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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
The Six by Anni Taylor is a book with a lot of ambition—and maybe too much for its own good. The premise is undeniably intriguing: a remote Greek island, twenty-eight struggling individuals, and six days of challenges promising a clean slate for those battling addiction. Add in the promise of a slow-burn serial killer subplot, and you’ve got a setup ripe with potential. Unfortunately, the execution doesn’t quite stick the landing. The pacing drags in places where it shouldn’t, and the multiple POVs dilute what could have been a much sharper, more engaging narrative focused solely on Evie, our main character.
Evie’s gambling addiction and her strained relationship with her husband, Gray, could have carried the entire story. But their dynamic is weighed down by a miscommunication trope that feels frustrating rather than compelling. The book also tries to be many things at once: a psychological thriller, a commentary on addiction, a survival story, and a serial killer mystery. The result? A lot of half-formed ideas jostling for attention, leaving the most interesting aspects—like the titular challenges—feeling rushed or underdeveloped. Seriously, how do you make a challenge involving giant aquariums feel…boring?
And about that serial killer subplot—it’s buried so deep it might as well have been an afterthought. The book markets itself as dark and thrilling, which is true in part, but waiting for the promised serial killer to show up was like watching paint dry. When the reveal finally comes, it feels less like a shocking twist and more like a convenient wrap-up. Overall, The Six is a decent read with flashes of brilliance that get lost in its overly ambitious scope. If you enjoy a dark premise and don’t mind a few dangling threads, it might still be worth the ride—but don’t expect all the promises on the blurb to deliver.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don’t know why I haven’t seen anything from this author before! This was such a fun ride. The premise is that 28 people who suffer from various addictions get offered a once in a life time opportunity to turn their lives around. They must travel to a facility on a secluded island and compete in different challenges. If they make it till the end they leave with all the debts paid as well as a significant cash prize. The only catch is they can’t tell ANYONE what they are doing, not even their spouses or families.
This was pretty fast paced and kept me guessing from page to page. Was it far fetched? Absolutely! But it made it fun. Fans of Fredia McFadden would love this. I can’t wait to check out more titles by this author as I haven’t heard of them before!
This was pretty fast paced and kept me guessing from page to page. Was it far fetched? Absolutely! But it made it fun. Fans of Fredia McFadden would love this. I can’t wait to check out more titles by this author as I haven’t heard of them before!
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
It started off strong and I was actually super interested in what was going on. Not sure if I'm a big fan of the constant back and forth POV's in this specific book. I liked some of the characters, and felt meh about others. This wasn't a bad read but it also wasn't a wonderful read.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This started out soo good and then the plot thickened and my interest was slowly drifting away. I finished it while washing and waxing my car, but meh. The beginning was 4-5 star easily, the big twist was 2-3.
adventurous
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:
Yes
It was good but not great. It was definitely too long, there were 3-4 day stretches where I just didn't pick up the book because I didn't care any more about the characters. Also, the ending just wasn't it, for me.
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes