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thebritster101's review against another edition
4.0
Lana begins babysitting a troubled young boy, Luke, as she’s about to graduate college and is fascinated and scared by how his mind works. He reminds her a lot of herself when she was younger- a secret she’s been trying to hide ever since her mother was murdered almost a decade ago. But when her best friend goes missing, she wonders if her friend is just messing with her once again, or if someone in her past has figured out her secrets.
Very good mystery book that tells the story from both Lana’s present point of view and past journal entries told from someone else. Very quick but intriguing read as always by Lisa Unger.
Very good mystery book that tells the story from both Lana’s present point of view and past journal entries told from someone else. Very quick but intriguing read as always by Lisa Unger.
justlily's review against another edition
4.0
My final book for 2018 and it’s a winner! I literally could not put it down. I read it in two sittings, the first one hundred pages and then from page one hundred until the end. There were pieces I figured out 2/3 of the way through and pieces I didn’t see until the end. It was enthralling and twisted and I loved it. Very light on the horror and gore so if you don’t like those things but are wanting a good mind game, check this out.
margaretmechinus's review against another edition
4.0
Like Gone Girl, you finish this book. not knowing what you just read. No one is who you think they are. Or are they? And who was the person reading her journal entries in between scenes? We may never know. Good writing kept me listening till the end.
dcossai's review against another edition
3.0
In the Blood is a novel with a lot of potential, but to a large extent, it remains unfulfilled. It explores profound themes such as nature vs nurture and the innate evil inside all of us. Lisa Unger follows the trend of current psychological thrillers by putting a flawed female heroine at the centre of the story. I must applaud her handling of Lana's psychology; she excellently captures the private thoughts and behaviour of a transgender girl running away from her childhood in a very dysfunctional family.
Unfortunately, that is where the praise ends. The plot is full of loose ends, all its twists and surprises are predictable from early on, and it gives no sense of closure.
Early in the novel, I thought this was an underrated psychological thriller. By the end, I could see why it does not get as much praise as I first thought it deserved. But the potential is there, and perhaps I will be more satisfied if I ever read any other works by Lisa Unger.
Unfortunately, that is where the praise ends. The plot is full of loose ends, all its twists and surprises are predictable from early on, and it gives no sense of closure.
Spoiler
Even worse, Unger undoes the good side of her novel by throwing her perfect portrayal of a transgender character - complete with the reality of the subtleties picked up by a suspicious parent - out of the window and turns Lana back into Lane, outrageously someone who suddenly wishes to own a muscle car. The suggestion that Lana only assumed her feminine identity in order to hide her connection to her family contradicts everything the novel built up to prior to the reveal; what Unger intended as hints to her gender identity (which are a good representation of reality) - such as her mother's comments that she is a bit feminine, her delight when her friend calls her Lana, her secret use of eyeliner - turn out to be stupid and unrealistic with the reversal at the end. Lana's transition back to male just because she fell in love with a girl suggests a confusion of terms on Unger's part, and ruins an otherwise excellent psychological portrayal of the character.Early in the novel, I thought this was an underrated psychological thriller. By the end, I could see why it does not get as much praise as I first thought it deserved. But the potential is there, and perhaps I will be more satisfied if I ever read any other works by Lisa Unger.
chanteld's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed the mystery. Great thrill but it fell short of five stars because in the end I felt disappointed, and somehow disoriented...too many twisted angles.
First Lisa Unger book. I'd read another one of her stories.
First Lisa Unger book. I'd read another one of her stories.
kaceylaine's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
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? Yes
5.0
This book kept me guessing!