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kirstysbookshelf's review against another edition
2.0
I received a copy from Net Galley.
I really did not enjoy this book and I struggled to finish it. It started out well, with the tension of the terrorist attack and then Cara started receiving creepy messages. The story soon went downhill for me becoming very slow and unbelievable.
It seems really unlikely that someone would trust a stranger to look after their child. Cara invites Amy to stay in their home and look after her young child without knowing anything about her. I highly doubt that this would be something that any parent would do. I think from this moment you know that something terrible is going to happen but it isn’t really surprising.
I didn’t like any of the characters in this book. I have a feeling we aren’t supposed to like Amy but I feel as if the author wanted us to like Cara. I, however, did not like Cara’s character she made some really questionable decisions. Also, I didn’t feel that the characters were particularly memorable.
I liked the idea for this book but unfortunately, it didn’t work for me.
I really did not enjoy this book and I struggled to finish it. It started out well, with the tension of the terrorist attack and then Cara started receiving creepy messages. The story soon went downhill for me becoming very slow and unbelievable.
It seems really unlikely that someone would trust a stranger to look after their child. Cara invites Amy to stay in their home and look after her young child without knowing anything about her. I highly doubt that this would be something that any parent would do. I think from this moment you know that something terrible is going to happen but it isn’t really surprising.
I didn’t like any of the characters in this book. I have a feeling we aren’t supposed to like Amy but I feel as if the author wanted us to like Cara. I, however, did not like Cara’s character she made some really questionable decisions. Also, I didn’t feel that the characters were particularly memorable.
I liked the idea for this book but unfortunately, it didn’t work for me.
razmatesz's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
2.75
snazzybooks's review against another edition
5.0
Book reviews on www.snazzybooks.com
I am a huge Karen Perry fan, and Your Closest Friend is another brilliant read for me that ticks all the boxes - interesting characters, secrets, and mystery mixed with a real sense of atmosphere.
I liked that the beginninf really left me wondering where the book was going to go - I had purposefully not read the synopsis again right before starting the book, so the sense of confusion and havoc surrounding the terrorist attack which takes place right at the start of the book really threw me! I wondered how this would all tie in - but everything soon kicks into action!
The story strikes just the right balance between believable relationships, such as Cara and Jeff's, and the more 'unusual' bonds and ties that hold other characters together. Some characters I warmed to, others seem to be completely mad, but every page left me wanting to move onto the next. I liked that you know some aspects of what's happening before Cara herself, as you read the novel from two perspectives: Cara's and Amy's; at times I wanted to shout out to her!
I never found myself getting bored; the pacing was just right and the way Karen Perry describes Cara's thoughts and feelings felt very convincing. I love her writing and I am so pleased that Your Closest Friend is another hit for me.
Many thanks to Michael Joseph UK for providing a copy of this novel on which I chose to write an honest and unbiased review.
I am a huge Karen Perry fan, and Your Closest Friend is another brilliant read for me that ticks all the boxes - interesting characters, secrets, and mystery mixed with a real sense of atmosphere.
I liked that the beginninf really left me wondering where the book was going to go - I had purposefully not read the synopsis again right before starting the book, so the sense of confusion and havoc surrounding the terrorist attack which takes place right at the start of the book really threw me! I wondered how this would all tie in - but everything soon kicks into action!
The story strikes just the right balance between believable relationships, such as Cara and Jeff's, and the more 'unusual' bonds and ties that hold other characters together. Some characters I warmed to, others seem to be completely mad, but every page left me wanting to move onto the next. I liked that you know some aspects of what's happening before Cara herself, as you read the novel from two perspectives: Cara's and Amy's; at times I wanted to shout out to her!
I never found myself getting bored; the pacing was just right and the way Karen Perry describes Cara's thoughts and feelings felt very convincing. I love her writing and I am so pleased that Your Closest Friend is another hit for me.
Many thanks to Michael Joseph UK for providing a copy of this novel on which I chose to write an honest and unbiased review.
awkwardreader13's review against another edition
4.0
This made me very uncomfortable, so I guess it was a success?
emirandres's review against another edition
2.0
Cara está volviendo a su casa cuando de repente se encuentra en medio de un ataque terrorista y es salvada por Amy. En la habitación en la que se esconden, el miedo y la agitación del momento hacen que Cara le revele a Amy detalles de su vida y secretos que no le ha dicho a nadie. Cara no tiene idea de que su salvadora es, por ponerlo de alguna manera, una psicópata. Lo que sigue después, sigue el mismo patrón de thriller psicológico que ya conocemos. Está muy bien escrito pero sus personajes dejan mucho que desear en cuanto a su construcción, eso sumado a que es un libro largo con poco dinamismo para, de última, mantenerte enganchado. Besides...STRAIGHT PEOPLE PROBLEMS AT ITS FINEST. I couldn't care less.
michelovestoread's review against another edition
3.0
Is give it 3.5 stars if I could.
It was a good book full of twists and turns but the beginning was definitely better than the end. I felt it lost momentum half way through!
The ending was also in my opinion not as strong as it could have been.
It was a good book full of twists and turns but the beginning was definitely better than the end. I felt it lost momentum half way through!
The ending was also in my opinion not as strong as it could have been.
annc's review against another edition
5.0
Wow what read, be careful who you let into your life and become your friend because Your Closest Friend might prove to be deadly
barnsey's review against another edition
4.0
When Cara is rescued from a terrorist attack in London by a stranger called Amy, she reveals secrets that even her husband is unaware of. Once the danger passes and life begins to return to normal, Cara can't remember exactly what she's told Amy but she doesn't give it too much heed because they've gone their separate ways.
With her marriage now running into difficulties, Cara becomes the target of anonymous threats by someone called 'Your Closest Friend'. She's relieved when Amy reappears with an offer to help look after her young daughter. Feeling a shared affinity, Cara accepts and Amy moves into the house.
But has Cara just made a massive mistake by accepting Amy into her life and home?...
I really enjoyed this psychological thriller and it held my undivided attention throughout. It's tension-filled and moves along at a good pace. However, I felt slightly disappointed that certain details could have remained hidden for longer - I thought too much was revealed too early on in the book.
Yes, the plot is good and character development is handled extremely well, but I was able to anticipate the direction it was taking. That being said, I wasn't disappointed. There were plenty of unexpected twists and turns and these balanced the book nicely.
Would I recommend it to my friends? Of course I would! It's a great read and will appeal to lovers of this genre.
* My thanks to Karen Perry and Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for inviting me to read this book.
Read my review on my blog: https://bit.ly/2N0famD
With her marriage now running into difficulties, Cara becomes the target of anonymous threats by someone called 'Your Closest Friend'. She's relieved when Amy reappears with an offer to help look after her young daughter. Feeling a shared affinity, Cara accepts and Amy moves into the house.
But has Cara just made a massive mistake by accepting Amy into her life and home?...
I really enjoyed this psychological thriller and it held my undivided attention throughout. It's tension-filled and moves along at a good pace. However, I felt slightly disappointed that certain details could have remained hidden for longer - I thought too much was revealed too early on in the book.
Yes, the plot is good and character development is handled extremely well, but I was able to anticipate the direction it was taking. That being said, I wasn't disappointed. There were plenty of unexpected twists and turns and these balanced the book nicely.
Would I recommend it to my friends? Of course I would! It's a great read and will appeal to lovers of this genre.
* My thanks to Karen Perry and Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for inviting me to read this book.
Read my review on my blog: https://bit.ly/2N0famD
missmesmerized's review against another edition
4.0
She shouldn’t have been there in the first place, Shoreditch, the part of London where the attack took place in which Cara was almost killed. It was this young girl, Amy, who saved her by pulling her into a store and then hiding with her for hours. Cara just left her lover when she met the killer, under the pressure of the events, she told Amy about her affair and the lost love of her husband. The events bring them close together and when Cara needs somebody to babysit her daughter, Amy moves in. What seems to be a close friendship, turns out to be something completely different and it won’t take too long until Cara doesn’t recognize her own life anymore and has to realize that she is in real danger.
Karen Perry, the pseudonym of Karen Gillece and Paul Perry, has chosen two quite different main characters for her sixth thriller: on the one hand, the down-to-earth successful radio maker Cara who supports her family and has established herself a picture book life – however, only when looked at from the outside. On the other hand, it is obvious from the beginning that Amy is suffering from hearing voices and that her extreme emotion leads her much more than a rational view of reality. Alternating their points of views gives the reader an advance which does not diminish the suspense.
You know exactly what is going to happen, yet, the question remains how far Amy is ready to go to attain her goal. Would she kill for it? Whom? How destructive is she actually or does she break down before something really bad happens? Something really bad is in the air – and then it happens.
I really liked Karen Perry’s style of writing which keeps you reading on because you want to know how this mess will finally be solved. Nevertheless, I was a bit disappointed by the protagonist Cara. At first, she seems to be quite clever and everything but easy to manipulate. But the more the plot advances, the more naive and even plainly stupid she becomes. This is a bit annoying because at a certain point, it is absolutely apparent who is behind it all, but she remains stubbornly ignorant. All in all, quite some entertaining thriller.
Karen Perry, the pseudonym of Karen Gillece and Paul Perry, has chosen two quite different main characters for her sixth thriller: on the one hand, the down-to-earth successful radio maker Cara who supports her family and has established herself a picture book life – however, only when looked at from the outside. On the other hand, it is obvious from the beginning that Amy is suffering from hearing voices and that her extreme emotion leads her much more than a rational view of reality. Alternating their points of views gives the reader an advance which does not diminish the suspense.
You know exactly what is going to happen, yet, the question remains how far Amy is ready to go to attain her goal. Would she kill for it? Whom? How destructive is she actually or does she break down before something really bad happens? Something really bad is in the air – and then it happens.
I really liked Karen Perry’s style of writing which keeps you reading on because you want to know how this mess will finally be solved. Nevertheless, I was a bit disappointed by the protagonist Cara. At first, she seems to be quite clever and everything but easy to manipulate. But the more the plot advances, the more naive and even plainly stupid she becomes. This is a bit annoying because at a certain point, it is absolutely apparent who is behind it all, but she remains stubbornly ignorant. All in all, quite some entertaining thriller.