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bringmybooks's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you to Edelweiss, Minotaur Books, & Macmillan for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.
Review: This book was entirely not what I was expecting, but I don't know if that was a bad thing. *shrugs*
I was invested from the get-go, and I really liked the multiple POVs that we got - I thought it kept you hooked while providing just enough information to keep you guessing. Sort of piggy-backing on what I said above, this thriller was nothing like what I expected so there were a lot of times I was surprised until I understood the direction we were going and then it was a bit easier to see what was coming next.
Overall Rating: ★★★★ / 4.13
Rating each element of the book out of 5★
Characters ★★★
Atmosphere ★★★
Writing ★★★
Plot ★★★★
Intrigue ★★★★
Logic ★★★★
Enjoyment ★★★★
Pacing ★★★★
Dialogue ★★★★
★ did not like / ★★ it was okay / ★★★ liked it / ★★★★ really liked it / ★★★★★ loved it
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Kidnapping, Cancer, Gun violence, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Suicide, Death, Child death, Blood, Bullying, Violence, and Car accident
redvelvetpenguins's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Torture
Minor: Suicide
thebookpear's review
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.75
Alex Finlay’s books never miss! I go in to each book expecting a large cast, multiple storylines, and a lot of action. If Something Happens to Me met all of my expectations and more! The intrigue of Ryan, Ali’s boyfriend, being a person of interest in her kidnapping/disappearance started the book with a bang. Finlay intertwined the characters and storylines with short cliffhanger chapters in different POVs that kept the reader on edge. Highly recommend if you’re looking for an exciting fast-paced thriller/mystery!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Suicide
Moderate: Torture
shesflippinpages's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Medical content, Bullying, Kidnapping, Blood, Car accident, Death, Grief, Physical abuse, Violence, Cancer, Child death, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Suicide, and Torture
clairebonney's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Blood, Grief, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Bullying, Murder, Child death, Cancer, and Car accident
savvyrosereads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Thank you to the publisher for providing me a free eARC for review! This one is out May 28.
Rating: 3/5 stars
Ryan’s girlfriend Ali was kidnapped before his eyes five years ago—but when the vehicle she was abducted in is finally found alongside a coded message, buried secrets might finally come to light.
Let’s start with the good: this one is pretty fast-paced, with a lot of action and drama, and a straightforward writing style that makes you want to keep reading more. I liked most of the characters (including the ones I was probably least supposed to, honestly) and was generally entertained throughout.
That said, while I am positive there is an audience for this book, I don’t think I’m really part of it. I guessed the twists early and, more importantly, didn’t like them—the plot felt predictable and a bit silly, and I didn’t like the way things wrapped up for anyone. For most of the book, I was probably rooting for the villains, which I don’t think was the intention.
Overall, this was a fast read and if it sounds good to you, I’d still recommend it! But sadly not a favorite of my year (or even month) so far.
CW: Torture/murder/death; suicide; bullying; mentions of child abuse/domestic violence
Rating: 3/5 stars
Ryan’s girlfriend Ali was kidnapped before his eyes five years ago—but when the vehicle she was abducted in is finally found alongside a coded message, buried secrets might finally come to light.
Let’s start with the good: this one is pretty fast-paced, with a lot of action and drama, and a straightforward writing style that makes you want to keep reading more. I liked most of the characters (including the ones I was probably least supposed to, honestly) and was generally entertained throughout.
That said, while I am positive there is an audience for this book, I don’t think I’m really part of it. I guessed the twists early and, more importantly, didn’t like them—the plot felt predictable and a bit silly, and I didn’t like the way things wrapped up for anyone. For most of the book, I was probably rooting for the villains, which I don’t think was the intention.
Overall, this was a fast read and if it sounds good to you, I’d still recommend it! But sadly not a favorite of my year (or even month) so far.
CW: Torture/murder/death; suicide; bullying; mentions of child abuse/domestic violence
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Torture, Cancer, Death of parent, Murder, Death, Blood, and Bullying
Minor: Child abuse and Domestic abuse
reading_under_covers's review
4.0
High school sweethearts Ryan and Alison are out on Lovers Lane one night when Alison is abducted and Ryan is left with barely any memory of what happened. Five years later, Alison’s car is pulled from the lake with two dead bodies in it, and the new Deputy Sheriff, Poppy McGee reopens a case long assumed to be closed.
IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME is the latest from Alex Finlay and just as bonkers as his other works.
We’re going international with this one, bopping from Kansas to Philly, to Italy, England, and France, and covering dozens of characters in between!
I honestly tend to really enjoy large cast thrillers (this one was no exception) and seeing how everyone’s stories came together in this story was very fun.
The mystery was intriguing, there were plenty of characters to root for (and roll your eyes at), and the addition of a cypher was an added bonus! I also flew through this one - it’s a quick read!
I did occasionally lose track of some of the storylines and their cliffhangers ( we’re covering a lot of ground in some very short chapters here!), which might have dulled the effect of some of those moments.
All in all, a Finlay read that I think a lot of his readers will enjoy!
Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Publication Date: May 28
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Torture, and Bullying
Moderate: Suicide
tiasreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Torture and Suicide
enchantedfiction's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
*Thank you, Macmillan and Netgalley, for the audiobook copy!*
Alison Lane disappeared 5 years ago, and the only person who might know who took her was her boyfriend, Ryan Richardson. But Ryan was knocked unconscious the night of her abduction, and any lead he tried giving to police were dismissed. Still feeling guilty, Ryan finds himself taken back in time when the car Alison had been driving turns up at the bottom of a lake, with two bodies inside. A note was discovered entitled 'if something happens to me' written in Alison's handwriting.
New deputy sheriff, Poppy Mcgee, has returned to her old stomping grounds after being discharged from the military, and it just so happens to be at the same time Alison's case gains new evidence. Can she finally put the case to bed and figure out just what happened to Alison?
In this multi-POV thriller, there are twists and turns that move the story forward and will keep you wanting to know how it all ends.
This was my first Alex Finlay book, and I will say I'm going to look into others! The suspense was held throughout the story as more and more pieces of the events were revealed, and there was one point when the two storylines converged that I just had to know how it ended. Instead of being solidly from the POVs of three of the characters, the end jumped around a bit to be from other perspectives, and I thought that was really interesting. I feel like it fit the story, but it's not something you see happen very often.
I did get a little frustrated with the way some of the POVs would abruptly end and switch, causing all of these cliff-hanger moments that just felt like too much. I understand that it's a thriller, but to end some of the scenes the way they did felt choppy to me. I just wish that certain parts had gone on a little longer before shifting to feel a little more fluid. I also guessed some of the ending, and the way that it was revealed made me think that maybe I was supposed to have guessed it, but it was kind of unclear. If I wasn't supposed to, then I feel like it was kind of obvious. But if I was supposed to be screaming at one of the characters because of a poor decision they made and add to the suspense, then mission accomplished.
With all of that being said, obviously I did still really enjoy this story and would actually consider listening to it again in the future to see if I can pick up any other foreshadowing moments I might have missed the first time around. I feel like thrillers tend to have a lot of subtle hints at things to come, and if you're really invested in the emotion of it and feeling anxious, you might miss them. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys thrillers with multiple POVs, interconnecting storylines, and suspense.
Alison Lane disappeared 5 years ago, and the only person who might know who took her was her boyfriend, Ryan Richardson. But Ryan was knocked unconscious the night of her abduction, and any lead he tried giving to police were dismissed. Still feeling guilty, Ryan finds himself taken back in time when the car Alison had been driving turns up at the bottom of a lake, with two bodies inside. A note was discovered entitled 'if something happens to me' written in Alison's handwriting.
New deputy sheriff, Poppy Mcgee, has returned to her old stomping grounds after being discharged from the military, and it just so happens to be at the same time Alison's case gains new evidence. Can she finally put the case to bed and figure out just what happened to Alison?
In this multi-POV thriller, there are twists and turns that move the story forward and will keep you wanting to know how it all ends.
This was my first Alex Finlay book, and I will say I'm going to look into others! The suspense was held throughout the story as more and more pieces of the events were revealed, and there was one point when the two storylines converged that I just had to know how it ended. Instead of being solidly from the POVs of three of the characters, the end jumped around a bit to be from other perspectives, and I thought that was really interesting. I feel like it fit the story, but it's not something you see happen very often.
I did get a little frustrated with the way some of the POVs would abruptly end and switch, causing all of these cliff-hanger moments that just felt like too much. I understand that it's a thriller, but to end some of the scenes the way they did felt choppy to me. I just wish that certain parts had gone on a little longer before shifting to feel a little more fluid. I also guessed some of the ending, and the way that it was revealed made me think that maybe I was supposed to have guessed it, but it was kind of unclear. If I wasn't supposed to, then I feel like it was kind of obvious. But if I was supposed to be screaming at one of the characters because of a poor decision they made and add to the suspense, then mission accomplished.
With all of that being said, obviously I did still really enjoy this story and would actually consider listening to it again in the future to see if I can pick up any other foreshadowing moments I might have missed the first time around. I feel like thrillers tend to have a lot of subtle hints at things to come, and if you're really invested in the emotion of it and feeling anxious, you might miss them. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys thrillers with multiple POVs, interconnecting storylines, and suspense.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide and Violence
Minor: Murder, Kidnapping, Torture, and Gun violence
lousallbookedup's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
If you are looking for a binge-able mystery/thriller? Look no further.
I listened to this book in less than 36 hours. I was hooked from the beginning. This is a fast pace, easy read with an interesting if not a little unrealistic storyline. The short chapters kept the story action packed. It was a fun time even if I guessed some of the twists.
I enjoyed the multi-POVs and each narrator did an amazing job! Poppy was an exceptionally likable character for me in this books which doesn't happen commonly in mysteries.
Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Minotaur books for this free ALC!
I listened to this book in less than 36 hours. I was hooked from the beginning. This is a fast pace, easy read with an interesting if not a little unrealistic storyline. The short chapters kept the story action packed. It was a fun time even if I guessed some of the twists.
I enjoyed the multi-POVs and each narrator did an amazing job! Poppy was an exceptionally likable character for me in this books which doesn't happen commonly in mysteries.
Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Minotaur books for this free ALC!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture, Suicide, and Murder