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babynatalie's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Picked this book up at the airport and it was a good choice. The writers voice was engaging and the story was a page turner. The end was unresolved/setup for a sequel but I liked everything else
the_bibliophiles's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
jendhansen's review against another edition
3.0
I love a little dose of psychological thriller in my reading life and this was a good fix. Flaw In The Design is about Gil, a writer and professor living with his wife and daughters in Vermont, when he receives the shocking news of the death of his sister and her husband in a car crash. This leaves Gil as the legal guardian of their 17 year old nephew, who they haven’t seen in 7 years after a terrifying event that left the two families severed.
Matthew seems mostly charming now, but Gil can’t quite shake the troubled child he once was and can’t bring himself to trust this young man in his home and with his family. The suspense builds as the reader tries to determine who is to be trusted and who is dangerous.
I liked this story and found it a great page-turner. For some reason the climax felt a bit flat for me, but it was a good resolution and it felt like an immersive escape, which is definitely what I look for in a thriller. Three and a half stars from me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Matthew seems mostly charming now, but Gil can’t quite shake the troubled child he once was and can’t bring himself to trust this young man in his home and with his family. The suspense builds as the reader tries to determine who is to be trusted and who is dangerous.
I liked this story and found it a great page-turner. For some reason the climax felt a bit flat for me, but it was a good resolution and it felt like an immersive escape, which is definitely what I look for in a thriller. Three and a half stars from me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
nbarrett17's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Suspenseful, yet frustrating.
Fast-paced, yet unresolved.
Page-turning, yet completely unenjoyable.
This one was not for me.
Fast-paced, yet unresolved.
Page-turning, yet completely unenjoyable.
This one was not for me.
eric_peartree's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
thereadingraccoon's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Book Review: The Flaw in the Design by Nathan Oates
The Flaw in the design is a suspense novel about a college professor that takes his teenage nephew in after the boy’s parents were killed in a car accident. But their relationship becomes increasingly tense as he suspects the boy could have been involved in the accident.
The Flaw in the design is a suspense novel about a college professor that takes his teenage nephew in after the boy’s parents were killed in a car accident. But their relationship becomes increasingly tense as he suspects the boy could have been involved in the accident.
Gil has been estranged from his sister Sharon for years after he accused her eleven year old son (Matthew) of trying to drown his daughter. Now Sharon and her husband are dead and as Matthew’s godfather and closest living relative Gil and his family are expected to take the boy in. But Gil can’t get past Matthew’s previous actions and starts to convince himself that the boy has gotten away with murder. The reader watches as Mathew fans the flames of suspicion by implicating himself in creative writing assignments that he turns in to Gil’s writing class. But is Matthew taking advantage of his uncle’s past mental health issues by pushing him to the edge or is he really guilty of orchestrating the deaths of his wealthy parents?
This is a well-written and smart slow burn domestic thriller. The reader is left to decipher if Gil’s suspicion is just the jealous paranoia of a middle-aged family man with tight finances who has never forgiven his wealthy and urbane teenage nephew or rooted in actual fact. I wouldn’t say this is the most fun novel (both Mathew and Gil are completely humorless) but felt more grounded in reality than most of the books within this genre.
salvus's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0