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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
This is for sure my favorite from Willingham. Sure, her writing is still denser than I like in a thriller. But I had so much fun with this.
The truest testament to that is that I guessed a lot of twists and I didn't even care because they were GOOD.
I totally called Lucy not being a student and being Eliza's half sister. And that Margot killed Eliza (though I thought it was on purpose).
I love these obsessive friendship stories. And, as someone who has felt attachment issues (thanks, anxiety), it's oddly reassuring to know that I only ever felt sad if I felt left behind by friends and not...murderous.
I absolutely did not guess that Sloane killed Lucy to protect Nicole. Or that Nicole had killed Levi, thinking he was her boyfriend (he was wearing his shirt) because her boyfriend had raped her on Halloween.
It was just a compelling thriller that had me on the edge of my seat. And it's proof that, while I often complain when I can see twists coming, it's only when they're lame twists lol
There was also a quote I loved about holding onto things but I have to get the book from the library to add it.
Basically, it's probably closer to a 4 but, because I liked it more than her others, I have to bump it up.
The truest testament to that is that I guessed a lot of twists and I didn't even care because they were GOOD.
I totally called Lucy not being a student and being Eliza's half sister. And that Margot killed Eliza (though I thought it was on purpose).
I love these obsessive friendship stories. And, as someone who has felt attachment issues (thanks, anxiety), it's oddly reassuring to know that I only ever felt sad if I felt left behind by friends and not...murderous.
I absolutely did not guess that Sloane killed Lucy to protect Nicole. Or that Nicole had killed Levi, thinking he was her boyfriend (he was wearing his shirt) because her boyfriend had raped her on Halloween.
It was just a compelling thriller that had me on the edge of my seat. And it's proof that, while I often complain when I can see twists coming, it's only when they're lame twists lol
There was also a quote I loved about holding onto things but I have to get the book from the library to add it.
Basically, it's probably closer to a 4 but, because I liked it more than her others, I have to bump it up.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A thriller on a college campus with a house full of young women living next to a house full of young men, where we know that one will end up missing and one will wind up dead. There is a terrible amount of before and after, with multiple competing timelines. Also, countless gorgeous young people: boys who hunt and slaughter their own deer, build fires, and sneak around, and girls who lounge in piles of thin, partially naked bodies, always ready for the next party. Untrustworthy friends, long-kept secrets, people who aren't who they say they are, and suspicions abound--you'll be twisting and turning until the end.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
fast-paced
I was excited to read this book as I loved Stacy Willingham’s two prior books: A Flicker in the Dark and All the Dangerous Things. Her novels are exciting, engaging and page turners. However, while reading this story, I felt like I was at a college party a few decades back, clearly feeling out of place. The author is writing this book for a younger group of readers.
Three girls – Lucy, Sloane and Nicole -- are living off campus together and Margot has been invited to join them at a college in North Carolina. She notices how Lucy reminds her of her best friend, Eliza, who died recently in a freak accident. Lucy is the character to watch. She wants to play “truth or dare” at a fraternity party. She asks Levi, who was in love with Eliza, “If you knew you could get away with murder, would you?”
The author jumps back and forth in time which she manages to do without it feeling choppy. The characters were full of life and ready for a night of fun. The plot was easy to follow and beautifully written. However, it wasn’t hard to figure out with a few clues what was going to happen.
My thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of January 16, 2024.
Three girls – Lucy, Sloane and Nicole -- are living off campus together and Margot has been invited to join them at a college in North Carolina. She notices how Lucy reminds her of her best friend, Eliza, who died recently in a freak accident. Lucy is the character to watch. She wants to play “truth or dare” at a fraternity party. She asks Levi, who was in love with Eliza, “If you knew you could get away with murder, would you?”
The author jumps back and forth in time which she manages to do without it feeling choppy. The characters were full of life and ready for a night of fun. The plot was easy to follow and beautifully written. However, it wasn’t hard to figure out with a few clues what was going to happen.
My thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of January 16, 2024.