Scan barcode
katykelly's review against another edition
4.0
Review of a Netgalley review book.
A good book is one that you finish a chapter of and think, "just one more". By this definition, Close My Eyes is a good book. I was intrigued, making guesses as to what was going on and desperate to find out if I was right. And of course I wasn't.
It's a heartbreaking concept. Geniver had a stillbirth eight years ago and is still grieving. Her husband Art, an influential and successful businessman wants to try IVF. Out of the blue a woman shows up claiming that Gen's child was in fact born healthy and stolen, and that Art was involved.
As thrillers go, it's tense and full of false leads, revelations and danger. Is Gen mad? Is it real?
Occasional chapters pop up narrated by a child, which may or may not be Gen's missing baby, adding to the tension.
I can't give this a full five stars because I just really didn't like Lorcan, the ex-business associate of Art who appears and plays the role of confidante/assistant and who you are not sure of. His role and development just seemed really unrealistic to me.
The ending is good, only to be guessed just before the reveal, and it's satisfying.
Enjoyable thrill ride that will have you guessing, and nice to see McKenzie's talent for adult fiction, she's great for young adults and now has an older audience as well.
A good book is one that you finish a chapter of and think, "just one more". By this definition, Close My Eyes is a good book. I was intrigued, making guesses as to what was going on and desperate to find out if I was right. And of course I wasn't.
It's a heartbreaking concept. Geniver had a stillbirth eight years ago and is still grieving. Her husband Art, an influential and successful businessman wants to try IVF. Out of the blue a woman shows up claiming that Gen's child was in fact born healthy and stolen, and that Art was involved.
As thrillers go, it's tense and full of false leads, revelations and danger. Is Gen mad? Is it real?
Occasional chapters pop up narrated by a child, which may or may not be Gen's missing baby, adding to the tension.
I can't give this a full five stars because I just really didn't like Lorcan, the ex-business associate of Art who appears and plays the role of confidante/assistant and who you are not sure of. His role and development just seemed really unrealistic to me.
The ending is good, only to be guessed just before the reveal, and it's satisfying.
Enjoyable thrill ride that will have you guessing, and nice to see McKenzie's talent for adult fiction, she's great for young adults and now has an older audience as well.
taliatalksbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Close My Eyes by Sophie McKenzie captivated me from the first page. I really loved (or loved to hate) the characters, and everything that was happening was just chaotic enough to make it entertaining without being overwhelming. This story takes place on such unreliable ground, but I the author used it to their advantage. While I was a little disappointed with where the end went, I do think that it was a unique and interesting story. I wish it had a little more of an ending, mostly because it felt like it was leading into a sequel that doesn’t exist (at least to my knowledge). In any case, though this story has some upsetting and unsettling topics, I think it’s all handled well and in an interesting enough manner to keep reading, especially if you’re a fan of unreliable narrators in suspenseful, twisty thrillers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Cursing, Death, Car accident, Child death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Violence, Toxic friendship, Miscarriage, Kidnapping, Infidelity, Grief, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Murder, Incest, and Infertility
Minor: Abortion
jimmyjamesnickels's review against another edition
1.0
At this point, the only real twist in these ~lady thriller~ books would be if the protagonist really was just paranoid. There's not really anything thrilling or suspenseful about most of these. They're all so formulaic: Lady Protagonist has something sad and tragic in her past which she's very much Not Dealing With or is otherwise stiff upper lipping a situation which a reasonable adult would communicate about or seek therapy, is married to a wealthy and powerful guy but is he what he seems?!?! add one Quirky Best Friend and one Mysterious, Handsome Dark Horse love interest to replace the husband once hubs is revealed to not be what he seems...baby, you got yourself a soup. Or a poorly written suspense thriller, whatever.
A woman struggling and failing to move on with her life years after the birth of her still born daughter is told by a stranger not only is her child alive but conspiracy is afoot, I thought it had the potential to be something. I thought the plot blurb was interesting because I wanted to know how the author was going to pull it off. I was interested in the journey if not the destination because, let's be honest, you know this lady's baby was stolen from the word go.
Unfortunately, the first half of the book is slow, boring and repetitive (Gen agonizes about whether her baby is alive or not! Her husband Art deflects and tells her she's crazy! Gen agonizes further about whether her baby is alive! Art deflects and tells her she's crazy!) and the second relies entirely too much on unbelievable coincidence to move the plot forward in addition to being just...weird. And not good weird, not interesting or unique or thought provoking but weird in this bland, uncomfortable sort of way.
At one point, the plot is moved forward because Gen notices the tiny tag on the scarf of a chambermaid, then googles the brand name and it just so happens to be sold exclusively in a nearby boutique where plot stuff happens. I could be persuaded to forgive this sort of providence and lazy writing if it happened once within the book, but over and over this is how the characters move from point A to B. The premise itself, the stolen baby/faked baby death stretches credulity as it is, slopping on these improbable plot points just makes it all the worse.
Boring. Lazy. Weird. Bland. Blah. Disappointing. Formulaic. Predictable. Not worth your time.
A woman struggling and failing to move on with her life years after the birth of her still born daughter is told by a stranger not only is her child alive but conspiracy is afoot, I thought it had the potential to be something. I thought the plot blurb was interesting because I wanted to know how the author was going to pull it off. I was interested in the journey if not the destination because, let's be honest, you know this lady's baby was stolen from the word go.
Unfortunately, the first half of the book is slow, boring and repetitive (Gen agonizes about whether her baby is alive or not! Her husband Art deflects and tells her she's crazy! Gen agonizes further about whether her baby is alive! Art deflects and tells her she's crazy!) and the second relies entirely too much on unbelievable coincidence to move the plot forward in addition to being just...weird. And not good weird, not interesting or unique or thought provoking but weird in this bland, uncomfortable sort of way.
At one point, the plot is moved forward because Gen notices the tiny tag on the scarf of a chambermaid, then googles the brand name and it just so happens to be sold exclusively in a nearby boutique where plot stuff happens. I could be persuaded to forgive this sort of providence and lazy writing if it happened once within the book, but over and over this is how the characters move from point A to B. The premise itself, the stolen baby/faked baby death stretches credulity as it is, slopping on these improbable plot points just makes it all the worse.
Boring. Lazy. Weird. Bland. Blah. Disappointing. Formulaic. Predictable. Not worth your time.
winterscape's review against another edition
4.0
I won an ARC of Close My Eyes from the FirstReads giveaway program and I was very excited to get to read my first ever thriller!
The genre is aptly named, for this book is full of thrills, suspense, and mystery. And drama! Interesting drama. It reads quickly, so be prepared for that late at night "I have to work in the morning but can't stop reading!" argument with yourself. It reminds me of a few "made-for-t.v." type movies that are just drama, drama, suspense, and more drama! It's sort of like brain fluff, but it certainly keeps your interest. The twists will keep you guessing the entire time.
And guess I did. And guess RIGHTLY I did. The author does a great job of lacing clues throughout the book, so if you want to, you can definitely piece things together before they're revealed. I really liked that aspect, as it lets you become more involved with the story. I was tricked by some red herrings, but near the end I was pleased that I managed to guess the BIG reveal mere pages from when it happened.
The characters are all solidly written. Geniver, who could have become very annoying if done improperly, felt realistic and sincere. My only gripe with her is her penchant for describing inane details, such as the exact make of someone's clothing. That was my only real irritation with the book. Lorcan is an obvious standout. I liked him a lot.
It also marks the first time that I read a book in first person present tense. It wasn't obtrusive at all and I felt that it worked in tandem with the author's writing style. I'm used to third person past tense, so it was a far shake from my comfort zone, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Close My Eyes is definitely worth a read if you have a few hours to kill and want a quick to read, drama filled, keep you on your toes sort of story. 4 stars!
The genre is aptly named, for this book is full of thrills, suspense, and mystery. And drama! Interesting drama. It reads quickly, so be prepared for that late at night "I have to work in the morning but can't stop reading!" argument with yourself. It reminds me of a few "made-for-t.v." type movies that are just drama, drama, suspense, and more drama! It's sort of like brain fluff, but it certainly keeps your interest. The twists will keep you guessing the entire time.
And guess I did. And guess RIGHTLY I did. The author does a great job of lacing clues throughout the book, so if you want to, you can definitely piece things together before they're revealed. I really liked that aspect, as it lets you become more involved with the story. I was tricked by some red herrings, but near the end I was pleased that I managed to guess the BIG reveal mere pages from when it happened.
The characters are all solidly written. Geniver, who could have become very annoying if done improperly, felt realistic and sincere. My only gripe with her is her penchant for describing inane details, such as the exact make of someone's clothing. That was my only real irritation with the book. Lorcan is an obvious standout. I liked him a lot.
It also marks the first time that I read a book in first person present tense. It wasn't obtrusive at all and I felt that it worked in tandem with the author's writing style. I'm used to third person past tense, so it was a far shake from my comfort zone, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Close My Eyes is definitely worth a read if you have a few hours to kill and want a quick to read, drama filled, keep you on your toes sort of story. 4 stars!
shelleymackay's review against another edition
4.0
The first adult book from Sophie Mckenzie was an addictive read. I read close my eyes in just over a week and found that every time I picked it up I would struggle to put it down.
I loved the twists and turns in the story but I have to say I have only given it 4 stars as I was a little disappointed with how it ended. It appeared to me that it has been left so that a follow up book could be written??!
Overall I loved close my eyes.
I loved the twists and turns in the story but I have to say I have only given it 4 stars as I was a little disappointed with how it ended. It appeared to me that it has been left so that a follow up book could be written??!
Overall I loved close my eyes.
justlily's review against another edition
3.0
This book is so strange in that I was continuously complaining to my friend how much I hated all the characters and how trite the whole thing was at the beginning...and yet I finished it in two or three days. I flew through it and was entirely wrapped up in the mystery...but wow, did I not enjoy the characters at all.
Geniver, the main character, is weak, frumpy, and boring. Basically your cookie cutter adult mystery style housewife with an added dose of extra pathetic until the last possible minute. Her husband is an asshole. Plain and simple, he never at any point is anything else. Her best friend is the cliche quirky, flake. The man on the side is a DASHINGLY handsome well known actor...who just happens to fall in love with an absolute plain, uninteresting, middle-aged teacher who suffers from severe depression. Because you know, that shit happens every day.
So that's the down side. There is not one redeeming or interesting character in this story. At all, at any point, ever.
The upside! And there is one! Is that the story itself is actually really interesting. The mystery twists and unfolds really, really well. I never saw the ending coming at all. So suffer through the characters if you're looking for a decently told mystery. But if you're in it for people you'll care about, pick another book.
Geniver, the main character, is weak, frumpy, and boring. Basically your cookie cutter adult mystery style housewife with an added dose of extra pathetic until the last possible minute. Her husband is an asshole. Plain and simple, he never at any point is anything else. Her best friend is the cliche quirky, flake. The man on the side is a DASHINGLY handsome well known actor...who just happens to fall in love with an absolute plain, uninteresting, middle-aged teacher who suffers from severe depression. Because you know, that shit happens every day.
So that's the down side. There is not one redeeming or interesting character in this story. At all, at any point, ever.
The upside! And there is one! Is that the story itself is actually really interesting. The mystery twists and unfolds really, really well. I never saw the ending coming at all. So suffer through the characters if you're looking for a decently told mystery. But if you're in it for people you'll care about, pick another book.
mmc6661's review against another edition
5.0
A page turner !! Good suspense that keeps you guessing and guess till the end I did. Did not see it coming and then had a wicked final chapter !! Recommend to suspense readers ! Hope she continues to write these type of books.
salam_'s review against another edition
4.0
Such a Thriller!!
the end is so interesting and I had a lot of 'shit' moments and moments where I opened my mouth, Very unexpected and the story is very good, the emotions are expressed correctly too, love it!
the end is so interesting and I had a lot of 'shit' moments and moments where I opened my mouth, Very unexpected and the story is very good, the emotions are expressed correctly too, love it!
nerdosaurus1998's review
3.0
Honestly, I have mixed feelings about this book.
It started off very slow, with the main plot point basically ignored by the main character until about 1/3 of the way into the book.
! Spoilers ahead: !
Once the action picks up, it got better. The suspence/action novel I was promised. Some scenes I just couldn't stop reading, but when it came to the end, and the reasoning behind Gen's baby being taken away was just ... not great. Incest and taking someone else's baby to replace a sterile incestuous abortion is ... not a great way to tie everything up.
Ed doesn't even want to be with Gen at the end, with his little diary entries throughout letting us know at the conclude is actually planning on killing her once he gets his hands on a gun.
So ... disappointing. It was fun and exciting in the middle, though!
It started off very slow, with the main plot point basically ignored by the main character until about 1/3 of the way into the book.
! Spoilers ahead: !
Once the action picks up, it got better. The suspence/action novel I was promised. Some scenes I just couldn't stop reading, but when it came to the end, and the reasoning behind Gen's baby being taken away was just ... not great. Incest and taking someone else's baby to replace a sterile incestuous abortion is ... not a great way to tie everything up.
Ed doesn't even want to be with Gen at the end, with his little diary entries throughout letting us know at the conclude is actually planning on killing her once he gets his hands on a gun.
So ... disappointing. It was fun and exciting in the middle, though!
jodiesbookishposts's review against another edition
3.0
I was given this book by a guest at my hotel and I trust her judgement entirely. We’d had good long chats during her stay about reading and how much I missed paperback books.
This was a good book to just delve into, some easy reading.
It’s your classic thriller that has you doubting everyone in play. The twist is great and it has you on the edge of your seat waiting to find out whats happening next.
After reading some intense book, it was nice to just get carried away with a good thriller.
This was a good book to just delve into, some easy reading.
It’s your classic thriller that has you doubting everyone in play. The twist is great and it has you on the edge of your seat waiting to find out whats happening next.
After reading some intense book, it was nice to just get carried away with a good thriller.