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readmorbookz's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The author had me confused at first, but when she made it make sense she had me hooked and I finished the book in 3 days flat. Worth the read, amazing story line.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Child death
Moderate: Alcohol, Addiction, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicidal thoughts
melissathereadingnerd's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death of parent, Child death, Death, Suicide, Stalking, and Kidnapping
kaylinvm94's review
emotional
tense
slow-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, and Child death
starrysteph's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Someone Else’s Life offered up a unique setting and dire circumstances, but left a little to be desired.
We follow Annie, who recently moved to Hawaii with her husband and young son, wanting a fresh start and a chance to leave near her father and sister after her life unraveled. Following the deaths of her mother and her beloved dog, the bankruptcy of her dance business, and a traumatic incident involving her son, Annie shrinks into a shell of her formal, vibrant self. And when a stranger appears on her doorstep during a scarily intense tropical storm, Annie finds an unexpected connection. But - this is a thriller. ;) So naturally, things go quite wrong.
Here’s what worked for me:
• Super interesting setting and characters. I appreciated the little details that came from the author’s lived experiences - Taiwanese culture and recipes, local spots in Hawaii, and etc.
• The stakes couldn’t have been higher, and the intensity of the storm was delightfully atmospheric.
• I appreciated Annie’s journey towards recognizing that getting help and caring for herself mentally is important and not something to feel shame about - and her father’s acceptance of this (though this was devalued a bit by the other mental illness subplot - see below).
• Doggies! :)
• Annie’s empathy towards the “villain” was interesting - I was torn about this - it was kind of a lovely show of compassion, but also seemed a little illogical (I mean, her LIFE and her CHILD’S LIFE were at stake). Also Annie seemed to be a self-insert of the author, so I wondered about if this was a “hey, look how lovely and understanding i would be in this situation?”
Here’s what I didn’t love:
• The writing was a bit juvenile for my tastes. Super simplistic, not very descriptive, and a lot of telling us how to feel or what to take away from the action. There were also a fair amount of grammatical issues, but this is an early-ish proof, so i don’t want to come down too hard on that.
• It was also quite repetitive - phrases and plot lines were being SCREAMED at us way too many times. It took away from the twists.
• There was some uncomfortable language surrounding mental illness, and fear of someone being “unstable”/“crazy” or a “psychopath” because of genetics. This was paired with a much better storyline of Annie overcoming her shame around therapy and asking for help, so it was a bummer that some prejudices/problematic language leaked into the writing. This would have benefited greatly from a sensitivity reader.
• The MC and her friend group were meant to be in their forties, but they spoke very, very young.
My overall impression? This was a quick, fun read. It’s got some interesting slices of life from Hawaii and Taiwanese culture, but it’s a tropey thriller plot with simplistic writing, and I probably wouldn’t rush to recommend it.
CW: murder, child death, death of parent, animal death, alcoholism, cancer, child abuse, gaslighting, grief, homophobia/biphobia, mental illness, stalking, suicidal thoughts, panic attacks, ableism, violence
(I received an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
(I received an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Cancer, Child abuse, Ableism, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Violence, Mental illness, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders
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