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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
A stalker story that is a very quick and easy read, but also easily forgettable. The MC is all over the place and some "what the hell are you thinking" moments kept coming from my mouth. An average read but not a top favourite on my list.
It was good, but not as great as some of her other books.
I also figured out the sister part, it wasn't surprising.
I also figured out the sister part, it wasn't surprising.
One of the worst books I've read in many years. Not only is it a completely ridiculous plot, but the amount of repeated sentences, or variations of the same and the amount of time where nothing happens until the improbable, absurd and BORING end...I could go on and on, but it's a complete waste of time, just like this book.
This book was not for me. I didn't like Lizzy at all, she was annoying as hell. Her reactions to things were really weird... It was obvious very early on who the stalker was and why. The pace was so slow that it was hard to keep reading because it was just so boring. The "plot twist" at the end was really stupid and ruined everything, in my opinion. I was happy that Lizzy and Emma were friends again at least, and then that? It was just unnecessary! That's how I feel about the entire book, to be honest: unnecessary. I only finished it because I wanted to know if my theory was correct, but I wish I hadn't.
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
2.5 Stars
This book wasn’t for me. Before reading it, I read so many positive reviews about people who enjoyed the pacing and the twists in this book… but I just got bored. I didn’t particularly find this book twisty at all, except for the final page (which I did not see coming). I could have taken or left the final story, because it didn’t really add to my enjoyment of the story. It was too little, too late. I do, however, think many people will enjoy this book because it is well written, with some likeable characters.
In this book we have the protagonist, Lizzie, and she starts to receive very strange letters from unknown person. The first letter says something like “I am obsessed with you” and the subsequent letters get weirder and weirder, saying things like “I’m obsessed with you” and “I’m watching you”. It also becomes clear that the person who is writing the letters is seemingly able to get into her house and into her place of business without leaving a trail. As the story goes on Lizzie starts to doubt everyone in her life as she tries to figure out exactly who is sending her the letters, and what their motive might be.
I think what I did like about this book was Lizzie. I did enjoy her character, even if she wasn't particularly well developed. All anyone could talk about in relation to Lizzie was her body, her curves, and that all the boys liked her. I think the relationship between Lizzie and her sister Emma was very strange. Who just takes the word of her boyfriend, and ignores the side of her sister who she is apparently close to?
This book is super far-fetched. I'll be honest, I did predict who would be responsible for the letters and that was I think the motive was stupid. I don’t understand why the person chose to target Lizzie instead of some who would be more “deserving” of the attention.
There isn't really much else to say in this book because not a lot happened. It was very much get a letter, panic, get a letter panic, get a letter panic… with a bit of going to work and playing with the cat in between.
I think the boyfriend in the story Joe is a piece of shit Lizzie deserved better and I hope that she gets better from him.
This book wasn’t for me. Before reading it, I read so many positive reviews about people who enjoyed the pacing and the twists in this book… but I just got bored. I didn’t particularly find this book twisty at all, except for the final page (which I did not see coming). I could have taken or left the final story, because it didn’t really add to my enjoyment of the story. It was too little, too late. I do, however, think many people will enjoy this book because it is well written, with some likeable characters.
In this book we have the protagonist, Lizzie, and she starts to receive very strange letters from unknown person. The first letter says something like “I am obsessed with you” and the subsequent letters get weirder and weirder, saying things like “I’m obsessed with you” and “I’m watching you”. It also becomes clear that the person who is writing the letters is seemingly able to get into her house and into her place of business without leaving a trail. As the story goes on Lizzie starts to doubt everyone in her life as she tries to figure out exactly who is sending her the letters, and what their motive might be.
I think what I did like about this book was Lizzie. I did enjoy her character, even if she wasn't particularly well developed. All anyone could talk about in relation to Lizzie was her body, her curves, and that all the boys liked her. I think the relationship between Lizzie and her sister Emma was very strange. Who just takes the word of her boyfriend, and ignores the side of her sister who she is apparently close to?
This book is super far-fetched. I'll be honest, I did predict who would be responsible for the letters and that was I think the motive was stupid. I don’t understand why the person chose to target Lizzie instead of some who would be more “deserving” of the attention.
There isn't really much else to say in this book because not a lot happened. It was very much get a letter, panic, get a letter panic, get a letter panic… with a bit of going to work and playing with the cat in between.
I think the boyfriend in the story Joe is a piece of shit Lizzie deserved better and I hope that she gets better from him.
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Probably an odd way to start a review by mentioning the ending but I hereby declare Shalini Boland the “Queen of Epilogues” because every single time, she manages to put a spin on everything you’ve read on the pages preceding it! Makes me want to read the whole thing again to see how I missed the clues, if there are any.
Anywho, to the beginning.
Few things sound as scary to me as having a stalker. Someone who knows your every move, sometimes even seemingly before you do. Someone who taunts you and terrifies you, who makes you suspicious of everyone you meet. This is what happens to Lizzy when she starts receiving odd notes at home and at work. The police are no help at all and so it falls to Lizzy herself to figure out who wishes her harm. Could it be her sister, Emma? Her boyfriend, Joe? Her neighbours? Her boss/landlord? The cat?!
This is one of those stories where you are suspicious of just about everyone. Like me, you may find yourself zeroing in on a potential suspect, then double-guessing yourself, backtracking and getting utterly confused. Not helped by the fact that either someone is acting like a total creep or is too good to be true.
I found this one started out a bit slow but the tension did build up in the second part and true to form there are a few twists and turns I didn’t quite see coming. Even though, I thought I knew who the stalker was, I couldn’t at all figure out their connection to Lizzy, nor why they had it in for her as much as they did.
Shalini Boland is one of those authors who constantly delivers and I have no doubt fans of her previous books will enjoy this twisty tale of secrets, betrayal and revenge as well.
Anywho, to the beginning.
Few things sound as scary to me as having a stalker. Someone who knows your every move, sometimes even seemingly before you do. Someone who taunts you and terrifies you, who makes you suspicious of everyone you meet. This is what happens to Lizzy when she starts receiving odd notes at home and at work. The police are no help at all and so it falls to Lizzy herself to figure out who wishes her harm. Could it be her sister, Emma? Her boyfriend, Joe? Her neighbours? Her boss/landlord? The cat?!
This is one of those stories where you are suspicious of just about everyone. Like me, you may find yourself zeroing in on a potential suspect, then double-guessing yourself, backtracking and getting utterly confused. Not helped by the fact that either someone is acting like a total creep or is too good to be true.
I found this one started out a bit slow but the tension did build up in the second part and true to form there are a few twists and turns I didn’t quite see coming. Even though, I thought I knew who the stalker was, I couldn’t at all figure out their connection to Lizzy, nor why they had it in for her as much as they did.
Shalini Boland is one of those authors who constantly delivers and I have no doubt fans of her previous books will enjoy this twisty tale of secrets, betrayal and revenge as well.
Shalini Bolan's is a fantastic writer and I always jump at the chance to read her books. I really enjoyed The Silent Sister, it kept me awake late even though vowing to read just one more chapter. It was a very fast paced read that will suck you in.
Lizzie is living a great life in a lovely village with her boyfriend. That is until she starts to receive strange letters that clearly show her that she is being watched... she has a stalker. Things start to happen to her and around her and she gets the police involved. Who could it be? She starts to suspect everybody in her life, even reaching out to her sister Emma who she has not spoken to for 5 years.
If you like a book that you will not want to put down then this one is for you. Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own and are not biased in anyway.
Lizzie is living a great life in a lovely village with her boyfriend. That is until she starts to receive strange letters that clearly show her that she is being watched... she has a stalker. Things start to happen to her and around her and she gets the police involved. Who could it be? She starts to suspect everybody in her life, even reaching out to her sister Emma who she has not spoken to for 5 years.
If you like a book that you will not want to put down then this one is for you. Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own and are not biased in anyway.
Finished reading: June 18th 2018
"But I'm gradually realising that, given the right circumstances, anyone can have their self-esteem eroded."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
Spoiler
I'm a huge fan of Shalini Boland's psychological thrillers, so of course I was superexcited when I first heard about The Silent Sister. It might just have been that I had sky high expectations, or it might have been it was the wrong story at the wrong time, but somehow I didn't react in the way I thought I was going to when I started reading it. Oh yes, I'm really surprised by my initial reaction to The Silent Sister, because normally I find myself hooked from the very first page. Before I continue a little note: I seem to be in the minority so far, since most people seem to absolutely love this story, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. Ok, with that out of the way, let me try explaining why I somehow didn't love this story as much as her other psychological thrillers. Apart from the reasons I already mentioned above, I think the main problem I had was with the main characters. There was just something about them that irked me, and as a result it took me a long time to warm up to the story. Also, the beginning of the story wasn't as suspenseful and absorbing as I've come to expect, but I do have to say things improved a lot as the story continued and the second half definitely has a lot more twists and turns. I'm happy to say that I despite some reservations I was still able to enjoy the story in general and the second half is without doubt very strong! Especially regarding the plot twists and the creation of suspense. I did have an idea of what was happening, but I wasn't able to guess the full truth at all. And that is always a good sign in a psychological thriller. In short, while not my favorite, I can still recommend The Silent Sister to fans of the genre.
Lizzy Beresford discovers what appears an old letter inside her own home, but the content makes her feel really uncomfortable. Who sent the message? How did they get into her home in the first place? Lizzy doesn't seem to have any enemies in her life, so who would want to do such a thing to her? Especially since more letters and threatening messages start piling up... And things are starting to escalate. Will they be able to discover who is behind all this before things go too far?
Like I said before, I'm still surprised by my reaction to this story, but The Silent Sister turned out to be a slowburner for me. It took me a long time to warm up to the story, both because of the slower pace in the beginning and my lack of connection to the characters. I enjoyed the second half of the story considerably better though, and The Silent Sister will have some surprises and unexpected twists for you in store.
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
This was the first of Shalini Boland’s books that I’ve read. It was an easy read and I certainly wanted to keep going to find out the ending, but I did find it lacking in some depth and plausibility mostly due to the protagonist, Lizzy, who I felt was weak. I still enjoyed it though but felt it really never sank its teeth into me. I’m still looking forward to reading her other work as it always gets great reviews.