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jackiesreadingjourney's review against another edition
4.0
Blacklisted Irish soap star Adele Rafferty gets a second chance at stardom when she receives an unexpected phone call to play the lead role in a horror film called Final Draft, set in Ireland years after she left and moved to LA. The catch? It’s very tight lipped so she has to sign an NDA and fly to an isolated and secluded location in the woods of Ireland within a day or two. She can’t tell a soul about the film, the director, or the location. The film is called Final Draft.
Kate is the main character and the character that Adele is playing, but this book also takes a meta approach by having the script also play out in between Adele’s experiences. Kate is also in a cabin reading a book that she found there called Final Draft, and she starts experiencing some weird occurrences when things happening to the main character, Karen in the fictional book, start to happen to Kate, the character.
As you may have guessed, Adele also starts to see the same parallels in her life as well. Karen from the book, Kate from the script, and actress Adele are all experiencing unexplainable creepy things.
Essentially, this book was very unique. It had multiple layers and was unnerving. It genuinely scared me at multiple points and it was an absolute page turner.
I love how Catherine Ryan Howard writes such unique thrillers that do not fit the mold. Just like in how The Nothing Man had a fresh take on fictional true crime stories, this psychological thriller had a fresh take on b-list horror movies.
Read this if you like:
Kate is the main character and the character that Adele is playing, but this book also takes a meta approach by having the script also play out in between Adele’s experiences. Kate is also in a cabin reading a book that she found there called Final Draft, and she starts experiencing some weird occurrences when things happening to the main character, Karen in the fictional book, start to happen to Kate, the character.
As you may have guessed, Adele also starts to see the same parallels in her life as well. Karen from the book, Kate from the script, and actress Adele are all experiencing unexplainable creepy things.
Essentially, this book was very unique. It had multiple layers and was unnerving. It genuinely scared me at multiple points and it was an absolute page turner.
I love how Catherine Ryan Howard writes such unique thrillers that do not fit the mold. Just like in how The Nothing Man had a fresh take on fictional true crime stories, this psychological thriller had a fresh take on b-list horror movies.
Read this if you like:
jakewritesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
See here’s the thing: you can write a derivative, familiar horror/movie story but as long as you give it pathos, characterization and atmosphere, it can still be really good! Catherine Ryan Howard proves it! You can write something that has been done before but turn it into quality fiction. I greatly enjoyed this one and will be seeking out more of her work.
lworonka's review against another edition
3.5
3.5/5 - i liked this one! a book about a screenplay about a book? weird setup but it somehow worked. i listened to this one on audio and i loved the cast of characters. i think it helped a lot with keeping everything straight. the screenplay aspect of it was cool. i think the plot was a litttttle bit out there but overall i liked the ride. the twists were great & i liked how everything came together.
adcoleman's review against another edition
5.0
Catherine Ryan Howard does it again! There’s something about her writing style & storytelling that just hooks me in every time! This is my fourth read from this author & again I just found myself drawn in & simultaneously needing to find out what happened but also not wanting the experience to end!
I totally get the “high-concept thriller” statement that is attached to her work! We follow a story about a movie, based on a script, featuring a book within the story, whilst the overall story we’re reading is a book. It sounds complicated but works SO well for me.
I’ve read ‘56 Days’, ‘The Nothing Man’ & ‘Rewind’ that all push the limits of structure & styles we expect in thrillers. Making CRH easily one of my favourite thriller authors!
Run Time itself is just an “I need to know what happens next”, “just one more page” kind of read, and was just so enjoyable to experience. Not the scariest of thrillers, but definitely a “popcorn thriller” as described. I really cannot wait for Catherine’s next book/s & to see what she has come up with for the next story!
I totally get the “high-concept thriller” statement that is attached to her work! We follow a story about a movie, based on a script, featuring a book within the story, whilst the overall story we’re reading is a book. It sounds complicated but works SO well for me.
I’ve read ‘56 Days’, ‘The Nothing Man’ & ‘Rewind’ that all push the limits of structure & styles we expect in thrillers. Making CRH easily one of my favourite thriller authors!
Run Time itself is just an “I need to know what happens next”, “just one more page” kind of read, and was just so enjoyable to experience. Not the scariest of thrillers, but definitely a “popcorn thriller” as described. I really cannot wait for Catherine’s next book/s & to see what she has come up with for the next story!
pio_near's review against another edition
4.0
A solidly decent meta thriller, filled with the general twists and turns but a unique spin on them all!
With Meta-fiction becoming starting to gather a wilder appeal, it's great to see if spread into the Horror/Thriller genre.
Nice job, Howard. Keep going!
My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
With Meta-fiction becoming starting to gather a wilder appeal, it's great to see if spread into the Horror/Thriller genre.
Nice job, Howard. Keep going!
My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
kaw's review against another edition
3.0
An ok thriller although I felt it was only getting going when I was over half way through. Not my favourite CRH book.
bookishwithwine's review against another edition
2.0
Predictable at a very slow pace. There came a certain point in the book where I had 90% of the plot figured out, and after that it was just hard to finish.
I really loved The Nothing Man and another of her backlist books, but not this one.
I really loved The Nothing Man and another of her backlist books, but not this one.
uhohamanda's review against another edition
2.0
it took way too long for this book to get interesting and it was just overall underwhelming.
camilleisreading24's review against another edition
4.0
My second CRH book, after 56 Days. An Irish actress whose last film ended in disaster takes a role in a secret horror film. Hoping to make her triumphant return, Adele agrees to step in for the lead at the last minute on the set of “Final Draft”— which is being shot in a remote location outside Cork. Adele is happy to sign the NDA. After all, it works best for her if no one knows she’s working again. She’d rather have the splashy surprise when the film is released.
But when Adele gets to set, things are off. The crew is tiny and Adele seems to be the only cast member. Her script is incomplete and out of order. And someone is definitely messing with her belongings. But for what purpose? Told through alternating chapters narrated by Adele and pages from the script, the tension is heightened as Adele’s experiences mirror those of her character. I liked the intertextual aspect of the story and I was curious to find out what was going on. At times I felt the narrative dragged though and the final reveal was a bit unbelievable. Overall an engrossing read and well-written too— I’ll be checking out this author’s backlist for sure.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for my honest review.
But when Adele gets to set, things are off. The crew is tiny and Adele seems to be the only cast member. Her script is incomplete and out of order. And someone is definitely messing with her belongings. But for what purpose? Told through alternating chapters narrated by Adele and pages from the script, the tension is heightened as Adele’s experiences mirror those of her character. I liked the intertextual aspect of the story and I was curious to find out what was going on. At times I felt the narrative dragged though and the final reveal was a bit unbelievable. Overall an engrossing read and well-written too— I’ll be checking out this author’s backlist for sure.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for my honest review.