Scan barcode
shannananahey's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Riley Sager hits it out of the park again. I usually predict the “twist” or large event before I’m halfway through most books. This one came out of left field and I never saw it coming.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Death, Alcoholism, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Kidnapping
Minor: Abandonment, Blood, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, and Physical abuse
arthur_ant18's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Death, Stalking, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Grief, and Cursing
Moderate: Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, and Blood
mallory10100's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
this was so insanely twisty i had absolutely no idea where it was going
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Stalking, Forced institutionalization, Addiction, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Grief, Drug use, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, and Cursing
Minor: Blood, Infidelity, and Vomit
toofondofbooks_'s review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
The stars I give this book are for the following: the creepy atmosphere, the writing that at times made me feel like I myself was on Lake Greene, the reference to "Lock Every Door," the fact that there were some pieces of this story that sent a couple of chills down my spine, and the decent pacing.
Other than that, things get a little dicey...
I wrote down in my journal around page 100 that the star rating of this book was very much going to depend on the twist(s)...and friends, I just thought that all of these twists were weak at best and goofy at worst. There was one twist that made me actually LOL and I really don't think that was Sager's intent.
When I wasn't rolling my eyes out of confusion or snort laughing at how dumb that one twist was, I was just...bored. I dunno, Riley. We'll try again next time.
Other than that, things get a little dicey...
I wrote down in my journal around page 100 that the star rating of this book was very much going to depend on the twist(s)...and friends, I just thought that all of these twists were weak at best and goofy at worst. There was one twist that made me actually LOL and I really don't think that was Sager's intent.
When I wasn't rolling my eyes out of confusion or snort laughing at how dumb that one twist was, I was just...bored. I dunno, Riley. We'll try again next time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Stalking, Domestic abuse, Blood, Death, Murder, Alcohol, Vomit, Violence, Drug use, and Grief
Moderate: Child abuse, Abandonment, and Suicide
Minor: Colonisation, Racism, and Sexual content
magis1105's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
It's a fast read and I read it in a single day. You have a female MC, you get the whole story from her POV and she's an unreliable narrator because she's an alcoholic. To start off that is 50-50, because it has been overly done in mystery/thrillers.
You get a woman who is idling her sorrow by turning to booze and has nothing better to do than to spy on her neighbors across the lake and the couple seems to have problems. Sound familiar?
Then throw a very handsome next-door neighbor who is creepy but good looking so she's interested in a way. That didn't make sense to me.
Katherine hints that her husband might want to kill her. When she fights with her husband it looks like she knows the neighbor is watching; in a conversation, she implies that she would spy on them. The story does curve and realign several times, you're lead to believe Tom is the main culprit and possible serial killer.
My main issue was that the MC knew this piece of information, who the serial killer is since the start. Yet she acts like she thinks the serial killer is actually Tom and in another part, she practically accuses Boone, the hunky neighbor of being the serial killer. Why does she blame them, in her head, she already knows it's not them. She knows who did it, so why does she act as if it might be them? It can be well done but the fact that the reveal was just made for the reader and that she knew all along means that she was lying to herself in her mind the 3/4 of the story.
There is a paranormal part of the story, which I didn't see coming, that foreshadowing of scary stories around a campfire doesn't count. It seemed like the big reveal, but it just kept going downhill.
It felt over the top because we find that Tom did have a nefarious plan but that section felt rushed. The book could have easily ended in the paranormal section and them making up a story to feed to the cops.
So it wasn't my favorite but it might be a not-for-me type of story.
You get a woman who is idling her sorrow by turning to booze and has nothing better to do than to spy on her neighbors across the lake and the couple seems to have problems. Sound familiar?
Then throw a very handsome next-door neighbor who is creepy but good looking so she's interested in a way. That didn't make sense to me.
Katherine hints that her husband might want to kill her. When she fights with her husband it looks like she knows the neighbor is watching; in a conversation, she implies that she would spy on them. The story does curve and realign several times, you're lead to believe Tom is the main culprit and possible serial killer.
My main issue was that the MC knew this piece of information, who the serial killer is since the start. Yet she acts like she thinks the serial killer is actually Tom and in another part, she practically accuses Boone, the hunky neighbor of being the serial killer. Why does she blame them, in her head, she already knows it's not them. She knows who did it, so why does she act as if it might be them? It can be well done but the fact that the reveal was just made for the reader and that she knew all along means that she was lying to herself in her mind the 3/4 of the story.
There is a paranormal part of the story, which I didn't see coming, that foreshadowing of scary stories around a campfire doesn't count. It seemed like the big reveal, but it just kept going downhill.
It felt over the top because we find that Tom did have a nefarious plan but that section felt rushed. The book could have easily ended in the paranormal section and them making up a story to feed to the cops.
So it wasn't my favorite but it might be a not-for-me type of story.
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug use, Domestic abuse, and Alcoholism
tspice24's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Alcoholism, Addiction, and Alcohol
Moderate: Kidnapping and Murder
Minor: Drug abuse and Drug use
librariangeorgia's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I am a big fan of Sager’s books that I was so honoured to receive an advanced copy of his latest book.
And wow what a book it was!
I thoroughly enjoyed it. It had me enraptured from the opening chapter.
Though, I did think that Casey was an absolute weirdo - I mean, who sits watching inside peoples houses? Add to that the fact that she's an unreliable narrator, I would usually be put off by this. However, combine that with the atmospheric descriptions of the lake, it surprisingly went really well together.
It flickers between past and present day, all in Casey's perspective. The first half of the book has a more in depth past perspective, with a few pages for the present sandwiched inbetween at various points. As you find out more about what's happened in the past, it makes you think that you understand what's happening in the brief glimpses in the present. That's not actually the case. Being kept in the dark about the true present helps with the twists in the story. The twist that I did not see coming, it was completely unexpected, yet it fit in so well with the eeriness of the story.
Sager is well know for the horror elements in his books so keep that in mind when reading this one, expect the unexpected!
Though, I did think that Casey was an absolute weirdo - I mean, who sits watching inside peoples houses? Add to that the fact that she's an unreliable narrator, I would usually be put off by this. However, combine that with the atmospheric descriptions of the lake, it surprisingly went really well together.
It flickers between past and present day, all in Casey's perspective. The first half of the book has a more in depth past perspective, with a few pages for the present sandwiched inbetween at various points. As you find out more about what's happened in the past, it makes you think that you understand what's happening in the brief glimpses in the present. That's not actually the case. Being kept in the dark about the true present helps with the twists in the story. The twist that I did not see coming, it was completely unexpected, yet it fit in so well with the eeriness of the story.
Sager is well know for the horror elements in his books so keep that in mind when reading this one, expect the unexpected!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Confinement, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Addiction, Death, and Drug use
daijahsbookworld's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
this book really surprised me because it leaned in a way that riley sager has hinted at in previous books but never fully went into. i don't normally like this type of thriller but riley never disappoints tbh.
in this book we follow casey fletcher who is a semi-famous actress mostly known for smaller roles in tv shows and movies as well as playing the lead in a pretty popular thriller broadway show. there are multiple timelines throughout this book but in the main timeline begins with casey in her familys cabin on lake greene that was built in the 1800s. casey was sent there by her even more famous mother due to a scandal casey got wrapped into. casey tried to perform her broadway show drunk and was thus fired. casey's mother hopes sending her to the cabin will help solve her daughter's alcoholism but throughout the book alcohol is a huge part of the plot which makes casey an unreliable narrator. i wouldn't recommend this book if you'd find that annoying or triggering. casey's drinking started about 14 months prior to the main timeline after the death of her husband because he drowned in the same lake that casey is now forced to reside on by her mother.
while casey is at the lake she ends up saving one of her new neighbors katherine from drowning in lake greene and prevented her from facing a similar fate as her husband. katherine and her husband tom just moved into the house across the lake which is mostly made of glass windows. katherine and casey begin to strike up a friendship after this event over the following couple days after her accident. casey also finds a pair of binoculars her husband left behind and she uses them to spy on her new neighbors thorugh their giant windows. she starts seeing suspicious behavior over the following days between the couple and then suddenly katherine disappears without warning. she begins trying to figure out what exactly happened to katherine and if her husband, tom, had anything to do with it.
while some are definietly going to find casey annoying, i really thought she was just a flawed charatcer who was dealing with real human struggles. sometimes there types of characters can grate on my nerves but this one just didn't. i personally also really enjoy having unriable narrators in thrillers. compared to the main character in riley sager's last release, survive the night, who many people also thought was annoying mostly in part to her unreliableness, i would say casey is less annoying than her for sure. i enjoyed a lot of the side charatcers like boone and eli who are both neighbors of casey—one newer and one a family friend. boone and casey do have a slight romance throughout the story so if you don't like that in your thrillers, i wouldn't necessarily recommend this one but it's not a huge part of the plot. katherine and tome were very interesting to me in the way the really felt like fractions of people since both were celebrities—katherine an ex model and tom a billionaire tech guru who created a new social media app. we also only saw them through casey eyes and what she gathered by spying on them which really helped to create the illusion of not knowing whats's going on.
the writing was the same riley sager, descriptive but not overly distracting, and very digestiable. this book is slightly more lsower paced than osme of his novels but i feel like most of his books tend to be slow until th first 60-70% where the main character is just invesitgating without anything major occuring. then in the last third of the book he generally packs in a lot of action and plot twists and this book was no exception. riley sager's endings always have me shaking in my boots because i absoutly never see them coming but they always click into place perfectly. as stated this one went in a bit of a different route than most of his other books but the vibes were a combination of the last time i lied and home before dark with the unriable narraotr aspect of survive the night. those happened to be my top 3 from him before this book.
overall, while this book was slightly slower paced than some of his others and also went in a different direction, this still had the classic sager intrigue and twists that make his books so consuming and shocking. i don't think this is going to be one that everybody loves but i had an amazing time reading this and i genuinely never wanted to put it down and when i had to, i kept thinking about it all day.
thank you to penguin group dutton, riley sager, and netgalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
in this book we follow casey fletcher who is a semi-famous actress mostly known for smaller roles in tv shows and movies as well as playing the lead in a pretty popular thriller broadway show. there are multiple timelines throughout this book but in the main timeline begins with casey in her familys cabin on lake greene that was built in the 1800s. casey was sent there by her even more famous mother due to a scandal casey got wrapped into. casey tried to perform her broadway show drunk and was thus fired. casey's mother hopes sending her to the cabin will help solve her daughter's alcoholism but throughout the book alcohol is a huge part of the plot which makes casey an unreliable narrator. i wouldn't recommend this book if you'd find that annoying or triggering. casey's drinking started about 14 months prior to the main timeline after the death of her husband because he drowned in the same lake that casey is now forced to reside on by her mother.
while casey is at the lake she ends up saving one of her new neighbors katherine from drowning in lake greene and prevented her from facing a similar fate as her husband. katherine and her husband tom just moved into the house across the lake which is mostly made of glass windows. katherine and casey begin to strike up a friendship after this event over the following couple days after her accident. casey also finds a pair of binoculars her husband left behind and she uses them to spy on her new neighbors thorugh their giant windows. she starts seeing suspicious behavior over the following days between the couple and then suddenly katherine disappears without warning. she begins trying to figure out what exactly happened to katherine and if her husband, tom, had anything to do with it.
while some are definietly going to find casey annoying, i really thought she was just a flawed charatcer who was dealing with real human struggles. sometimes there types of characters can grate on my nerves but this one just didn't. i personally also really enjoy having unriable narrators in thrillers. compared to the main character in riley sager's last release, survive the night, who many people also thought was annoying mostly in part to her unreliableness, i would say casey is less annoying than her for sure. i enjoyed a lot of the side charatcers like boone and eli who are both neighbors of casey—one newer and one a family friend. boone and casey do have a slight romance throughout the story so if you don't like that in your thrillers, i wouldn't necessarily recommend this one but it's not a huge part of the plot. katherine and tome were very interesting to me in the way the really felt like fractions of people since both were celebrities—katherine an ex model and tom a billionaire tech guru who created a new social media app. we also only saw them through casey eyes and what she gathered by spying on them which really helped to create the illusion of not knowing whats's going on.
the writing was the same riley sager, descriptive but not overly distracting, and very digestiable. this book is slightly more lsower paced than osme of his novels but i feel like most of his books tend to be slow until th first 60-70% where the main character is just invesitgating without anything major occuring. then in the last third of the book he generally packs in a lot of action and plot twists and this book was no exception. riley sager's endings always have me shaking in my boots because i absoutly never see them coming but they always click into place perfectly. as stated this one went in a bit of a different route than most of his other books but the vibes were a combination of the last time i lied and home before dark with the unriable narraotr aspect of survive the night. those happened to be my top 3 from him before this book.
overall, while this book was slightly slower paced than some of his others and also went in a different direction, this still had the classic sager intrigue and twists that make his books so consuming and shocking. i don't think this is going to be one that everybody loves but i had an amazing time reading this and i genuinely never wanted to put it down and when i had to, i kept thinking about it all day.
thank you to penguin group dutton, riley sager, and netgalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Alcohol, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Death
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, and Confinement
Minor: Drug use and Child abuse
More...