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casualspoons's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The beginning was tough to get through because some lines are bit jarring (“oscillating eyes” will haunt me for quite some time) but the mystery’s payoff was well worth the read! So while this isn’t my favorite style of writing, it’s still an interesting and difficult story. Not exactly re-readable since the mystery was the main draw for me, but I’m glad to have read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse
Moderate: Child abuse, Mental illness, and Alcoholism
Minor: Forced institutionalization
_chelseachelsea's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Something I really like about Kara Thomas is her skill for pacing. Many thrillers unfold too slowly - dragging out the mystery until the last possible second, then rushing through the explanation like a Bond villain - or too quickly, in a way that feels unrealistic and overly convenient. This was my second Thomas novel (the first being The Cheerleaders) and I continue to be impressed by the way she manages to balance tension with realism. That Weekend feels like a play, with a first act that lays out just enough information to draw you in, a second act that unravels with impeccable timing, and a finale that delivers satisfying answers. While the mystery isn’t necessarily jaw-droppingly clever or unique, I don’t think that’s a weakness. In fact, I‘m finding more and more as I read thriller after thriller that a believable story is infinitely harder to pull off than a ridiculous one.
For most of the book, I had a 4.25-4.5 star rating in mind. I loved the narrator, Claire, who we follow as she struggles to recall the events that led her to be found bloody and concussed on a mountain she doesn’t remember stepping foot on. Claire is smart, but stubborn. She is petty, but she cares. She feels like a real teenager, on the cusp of adulthood and unsure of who she wants to be. When her life is toppled by trauma her response to it feels true, not contrived, and when she starts digging for answers it’s not because she’s a scrappy hometown hero with a sudden burst of detective skills - it’s because she cannot move forward from her own grief without the answers she thinks will resolve it. Again, Thomas demonstrates a real understanding of loss.
The one complaint I have, which ultimately caused me to drop my rating to a 4.0, is that while the finale does give a satisfying resolution to the story - without tying it up too neatly in a way that feels cheap - there are a few “bonus” twists that I felt warranted more attention. One of my biggest pet peeves in a thriller or mystery is when a plot point feels rushed or thrown in at the last minute. By the time these shockers are dropped on us, the pages are drawing to a close. There’s no time to explore the meaning or impact of them. I found it frustrating that by the time we were really getting to learn more about these other characters, our time with them was over.
Outside of that peeve, That Weekend is an excellent novel about guilt, grief, and the burden of secrets - even the ones we must keep to protect ourselves.
For most of the book, I had a 4.25-4.5 star rating in mind. I loved the narrator, Claire, who we follow as she struggles to recall the events that led her to be found bloody and concussed on a mountain she doesn’t remember stepping foot on. Claire is smart, but stubborn. She is petty, but she cares. She feels like a real teenager, on the cusp of adulthood and unsure of who she wants to be. When her life is toppled by trauma her response to it feels true, not contrived, and when she starts digging for answers it’s not because she’s a scrappy hometown hero with a sudden burst of detective skills - it’s because she cannot move forward from her own grief without the answers she thinks will resolve it. Again, Thomas demonstrates a real understanding of loss.
The one complaint I have, which ultimately caused me to drop my rating to a 4.0, is that while the finale does give a satisfying resolution to the story - without tying it up too neatly in a way that feels cheap - there are a few “bonus” twists that I felt warranted more attention. One of my biggest pet peeves in a thriller or mystery is when a plot point feels rushed or thrown in at the last minute. By the time these shockers are dropped on us, the pages are drawing to a close. There’s no time to explore the meaning or impact of them. I found it frustrating that by the time we were really getting to learn more about these other characters, our time with them was over.
Outside of that peeve, That Weekend is an excellent novel about guilt, grief, and the burden of secrets - even the ones we must keep to protect ourselves.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Classism, Confinement, Grief, Incest, Medical content, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, Murder, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Blood, Drug use, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Child abuse, Mental illness, Trafficking, and Alcohol
bibliorama's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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? No
4.0
Enjoyment - 4.5
The audiobook narrator was quite good and brought a lot of emotion to the performance. I also liked the look at grief this book brings. Some of the tropes this book covers is memory loss, friends go missing in the woods during a camping trip, complicated friend dynamics.
Start - 5
We start out with our mc not remembering anything, and where she is initially found adds a lot of tension to the plot. There is a sense of threat to her, but based on her not being able to remember anything the feeling lingers.
Characters - 4
These were pretty rounded characters for ya mystery -- and I only say that not to rag on ya, but because right after this I read 5 Total Strangers. Now that was the opposite of well-rounded. Without giving away spoilers, I felt for the main character and by the end was like girl it's time for you to move on and find some new friends.
Atmosphere - 2.75
This was the lowest score simply because it felt like this plot could have happened anywhere, and there isn't anything super specific about the location or vibe that makes it stand out. Which is fine. The story was still enjoyable without that.
Plot - 4
There were some twists that I could see coming, but they were still executed well. And, there were some twists that I didn't guess entirely. How the main character found clues also felt natural and not out of thin air.
Ending - 3.75
I liked the final conflict between the mc and a few other characters. It didn't go down how I was expecting and yet it felt real to who the characters are. I think there was room for this story to push the thriller parts even further to make the stakes rise higher.
Style - 4
Easy and digestible without being too simple.
Overall - a solid 4
The audiobook narrator was quite good and brought a lot of emotion to the performance. I also liked the look at grief this book brings. Some of the tropes this book covers is memory loss, friends go missing in the woods during a camping trip, complicated friend dynamics.
Start - 5
We start out with our mc not remembering anything, and where she is initially found adds a lot of tension to the plot. There is a sense of threat to her, but based on her not being able to remember anything the feeling lingers.
Characters - 4
These were pretty rounded characters for ya mystery -- and I only say that not to rag on ya, but because right after this I read 5 Total Strangers. Now that was the opposite of well-rounded. Without giving away spoilers, I felt for the main character and by the end was like girl it's time for you to move on and find some new friends.
Atmosphere - 2.75
This was the lowest score simply because it felt like this plot could have happened anywhere, and there isn't anything super specific about the location or vibe that makes it stand out. Which is fine. The story was still enjoyable without that.
Plot - 4
There were some twists that I could see coming, but they were still executed well. And, there were some twists that I didn't guess entirely. How the main character found clues also felt natural and not out of thin air.
Ending - 3.75
I liked the final conflict between the mc and a few other characters. It didn't go down how I was expecting and yet it felt real to who the characters are. I think there was room for this story to push the thriller parts even further to make the stakes rise higher.
Style - 4
Easy and digestible without being too simple.
Overall - a solid 4
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Car accident, Cursing, and Death of parent
Minor: Blood, Bullying, and Incest
Nothing really explicit or sensationally described. A teen reader most likely wouldn't have any issues.pollyhall's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Child abuse, Classism, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Car accident, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, Alcoholism, Bullying, and Cancer
nicoleherz's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Family secrets, muddled memory mystery, how far would you go to escape?
Practically read it in one sitting, a really gripping story. I liked the writing and how the author gave the characters a lot of depth and unseen facets to their personalities and relationships.
Some twists were a little predictable but some of them were a total surprise!! Loved that
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Blood, Drug use, Incest, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Car accident, Violence, Cursing, Gun violence, Confinement, and Death of parent
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Cancer, Rape, Classism, Vomit, and Medical content
bekah1210's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Incest, Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, and Murder
jillianeubauer's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I am having conflicted thoughts about this book. I want to really enjoy it, but there is something missing and I can’t name it. YA mystery books have always been a challenge for me because they aren’t enjoyable when you figure out what happens before the last 100 pages. I even tried to act ignorant and naïve, just so I could make it longer…. P.S. it didn’t work.
What I didn’t like:
First off, the characters were hard to relate with. I usually feel connected to a certain character, but there was nothing for me this time. I also did not like the huge time jumps that happened. I get it, you want to make it seem like they are at a standstill for information, but a half year jump is a little much. The ending felt a little rushed, and I felt myself having to reread a lot of sections to put it together.
What I did like:
The multiple perspectives in part 4 were a nice change from just the view of Claire. My favorite part of the whole book was the final twist (pg 309 and 315) that was a lot of fun, and I totally did NOT piece that together. The whole idea for this book is pretty good, but it is a tad cliche at some points, like I feel I read books like this all the time. Still, I enjoyed this enough to give it a 4 star rating.
I did not like how rushed they were with the finding of Mike Dorsey. Usually when they announce they “found the killer” it it is usually a false accusation, but it was true which was kind of disappointing. I wish there was more suspense in that aspect. I also wish that Claire got her memory back, and what ever happened to Kat and the FBI investigation and media??? There is a big plot hole that I am not satisfied with. But whateves I read the book, it’s done.
What I didn’t like:
First off, the characters were hard to relate with. I usually feel connected to a certain character, but there was nothing for me this time. I also did not like the huge time jumps that happened. I get it, you want to make it seem like they are at a standstill for information, but a half year jump is a little much. The ending felt a little rushed, and I felt myself having to reread a lot of sections to put it together.
What I did like:
The multiple perspectives in part 4 were a nice change from just the view of Claire. My favorite part of the whole book was the final twist (pg 309 and 315) that was a lot of fun, and I totally did NOT piece that together. The whole idea for this book is pretty good, but it is a tad cliche at some points, like I feel I read books like this all the time. Still, I enjoyed this enough to give it a 4 star rating.
I did not like how rushed they were with the finding of Mike Dorsey. Usually when they announce they “found the killer” it it is usually a false accusation, but it was true which was kind of disappointing. I wish there was more suspense in that aspect. I also wish that Claire got her memory back, and what ever happened to Kat and the FBI investigation and media??? There is a big plot hole that I am not satisfied with. But whateves I read the book, it’s done.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Death
Moderate: Alcoholism and Incest
betweentheshelves's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Plot twists on plot twists! Some of them were predictable, others were not. I definitely couldn't stop listening in the second half, there. I needed to know what was going to happen! Kara Thomas is definitely one of my favorite thriller authors, and this book just shows why.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Alcoholism, Incest, and Violence
Minor: Cancer, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual content
avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Death, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Drug use, and Gun violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Alcoholism, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Blood, and Car accident
Minor: Cancer, Incest, Infidelity, Sexual violence, Sexual content, and Vomit
thesaltiestlibrarian's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions expressed herein are mine alone and may not reflect the views of the author, publisher, or distributor.
So, here's a fun little story. I read Kara Thomas' THE CHEERLEADERS back when it came out, and I wasn't taken with it at all. Hence my hesitation to really dig into this despite the great blurb. But man, am I glad I gave her another chance, because THAT WEEKEND was fantastic.
Claire and her best friends Kat and Jesse go to stay at Kat's family's lake house in upstate New York instead of going to prom. They arrive Friday, planning to spend Saturday hiking up the mountain, but something goes horribly wrong. Claire comes to in the forest, her hands covered in blood, and with no memory of what happened. Now Kat and Jesse are missing, and the only person who could give the authorities information has amnesia. How long before any clues turn up, or worse, the bodies?
I'm trying my darndest to find a critique that doesn't sound nitpicky, but that's all I can summon. Nitpicks. And any reader or writer can tell you that that's pretty impressive. The one thing I can bring to mind immediately treads deep into spoiler territory, so I'll let you figure out what this means, dear reader: some of the characterization lacked depth. I really liked Claire and her parents, though.
The pacing is probably the thing I appreciated most about this book. Point A to Point B takes some heavy backroads, a few U-turns, and when the Big Reveal comes about, you feel satisfied, but expectant. Clearly not everything has unraveled, and then that unexpected...thing...comes out and makes your eyebrows hit the roof. Usually I'm spot-on with forecasting the Twist, and with this one, I was right. But there was more that I didn't anticipate and could have had I been watching closely. Made me sit back and say, "Kara Thomas, you clever bastard."
I blew through this once I got over my hang-ups, and I'm really glad that I did. This book is definitely worth the investment.
Content Warning:
Domestic abuse, blood, kidnapping, alcohol abuse, incest
So, here's a fun little story. I read Kara Thomas' THE CHEERLEADERS back when it came out, and I wasn't taken with it at all. Hence my hesitation to really dig into this despite the great blurb. But man, am I glad I gave her another chance, because THAT WEEKEND was fantastic.
Claire and her best friends Kat and Jesse go to stay at Kat's family's lake house in upstate New York instead of going to prom. They arrive Friday, planning to spend Saturday hiking up the mountain, but something goes horribly wrong. Claire comes to in the forest, her hands covered in blood, and with no memory of what happened. Now Kat and Jesse are missing, and the only person who could give the authorities information has amnesia. How long before any clues turn up, or worse, the bodies?
I'm trying my darndest to find a critique that doesn't sound nitpicky, but that's all I can summon. Nitpicks. And any reader or writer can tell you that that's pretty impressive. The one thing I can bring to mind immediately treads deep into spoiler territory, so I'll let you figure out what this means, dear reader: some of the characterization lacked depth. I really liked Claire and her parents, though.
The pacing is probably the thing I appreciated most about this book. Point A to Point B takes some heavy backroads, a few U-turns, and when the Big Reveal comes about, you feel satisfied, but expectant. Clearly not everything has unraveled, and then that unexpected...thing...comes out and makes your eyebrows hit the roof. Usually I'm spot-on with forecasting the Twist, and with this one, I was right. But there was more that I didn't anticipate and could have had I been watching closely. Made me sit back and say, "Kara Thomas, you clever bastard."
I blew through this once I got over my hang-ups, and I'm really glad that I did. This book is definitely worth the investment.
Content Warning:
Domestic abuse, blood, kidnapping, alcohol abuse, incest
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Cursing
Moderate: Infidelity, Kidnapping, Alcoholism, Drug use, Violence, and Car accident
Minor: Cancer and Incest