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3.37 AVERAGE
3.37 AVERAGE
This is a novel in the vein of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train. There’s an unreliable narrator and a story that twists and turns on itself as each new revelation sheds a different light on the story being told. The novel concerns Catherine, who upon reading a book that just showed up at her house, comes face to face with the events of some fifteen years ago, and sees herself clearly identified as the villain of the piece. It throws her into a tailspin, unable to sleep and uncertain of what to do next.
It’s a good enough set up for a decent beach novel, but it’s uneven in the execution. Too much of the book depended on information being withheld from the reader, although it’s known to the main characters. While this strategy kept me reading, it didn’t make me trust the storytelling. And just as I started to become bored enough with the initial pattern of the book, Knight stands the entire premise on its head and delivers an unexpected and unexpectedly powerful reveal, which is then marred by the reaction of the main characters. There’s one individual whose reaction to a version of the secret being revealed is so unlikely and over the top that I wondered at Catherine’s ever allowing them to become a part of her life. Taken as a whole, Disclaimer was a decent enough entertainment, but nothing more.
It’s a good enough set up for a decent beach novel, but it’s uneven in the execution. Too much of the book depended on information being withheld from the reader, although it’s known to the main characters. While this strategy kept me reading, it didn’t make me trust the storytelling. And just as I started to become bored enough with the initial pattern of the book, Knight stands the entire premise on its head and delivers an unexpected and unexpectedly powerful reveal, which is then marred by the reaction of the main characters. There’s one individual whose reaction to a version of the secret being revealed is so unlikely and over the top that I wondered at Catherine’s ever allowing them to become a part of her life. Taken as a whole, Disclaimer was a decent enough entertainment, but nothing more.
Not at all what I was expecting. Slow-going but picks up. Less “psychological thriller” and more sad / emotional
dark
mysterious
tense
You find a book by your bed that you have no recollection of acquiring. How has it got into your house?
Curiosity gets the better of you and you pick the book up and start to read.
The story sounds familiar, of course it does. This is your story.
And so this debut novel begins. The disclaimer about the coincidence of the characters resembling actual persons living or dead is simply a lie.
This novel reveals the readers secret which she has kept for over twenty years.
Catherine is a successful documentary maker, her husband a lawyer, they have one son and have moved to a new property which is where this book turns up.
Upon the surface, the marriage seems a strong one. Cracks seem to be appearing and it seems that the secret that Catherine has been keeping is in fact eating away at her husband, her son and someone else. But who?
"The act of keeping the secret a secret has almost become bigger than the secret itself".
Running concurrently is the story of Stephen, widowed, a teacher who left under a cloud. Stephen is grieving for a life lost, a past life, a life that never existed. There is something ominous about him. From the moment his chapters start and he starts talking directly to us the reader, I felt uncomfortable. He seemed desperate and no one could reach him or help him. I had to keep reading to get past these points as I knew they were relevant to the plot but I did not like what I was getting from this character.
The question as a reader you are going to ask yourself - what is in the book that is supposed to be Catherine's story? And what is the ending going to be. In fact the author tells us the ending. So we know what is going to happen.
Don't we?
Slowly Renee Knight reveals all, there are some twists and turns in this thriller as you would expect there to be but it made me stop and think. I made a judgement based on one persons story - then when you know the truth you feel that you have been so blind-sided you were never open to hearing everyone's story.
To say any more would be foolish. Try the book, challenge yourself.
Curiosity gets the better of you and you pick the book up and start to read.
The story sounds familiar, of course it does. This is your story.
And so this debut novel begins. The disclaimer about the coincidence of the characters resembling actual persons living or dead is simply a lie.
This novel reveals the readers secret which she has kept for over twenty years.
Catherine is a successful documentary maker, her husband a lawyer, they have one son and have moved to a new property which is where this book turns up.
Upon the surface, the marriage seems a strong one. Cracks seem to be appearing and it seems that the secret that Catherine has been keeping is in fact eating away at her husband, her son and someone else. But who?
"The act of keeping the secret a secret has almost become bigger than the secret itself".
Running concurrently is the story of Stephen, widowed, a teacher who left under a cloud. Stephen is grieving for a life lost, a past life, a life that never existed. There is something ominous about him. From the moment his chapters start and he starts talking directly to us the reader, I felt uncomfortable. He seemed desperate and no one could reach him or help him. I had to keep reading to get past these points as I knew they were relevant to the plot but I did not like what I was getting from this character.
The question as a reader you are going to ask yourself - what is in the book that is supposed to be Catherine's story? And what is the ending going to be. In fact the author tells us the ending. So we know what is going to happen.
Don't we?
Slowly Renee Knight reveals all, there are some twists and turns in this thriller as you would expect there to be but it made me stop and think. I made a judgement based on one persons story - then when you know the truth you feel that you have been so blind-sided you were never open to hearing everyone's story.
To say any more would be foolish. Try the book, challenge yourself.
I like that the plot was very unexpected. The writers is playing with the reader. You always think the story will go a different way
I unfortunately lost the book so I can’t continue until I get a new copy
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
Two storylines make this book - one is Catherine Ravenscroft who finds a book that sends her life in a tail spin and the other storyline is a relation to the author of the book that affects her life.
At the beginning, I was nervous as I had no idea how these two stories would connect and with what I told you above, I was still confused. But the minute they started intersecting the book just took off from there. The stories weaved in and out and from the past to the present as a major catalyst for this story occurred 20 years ago. There were twists and turns and ups and downs to the very end and the last one threw me for a loop - a good loop!
Two storylines make this book - one is Catherine Ravenscroft who finds a book that sends her life in a tail spin and the other storyline is a relation to the author of the book that affects her life.
At the beginning, I was nervous as I had no idea how these two stories would connect and with what I told you above, I was still confused. But the minute they started intersecting the book just took off from there. The stories weaved in and out and from the past to the present as a major catalyst for this story occurred 20 years ago. There were twists and turns and ups and downs to the very end and the last one threw me for a loop - a good loop!
From the first page, I found it hard to put this book down and it really had me fooled thinking I had the plot solved until the very end. Hard to believe this is a debut, such a good book.
If you trust me at all, then trust me on this one. Take a chance and read it.
Disclaimer It took me awhile to get into this. I had almost given up, but then…
From the reviews I’m reading I liked Disclaimer more than some.
The Hook - The blurb - ”What if you realized the terrifying book you were reading was all about you?” Come on now, isn’t that enough to reel you in?
The Line – ”All I felt was soft filth, and it got into my skin and under my fingernails, and its stink invaded my nostrils, clinging to the hairs, soaking up into the tiny blood vessels and polluting my entire system.
The Sinker – Catherine Ravenscroft soon realizes the book she finds by her beside is far more sinister than a light work of fiction. She’s intrigued by this suspenseful story The Perfect Stranger until she realizes it’s all about her. Where did it come from? Who wrote it? And why was it left for her? It threatens to expose a secret from her past, one she thought hidden for all time, the consequences which could topple her very existence.
Renêe Knight plotted this psychological tale with precision. A satisfying read with questions we all struggle to answer. How well do we know our spouses? How strong is love? How well do we know our children? Would we lie for them? Do we see them as others do? Do we put them first, even before our spouses? What do we see but deny? Do we want to know the truth? Who do we trust?
Disclaimer is about two marriages, two families, two boys, two sons. It is thought provoking. It’s a book within a book, its pages filled with revenge, betrayal, love, guilt, bravery, sadness, and brimming with human emotion. I thought I would scream if someone compared it to Gone Girl but they already have. Be warned this is no copycat. Knight earns the excitement that her debut deserves.
Disclaimer It took me awhile to get into this. I had almost given up, but then…
From the reviews I’m reading I liked Disclaimer more than some.
The Hook - The blurb - ”What if you realized the terrifying book you were reading was all about you?” Come on now, isn’t that enough to reel you in?
The Line – ”All I felt was soft filth, and it got into my skin and under my fingernails, and its stink invaded my nostrils, clinging to the hairs, soaking up into the tiny blood vessels and polluting my entire system.
The Sinker – Catherine Ravenscroft soon realizes the book she finds by her beside is far more sinister than a light work of fiction. She’s intrigued by this suspenseful story The Perfect Stranger until she realizes it’s all about her. Where did it come from? Who wrote it? And why was it left for her? It threatens to expose a secret from her past, one she thought hidden for all time, the consequences which could topple her very existence.
Renêe Knight plotted this psychological tale with precision. A satisfying read with questions we all struggle to answer. How well do we know our spouses? How strong is love? How well do we know our children? Would we lie for them? Do we see them as others do? Do we put them first, even before our spouses? What do we see but deny? Do we want to know the truth? Who do we trust?
Disclaimer is about two marriages, two families, two boys, two sons. It is thought provoking. It’s a book within a book, its pages filled with revenge, betrayal, love, guilt, bravery, sadness, and brimming with human emotion. I thought I would scream if someone compared it to Gone Girl but they already have. Be warned this is no copycat. Knight earns the excitement that her debut deserves.
Wow! This was absolutely incredible, for the first half I was intrigued and completely drawn in to this book and the twist in the middle of this book is so excellently written, clever and powerful to read it had me in tears! Definitely research trigger warnings before reading but I would so recommend this book to anyone who loves a mystery and incredibly clever thriller.
Knight’s method of building up a reveal and jumping around the key information before telling the audience everything in one short sentence is so powerful as a reader because you have that moment of shock and disbelief before realising what has happened and then immediately you are drawn to read more.
The development of Catherine’s character and her relationship with her son and husband is amazing to watch as you spend so much of your time reading a version of events that were decided by someone who wasn’t there, only to discover everything wasn’t as it was made up to be and the book takes a dark, dark twist. This book makes you realise how everything can be misinterpreted and completely taken out of context before the true events are revealed and how trust and love can be very easily lost along the way.
This book will stay with me for a long time and I am so glad I chose to read what was seemingly a simple affair tale because it turned out to be a complex and layered story. Love, love, love!
Knight’s method of building up a reveal and jumping around the key information before telling the audience everything in one short sentence is so powerful as a reader because you have that moment of shock and disbelief before realising what has happened and then immediately you are drawn to read more.
The development of Catherine’s character and her relationship with her son and husband is amazing to watch as you spend so much of your time reading a version of events that were decided by someone who wasn’t there, only to discover everything wasn’t as it was made up to be and the book takes a dark, dark twist. This book makes you realise how everything can be misinterpreted and completely taken out of context before the true events are revealed and how trust and love can be very easily lost along the way.
This book will stay with me for a long time and I am so glad I chose to read what was seemingly a simple affair tale because it turned out to be a complex and layered story. Love, love, love!