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3.27 AVERAGE
3.27 AVERAGE
My thoughts
Not your typical psychological thriller and not at all what I expected. It was a quick read...but there is so much more to the story than the description leads us to believe. A well-written and fast-paced debut, that I highly recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley / Crooked Lane Books / R. J. Jacobs for this digital ARC / in exchange for my honest review.
#AndThenYouWereGone #NetGalley
Book Description
For fans of B. A. Paris and Alice Feeney comes a propulsive, twisting psychological thriller that asks, How can you save someone else if you can’t save yourself?
After years of learning how to manage her bipolar disorder, Emily Firestone finally has it under control. Even better, her life is coming together: she’s got a great job, her own place, and a boyfriend, Paolo, who adores her. So when Paolo suggests a weekend sailing trip, Emily agrees—wine, water, and the man she loves? What could be better? But when Emily wakes the morning after they set sail, the boat is still adrift…and Paolo is gone.
A strong swimmer, there’s no way Paolo drowned, but Emily is at a loss for any other explanation. Where else could he have gone? And why? As the hours and days pass by, each moment marking Paolo’s disappearance, Emily’s hard-won stability begins to slip.
But when Emily uncovers evidence suggesting Paolo was murdered, the investigation throws her mania into overdrive, even as she becomes a person of interest in her own personal tragedy. To clear her name, Emily must find the truth—but can she hold onto her own sanity in the process?
Not your typical psychological thriller and not at all what I expected. It was a quick read...but there is so much more to the story than the description leads us to believe. A well-written and fast-paced debut, that I highly recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley / Crooked Lane Books / R. J. Jacobs for this digital ARC / in exchange for my honest review.
#AndThenYouWereGone #NetGalley
Book Description
For fans of B. A. Paris and Alice Feeney comes a propulsive, twisting psychological thriller that asks, How can you save someone else if you can’t save yourself?
After years of learning how to manage her bipolar disorder, Emily Firestone finally has it under control. Even better, her life is coming together: she’s got a great job, her own place, and a boyfriend, Paolo, who adores her. So when Paolo suggests a weekend sailing trip, Emily agrees—wine, water, and the man she loves? What could be better? But when Emily wakes the morning after they set sail, the boat is still adrift…and Paolo is gone.
A strong swimmer, there’s no way Paolo drowned, but Emily is at a loss for any other explanation. Where else could he have gone? And why? As the hours and days pass by, each moment marking Paolo’s disappearance, Emily’s hard-won stability begins to slip.
But when Emily uncovers evidence suggesting Paolo was murdered, the investigation throws her mania into overdrive, even as she becomes a person of interest in her own personal tragedy. To clear her name, Emily must find the truth—but can she hold onto her own sanity in the process?
slow-paced
And Then You Were Gone begins with Emily and Paolo getting on a boat for a relaxing vacation on the water. Emily didn't seem comfortable with the water from the very beginning, but seemed to trust Paolo to keep them safe. Things take an unexpected turn when Emily wakes up the next morning and Paolo is nowhere to be found. When he is reported missing and an investigation begins, the detective suspects Emily had something to do with his disappearance. As evidence piles up that doesn't look good in Emily's favor, she must begin her own investigation into Paolo's disappearance. Her only real help is Paolo's best friend who is not too fond of her it seems.
I did enjoy this book, but life intervened and it actually took me quite a while to read it all the way through. I feel like the slow pace of the novel didn't help either, as I wasn't always in a rush to pick up where I left off. Most reviews seem to focus on Emily's bipolar disorder. Honestly, I didn't see that as a huge factor in the story, aside from medication being present at the scene and without her medication she seems to never sleep. Much of her other behavior I think can be explained as someone who wants closure after the sudden unexplained disappearance of someone they love. I don't want to give away any key points of the book, but I really didn't find the ending at all surprising. The motives behind the actions are quite unique for what I have read and made this story stand out to me.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I did enjoy this book, but life intervened and it actually took me quite a while to read it all the way through. I feel like the slow pace of the novel didn't help either, as I wasn't always in a rush to pick up where I left off. Most reviews seem to focus on Emily's bipolar disorder. Honestly, I didn't see that as a huge factor in the story, aside from medication being present at the scene and without her medication she seems to never sleep. Much of her other behavior I think can be explained as someone who wants closure after the sudden unexplained disappearance of someone they love. I don't want to give away any key points of the book, but I really didn't find the ending at all surprising. The motives behind the actions are quite unique for what I have read and made this story stand out to me.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Fairly predictable ending, interesting enough to listen to. I enjoyed the mental health aspects of the book
A fast-paced thriller that will have your head spinning as you try to figure out what happened to Paolo!!
And Then You Were Gone is a unique thriller that features a leading character who has been successfully managing her bipolar disorder for years—a fact that is called into question when her boyfriend disappears.
This was truly an unputdownable one for me!
Fantastic writing, engaging mystery, and a relatable lead character all make this a standout debut novel.
Emily and her boyfriend Paolo are out on a boat together when Emily wakes up to discover Paolo is gone. Emily is adrift on the boat, afraid, and alone. And there is no clear sign on foul play! Though Emily is afraid of the water, Paolo certainly is not. He’s a strong swimmer and the chances he drowned are slim.
I’m always fascinated by missing person mysteries more than any other type, because there are such a huge range of outcomes! Are they alive? Ran away? Kidnapped? Hiding? Lost? The puzzle keeps me guessing.
The set up for this really engaged me! I couldn’t figure out what I thought happened, because there just weren’t a lot of clues. In the weeks after his disappearance, Emily spirals. As everyone moves on and mourns his almost certain death, Emily can’t accept it. If he died, why can’t they find a body?
There is the added layer of Emily’s mental health that was executed so well. I’ve actually had the opportunity to chat a bit with the author, and I know he is a psychologist. It really shows in this book—he describes Emily’s bipolar disorder, treatment, and her fear that her careful balance she has worked to maintain may slip.
The police question Emily when they discover her medication on the boat. Did she drug Paolo? Were they taking recreational drugs? It was such an interesting and unfortunately accurate story. One that happens all of the time.
And the mystery itself? Lightening-paced and fascinating! As you begin to learn more about what may have been the context of Paolo’s disappearance (and I won’t say what that is because it is so fun to learn about in the book), you will have a hard time putting this one down!
Truly—one of the most engaging psychological thrillers I’ve read this year!
And Then You Were Gone is a unique thriller that features a leading character who has been successfully managing her bipolar disorder for years—a fact that is called into question when her boyfriend disappears.
This was truly an unputdownable one for me!
Fantastic writing, engaging mystery, and a relatable lead character all make this a standout debut novel.
Emily and her boyfriend Paolo are out on a boat together when Emily wakes up to discover Paolo is gone. Emily is adrift on the boat, afraid, and alone. And there is no clear sign on foul play! Though Emily is afraid of the water, Paolo certainly is not. He’s a strong swimmer and the chances he drowned are slim.
I’m always fascinated by missing person mysteries more than any other type, because there are such a huge range of outcomes! Are they alive? Ran away? Kidnapped? Hiding? Lost? The puzzle keeps me guessing.
The set up for this really engaged me! I couldn’t figure out what I thought happened, because there just weren’t a lot of clues. In the weeks after his disappearance, Emily spirals. As everyone moves on and mourns his almost certain death, Emily can’t accept it. If he died, why can’t they find a body?
There is the added layer of Emily’s mental health that was executed so well. I’ve actually had the opportunity to chat a bit with the author, and I know he is a psychologist. It really shows in this book—he describes Emily’s bipolar disorder, treatment, and her fear that her careful balance she has worked to maintain may slip.
The police question Emily when they discover her medication on the boat. Did she drug Paolo? Were they taking recreational drugs? It was such an interesting and unfortunately accurate story. One that happens all of the time.
And the mystery itself? Lightening-paced and fascinating! As you begin to learn more about what may have been the context of Paolo’s disappearance (and I won’t say what that is because it is so fun to learn about in the book), you will have a hard time putting this one down!
Truly—one of the most engaging psychological thrillers I’ve read this year!
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
See my full review of this title on my blog: Books Under the Blanket (with a flashlight): https://booksundertheblanket.com/we-all-lose-our-minds-sometimes/
mysterious
medium-paced
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes