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alanburch79's review
4.0
This was a hard book to read. Don't get me wrong, it was good, but it was also gut wrenching. It deals with a young boy who has been abducted by his abusive father; all to get back at his recently divorced wife. The anguish the mom goes through is almost too much to read, but it does make for a good book. Recommended.
daydreamer1983's review
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of "The Boy in the Photo" by Nicole Trope in exchange for an honest review.
"The Boy in the Photo" by Nicole Trope pulled at my heartstrings. To have a child taken by an ex and disappear is incomprehensible. The pain and agony that Megan goes through for six long years trying to find her missing son, Daniel is heartbreaking.
The mystery, suspense, family dynamics and writing style between past and present made this a great read.
"The Boy in the Photo" by Nicole Trope pulled at my heartstrings. To have a child taken by an ex and disappear is incomprehensible. The pain and agony that Megan goes through for six long years trying to find her missing son, Daniel is heartbreaking.
The mystery, suspense, family dynamics and writing style between past and present made this a great read.
nics_bookedmark's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
Am I being a bit harsh with a 2-2.5 stars?
Maybe...
But here's the thing... the story was just a little flat.
Like we get it your child went missing for 6 years and now he's back a little traumatised and BAM here's a little twist that I guessed about 100 pages ago?
Don't get me wrong, some of the writing was incredibly emotive and made me want to curl up in bed with my daughter and never let her go.
Her writing about abusive partners was also depicted perfectly as well so hats off to Nicole there.
But all in all... just wasn't the book for me.
Maybe...
But here's the thing... the story was just a little flat.
Like we get it your child went missing for 6 years and now he's back a little traumatised and BAM here's a little twist that I guessed about 100 pages ago?
Don't get me wrong, some of the writing was incredibly emotive and made me want to curl up in bed with my daughter and never let her go.
Her writing about abusive partners was also depicted perfectly as well so hats off to Nicole there.
But all in all... just wasn't the book for me.
kazeldya's review
4.0
Interesting book about a missing boo with a surprising twist. My first book by this author, and I'll look for more by her.
julielb's review
3.0
This could have been a great book but instead was just a good book. After a mom's missing son is found, having been missing for 6 years of his now 13-year-old life, we watch as she struggles to build a relationship with him. Her ex took their son 6 years ago after she divorced him. That she couldn't see the danger in the man and protect her son was frustrating. But then after he returned, his behavior clearly showed something was still wrong. The final twist is so obvious and you see it coming halfway through the book so that the last half of the book is a slog as you wait for the reveal to happen.
She is a good author, a great writer, but this mystery wasn't much of a mystery at all and could have been so much better. Still, I enjoy her other books and always recommend her!
She is a good author, a great writer, but this mystery wasn't much of a mystery at all and could have been so much better. Still, I enjoy her other books and always recommend her!
kai93's review
2.0
2.5-2.75
This book was kind of a mixed bag. While I was interested in the story, for the most part, it had some issues. I wasn’t a fan of the end. It came all of a sudden and went nowhere surprising. I found the characters a bit flat. None of the brief, vague chapters from Daniel’s POV were particularly compelling. They were, in fact, a bit repetitive in spite of his advancing years. Greg was the villain. His parents were caricatures. Michael was too perfect. And Megan, when not wringing her hands in despair, was making some perplexing decisions/statements. Not perplexing in a way that made her interesting or real; perplexing in a way that seemed almost to smell of author intrusion.
I also didn’t care for the shifting timelines. Not only did the story jump from past to present, there were a lot of flashbacks within flashbacks which became a bit much. You’d have a chapter start four years ago. The mother would then start thinking about something that happened a year ago, or a week ago. The narrative would then shift to the time she is thinking about. It would go on for some time and you’d almost forget where everything started. Then she’d abruptly snap back to the “present”. This happened several times throughout the book and took much more than it added.
I did keep reading, however, so it must have interested me to some extent. I’m not sure I would seek another story by this author though.
This book was kind of a mixed bag. While I was interested in the story, for the most part, it had some issues. I wasn’t a fan of the end. It came all of a sudden and went nowhere surprising. I found the characters a bit flat. None of the brief, vague chapters from Daniel’s POV were particularly compelling. They were, in fact, a bit repetitive in spite of his advancing years. Greg was the villain. His parents were caricatures. Michael was too perfect. And Megan, when not wringing her hands in despair, was making some perplexing decisions/statements. Not perplexing in a way that made her interesting or real; perplexing in a way that seemed almost to smell of author intrusion.
I also didn’t care for the shifting timelines. Not only did the story jump from past to present, there were a lot of flashbacks within flashbacks which became a bit much. You’d have a chapter start four years ago. The mother would then start thinking about something that happened a year ago, or a week ago. The narrative would then shift to the time she is thinking about. It would go on for some time and you’d almost forget where everything started. Then she’d abruptly snap back to the “present”. This happened several times throughout the book and took much more than it added.
I did keep reading, however, so it must have interested me to some extent. I’m not sure I would seek another story by this author though.
nazeerah's review against another edition
4.0
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.
This book gripped me from the first page. It was a real page turner and I read it in one night.
It is the first of this author's book that I have read and I will definitely recommend it for psychological thriller lovers. I will be sure to read the author's other books..
This book gripped me from the first page. It was a real page turner and I read it in one night.
It is the first of this author's book that I have read and I will definitely recommend it for psychological thriller lovers. I will be sure to read the author's other books..
whaney's review
4.0
It was good, and the ending surprised me, but the beginning was a bit slow.
Still a good listen.
Still a good listen.