Reviews

56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard

rebelkiss's review against another edition

3.0

That was incredibly depressing.

kaelaceleste's review against another edition

4.0

3.5 but I'll round up because I enjoyed this more than I anticipated. I thought the switching narratives might be confusing but it actually kept me really interested, and I was intrigued trying to figure out everything happening. There were a few good plot twists in there but I thought it fell off a bit after everything started to unravel, probably because it was just like waiting for it all to be explained after I had already figured it out.

It was a little weird to have COVID play a part in a novel. This is the first piece of post-covid media I've read or watched or anything where it's actually part of the plot so it was just a little weird, it still feels like it just happened. In some weird ways it almost made me miss the early days of quarantine where we thought this was going to be over in 2 weeks... how naive we were back then lol

anhudtelles's review against another edition

5.0

This book is one of my favorites! I enjoyed the writing and thought the book just kept me really interested and invested throughout. I know some reviews address not enjoying the COVID theme in the book but when I read it I thought it was interesting since it was something many people had to deal with - isolation and quarantine. I will definitely continue recommending this book! Kept me on the edge of my seat!

casuallyreadingx's review against another edition

3.0

A COVID-19 themed mystery? I wasn’t sure if I was prepared for such a theme since it’s all so recent but it was intriguing to say the least. I read this as an audio and it was engaging and fast paced. It was like putting together a puzzle. Cozy, suspenseful, enjoyable, and slow paced. You’re jumping between timelines to try and put it all together. I did not expect the big twist!! The ending was underwhelming for me and the plot was a bit repetitive at times. Some mixed feelings but overall enjoyable.

Read this is you like:
-cozy mysteries
-different timelines
-unreliable narrators

littlelifeofbooks's review

3.0

I was so optimistic about this one! I was analyzing every little thing to try to figure it out as fast as humanly possible. This had murder, a race car of a speed relationship, took place in Ireland (my favorite place) and then the realities of COVID which was so interesting. The suspense was there because at the end of chapters it would stop one perspective where you were hooked, and then immediately switch to someone else! This did slightly drive me crazy. The ending seemed a little bizarre and I couldn’t get passed some extra twists that were thrown in. Overall 56 days hooked me within the first 56 pages and the moral of this story is don’t meet your future lover at a grocery store.

courtneynp09's review against another edition

4.0

Definitely had me a bit confused when it backed up and switched perspectives, but it was very interesting to read. I did not see the piece about Ciara already knowing who Oliver was until it was very evident. I also had slight difficulty with understanding whether Ciara was Shane’s or Paul’s sister initially, but managed to catch on. Good little revenge book just wish there was a bit more story line as to what happens to Ciara afterwards.

rorasauce's review

mysterious

5.0

exlibrisphoebe's review against another edition

3.0

3.5⭐️

dhall58's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

pumpkinpie20's review against another edition

4.0

What a twist on the classic love story drama! Two main characters falling in love right at the dawn of the global pandemic and fighting not only for a chance at being open to love but also for the privacy of their own secrets. 56 days ago Ciara bumped into Mr. Right while on her lunch break and, with the help of the pandemic, moved in with him after only a few weeks. However, present day tells a different story when a body is found decomposing in one of their apartments. The questions becomes not just who does the body belong to but, more chillingly, what secrets are worth dying for?

Ciara comes across as your average tech girl who just moved to Dublin but after you read encounters from varying points of view, it becomes clear that things are not what they seem. Combined with the journey of a female police officer who is trying to solve the case in present day, everything unravels into a pile of spaghetti at first. The trick is in the details. With more than one plot twist and a rollercoaster of emotions, this book immerses you in a world that seems so similar to our own yet so unimaginable.

I enjoyed the way the Catherine Ryan Howard went back and forth along the timeline, with each chapter pealing back a layer of the truth until there was nothing but a pool of lies on the ground. It took a while to get the ball rolling and the story had a slow start but sticking along for the ride was absolutely worth it!

If you like atypical love stories mixed with murder mystery and tied up in a neat little bow of you own detective work, this book is the one for you.