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3.04 AVERAGE
3.04 AVERAGE
I went into The Spare Room really optimistic I would really like it. I loved We Were Never Here, and while I haven't read The Herd, I do have it waiting for me on my Kindle. Unfortunately, The Spare Room was not at all what I was expecting). The book grabbed me early on with Kelly leaving her life behind during the pandemic and heading to a DC suburb to stay with an old friend and husband. She leaves behind her fiance after he put the brakes on their wedding.
At first, it feels like this is going to be more of a drama, with the exception of the opening pages which is really the only place that even mentions a murder. As it goes on, it's more of a story of sexual exploration and polyamory. Needless to say, the story was more about the relationship and less mystery pretty much until the 60-65% mark.
The thriller aspect picks up for the last 25-30% of the book, and at times then it's still not necessarily an "edge-of-your-seat" thriller.
In the end, I'd say it was a solid 3 for me. The writing was good, the story fell flat and I just didn't love it. I'll still absolutely read more from Andrea Bartz though!
Thank you Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the eARC!
At first, it feels like this is going to be more of a drama, with the exception of the opening pages which is really the only place that even mentions a murder. As it goes on, it's more of a story of sexual exploration and polyamory. Needless to say, the story was more about the relationship and less mystery pretty much until the 60-65% mark.
The thriller aspect picks up for the last 25-30% of the book, and at times then it's still not necessarily an "edge-of-your-seat" thriller.
In the end, I'd say it was a solid 3 for me. The writing was good, the story fell flat and I just didn't love it. I'll still absolutely read more from Andrea Bartz though!
Thank you Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the eARC!
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wow. What a ride. Honestly, if I’d reread the description, I wouldn’t have bought the book as the graphic sex scenes are not for me. The reasons I did not DNF were because I paid money for the book and I was determined to see how many similes were in the book. Boy, were the similes a distraction! I have never read a book that used that form of speech SO MUCH (I counted 64 but I probably missed some). A few were definitely appropriate and helped the story. But many of them were bad or just made zero sense. It was very hard to read with the large number of them.
Ultimately, the thrills were there. I trusted truths when I shouldn’t have and I didn’t trust when I should have. The ending I did not predict at all.
Ultimately, the thrills were there. I trusted truths when I shouldn’t have and I didn’t trust when I should have. The ending I did not predict at all.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
This was a chaotic, psychological thriller. Easy read.
2 out of 5 stars. Picture an awkward throuple scenario that drags on like a bad reality TV show. This wasn't even a thriller until halfway through, and to top it off, it's set during the pandemic—how original.
Kelly, oh Kelly. She deserves an award for being the most insufferable character ever created. Clingy, desperate, and eager to please—like a puppy, but without the charm. Not the sharpest tool in the shed, either.
If chaotic love triangles are your jam, maybe this will work for you. The writing kept me vaguely interested until I realized where it was headed. I hate writing negative reviews, but there's not much to love here.
Clearly, I'm not the target audience and almost gave up on it multiple times.
Kelly, oh Kelly. She deserves an award for being the most insufferable character ever created. Clingy, desperate, and eager to please—like a puppy, but without the charm. Not the sharpest tool in the shed, either.
If chaotic love triangles are your jam, maybe this will work for you. The writing kept me vaguely interested until I realized where it was headed. I hate writing negative reviews, but there's not much to love here.
Clearly, I'm not the target audience and almost gave up on it multiple times.
slow-paced
Way too long, could have been better if shortened, sad ending
Kelly is on the edge of her biggest life decision- possibly calling off her wedding to the man she has been with for years- and needs a place to stay, so she heads down to an old friend's house where she finds love she never imagined for herself.
With the pandemic in full swing, being locked up with her hosts seems to be the normal thing to do. But why are their neighbors so apprehensive of them, and why did their last house guest disappear?
This book is full of anxiety, shadows, guilt, and lies. It's the disaster none of us can look away from while all of us are thinking, "Well, at least that's not me." Great book!
°°°°°°°°°°°°°
“Death will not be denied. To try is grandiose. It drives madness into the soul. It leaches out virtue. It injects poison into friendship, and makes a mockery of love.”
― Helen Garner, The Spare Room
°°°°°°°°°°°°°
★★★★★
°°°°°°°°°°°°°
Genre: Thriller, mystery, suspense, lgbtqia, polyamory
°°°°°°°°°°°°°
#bookstagram #books #booklover #book #bookstagrammer #bookworm #reading #booknerd #bookaddict #bookish #bookaholic #bookshelf #bookcommunity #bookreview #bibliophile #instabooks #readmorebooks #booklist #readingiscool #TheSpareRoom #AndreaBartz #thriller #mystery #murder #mayhem #suspense #lgbt #lgbtqia #queer #poly #polyamory
With the pandemic in full swing, being locked up with her hosts seems to be the normal thing to do. But why are their neighbors so apprehensive of them, and why did their last house guest disappear?
This book is full of anxiety, shadows, guilt, and lies. It's the disaster none of us can look away from while all of us are thinking, "Well, at least that's not me." Great book!
°°°°°°°°°°°°°
“Death will not be denied. To try is grandiose. It drives madness into the soul. It leaches out virtue. It injects poison into friendship, and makes a mockery of love.”
― Helen Garner, The Spare Room
°°°°°°°°°°°°°
★★★★★
°°°°°°°°°°°°°
Genre: Thriller, mystery, suspense, lgbtqia, polyamory
°°°°°°°°°°°°°
#bookstagram #books #booklover #book #bookstagrammer #bookworm #reading #booknerd #bookaddict #bookish #bookaholic #bookshelf #bookcommunity #bookreview #bibliophile #instabooks #readmorebooks #booklist #readingiscool #TheSpareRoom #AndreaBartz #thriller #mystery #murder #mayhem #suspense #lgbt #lgbtqia #queer #poly #polyamory