Scan barcode
lori_reads_a_latte's review against another edition
3.0
Not one of my favorites that I have read. Lily who lives in an apartment building has taken up watching her neighbors. And when something happens to one of them she tries to figure out what or who caused her death. And by doing so puts herself in danger.
caszriel's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 Stars
~I received a physical ARC from HarperCollins NZ and willingly reviewed it~
Lily Gullick spies on her neighbours. A bird watcher, she uses her binoculars to look out her apartment window and make up stories about her neighbours' lives. When an old woman is murdered a night after Lily has visited her, Lily realises that she may have more information on the killer. The police don't believe her, so she conducts her own investigation. Her snooping doesn't go unnoticed, and soon she is being watched too. But the truth isn't always separated from lies...
This book is written in an original style. At first it took me awhile to understand Lily's observations, but the more I read the easier it became. The stories and names generated by Lily's mind were nothing short of intriguing. The story is directed at Lily's father and is similar to the daily diary entries suggested by Lily's therapist Helen. The mystery side of the novel is nice, I predicted the outcome early on, however at various points throughout the novel Ross Armstrong managed to convince me that I was wrong, make me doubt my theory to the point where I began believing Lily's thoughts.
Other than Lily, the characters that intrigued me are the siblings, Chris and Nathan. While Nathan has very few appearances and Chris a few more, they have a great symbolism and aid Lily throughout her adventure. They're complex because they have little reason to help and not betray Lily but some cash and sense of respect/loyalty. Chris also sees Lily as someone other than the "crazy girl down the road".
Lily's dad was very influential during his short appearance in The Watcher. After his arrival many aspects of the story are revealed, a lot becomes clearer, plus some of the truth and lies are separated. Lily's personality is partially a health condition as well as her underlying curious personality. The Watcher tells the tale of a woman trying to do the right thing and solve a murder mystery while being branded as psychotic and troubled.
~I received a physical ARC from HarperCollins NZ and willingly reviewed it~
Lily Gullick spies on her neighbours. A bird watcher, she uses her binoculars to look out her apartment window and make up stories about her neighbours' lives. When an old woman is murdered a night after Lily has visited her, Lily realises that she may have more information on the killer. The police don't believe her, so she conducts her own investigation. Her snooping doesn't go unnoticed, and soon she is being watched too. But the truth isn't always separated from lies...
This book is written in an original style. At first it took me awhile to understand Lily's observations, but the more I read the easier it became. The stories and names generated by Lily's mind were nothing short of intriguing. The story is directed at Lily's father and is similar to the daily diary entries suggested by Lily's therapist Helen. The mystery side of the novel is nice, I predicted the outcome early on, however at various points throughout the novel Ross Armstrong managed to convince me that I was wrong, make me doubt my theory to the point where I began believing Lily's thoughts.
Other than Lily, the characters that intrigued me are the siblings, Chris and Nathan. While Nathan has very few appearances and Chris a few more, they have a great symbolism and aid Lily throughout her adventure. They're complex because they have little reason to help and not betray Lily but some cash and sense of respect/loyalty. Chris also sees Lily as someone other than the "crazy girl down the road".
Lily's dad was very influential during his short appearance in The Watcher. After his arrival many aspects of the story are revealed, a lot becomes clearer, plus some of the truth and lies are separated. Lily's personality is partially a health condition as well as her underlying curious personality. The Watcher tells the tale of a woman trying to do the right thing and solve a murder mystery while being branded as psychotic and troubled.
laurarm's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
2.75
Ein mittel spannender Thriller, dessen Ende etwas absehbar war. Das Erzählelement der du-Ansprache war interessant und auch die unverlässliche Erzählerin hat eine interessante Ebene eingefügt. Es ist keine unbedingte Empfehlung, aber es war auch nicht so langweilig, dass man das Buch nicht zu Ende gelesen hätte.
novelesque_life's review against another edition
DNF @28%
I could not get into this novel after several attempts. I found that Lily wass not likeable or relatable, or even interesting. The story does not follow a clear line...so I am going to DNF as I am growing to resent myself for forcing me to keep reading it.
***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through Edelweiss/NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***
I could not get into this novel after several attempts. I found that Lily wass not likeable or relatable, or even interesting. The story does not follow a clear line...so I am going to DNF as I am growing to resent myself for forcing me to keep reading it.
***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through Edelweiss/NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***
kirbyii's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Saw the twist coming from page 20 lmaoo
teekraenzchen's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
usbsticky's review against another edition
1.0
I really disliked the way this was written. The writing was very awkward to read, I had to struggle to read it. It's in some kind of perky first person narrative which really rubbed me the wrong way and very reader unfriendly. A book is supposed to tell a story but this doesn't. You know when you read, you read out loud in your own mind, this one pinged annoyingly in my mind. A well deserved 1 star. To the author: please don't do this again.
I got this as a free review copy, an uncorrected proof.
I got this as a free review copy, an uncorrected proof.