people we are, touching on themes of guilt, loss, self-sabotage, and family along the way.
Oh em Gee! This was an interesting story, but boy did it drag! I don't regret reading it, but I do not think of it as highly as most others do. As I said, interesting but an overabundance of dialogue, details and fluff. But it felt like to took forever to end once I reached the halfway point.
I received a free copy for review from Goodreads as part of giveaway. This doesn't affect my review.
The book as a whole I thought was good because I read it all in one sitting which clearly shows I was enjoying it, however I never felt hooked or as if it was un-put-down-able. I liked the concept of Katie following the journal of Mia around to solve the mystery of all that happened to her and I felt that it was a believable story 90% of the time (I found the character at the end of the book's appearance to be a bit unbelievable).
The character of Katie was interesting and the dynamic of the sister's relationship as the story progressed was interesting to follow and to compare to the relationship which I and my own sister have.
Despite this not really being what I had expected from the book, I did like it as a story and although the ending was a bit lack luster I think that the story is believable and the reader can connect with the characters easily enough.
Recommended for people who like believable characters and a deep story plot which is gradually unfolded.
The book as a whole I thought was good because I read it all in one sitting which clearly shows I was enjoying it, however I never felt hooked or as if it was un-put-down-able. I liked the concept of Katie following the journal of Mia around to solve the mystery of all that happened to her and I felt that it was a believable story 90% of the time (I found the character at the end of the book's appearance to be a bit unbelievable).
The character of Katie was interesting and the dynamic of the sister's relationship as the story progressed was interesting to follow and to compare to the relationship which I and my own sister have.
Despite this not really being what I had expected from the book, I did like it as a story and although the ending was a bit lack luster I think that the story is believable and the reader can connect with the characters easily enough.
Recommended for people who like believable characters and a deep story plot which is gradually unfolded.
There are some currents in the relationship between sisters that run so dark and so deep, it’s better for the people swimming on the surface never to know what’s beneath . . .
Katie’s carefully structured world is shattered by the news that her headstrong younger sister, Mia, has been found dead in Bali – and the police claim it was suicide.
With only the entries of Mia’s travel journal as her guide, Katie retraces the last few months of her sister’s life, and – page by page, country by country – begins to uncover the mystery surrounding her death.
What she discovers changes everything. But will her search for the truth push their sisterly bond – and Katie – to breaking point?
I seem to be the odd one out with my rating but I couldn't bring myself to give higher than 2 stars. The writing was lovely but the story was weak. The coincidences were too great and the fact that Katie was reading Mia's diary only when she went to the same place was just too unbelievable!
I prefer my books to be either with a hint of magic/supernatural which makes the coincidences acceptable or for them to be true-to-life. The fact that I was scanning the pages rather than reading them proved to me that I wasn't savouring the book at all but just wanted to get to the resolution at the end.
Katie’s carefully structured world is shattered by the news that her headstrong younger sister, Mia, has been found dead in Bali – and the police claim it was suicide.
With only the entries of Mia’s travel journal as her guide, Katie retraces the last few months of her sister’s life, and – page by page, country by country – begins to uncover the mystery surrounding her death.
What she discovers changes everything. But will her search for the truth push their sisterly bond – and Katie – to breaking point?
I seem to be the odd one out with my rating but I couldn't bring myself to give higher than 2 stars. The writing was lovely but the story was weak. The coincidences were too great and the fact that Katie was reading Mia's diary only when she went to the same place was just too unbelievable!
Spoiler
The fact that both Mia and Noah had damaged father/child relationships, damaged sibling relationships, guilt issues was too much for credibility.I prefer my books to be either with a hint of magic/supernatural which makes the coincidences acceptable or for them to be true-to-life. The fact that I was scanning the pages rather than reading them proved to me that I wasn't savouring the book at all but just wanted to get to the resolution at the end.
3.5 stars
Though I found it difficult to put this book down, I was a little frustrated with the ending. There was just so much build-up and the resolution felt fairly predictable and unspectacular when it came. I also disliked Mia throughout the story, though I definitely sympathized with the character of Katie. All in all, I liked the illustration of the complexities in sisters' relationships and the build-up of the plot. I also thought the characters were well drawn out, even if I didn't connect to one of the protagonists, it was only the ending that fell flat. The writing was quite good and at times almost lyrical, which made the story flow well. I would read books by this author again.
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
Though I found it difficult to put this book down, I was a little frustrated with the ending. There was just so much build-up and the resolution felt fairly predictable and unspectacular when it came. I also disliked Mia throughout the story, though I definitely sympathized with the character of Katie. All in all, I liked the illustration of the complexities in sisters' relationships and the build-up of the plot. I also thought the characters were well drawn out, even if I didn't connect to one of the protagonists, it was only the ending that fell flat. The writing was quite good and at times almost lyrical, which made the story flow well. I would read books by this author again.
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
I couldn't put it down because I was dying to know what happened to Mia. When I finished though, the ending seemed a bit ludicrous and although it was a quick read, there were a lot of things that didn't seem very realistic. I still recommend it because of how fast it flew by but don't expect the world.