I didn't enjoy this book as much as some of my peers. While the story was good and moved along at a steady pace...the main character drove me mad. Her internal monologue was annoying and she couldn't seem to make a decision to save herself. The second main character seemed to quickly jump to ridiculous conclusion after ridiculous conclusion and made all sorts of wild accusations with little to no evidence. Not a book I'd recommend.
My first novel by Wnedy Walker and oh my word it was so amazing!
Laura and Rosie are both sisters and Laura lives with Rosie and her family. One day she goes on a date with a guy she met online, only the next day, she doesn't come back home. Rosie is worried and thinks that something has happened to her, but her husband tells her that she's fine. Rosie's instincts are telling her something is wrong and so begins the search. Told in two different perspectives and point of views, we are taken on the date with Laura, the night before, and are investigating her disappearnce with the Rosie, the day after.
I found the different perspectives so smart and I loved it so much! We even got a bonus in this novel where we're taken to the past where events would be better if they were stayed hidden. This was such a smartly written novel, and Walker's talent as a thriller author really shows with this one. It's very hard to pull off a before and after story because sometimes it gets confusing and the timelines become confusing for the readers. But Walker writes like a professional and not only scores an A with her dual timeline writing, but as well as her dual characters.
The twists came when you least expected it. The novel sets out to be something that is not. It's a deceptive one! It makes you think this where the story is going and this it who it is, but then it takes a giant U turn into another direction and just smacks us in the face (in the good way)! I did find myself gasping out loud at certain parts and I only do that when books really shock me! I loved the secrets, but the twists! Oh the twists! Walker really got me with this one and I found myslef flipping the pages until there were no more. I read this one late into the early morning (4 a.m). That's how good it was.
This for sure is going to be a blockbuster on the shelves and I cannot wait for everyone to read it! Stay tuned for more Walker reviews from me.
Thank you to St.Martin's Press for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a free e-arc of this title for review.
The Night Before did one of my favorite things a mystery/thriller can do: It kept me guessing!
The story in this book unfolds in a couple ways: through flashbacks to Laura's time in therapy months prior, chapters detailing Laura's experience the night before, and chapters on the current hunt for her. Wendy Walker did a great job operating within this structure; the perspective-switching never felt too jarring or slowed the pace of the book.
Some parts were more believable than others for me (that's why I'm giving it 4 stars rather than 5), but the bottom line is that I was engaged throughout. The Night Before would make a great movie, and I'm absolutely excited to read whatever Walker writes next.
I was intrigued by the little amount of information the synopsis provided, and I am happy that I gave this book a shot. Throughout most of the book, it was difficult to predict what was happening at each step. I naturally enjoy guessing - and getting right - plot twists in these types of stories, but I was unable to with this. If you like psychological thrillers, but are becoming bored with the expected twists, you will really enjoy this book.
Can I just say that I'm glad no one's an alcoholic this time around. We have an adult mystery/thriller that more or less follows the familiar plot. Centering on the one question, "Is Laura a killer?". So of course we are presented with an unfavorable depiction of her. Her remarks about other women being whores and how she's not like them make her immediately unlikable. It's meant to act as a red herring so we're constantly questioning her character. Otherwise, I'm not sure if I want to root for someone who has such horrible opinions of me.
However, there's some truth to her statements because not everyone has such an intricate family history or such a dangerous kill streak. While the beginning was relatively intriguing, the middle dragged. There weren't enough clues to keep me strung along. Instead, the pieces were insignificant and cumulated to a lack luster finish. I was also hoping for Rosie to have a more active role aside from being this roundabout detective. There's something about the relationship between sisters that never fails to enrich a mystery and make the ending powerful.
Instead, we get Laura explaining her past to her date. I'm also confused if her date is the same guy as the womanizer Rosie was chasing. There was a lot of names thrown around but then there was a fake out and I couldn't follow along. It was messy and didn't serve a purpose. At best, this is a mediocre book. Laura's mistrust of other men are validated by her past and I think there could have been an element to it. Yet, what we get is Laura being played off as the "unhinged" one and no one apologizes for anything.
The psychological exposition by a character solely written to do so at the end seemed heavy handed and flimsy. I suppose in this day and age it's not helpful to spread mistruth about mental illness so the quick, retroactive correction was a haphazard attempt to not demonize people. I recommend this for people who just can't get enough of thrillers and don't mind reading something they've already read before but with a slightly different cover.
I actually like the blue filer and blur. It draws the eye and I wonder if the cover would be better to have that image entirely. The reveal of a plain white woman underneath is tired but effective. Maybe someone in marketing told the designer that close ups of white women staring into you results in the most sales and this is the compromise.
Wow, unexpected twist. I fell for every red herring.
I listened to this on audio and highly recommend! The narrator for Laura's chapters was perfect - she was ominous and sets the perfect tone, I was on the edge of my seat! Nothing is as it seems!
The Night Before was such a great fast paced thriller. The time jumping dialogue, the red herrings, and the interspersed dialogue involving conversations with a therapist gave me some serious Silent Patient vibes. But I thought this one was even better. The pacing was excellent and I really could have read it in one sitting! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This book was a great quick read thriller. It kept up a really good pace, had interesting twists and kept me guessing pretty much the whole way through! A book where you constantly praise yourself for thinking you have figured everything out to then be shot down in the turn of a page. I really enjoyed All Is Not Forgotten by the same author and also enjoying this has made me excited to read more from Wendy Walker.
I listened to the audiobook version of this book. The only reason I finished it is because I hate leaving books unfinished.
It was... not good. The plot was unbelievable. The “twists” were predictable. The characters were not smart and overly-dramatic (I can probably attribute part of that to the voice actor in this case). It was a slow read that I will likely forget I ever read, which is why I’m writing this review - so I don’t accidentally try to read it again in the future.
