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just_klaudia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Death, Gaslighting, Car accident, Blood, and Violence
kaylasbookgram's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
This book was so amazing! Just when I thought I knew who the bad guy was a huge twist would happen and it’s change! So crazy! I didn’t know what story to believe or what was the true story! And I loved every second of it!
Moderate: Kidnapping, Bullying, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Child death, Physical abuse, Death, Police brutality, Confinement, Torture, Violence, and Grief
aleen_elizabeth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Grief, Murder, Bullying, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Confinement, and Death
Moderate: Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Classism, Mental illness, Stalking, Car accident, Kidnapping, and Torture
_sarahleb_'s review against another edition
3.0
Listen, I really wanted to love this book. I really did! But I just finished reading it and I’m actually feeling a little aggravated. This book is my actual worst nightmare.
The main character was extremely frustrating, it was almost liked she was cursed to always make the worst choice possible. I get that other people were often manipulating the situation but it was almost disheartening how often everything kept being the worst outcome possible.
I feel so incredibly bad for Tim! Like oh my god, someone named Tim must have done Freida dirty because DAMN the man could not catch a break???
This poor man has been absolutely in love with this woman his entire life, he witnesses one of the most traumatic experiences that someone could ever possibly survive. He watched the person he loves get choked half to death by HER BOYFRIEND (❤️🩹) and, despite being stabbed in the stomach, manages to save her life! And how does she thank him?! NEVER SPEAK TO HIM AGAIN!!!
But wait! If that couldn’t be ANY WORSE, she shows back up one day, FINALLY gives him a chance, gives him a glimpse of the life he could ever dream of and then BOOM. He’s INCARCERATED because of said woman?!?!
I’ll be the first to admit that Tim was not perfect, there were definitely a few questionable choices that he made but my lord. #justiceforTim
And then just when you thought things couldn’t get worse 🙃 it does. Of course it does! That’s the scariest part!! EVERYTHING WILL ALWAYS GO WRONG
Anyway, other than all of that, the writing was great! It was an easy read and I’ll definitely read some more of her books, this one just did not do it for me.
I’d like to thank Poisoned Pen Press inc and Freida McFadden for the chance to read an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence
filipa_maia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really enjoyed the story. Fast, compelling, mysterious and dark - just my type of book. Although, at some points, I felt like the story was going nowhere, I think that overall, and by the end, everything went that way it was supposed to. And that ending? My God, I was not expecting that! Nice!
I will definitely read her other books now.
Graphic: Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Murder, Violence, Death, Abandonment, Toxic friendship, Police brutality, Death of parent, Medical content, Confinement, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Grief, Car accident, and Bullying
Minor: Gun violence, Abortion, and Kidnapping
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
4.0
"Sometimes people do exactly what you think they’re going to do, and they still manage to disappoint you."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
I'm aware that Freida McFadden is a very popular psychological thriller author, but somehow I had never actually picked up one of her books before. It seemed like a sign that just when I promised to myself to change this in 2024, an ARC of previously published The Inmate popped up on Netgalley. Of course I couldn't resist this opportunity, and especially since I always love a good thriller with a prison angle... And I definitely understand why so many people seem to enjoy her books now!
The Inmate uses a dual timeline structure, where we switch between the present and eleven years earlier when the murders happened. As often with dual timeline structures, I did prefer one over the other, as the flashbacks just had a bit too much teenage drama for me. That said, once Brooke and the rest are at the farmhouse, things get intense enough to keep your attention. The present timeline is mainly your typical psychological thriller with a main character with unreliable narrator vibes... The last especially once she starts questioning her own memories. It was this present timeline that kept me on my toes, as I was fully invested in discovering the whole truth about both past and present events.
This story is definitely more character driven, and the main characters are all flawed. I had mixed feelings about Brooke, who could behave in an incredibly stupid way in parts... But I can't deny that the manipulation, gaslighting and building up of doubt and confusion are really well done. This is one of those stories that makes you think you have everything figured out, only to drop a plot twist bomb on you that makes you question everything... Not every twist is completely credible, but it does make for a very engaging story. And that ending! I definitely didn't see that last chapter coming, and it was a great way to end things on a high note.
I'm keeping this review short to avoid possible spoilers, because The Inmate will have so much more impact if you go in blind. While this story is mainly a character driven psychological thriller, there are also plenty of moments of tension and things can get pretty graphic especially in the flashbacks. I enjoyed the prison scenes, and I loved how this book made me doubt everything I thought was a given fact. Recommended if you enjoy the genre! I will definitely be diving into Freida McFadden's backlist ASAP.
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Emotional abuse, Stalking, Medical content, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Police brutality, Confinement, Kidnapping, Car accident, Grief, Bullying, Gun violence, Death of parent, Death, Gaslighting, and Violence
avidreaderandgeekgirl's review
- 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
4.25
This was a good thriller. I was bouncing back and forth between who could have done it. It was one of the guys, but I wasn't 100% sure who it was.
And the final twist with the son was interesting, though I'd figured out something was up with that little hint someone dropped.
The characters however weren't very likable for the most part, which made it a bit harder to enjoy.
Narrator Rating: 3.25 stars
The narrator was decent but pronounced some words oddly. Her voice was harder to tune out which was good. She just didn't make the book come alive as much as I would have liked.
Elemental Levels: Fluff-NA Heartfelt-4/5 Helpful-NA Horror-1/5 Inspiration-NA Love aka Romance-2/5 Mystery-4/5 Predictability-2/5 Spice-0.5/5 Suspense-3/5 Tear- 2/5 Thrill-4.5/5 Humor-0.5/5
Graphic: Violence, Death, Emotional abuse, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, Medical content, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Gun violence, Bullying, and Alcohol
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Infidelity, Child death, Classism, Mental illness, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Gore, and Cursing
Minor: Ableism, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Car accident, Fatphobia, Abandonment, Body shaming, and Abortion
nyquillll's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I was trying to make guesses and predictions on who did it, and it was basically impossible to make an informed guess (in my opinion) because both the MMCs were viable options.
I also thought the twist(s), while intriguing and shocking, kind of came out of nowhere, at least the first one, in that I don’t think if I reread the book I’d be seeing things from a different lens. It didn’t feel like something I would’ve guessed just by reading versus making abstract, wild guesses.
That said, I was invested in figuring out who did it and was curious how the whole teenage pregnancy, mom moved away, who’s the dad issue would resolve itself.
Moderate: Murder and Violence
Minor: Medical content, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, and Stalking
machenn's review
- 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
Moderate: Murder, Toxic relationship, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood
bookishchaos's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This felt a little similar to Ward D, but I still enjoyed it.
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Gaslighting and Blood
Minor: Gun violence and Car accident