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kelly_e's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Title: Wrong Place Wrong Time
Author: Gillian McAllister
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 3.25
Pub Date: August 2, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Intriguing • Creative • Anticlimactic
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Can you stop a murder after it’s already happened?
Late October. After midnight. You’re waiting up for your seventeen-year-old son. He’s late. As you watch from the window, he emerges, and you realize he isn’t alone: he’s walking toward a man, and he’s armed.
You can’t believe it when you see him do it: your funny, happy teenage son, he kills a stranger, right there on the street outside your house. You don’t know who. You don’t know why. You only know your son is now in custody. His future shattered.
That night you fall asleep in despair. All is lost. Until you wake...
... and it is yesterday.
And then you wake again...
... and it is the day before yesterday.
Every morning you wake up a day earlier, another day before the murder. With another chance to stop it. Somewhere in the past lies an answer. The trigger for this crime—and you don’t have a choice but to find it...
💭 T H O U G H T S
Wrong Place Wrong Time is a book I probably wouldn't have picked on my own, but when it was selected as the February book for my in-person book club I knew I would give it a shot. I was interested in the time travel aspect, but was definitely hesitant about the rest of the premise.
I was deeply invested in the unique narrative at the start and could not put it down. The time travel aspect was intriguing, but the middle was an absolute slog and I found myself just wanting it to end. Eventually the pace would pick back up, but it was too late, my interest had already waned. In fact, the ending was a little anticlimactic for me. I understand the slow pacing is due to the way in which it is written - backwards through time - yet there wasn't the tension I carved.
There were several themes I appreciated. Firstly, I liked how this novel explore how what may seem like small choices and actions at the time, can have huge impacts on our future lives. And how if you change one thing, it can change everything. It's an interesting concept that leads to a lot of contemplation. Second, I thought it was a very realistic depiction of motherhood and the impact of mom guilt.
Gillian McAllister gets my praise simply for the creativity of the plot, and for all of the planning I imagine went into putting it into words. It's certainly unlike any thriller I've read and that deserves credit. I just wish it could have been executed a little more smoothly with more tension and quicker pace.
Overall, Wrong Place Wrong Time didn't do it for me. I know I am in the minority, as this is beloved by so many, but the pace didn't pick up until the final 25% and by then it was too late. I did really like the concept, but the execution faltered and I had to push myself to get through. I don't think I will be reading anything else by this author in the future, but I can understand why she's a favourite author of many readers.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• time-travel enthusiasts
• readers looking for unique thriller
⚠️ CW: murder, gun violence, blood, injury/injury detail, death, death of parent, grief, stalking, kidnapping, cursing, mental illness, suicide, addiction, drug use, drug abuse, fatphobia, sexual content, pregnancy, gaslighting
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"But knowing the future is worse than not knowing."
Author: Gillian McAllister
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 3.25
Pub Date: August 2, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Intriguing • Creative • Anticlimactic
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Can you stop a murder after it’s already happened?
Late October. After midnight. You’re waiting up for your seventeen-year-old son. He’s late. As you watch from the window, he emerges, and you realize he isn’t alone: he’s walking toward a man, and he’s armed.
You can’t believe it when you see him do it: your funny, happy teenage son, he kills a stranger, right there on the street outside your house. You don’t know who. You don’t know why. You only know your son is now in custody. His future shattered.
That night you fall asleep in despair. All is lost. Until you wake...
... and it is yesterday.
And then you wake again...
... and it is the day before yesterday.
Every morning you wake up a day earlier, another day before the murder. With another chance to stop it. Somewhere in the past lies an answer. The trigger for this crime—and you don’t have a choice but to find it...
💭 T H O U G H T S
Wrong Place Wrong Time is a book I probably wouldn't have picked on my own, but when it was selected as the February book for my in-person book club I knew I would give it a shot. I was interested in the time travel aspect, but was definitely hesitant about the rest of the premise.
I was deeply invested in the unique narrative at the start and could not put it down. The time travel aspect was intriguing, but the middle was an absolute slog and I found myself just wanting it to end. Eventually the pace would pick back up, but it was too late, my interest had already waned. In fact, the ending was a little anticlimactic for me. I understand the slow pacing is due to the way in which it is written - backwards through time - yet there wasn't the tension I carved.
There were several themes I appreciated. Firstly, I liked how this novel explore how what may seem like small choices and actions at the time, can have huge impacts on our future lives. And how if you change one thing, it can change everything. It's an interesting concept that leads to a lot of contemplation. Second, I thought it was a very realistic depiction of motherhood and the impact of mom guilt.
Gillian McAllister gets my praise simply for the creativity of the plot, and for all of the planning I imagine went into putting it into words. It's certainly unlike any thriller I've read and that deserves credit. I just wish it could have been executed a little more smoothly with more tension and quicker pace.
Overall, Wrong Place Wrong Time didn't do it for me. I know I am in the minority, as this is beloved by so many, but the pace didn't pick up until the final 25% and by then it was too late. I did really like the concept, but the execution faltered and I had to push myself to get through. I don't think I will be reading anything else by this author in the future, but I can understand why she's a favourite author of many readers.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• time-travel enthusiasts
• readers looking for unique thriller
⚠️ CW: murder, gun violence, blood, injury/injury detail, death, death of parent, grief, stalking, kidnapping, cursing, mental illness, suicide, addiction, drug use, drug abuse, fatphobia, sexual content, pregnancy, gaslighting
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"But knowing the future is worse than not knowing."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Stalking, Blood, Gun violence, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
Minor: Grief, Cursing, Suicide, Drug use, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Addiction
beccaand's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death of parent, Death, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Kidnapping
Minor: Suicide
jes_reads00's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Cursing, and Kidnapping
abicaro17's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
HoLY SHIT! Damm. This book doesn't miss. Every time you think you have something figured out: you don't. While most of the characters don't develop beyond their box, Kelly and Jen become something else entirely. They start off in the box but evolve into their own complex characters with backstories you'd never think of. Truly a time travel story thats both new and exciting! My only qualm (which doesn't effect the actual story which is why it doesn't effect the score) is that a lot of the book throws in British slang and as an American its hard to understand.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Murder, Blood, Dysphoria, Cursing, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, Death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Violence
erinoconnor's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I really enjoyed the premise of this book. The twists and turns were all at once surprising and satisfying. I hoped she was going in one direction, but then she’d go in a completely different one before ending at the same conclusion I wanted. It was a rollercoaster, equal parts enjoyable, frustrating, and inventive.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Kidnapping
Minor: Drug use, Suicide, and Drug abuse
sara_phoenix's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Jen Brotherhood’s teenage son Todd has stabbed someone. After her son is charged with murder and placed in jail, Jen and her husband Kelly leave the police station, go to bed, and then Jen wakes up 1 day before the murder. Wrong Place, Wrong Time is Jen’s journey backwards in time, one day at a time, to try to piece together who was stabbed, why, and what her son has to do with this major crime. Part psychological thriller, part time-travel novel with a sprinkle of deja-vu moments, Wrong Place, Wrong Time will keep you guessing. The highlight of this book for me was Jen’s struggle on how her interactions in the past might change her entire future. If you like time-travel or loved the movie Inception or Groundhog Day, this is the book for you. I didn’t find the plot as riveting as most reviewers, or the characters especially intriguing, but the book held my attention, and it was a pretty fast-paced read. I was able to predict most of the twists, but it still made for an enjoyable first book of 2024.
Content Warnings
Minor: Kidnapping, Murder, and Death
skeptic_hecate's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
I couldn't put this book down, I enjoyed reading it so much. Everything falls into place at the end, even the small things. There were a few things I could guess or assume, but most of the twists caught me completely of guard. The writting style is masterful, and, at the end of the day, this is a book on motherhood, the perils and the joys.
I am not a mother myseld, I don't want to be, however, this book really made me feel the anxieties and pleasures, and how Jen really cares about her family. I really recommend this book to thriller and mystery fans. It is masterfully written and very engaging.
I am not a mother myseld, I don't want to be, however, this book really made me feel the anxieties and pleasures, and how Jen really cares about her family. I really recommend this book to thriller and mystery fans. It is masterfully written and very engaging.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Abandonment, and Kidnapping
cerilouisereads's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Drug use, Toxic relationship, and Violence
nina_johnson's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Cursing
Moderate: Death, Murder, Sexual content, and Kidnapping
Minor: Death of parent and Pandemic/Epidemic
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Wrong Place, Wrong Time is a crime novel with a time travel aspect. The novel opens with Jen witnessing her son commit murder. The following day she wakes up ... and discovers it’s actually the day before the murder. Each day she travels back in time a little further, desperately searching for clues, information or anything that she might be able to use to stop her son taking the life of another. What she learns will force her to reassess everything she knows about herself and her family. Apart from the unique time travel element what I most enjoyed about this book was the way it looked at motherhood. Jen was constantly questioning her parenting decisions, feeling that she must have failed her son in some way for him to have committed such a violent act.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder