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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
This may be my favorite read of 2023 so far! I loved the complex storyline and the multiple POVs, which helped build the story arch. Every time I thought I figured it out there was a new element brought in. I will definitely be adding more Ellison books to my TBR!
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
So many twists and turns! I did predict one correctly but I was still excited to get to the end and see how everything turned out. The author's note in the end is also SO good. I really appreciated that additional touch.
I loved this audiobook. Interesting story with interesting characters. Although I figured some things out, I still loved listening to it.
This book was okay. I found almost all of the characters insufferable and I felt that everything was predictable or laid right out for the reader. I kept waiting for an insane twist but there wasn’t one
3.5 rounded down
Interesting concept and I think this one will stay with me for a while.
Interesting concept and I think this one will stay with me for a while.
Huge trigger warning: infertility, miscarriage
Olivia Bender and her husband Park have been trying to have a child for years, but their efforts have always ended in miscarriage. The morning of her most recent loss, the police show up at their door to tell them Park’s DNA has been a match in a local murder case. Park is shocked, knowing he hasn’t hurt - let alone murdered - anyone. The officers explain that the DNA match shows it wasn't him, but his son. And after some confusion he remembers that he donated sperm in college. The race is on to figure out which of his 20+ donor children committed the crime, and why. Olivia is enraged that he hid this part of his life from her and she wonders what else has he been hiding from her? Could he have the gene to be a killer too?
This book had so many twists and turns, and I definitely didn’t figure out the twist at the end. The author’s note at the end of the book was especially poignant, as she reveals she has been through all the infertility treatments talked about in the book. As someone who has done all that myself, I knew just by reading this that the author had either gone through it too, or was very very well researched. As a two-mom couple, we are familiar with buying sperm online, wondering who our mystery man is, dealing with the IUI and IVF rollercoasters, and even connecting in person with other families who used the same donor. Our daughter has nine donor half siblings that we know of (seven we met last summer in person!), and the thought of one of them committing an awful crime made me listen to this on the edge of my seat. Ellison’s other book Tear Me Apart was also a five-start read for me if you’re looking for a great book without the trigger warnings. Now I want to read through all her older novels, too.
Olivia Bender and her husband Park have been trying to have a child for years, but their efforts have always ended in miscarriage. The morning of her most recent loss, the police show up at their door to tell them Park’s DNA has been a match in a local murder case. Park is shocked, knowing he hasn’t hurt - let alone murdered - anyone. The officers explain that the DNA match shows it wasn't him, but his son. And after some confusion he remembers that he donated sperm in college. The race is on to figure out which of his 20+ donor children committed the crime, and why. Olivia is enraged that he hid this part of his life from her and she wonders what else has he been hiding from her? Could he have the gene to be a killer too?
This book had so many twists and turns, and I definitely didn’t figure out the twist at the end. The author’s note at the end of the book was especially poignant, as she reveals she has been through all the infertility treatments talked about in the book. As someone who has done all that myself, I knew just by reading this that the author had either gone through it too, or was very very well researched. As a two-mom couple, we are familiar with buying sperm online, wondering who our mystery man is, dealing with the IUI and IVF rollercoasters, and even connecting in person with other families who used the same donor. Our daughter has nine donor half siblings that we know of (seven we met last summer in person!), and the thought of one of them committing an awful crime made me listen to this on the edge of my seat. Ellison’s other book Tear Me Apart was also a five-start read for me if you’re looking for a great book without the trigger warnings. Now I want to read through all her older novels, too.
I’m torn. I think I give her 3.5? I loved that this book shed light on the struggles of infertility and even a little light on family making as LGBTQ+ couples. I did not guess “who done it” so that was a pleasant surprise, but for a book who bounced back and forth between 5+ characters, it lacked resolution for so many of them in the end. Meh.
Rating: 4.5
Author: @thrillerchick
Available: 2/28/23
As soon as I read the synopsis for this book I was immediately intrigued. I thought I knew where the story was going but oh my gosh, was I surprised with the direction it took. The author’s writing style was unique and will draw you in from the first page and hold your interest throughout. I loved that the book was in third person but followed multiple characters as the story was being told. I was never once confused and if anything it helped keep the pace and made the story feel like it was constantly going. By that I mean, there was no repetition and no time spent on waiting since the story then followed a different character who knew more than the characters we originally followed.
Oh my, this book was fantastic and I would definitely recommend it! I hope they make a movie of this one because it’s written perfectly for the screen. I will warn you, it is a longer book but it’s so good! I read it over three days and each day I was excited to keep reading and I never got bored. It’s a book that will make you think and look for little details. I want to say a lot more but you should definitely go into this book blind. I promise you won't be disappointed.
Thank you so much @ for the gifted copy on #netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Author: @thrillerchick
Available: 2/28/23
As soon as I read the synopsis for this book I was immediately intrigued. I thought I knew where the story was going but oh my gosh, was I surprised with the direction it took. The author’s writing style was unique and will draw you in from the first page and hold your interest throughout. I loved that the book was in third person but followed multiple characters as the story was being told. I was never once confused and if anything it helped keep the pace and made the story feel like it was constantly going. By that I mean, there was no repetition and no time spent on waiting since the story then followed a different character who knew more than the characters we originally followed.
Oh my, this book was fantastic and I would definitely recommend it! I hope they make a movie of this one because it’s written perfectly for the screen. I will warn you, it is a longer book but it’s so good! I read it over three days and each day I was excited to keep reading and I never got bored. It’s a book that will make you think and look for little details. I want to say a lot more but you should definitely go into this book blind. I promise you won't be disappointed.
Thank you so much @ for the gifted copy on #netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes