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onlyificanbringabook's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.5
We said we’d keep it secret, that no one needed to know.
But someone is tormenting me now. Someone knows where I am and what I’ve done.
Astrid has returned home to her mother’s house after a stint in rehab. She brings a troubled past with her but thought her secrets would be safe in this small, seaside town. She was wrong. Someone knows where she is and what she has done. Could her tormentor derail her recovery?
I loved The Rumour so was desperate to pick this one up. What a whirlwind! Kara definitely knows how to weave an intricate story that keeps you guessing right until the end!
Kara’s portrayal of Astrid as an alcoholic was believable and there was a strong focus on the impact of her addiction both on her own life and on that of her loved ones. For a lot of the book, Astrid annoyed me greatly as she was rude, self-centred and seemed completely oblivious to the help being offered by those who cared for her. I started to understand what it must have been like to be her friend and to watch her drink her life away. I felt proud in those moments when she took her recovery seriously and truly disappointed when she didn’t.
Irritating as she was at times, I really enjoyed Astrid’s character development. Early in the book, I wanted to slap her. At one point she makes a comment about her being attracted to her potential love interest and his dad and how if she hadn’t been sober, she probably would have slept with them both. This comment made me really angry and I considered stopping reading. It took me a while to realise that this was a really clever way to show how much she changed when she was drunk and a subtle hint towards some of the immoral things she had done in her past which were to be revealed later in the book.
Despite finding her frustrating, there were some moments when I really related to Astrid. She made a lot of mistakes along the way but she was trying to make a better life for herself. I felt that her relationship with her mum was really authentic and loved the almost moments they had where neither was ready to, “reach out and say something profound, something that spans the chasm between us.”
I also liked her relationship with the process of AA and the way she questioned the religious nature of it. I could understand how she felt she couldn’t complete the 12 steps because she couldn’t accept the role of God as her saviour. It felt like an important social question about why she couldn’t recover and be a good person without becoming religious. I appreciated the way this was tackled within the story; it wasn’t a major plotline but had a good place within the narrative.
Early on, I worried that the story was going to focus too much on the love interest saving her from herself. I was so grateful that this wasn’t the case and bought into the relationship more because of it. Astrid’s road to recovery, and the many obstacles along the way, were about so much more than being rescued by a man and I loved seeing all of the different elements that went together to form a new life for her.
Wonderful character development aside, this book is after all a thriller and boy did it deliver! I was pretty certain that a quarter of the way into the book, I knew what was going on and was ready to watch it unfold. Then Kara threw me an absolute curveball and from that moment on, I’ll admit, I was lost at sea. I made notes as I read this and every few lines I have a different character’s name with a question mark and why I think it might be them. Then I’d turn the page and we’d head in a completely different direction. There were twists and turns right until the very end. “WHO IS THE ANTAGONIST?!?!?!” features regularly among my notes and I was still shocked when the truth was revealed. Kara is a master at keeping you guessing and holding you on the edge of your seat. There were moments I found myself literally holding my breath as Astrid was stalked through the quiet streets of Flinstead.
Halfway through the book, I wasn’t sure that it would be as good as The Rumour but it definitely was. I really appreciated the little reference that was made to The Rumour. It was subtle but the way it reflected the impact of rumours that was the focus of the previous book was perfect. I loved it.
I’m not normally a fan of a book that leaves me with loose ends but I loved the final chapter of this book. Much like the final chapter of The Rumour, it left me questioning the relation of this fictional world to similar occurrences in the real world and wanting to research these aspects of society.
Another must read from Lesley Kara. I am so looking forward to The Dare next year but couldn’t bring myself to read the excerpt at the end of the book. It’s too much to get drawn in and then have to wait a year for more!
CW: substance misuse, alcoholism, recovery, physical violence, criminal activity, mental illness, suicidal ideation, suicide
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Violence