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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Behind the Red Door was suspenseful and intense, it was unputdownable and I was completely engrossed from the beginning.
This story is filled with broken characters- Fern, the main character is a social worker, who wants more than anything to please her narcissistic father, and can’t see how manipulating he is.
He hones in on the fact that he’s never physically abused her, like he had been abused as a child; but for being a psychologist doesn’t see the psychological abuse he’s inflicted on Fern and how it’s caused her to be an extremely anxious, paranoid woman.
Cooper, Astrid, Mara, and Ted are all broken, disconnected from the norm of society in their own ways.
Fern becomes obsessed with a missing woman Astrid, who had previously gone missing and was returned 20 years prior. She returns to her hometown, trying to figure out what happened to Astrid this time; only to find out her father is still studying her every move to track her fear.
Thank you @netgalley and @atriabooks for an ARC for my honest review!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#bookstagram #books #bookcommunity #thriller #suspense #BehindtheRedDoor
This story is filled with broken characters- Fern, the main character is a social worker, who wants more than anything to please her narcissistic father, and can’t see how manipulating he is.
He hones in on the fact that he’s never physically abused her, like he had been abused as a child; but for being a psychologist doesn’t see the psychological abuse he’s inflicted on Fern and how it’s caused her to be an extremely anxious, paranoid woman.
Cooper, Astrid, Mara, and Ted are all broken, disconnected from the norm of society in their own ways.
Fern becomes obsessed with a missing woman Astrid, who had previously gone missing and was returned 20 years prior. She returns to her hometown, trying to figure out what happened to Astrid this time; only to find out her father is still studying her every move to track her fear.
Thank you @netgalley and @atriabooks for an ARC for my honest review!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#bookstagram #books #bookcommunity #thriller #suspense #BehindtheRedDoor
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A suspenseful psychological thriller that is predictable in part but also with a twist I did not expect.
Reader, this book packs a punch. Be ready for it. This is the story of Fern Douglas, a high school social worker in Boston. She's got a great relationship with her husband Eric, and she's gotten far away from her distant parents - her past is in the past. But when Fern sees a woman on the news - a woman she recognizes - she starts to feel uneasy. That woman is Astrid Sullivan, who disappeared in a famous kidnapping many years ago and is now missing again. Fern has a feeling that she knows Astrid from somewhere, somewhere besides TV. Then, Fern's father, Ted, a fear researcher, asks if Fern can come help him pack - he's moving to Florida. Fern doesn't want anything to do with her father, who terrorized her during her childhood with his Experiments, probing her different fear reactions. But she wants to know what she's forgotten about Astrid, and so she takes the journey back to excavate her history.
I got so lost in this novel - I was fascinated by the concept of a fear researcher, although I felt deeply for Fern and her unwitting role as her father's test subject. The book takes a deep dive into the nature of fear, and you will feel your skin crawling on every page. Collins knows exactly how to ratchet up the tension, with danger lurking everywhere Fern goes. As in THE WINTER SISTER, the mystery is fascinating too. It's almost an exorcism, as Fern finds and banishes the demons that have kept her bound to them for so many years.
I got so lost in this novel - I was fascinated by the concept of a fear researcher, although I felt deeply for Fern and her unwitting role as her father's test subject. The book takes a deep dive into the nature of fear, and you will feel your skin crawling on every page. Collins knows exactly how to ratchet up the tension, with danger lurking everywhere Fern goes. As in THE WINTER SISTER, the mystery is fascinating too. It's almost an exorcism, as Fern finds and banishes the demons that have kept her bound to them for so many years.
Megan Collins can truly write about effed up family dynamics and impossible moral choices.
I’m really happy I sat with my thoughts on this one instead of writing my review right away. What I would’ve posted last week and today’s review would’ve been completely different
Thank you, NetGalley, for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
Gee, I love stories with "broken" characters! Fern definitely falls into that category. At first you think she has it all together, but then it spirals down quickly. You find out fast that there is something wrong with her mental health and her family. The entire time I thought her husband was somehow involved in all of the things that unraveled. He was totally unlikeable, just like Fern's dad. Oh, don't get me started on her parents! What a deranged family to be raised in! I felt for Fern and wasn't surprised that she has mental issues.
So, I really enjoyed reading this story. While I couldn't quite connect with Fern or any of the other characters, the story itself was unique and the book well-written. The entire time, I did what I usually do when I read mystery/suspense novels--I try to play Sherlock Holmes, look for clues, draw my own conclusions, and then see if they are right. There were many times when I thought I knew what had happened and how Fern fits into all of this, but in the end, I found that I was wrong. That is a good thing! That means there are unexpected twists and turns that keep you guessing until the very end.
Gee, I love stories with "broken" characters! Fern definitely falls into that category. At first you think she has it all together, but then it spirals down quickly. You find out fast that there is something wrong with her mental health and her family. The entire time I thought her husband was somehow involved in all of the things that unraveled. He was totally unlikeable, just like Fern's dad. Oh, don't get me started on her parents! What a deranged family to be raised in! I felt for Fern and wasn't surprised that she has mental issues.
So, I really enjoyed reading this story. While I couldn't quite connect with Fern or any of the other characters, the story itself was unique and the book well-written. The entire time, I did what I usually do when I read mystery/suspense novels--I try to play Sherlock Holmes, look for clues, draw my own conclusions, and then see if they are right. There were many times when I thought I knew what had happened and how Fern fits into all of this, but in the end, I found that I was wrong. That is a good thing! That means there are unexpected twists and turns that keep you guessing until the very end.
When Fern Douglas hears the news about Astrid Sullivan, a thirty-four year-old woman from Maine who is missing, Fern is convinced that she knows her. But Fern's husband is convinced that it's because Astrid was famously kidnapped and returned twenty years previously. When Astrid begins appearing in Fern's nightmares, Fern decides to read Astrid's memoir. As she reads, memories begin to come back to Fern and she uncovers more proof that she has a connection to Astrid. Fern tries to find more answers by remembering what truly happened in the past, with the hope she can save Astrid from a dangerous and potentially deadly fate.
I read Megan Collins' debut last year, The Winter Sister, and it received 3.5 stars from me. So when the publisher reached out and offered to send me an ARC in exchange for an honest review, I gladly accepted. Unfortunately, Behind the Red Door really didn't work for me. I found the narrator and main character Fern to often be annoying and frankly gullible and oblivious. While I would never discount what she experienced as a child at the hand of her parents, her relationship with them when she is adult is both upsetting and confusing. I honestly thought about DNFing this one but hoped it would get better. But when I had it all figured out before page 50, I found it hard to get through the rest. There was one reveal that was unexpected but it was a reveal that just made me roll my eyes and scoff.
I don't think that I will be reading future books by this author (unless I see stellar reviews). I just think there are better books and I don't have time to read all the books (even if I may want to).
2.5 stars.
I read Megan Collins' debut last year, The Winter Sister, and it received 3.5 stars from me. So when the publisher reached out and offered to send me an ARC in exchange for an honest review, I gladly accepted. Unfortunately, Behind the Red Door really didn't work for me. I found the narrator and main character Fern to often be annoying and frankly gullible and oblivious. While I would never discount what she experienced as a child at the hand of her parents, her relationship with them when she is adult is both upsetting and confusing. I honestly thought about DNFing this one but hoped it would get better. But when I had it all figured out before page 50, I found it hard to get through the rest. There was one reveal that was unexpected but it was a reveal that just made me roll my eyes and scoff.
I don't think that I will be reading future books by this author (unless I see stellar reviews). I just think there are better books and I don't have time to read all the books (even if I may want to).
2.5 stars.
See full review here
Behind the Red Door is a fast-paced thriller about a woman searching for lost memories. It is very well written, and will keep you hooked from the first page. While I enjoyed reading the book, there are certainly some things I did not enjoy.
Behind the Red Door is a fast-paced thriller about a woman searching for lost memories. It is very well written, and will keep you hooked from the first page. While I enjoyed reading the book, there are certainly some things I did not enjoy.