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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Another page turner for me! I'm enjoying thrillers these days. Eating them up. However this one wasn't your typical popcorn thriller. The plot was unique enough, twisty enough that I didn't guess the ending. It was a wild ride, and Wendy Walker will be a must read author for me.
Devious, deceptive, and delicious!! 4.25 stars for 'The Night Before'. Another fantastic novel by Wendy Walker!
Synopsis: Laura has a troubled past. A past that includes murder and abandonment. And those two pivotal moments have stunted her from developing genuine romantic relationships. But she’s set to change her ways. She has a therapist now, and she’s moved in with her sister, Rosie, for support. But one blind date has changed everything. Because now Laura is gone, and no one knows where she is.
If you haven’t read my reviews before, then here’s a fact - I am a sucker for good character development. And Wendy Walker did a phenomenal job. Every irk Laura described, I felt. All the trepidation that Rosie experienced, I winced. All the manipulations that “Jonathan” dealt, I cringed at. It was so well-crafted and so realistic that I couldn’t help but react toward.
But as for the story itself, I don’t want to give too much away. Because the book itself reveals a lot as you go through it. And to be honest, that made me apprehensive. I was thinking “shoot I’ve seen all your cards, what else is there for me?” But I was wrong. This was one of those thrillers where you “anticipate” something and then the opposite happens.
As a seasoned thriller-reader, there were some predictable parts. One of the major plot twists I saw coming, but for those of you who only pick up a few thrillers each year - THIS WILL BE GOLD.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this copy.
Synopsis: Laura has a troubled past. A past that includes murder and abandonment. And those two pivotal moments have stunted her from developing genuine romantic relationships. But she’s set to change her ways. She has a therapist now, and she’s moved in with her sister, Rosie, for support. But one blind date has changed everything. Because now Laura is gone, and no one knows where she is.
If you haven’t read my reviews before, then here’s a fact - I am a sucker for good character development. And Wendy Walker did a phenomenal job. Every irk Laura described, I felt. All the trepidation that Rosie experienced, I winced. All the manipulations that “Jonathan” dealt, I cringed at. It was so well-crafted and so realistic that I couldn’t help but react toward.
But as for the story itself, I don’t want to give too much away. Because the book itself reveals a lot as you go through it. And to be honest, that made me apprehensive. I was thinking “shoot I’ve seen all your cards, what else is there for me?” But I was wrong. This was one of those thrillers where you “anticipate” something and then the opposite happens.
As a seasoned thriller-reader, there were some predictable parts. One of the major plot twists I saw coming, but for those of you who only pick up a few thrillers each year - THIS WILL BE GOLD.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this copy.
dark
mysterious
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
An excellent fast paced thriller. Imagine your sister goes on a date with a guy she met online and then you don’t hear from her after that night. Rosie is desperate to find out what happened to her sister Laura - or did Laura do something to her date? You’ll be flipping the pages dying to find out who did what. The author successfully pointed me in the wrong direction and I didn’t see the twist coming. I did however expect a darker thriller, but all in all “The Night Before” is a great book that you will devour quickly!
I'm not even sure how to review this. I'm gonna give it a 3.5 stars. I really enjoyed the first two thirds of this book, there was a lot going on and I was really curious about what was going to happen to our main character Laura. But the last third of the book just got weird for me. I know this is a mystery thriller and its not exactly written to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, but I just didn't like it. Which sucks since I was gonna give this a 4 stars. The end was ok but I just feel like the story could have gone in a different direction that I would have enjoyed more.
I have to say I didn't predict the twists towards the end though, and props to the author for coming up with some interesting characters and a suspenseful story. I was really excited to read this and I am glad I did. I would like to read something else from this author just to see if I would like it because I think her writing style is actually really good. Just not sure if I like her plots yet.
I have to say I didn't predict the twists towards the end though, and props to the author for coming up with some interesting characters and a suspenseful story. I was really excited to read this and I am glad I did. I would like to read something else from this author just to see if I would like it because I think her writing style is actually really good. Just not sure if I like her plots yet.
Actual rating is 2.25
The ending and other parts of the novel have no shock value whatsoever. It was also a pretty linear kind of story. Also forgettable. I was hoping it would be different but was not.
The ending and other parts of the novel have no shock value whatsoever. It was also a pretty linear kind of story. Also forgettable. I was hoping it would be different but was not.
Song/s the book brought to mind: Crazy by Gnarls Barkley
[b:The Night Before|51168831|The Night Before|Wendy Walker|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1569898062l/51168831._SY75_.jpg|63662941] by [a:Wendy Walker|3111135|Wendy Walker|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1452735306p2/3111135.jpg] was a RIDE! If you're looking for a binge-worthy psychological suspense novel in your life, this is it guys.
Well color me surprised, I didn't see the ending coming, AT ALL, and I read this in two sittings although I wished it could have been one since I didn't want to put the book down. This is my second time reading a book by Walker and I think her books just get better and better as she writes more of them. The pacing was very quick, and I loved that it switched between the viewpoints of Rosie and Laura, plus transcriptions of Laura's meetings with her psychologist. Everything comes together with a bang at the end and I just loved what the author did with it.
I thought the different viewpoints made The Night Before very suspenseful and the author leaves you second guessing everything you think might be happening. And one thing I REALLY liked was the fact that this book isn't so over the top that you find it unbelievable. I could totally see this happening in real life which actually makes things a bit more disturbing. I had so much anxiety reading this (in a good way, not a bad way) and it definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend this addictive; suspenseful book and I can't wait to read more from Walker!
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book, all opinions and thoughts are my own.
[b:The Night Before|51168831|The Night Before|Wendy Walker|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1569898062l/51168831._SY75_.jpg|63662941] by [a:Wendy Walker|3111135|Wendy Walker|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1452735306p2/3111135.jpg] was a RIDE! If you're looking for a binge-worthy psychological suspense novel in your life, this is it guys.
Well color me surprised, I didn't see the ending coming, AT ALL, and I read this in two sittings although I wished it could have been one since I didn't want to put the book down. This is my second time reading a book by Walker and I think her books just get better and better as she writes more of them. The pacing was very quick, and I loved that it switched between the viewpoints of Rosie and Laura, plus transcriptions of Laura's meetings with her psychologist. Everything comes together with a bang at the end and I just loved what the author did with it.
I thought the different viewpoints made The Night Before very suspenseful and the author leaves you second guessing everything you think might be happening. And one thing I REALLY liked was the fact that this book isn't so over the top that you find it unbelievable. I could totally see this happening in real life which actually makes things a bit more disturbing. I had so much anxiety reading this (in a good way, not a bad way) and it definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend this addictive; suspenseful book and I can't wait to read more from Walker!
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book, all opinions and thoughts are my own.
Psychological thriller reminiscent of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train. A quick binge read.