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3.2 AVERAGE
3.2 AVERAGE
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Not going to lie--it took me a minute to get over the fact that the protagonist's name is Pearl.
Okay, pettiness aside, I did enjoy this read. I needed a jump back into Young Adult literature (a quick break from my steady diet of suspense thrillers) and this book was a perfect bridge for the gap. I felt steadily led through the narrative--the idyllic town, the structured elegance of the social hierarchy, the obvious rift between the 'townies' and the others, and then the overlap through Pearl's summer with Tristan's friends.
While some of the pieces of the story felt a little stale (the us vs. them sometimes felt forced), I was honestly surprised with many of the twists and turns throughout the tale. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending, so I imagine this book is one that I'll circle back to again down the line.
Okay, pettiness aside, I did enjoy this read. I needed a jump back into Young Adult literature (a quick break from my steady diet of suspense thrillers) and this book was a perfect bridge for the gap. I felt steadily led through the narrative--the idyllic town, the structured elegance of the social hierarchy, the obvious rift between the 'townies' and the others, and then the overlap through Pearl's summer with Tristan's friends.
While some of the pieces of the story felt a little stale (the us vs. them sometimes felt forced), I was honestly surprised with many of the twists and turns throughout the tale. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending, so I imagine this book is one that I'll circle back to again down the line.
Overall: 3.75/5 stars
Writing: 3.5/5 stars
Characters: 4/5 stars
Plot: 3/5 stars
Originality: 3/5 stars
Pacing: 4/5 stars
Cover: 3.5/5 stars
Enjoyment: 4.5/5 stars
Writing: 3.5/5 stars
Characters: 4/5 stars
Plot: 3/5 stars
Originality: 3/5 stars
Pacing: 4/5 stars
Cover: 3.5/5 stars
Enjoyment: 4.5/5 stars
She thought of last night, the taillights of Tristan's boat fading into the darkness, leaving her behind. Where did you go after that? Where in hell did you three go?
Oo, this was such an atmospheric and quiet little thriller.
Set in small town Maine, Pearl works at an exclusive country club that is reeling from the gruesome deaths of a prominent family in a house fire. Pearl's father, who'd been caretaker of the property at the time, has fallen into a depression and an alcoholic spiral, while Pearl finds herself drawn into the web of a group of summer boys, entranced by their leader, the only survivor from the fire, Tristan.
Where this book really shines is the atmosphere. The setting and eerie tension of this book is everything - you can almost feel it crawling up your spine as you turn the pages, as Pearl gets closer and closer to uncovering the truth of the Garrison fire, as she and Tristan Garrison circle each other, wary and watching.
The small town touristy Maine is a fantastic setting - I've never been there, and yet I feel like I could see every narrow street and taste the salt spray in the air.
This one pulled me right in and didn't let go.
Oo, this was such an atmospheric and quiet little thriller.
Set in small town Maine, Pearl works at an exclusive country club that is reeling from the gruesome deaths of a prominent family in a house fire. Pearl's father, who'd been caretaker of the property at the time, has fallen into a depression and an alcoholic spiral, while Pearl finds herself drawn into the web of a group of summer boys, entranced by their leader, the only survivor from the fire, Tristan.
Where this book really shines is the atmosphere. The setting and eerie tension of this book is everything - you can almost feel it crawling up your spine as you turn the pages, as Pearl gets closer and closer to uncovering the truth of the Garrison fire, as she and Tristan Garrison circle each other, wary and watching.
The small town touristy Maine is a fantastic setting - I've never been there, and yet I feel like I could see every narrow street and taste the salt spray in the air.
This one pulled me right in and didn't let go.
An entertaining summer read about the thrills and horrors of the über rich on their summer vacations.
It was richly developed through the novel until the end. It had an abrupt and unsatisfying ending.
CW: mental/emotional abuse, violence, murder
It was richly developed through the novel until the end. It had an abrupt and unsatisfying ending.
CW: mental/emotional abuse, violence, murder
Psychological Thriller
Advanced Reader’s Copy received for an unbiased review.
In a small vacation coastal town in Maine, the night before Christmas Eve, the Garrison family was killed, all except one, eldest son Tristan. An accelerant caused fire ravaged their house, but the fire wasn’t what killed them. 6 months later and the police have not found their killer. Tristan and the caretaker, Win, have been eliminated as suspects but suspicion is still high and gossip runs rampant in the town. Win is the town drunk and gossip spreads that he was drunk on duty and let the killer walk right in to murder the family. Since then, no one wants to hire him and his other properties have let him go. When the summer folks return and Tristan is one of them, Win’s daughter Pearl becomes consumed with finding the truth and clearing her father’s name. She befriends Tristan and his group of affluent friends. The more Pearl gets to know Tristan the more conflicted she becomes with him, on the verge of obsession. Can she avoid getting caught up in all their secrets, lies, and betrayals unscathed?
I could not put this book down. There were so many twists and turns and it kept me guessing the entire time. Such a psychological mind bender that I could not decide at first whether I liked the book or not. I finally realized that it wasn’t that I didn’t like the book but rather I couldn’t control it. It just sweeps you up in it and you just have to hang on and let it take you for the ride. Pearl had me questioning her motivates, is she after answers or is she just obsessed with Tristan?
Advanced Reader’s Copy received for an unbiased review.
In a small vacation coastal town in Maine, the night before Christmas Eve, the Garrison family was killed, all except one, eldest son Tristan. An accelerant caused fire ravaged their house, but the fire wasn’t what killed them. 6 months later and the police have not found their killer. Tristan and the caretaker, Win, have been eliminated as suspects but suspicion is still high and gossip runs rampant in the town. Win is the town drunk and gossip spreads that he was drunk on duty and let the killer walk right in to murder the family. Since then, no one wants to hire him and his other properties have let him go. When the summer folks return and Tristan is one of them, Win’s daughter Pearl becomes consumed with finding the truth and clearing her father’s name. She befriends Tristan and his group of affluent friends. The more Pearl gets to know Tristan the more conflicted she becomes with him, on the verge of obsession. Can she avoid getting caught up in all their secrets, lies, and betrayals unscathed?
I could not put this book down. There were so many twists and turns and it kept me guessing the entire time. Such a psychological mind bender that I could not decide at first whether I liked the book or not. I finally realized that it wasn’t that I didn’t like the book but rather I couldn’t control it. It just sweeps you up in it and you just have to hang on and let it take you for the ride. Pearl had me questioning her motivates, is she after answers or is she just obsessed with Tristan?
dark
fast-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
Not the worst thing i’ve ever read. I just wanted more. More from Tristan. More for/from Pearl and Tristan. The ending wasn’t a shock in the slightest and left me disappointed.
Horrifically dull. Almost like it was done on purpose.
Where do I even start with this one?
The book starts in the country club dining room, and the boring atmosphere sticks. The climax of the story, the big reveal, is written with the same evocative tone as when the MC waits on tables in Chapter 1.
There's nothing in here that could be rightfully called clever. Even the mystery is straightforward, from Point A to Point B, but don't worry, there's plenty of filler in between to really stretch the story out. There's a shitload of jogging, yachting and tennis.
Sure, there's a weak Chekhov's gun in there and one tiny detail embedded deep in the middle of it all that comes in handy during the rushed ending, but it wasn't worth enduring all the carry on.
What about the main character? I just had to click back onto the book's blurb to remember her name. Pearl. The book takes place entirely in her POV, and I didn't enjoy being in her head. Her motivation for solving the mystery is that her father has been unfairly blamed, since he was the security guard on patrol when the house burned down.
But she honestly didn't come across that desperate. She did put some effort into finding clues, but didn't really have much difficulty getting to them. A combination of coincidence, unbelievable hunches that turned out to be right, and sheer stupidity on her part put her in a position to figure it out.
Hell, the killer even helped her by making some super dumb and very convenient choices that later bit them in the ass. When you're trying to catch a killer, it sure is considerate of them to drop all the information right in your lap.
Pearl's also caught in some kind of Thing with her colleague, and there's Another Girl between them. I feel like the book wanted me to be invested in the outcome of it, and feel bad for Pearlwhen it turned out her kinda-crush was moving in with the other girl but nope. There was no chemistry anywhere in that set. I didn't give a shit who ended up with who.
The three male leads? The Fuckboy Brigade. Girls get "passed around" at their parties and filmed, they treat everyone like garbage, and their idea of a romantic gesture is generally just another way to flex their wealth on those less fortunate. I can't stand people like them and an author would have to work very hard to make me care about them.
The killer? So fucking obvious. I never doubted. I even made an assumption about how it must have been done, and it was right. Know why? Because it was the shortest line of thought that connected the possibilities.The book never gave me reason to doubt the killer's identity. "Not in town that day" means nothing when you're filthy rich, probably through shady shit because you don't get that wealthy without stepping on a few throats. The fee for the hitman would've been pocket change to someone like that.
Between this and [b: We Were Liars|16143347|We Were Liars|E. Lockhart|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1402749479s/16143347.jpg|21975829], I am very done with reading mysteries about spoilt rich kids. The chief reason being (spoilers for both):the culprit is always a rich brat, and I am so tired of being asked to care about their motivations. It's always money, whether it's inheriting the fortune or destroying it.
Where do I even start with this one?
The book starts in the country club dining room, and the boring atmosphere sticks. The climax of the story, the big reveal, is written with the same evocative tone as when the MC waits on tables in Chapter 1.
There's nothing in here that could be rightfully called clever. Even the mystery is straightforward, from Point A to Point B, but don't worry, there's plenty of filler in between to really stretch the story out. There's a shitload of jogging, yachting and tennis.
Sure, there's a weak Chekhov's gun in there and one tiny detail embedded deep in the middle of it all that comes in handy during the rushed ending, but it wasn't worth enduring all the carry on.
What about the main character? I just had to click back onto the book's blurb to remember her name. Pearl. The book takes place entirely in her POV, and I didn't enjoy being in her head. Her motivation for solving the mystery is that her father has been unfairly blamed, since he was the security guard on patrol when the house burned down.
But she honestly didn't come across that desperate. She did put some effort into finding clues, but didn't really have much difficulty getting to them. A combination of coincidence, unbelievable hunches that turned out to be right, and sheer stupidity on her part put her in a position to figure it out.
Hell, the killer even helped her by making some super dumb and very convenient choices that later bit them in the ass. When you're trying to catch a killer, it sure is considerate of them to drop all the information right in your lap.
Pearl's also caught in some kind of Thing with her colleague, and there's Another Girl between them. I feel like the book wanted me to be invested in the outcome of it, and feel bad for Pearl
The three male leads? The Fuckboy Brigade. Girls get "passed around" at their parties and filmed, they treat everyone like garbage, and their idea of a romantic gesture is generally just another way to flex their wealth on those less fortunate. I can't stand people like them and an author would have to work very hard to make me care about them.
The killer? So fucking obvious. I never doubted. I even made an assumption about how it must have been done, and it was right. Know why? Because it was the shortest line of thought that connected the possibilities.
Between this and [b: We Were Liars|16143347|We Were Liars|E. Lockhart|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1402749479s/16143347.jpg|21975829], I am very done with reading mysteries about spoilt rich kids. The chief reason being (spoilers for both):
This book was so good! The female lead, Pearl, was honestly so calm and collected, she really made the book that much better.
Still sad though that Tristan was sketchy, because I really wanted him to be the love interest...but Pearl is also a great character on her own, so no complaints!
Still sad though that Tristan was sketchy, because I really wanted him to be the love interest...but Pearl is also a great character on her own, so no complaints!
An atmospheric mystery that examines class/wealth distinction through a truly character driven story.
Pearl works at the club that the wealthy summer residents are members of in Tenney’s Harbor and becomes intent on solving the gruesome murders of the Garrison family from six months earlier. Her desire is rooted in the best intentions as the entire town, especially the wealthy, suspect her father, a caretaker for many wealthy properties, who was substituting in for a security guard on the night of their murders and fire.
By catching the interest of a “summer boy” and being brought into their circle, Pearl has access to Tristan Garrison, the only surviving member of the family, whose actions and behavior are unusual and off putting, and for many suspicious.
While, in my opinion, there is no true red herring, evidence is discovered that changes Pearl’s opinion about the family and her new “friends”.
Pearl is a great character that has believable motivations, growth and struggles. She has truly honest relationships in her life from her divorced parents, with her lack of willingness to engage with a mother that she feels never understood her and abandoned her post divorce, to her relationship with her father that she feels incredibly close to and protective of especially after the rumors lead him further into alcoholism.She also has a complicated relationship with Reese, her best (and only) friend, coworker, and crush, who relies on her for things that give her the hope for more but then turns around and becomes more entangled with an on/off girlfriend.
Pearl never changes herself to fit in with the wealthy kids she begins hanging out with nor does she let their opinions of her change her. Her ability to maintain her own personality, even after trying to smooth herself out to be more appealing and lessen the chance of being offensive. While ensconced in the wealthy group she learns to really see through the false veneers and gain a true understanding of the privilege they have.
Pearl works at the club that the wealthy summer residents are members of in Tenney’s Harbor and becomes intent on solving the gruesome murders of the Garrison family from six months earlier. Her desire is rooted in the best intentions as the entire town, especially the wealthy, suspect her father, a caretaker for many wealthy properties, who was substituting in for a security guard on the night of their murders and fire.
By catching the interest of a “summer boy” and being brought into their circle, Pearl has access to Tristan Garrison, the only surviving member of the family, whose actions and behavior are unusual and off putting, and for many suspicious.
While, in my opinion, there is no true red herring, evidence is discovered that changes Pearl’s opinion about the family and her new “friends”.
Pearl is a great character that has believable motivations, growth and struggles. She has truly honest relationships in her life from her divorced parents, with her lack of willingness to engage with a mother that she feels never understood her and abandoned her post divorce, to her relationship with her father that she feels incredibly close to and protective of especially after the rumors lead him further into alcoholism.She also has a complicated relationship with Reese, her best (and only) friend, coworker, and crush, who relies on her for things that give her the hope for more but then turns around and becomes more entangled with an on/off girlfriend.
Pearl never changes herself to fit in with the wealthy kids she begins hanging out with nor does she let their opinions of her change her. Her ability to maintain her own personality, even after trying to smooth herself out to be more appealing and lessen the chance of being offensive. While ensconced in the wealthy group she learns to really see through the false veneers and gain a true understanding of the privilege they have.