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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
It was interesting but I was not wowed by it. Definitely something to read that is fast paced and intriguing.
When Rachel was a teenager, her and her friends gathered at an old cannery for a game they played with soft pellet air guns. Little did she know, her gun was switched out for a real one. When someone came up behind her, she fired and ended up shooting her half-brother, Luke. This horrific night has haunted her every day since. With her 20th high school reunion right around the corner and the anniversary of Luke's death, weird things begin to happen around her. She starts feeling like she is being watched, followed, and becomes paranoid; that is until two of her classmates are murdered. When connections are being made between these murders and Luke's death, Rachel knows her mind isn't playing tricks on her.
This book kept my attention and I didn't want to put it down! There were a lot of twists, which I loved! The only thing I feel took away from a five star rating was there were too many characters. I found myself having to figure out who was who a little too often. I still really enjoyed it and definitely want to read more from Lisa Jackson.
*Review copy received courtesy of Kensington Books and SheSpeaks.
This book kept my attention and I didn't want to put it down! There were a lot of twists, which I loved! The only thing I feel took away from a five star rating was there were too many characters. I found myself having to figure out who was who a little too often. I still really enjoyed it and definitely want to read more from Lisa Jackson.
*Review copy received courtesy of Kensington Books and SheSpeaks.
I hoped for a scary book. That cover certainly looks terrifying. Instead, it was a mystery with practically no clues and unlikable characters.
It takes a while to get going. Slow burn, build suspense, right? There was some of that. However, a solid chunk consisted of the children complaining about their mother, the mother complaining about her children, some other lady complaining that the murders are ruining the upcoming high school reunion. Now here I am, complaining about all of the complaining.
I don't feel that the plot makes a lot of sense. There aren't plot holes per se, just not enough breadcrumbs were scattered for everything to'click' into place and feel satisfying.
It takes a while to get going. Slow burn, build suspense, right? There was some of that. However, a solid chunk consisted of the children complaining about their mother, the mother complaining about her children, some other lady complaining that the murders are ruining the upcoming high school reunion. Now here I am, complaining about all of the complaining.
I don't feel that the plot makes a lot of sense. There aren't plot holes per se, just not enough breadcrumbs were scattered for everything to'click' into place and feel satisfying.
mysterious
medium-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A guilt left obvious. A dead sibling. Can a town ever truly move on from its bloody past? This is the situation that Rachel is left with after being involved in stupid teenaged game that went horribly wrong. Rachel fired the gun that inadvertently killed her half brother. His dying face haunts her existence to this day – twenty years on. Guilt plagues her even though she was acquitted of the murder. She believed she had taken his life but did she? This is a story of Fear, loss and the complexity of human emotion. As the story unfolded the reader was able to see that this wasn’t a simple story. Actions have concequences for all involved. The story follows Rachel’s life from frightened teenager to divorced woman with two children of her own and the fallout from that fateful night.
Rachel is a complex character – and I like that!
For this story it was right how in depth Rachel’s character was. She was ultimately flawed due to her experiences. She is the result of experiencing a tragic event that has changed her for good. Life would simply never be the same again for her. She has the classic signs of PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). She fears everything, her marriage broke down, she doesn’t have any close friends (possibly fearing she may lose them if she’s truly close to them) and she has her children on a very tight leash. Her Daughter, Harper often states “It’s like a prison”. Her character is completely true to the event though – who wouldn’t be psychologically affected after going through what she has!
Plot – Well executed
The plot was interesting and I enjoyed the mental health take on the main character. The take on the fallout of several families involved gave the real implications of actions and concequences. It was a quick read and I wanted to keep reading to find out who was causing such carnage in the little town. The twist was unexpected and I was very shocked. This was a great, steady read.
I received an ARC copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
4 Stars
Rachel is a complex character – and I like that!
For this story it was right how in depth Rachel’s character was. She was ultimately flawed due to her experiences. She is the result of experiencing a tragic event that has changed her for good. Life would simply never be the same again for her. She has the classic signs of PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). She fears everything, her marriage broke down, she doesn’t have any close friends (possibly fearing she may lose them if she’s truly close to them) and she has her children on a very tight leash. Her Daughter, Harper often states “It’s like a prison”. Her character is completely true to the event though – who wouldn’t be psychologically affected after going through what she has!
Plot – Well executed
The plot was interesting and I enjoyed the mental health take on the main character. The take on the fallout of several families involved gave the real implications of actions and concequences. It was a quick read and I wanted to keep reading to find out who was causing such carnage in the little town. The twist was unexpected and I was very shocked. This was a great, steady read.
I received an ARC copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
4 Stars
Twenty years ago, Rachel may have accidentally killed her half brother in a teenage game gone wrong. Now she's a divorced mom of two teenagers who test her and still living with the guilt of Luke's death. Things start happening to Rachel on the 20th anniversary of the death and she's becoming paranoid with all that is going on.
Who is behind the paranoia Rachel feels and why? Her ex Cade, who is a police officer, takes on the case as new murders start taking place. Is it all connected to that fateful night 20 years ago? Who else is feeling the guilt of that night?
Lisa Jackson does a very good job of scene setting. You feel the paranoia along with Rachel and it makes you question everything.
Who is behind the paranoia Rachel feels and why? Her ex Cade, who is a police officer, takes on the case as new murders start taking place. Is it all connected to that fateful night 20 years ago? Who else is feeling the guilt of that night?
Lisa Jackson does a very good job of scene setting. You feel the paranoia along with Rachel and it makes you question everything.
Paranoid was written by Lisa Jackson, released by Kensington Books on June 25, 2019. I was given a free copy by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
20 years ago a group of idiot teenagers played a ridiculously stupid game, and Rachel was blamed for killing her step-brother Luke. Now, with the 20 year anniversary upon them and the creation of their high school reunion committee, people from that eventful day have started getting murdered. Rachel has lived her life filled with guilt, even though she was eventually acquitted. She starts receiving text messages from an unknown number. Is she being paranoid, or is everything happening in the town related to that fateful day when Luke was killed?
This was a good book, but I had problems with it. There were a LOT of main characters. It wasn't always the easiest to keep them straight. The kids were complete and total idiots. I get that teenagers are dumb, but the ones featured in this book were unbelievably stupid. There also seemed to be a lot of plot holes and shortness of plot with the teenage characters, probably because there was already so much focus on everyone else. The book also felt about 100 pages too long. There wasn't enough action justifying the plot being dragged out like that.
I liked the story. The premise was super interesting. I just didn't like the resolution or 95% of the characters.
20 years ago a group of idiot teenagers played a ridiculously stupid game, and Rachel was blamed for killing her step-brother Luke. Now, with the 20 year anniversary upon them and the creation of their high school reunion committee, people from that eventful day have started getting murdered. Rachel has lived her life filled with guilt, even though she was eventually acquitted. She starts receiving text messages from an unknown number. Is she being paranoid, or is everything happening in the town related to that fateful day when Luke was killed?
This was a good book, but I had problems with it. There were a LOT of main characters. It wasn't always the easiest to keep them straight. The kids were complete and total idiots. I get that teenagers are dumb, but the ones featured in this book were unbelievably stupid. There also seemed to be a lot of plot holes and shortness of plot with the teenage characters, probably because there was already so much focus on everyone else. The book also felt about 100 pages too long. There wasn't enough action justifying the plot being dragged out like that.
I liked the story. The premise was super interesting. I just didn't like the resolution or 95% of the characters.