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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
I struggled with this one. I usually like books similar to this but it was quite dull.
I didn't like the character of Grace and I didn't think there was enough depth to the other characters.
It was a boring read and I wish I'd given up on it because it didn't get any better.
I didn't like the character of Grace and I didn't think there was enough depth to the other characters.
It was a boring read and I wish I'd given up on it because it didn't get any better.
Grace hasn’t been the same since she lost her best friend Charlie; she is haunted by her last words and make a point to dig up their time capsule just to see her writing again. It becomes clear that she didn’t know everything about Charlie or her family.
I do really enjoy Jensen’s psychology thrillers and how I never quite see the ending coming. I didn’t realize that this was Jensen’s first novel because you can’t tell through the writing! I loved the chapters that went back and forth between past and present to see what Charlie and Grace went through as kids. I liked how twisted the families were and the secrets that were hidden from both girls. I really enjoyed flipping the pages and finding out more and more about Charlie!
I do really enjoy Jensen’s psychology thrillers and how I never quite see the ending coming. I didn’t realize that this was Jensen’s first novel because you can’t tell through the writing! I loved the chapters that went back and forth between past and present to see what Charlie and Grace went through as kids. I liked how twisted the families were and the secrets that were hidden from both girls. I really enjoyed flipping the pages and finding out more and more about Charlie!
The ending of this book more than made up for how pitifully annoying this character was for the first 2/3 of this book! ;)
Here’s another one of those cases where I was being a good little girl, minding my own business and being all mature; not requesting anything else from NetGalley until my ratio stabilizes (go ahead and laugh). But then all my friends were reading it, and if there’s anything you can count on, its Chelsea not wanting to be left out of the cool reading group. Of course the summary drew me in along with the GORGEOUS cover, so there went my NetGalley sabbatical and all my dignity with it. I’m really glad I let go of my pride and humbly begged for this one, because it was well worth my time.
The prologue, or first chapter, really draws us in. It’s so vague and mysterious and there are so many questions. Then, the whole tempo changes and we are busy setting up the background and plot, which was a little slower paced than your average gimmicky thriller, but hang in there because its worth it! At about 20-25% in is when we meet Anna, and things start to pick up. All these mysterious things keep happening to keep us guessing who has it out for Grace and why. Things just start rolling along more quickly, and I’ll be darned if it wasn’t an entire night of “just one more chapter”, until I realized I had read the whole book. The ending provided full closure, but more on that later.
“It seems a long time now since we laughed like that. Loved like that. Grief has pushed us
apart like repelling magnets: no matter how hard we try to reach each other, there’s
a gulf between us that we just can’t bridge.”
Grace and Dan have a tricky relationship. Not only have they been friends since elementary school, but they were also mutual friends with Charlie, who has now passed, since elementary school. One of the aspects I truly loved was this novel’s flipping between present and past tense, giving us an insider look on how these friends grew into who they are now and what they had to endure along the way. There was a greater level of depth to the characters than is typical in thrillers these days, as it seems the fad now to focus all efforts on the dreaded “big twist”; this was not the case here. I was impressed at how this book seemed to break genre barriers and carry along into multiple interest levels. I could just as easily see someone who is interested in Women’s Fiction loving this story as another reader who is strictly a Suspense/Thriller consumer. The characters had significant background, which I feel was quite a feat given the sheer amount of people who cropped up along the way. Of course this was a thriller as described in the summary, but there were also undercurrents of women’s issues, such as depression, prescription drug abuse, body image issues, and finding your voice/standing up for yourself in a hostile relationship.
“Could I have saved her? The thought that I might have been able to nestled inside me, as if it belonged there as much as my bones, my kidneys, my lungs. My skin would shed cells, my scalp would lose hair, my liver repair itself. My body would refresh and renew in the years to come, but the guilt? I knew that would stay. Forever a part of me.”
Guilt seems to be the heaviest and greatest theme to this book. There is such a great web spun from this group of friends who have experienced so much of their lives together, and I was fully intrigued by each person’s individual guilt along with the guilt each felt over certain incidents together. There were quite a few surprising twists near the end, and I found myself still thinking about this book days after turning the final page, which is partly why I am just now writing the review. Louise Jensen has enormous talent and I am absolutely waiting on pins and needles to read what she produces next. Highly recommended to readers of all genres as this one crosses boundaries on so many levels.
* I received my copy via NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. Many thanks and looking forward to my next Bookouture read!
The prologue, or first chapter, really draws us in. It’s so vague and mysterious and there are so many questions. Then, the whole tempo changes and we are busy setting up the background and plot, which was a little slower paced than your average gimmicky thriller, but hang in there because its worth it! At about 20-25% in is when we meet Anna, and things start to pick up. All these mysterious things keep happening to keep us guessing who has it out for Grace and why. Things just start rolling along more quickly, and I’ll be darned if it wasn’t an entire night of “just one more chapter”, until I realized I had read the whole book. The ending provided full closure, but more on that later.
“It seems a long time now since we laughed like that. Loved like that. Grief has pushed us
apart like repelling magnets: no matter how hard we try to reach each other, there’s
a gulf between us that we just can’t bridge.”
Grace and Dan have a tricky relationship. Not only have they been friends since elementary school, but they were also mutual friends with Charlie, who has now passed, since elementary school. One of the aspects I truly loved was this novel’s flipping between present and past tense, giving us an insider look on how these friends grew into who they are now and what they had to endure along the way. There was a greater level of depth to the characters than is typical in thrillers these days, as it seems the fad now to focus all efforts on the dreaded “big twist”; this was not the case here. I was impressed at how this book seemed to break genre barriers and carry along into multiple interest levels. I could just as easily see someone who is interested in Women’s Fiction loving this story as another reader who is strictly a Suspense/Thriller consumer. The characters had significant background, which I feel was quite a feat given the sheer amount of people who cropped up along the way. Of course this was a thriller as described in the summary, but there were also undercurrents of women’s issues, such as depression, prescription drug abuse, body image issues, and finding your voice/standing up for yourself in a hostile relationship.
“Could I have saved her? The thought that I might have been able to nestled inside me, as if it belonged there as much as my bones, my kidneys, my lungs. My skin would shed cells, my scalp would lose hair, my liver repair itself. My body would refresh and renew in the years to come, but the guilt? I knew that would stay. Forever a part of me.”
Guilt seems to be the heaviest and greatest theme to this book. There is such a great web spun from this group of friends who have experienced so much of their lives together, and I was fully intrigued by each person’s individual guilt along with the guilt each felt over certain incidents together. There were quite a few surprising twists near the end, and I found myself still thinking about this book days after turning the final page, which is partly why I am just now writing the review. Louise Jensen has enormous talent and I am absolutely waiting on pins and needles to read what she produces next. Highly recommended to readers of all genres as this one crosses boundaries on so many levels.
* I received my copy via NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. Many thanks and looking forward to my next Bookouture read!
Overall I enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to anyone I know who loves that kind of thriller. The first half of this book was difficult for me, mostly due to the protagonist and how naive she was to things happening around her. And for the “feel sorry for me” attitude she had. I’ve read several books where I’ve wanted to reach in and shake some sense into the main character (Mae from The Circle, anyone??) - - this is the same feeling Grace gave me for (according to my Kindle) the first 52% of the book. But then the first twist came, and this is where it started to pick up for me. I became way more invested in Grace and Charlie’s relationship, and the dynamic Anna added to it. Also, I love a good moment when you’re like, “Oh damn…please tell me they did not just think that was a good idea.” Dan delivered this moment for me and completely changed my mind about this book. Dan, Lexie, and Grace’s grandparents were great secondary characters. I loved the grandparents. I think they added the balance this book needed.
Since I prefer my reviews to be spoiler free, I won’t go into details, but the explanation of when Grace is being followed was underwhelming. I felt it could have been developed further. There was this great build and potential once it came out to be something fantastic, but I was mostly left wondering what the point was. That subplot could have been left out altogether and not hurt the story at all. It felt like a filler story line, and I’m not a huge fan of those.
The second half of this book saved it for me. I think overall it’s a good debut novel. I think it’s worth the read even if you want to shake the main character some! The talent is there with this author, so I would imagine each book with get better.
I was provided an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and Bookouture.
For more of my book reviews please check out my blog :) https://caffeinatious.wordpress.com/
Since I prefer my reviews to be spoiler free, I won’t go into details, but the explanation of when Grace is being followed was underwhelming. I felt it could have been developed further. There was this great build and potential once it came out to be something fantastic, but I was mostly left wondering what the point was. That subplot could have been left out altogether and not hurt the story at all. It felt like a filler story line, and I’m not a huge fan of those.
The second half of this book saved it for me. I think overall it’s a good debut novel. I think it’s worth the read even if you want to shake the main character some! The talent is there with this author, so I would imagine each book with get better.
I was provided an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and Bookouture.
For more of my book reviews please check out my blog :) https://caffeinatious.wordpress.com/
I picked up this book to read as an escape on a vacation. The backcover blurb intrigued me and I began the story. I found all of the characters deeply unlikable in this story as well as unbelievable. The circumstances for justification from this author made no sense to me and I found little logic in the actions taken. I continued and finished this book with the hope that things would begin to make more sense or at least get better. It did not. The writing did not appeal to me; the story seemed unrealistic; the characters were unreedemable and uninteresting.
This one kept me on the edge of my seat for a lot of the book but the shocking twist wasn't as shocking as I thought it would be and I definitely saw it coming. Still a good page-turner for sure though.
Not bad but entirely let down in its overly ambitious ending, just feels too formulaic as too many of these sort of books are being pumped out by the publishers following in the shadow of Gone Girl.
Very suprised
After reading various reviews on this book I felt quite reluctant to read it. Well I am glad that I didn't listen to the bad reviews because I extremely enjoyed reading this novel. So much so I read it in a day! Great twist (may have been slightly predictable in places) but loved it!
After reading various reviews on this book I felt quite reluctant to read it. Well I am glad that I didn't listen to the bad reviews because I extremely enjoyed reading this novel. So much so I read it in a day! Great twist (may have been slightly predictable in places) but loved it!