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3.33 AVERAGE
3.33 AVERAGE
Holy shit what a crazy book! Different than other books I read by Nicci French so not used to this type of story but it was very exciting! Loved the mountaineering part as I was reading the book in Iceland with also snow, mountains and cold!
I won this book as a FirstRead.
Alice Loudon has a typical life that most would aspire to - a serious boyfriend, a close-knit group of friends, and a good job as a research scientist. However, upon seeing Adam Tallis on the street one morning, she finds herself obsessed with him and unable to say no to anything he asks of her. Soon, she has broken up with her boyfriend, mostly alienated her friends, and is often skipping work because of Adam. The signs of Adam being controlling and abusive start almost immediately, yet in her obsession, she ignores them.
For me, the plot was predictable. The part that most surprised and horrified me was I felt like this could easily be the plot to a Lifetime movie.
Alice Loudon has a typical life that most would aspire to - a serious boyfriend, a close-knit group of friends, and a good job as a research scientist. However, upon seeing Adam Tallis on the street one morning, she finds herself obsessed with him and unable to say no to anything he asks of her. Soon, she has broken up with her boyfriend, mostly alienated her friends, and is often skipping work because of Adam. The signs of Adam being controlling and abusive start almost immediately, yet in her obsession, she ignores them.
For me, the plot was predictable. The part that most surprised and horrified me was
Spoiler
when Adam killed their cat to imitate the woman who had been leaving them threatening notes.
Zoals een echte Nicci French: spanning goed opgebouwd en je blijft erin lezen. Toch 'maar' 3 sterren, omdat het gewoon een typisch literaire thriller-plot zonder al te veel verrassingen is en ik de aantrekkingskracht tussen de hoofdpersonages niet realistisch vond, terwijl dit wel een centraal thema is in het boek.
This was revoltingly gross. One of those "My husband was a rapist and a murderer but I still love him" stories, complete with sexual violence and controlling behaviour. I have to say I don't understand the appeal of these writers and I won't be reading any more of their books to find out.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Animal death
Killing Me Softly by Nicci French is a true page-turner. Immediately the novel pulls you into the intense love affair of Alice and Adam and you just devour the words to find out where this passionate love will lead.
Alice is involved with Jake, her comfortable live-in boyfriend of some years when one day walking to work she locks eyes with a handsome stranger, briefly they exchange an intense staring session but eventually continue to their separate designations. Leaving for lunch Alice notices the stranger is standing in the same spot "as if he hadn’t moved since this morning." He tells her he was waiting for her and asks her to come with him – she does. They travel to his apartment via taxi without speaking and then engage in "obliterating" passionate love making. She leaves without knowing his name.
And that’s how the story begins; Alice has a passionate love affair with a man who seems to worship her. Their love is obsessive and Alice’s normal world shrinks to just Adam, the stranger she locked eyes with on the street.
Alice leaves Jake and sets up shop with Adam, the somewhat stoic mountain climber who only has eyes for Alice. The beginning of their relationship is made of the stuff people (well, me) day-dream about, the terribly handsome stranger is smitten by you, he pays rapid attention to your every word, he can’t keep his hands off you, he’s spontaneous, he always makes you feel loved and desired and you feel the same way. But then reality creeps in, how much does Alice really know about Adam?
The novel takes you on a road where we find out more about Adam and the price that comes with an obsessive relationship. It’s a quick read which will surely keep you interested.
Alice is involved with Jake, her comfortable live-in boyfriend of some years when one day walking to work she locks eyes with a handsome stranger, briefly they exchange an intense staring session but eventually continue to their separate designations. Leaving for lunch Alice notices the stranger is standing in the same spot "as if he hadn’t moved since this morning." He tells her he was waiting for her and asks her to come with him – she does. They travel to his apartment via taxi without speaking and then engage in "obliterating" passionate love making. She leaves without knowing his name.
And that’s how the story begins; Alice has a passionate love affair with a man who seems to worship her. Their love is obsessive and Alice’s normal world shrinks to just Adam, the stranger she locked eyes with on the street.
Alice leaves Jake and sets up shop with Adam, the somewhat stoic mountain climber who only has eyes for Alice. The beginning of their relationship is made of the stuff people (well, me) day-dream about, the terribly handsome stranger is smitten by you, he pays rapid attention to your every word, he can’t keep his hands off you, he’s spontaneous, he always makes you feel loved and desired and you feel the same way. But then reality creeps in, how much does Alice really know about Adam?
The novel takes you on a road where we find out more about Adam and the price that comes with an obsessive relationship. It’s a quick read which will surely keep you interested.
I discovered this book while scrolling through Nicci French's Facebook page, and because I thoroughly enjoy the Frieda Klein series, I decided to read it. The beginning of the book reflected many romance novel cliches, and as a result, I was skeptical about its quality. However, I became quickly impressed with the way in which the authors portrayed the development of an abusive relationship. While the suspenseful story of Alice and Adam differs significantly from most relationships, the underlying dynamics reflect textbook signs of intimate partner violence (IPV). Examples include the isolation of Alice from her previous friends, the escalating physical violence, and Adam's attempts to control all aspects of Alice's life.
I think there is a tendency to roll one's eyes at Alice's decisions throughout the book, especially because the development of her relationship fits these signs of IPV, but this tendency is both deeply misguided and insensitive. Of course, Alice is a fictional character, but often the tone of these judgments spills into real life. Comments such as "why don't they just leave" assume that making decisions in abusive relationships is easy. The authors portray the fact that abusive relationships might appear obvious or irrational from an external perspective, yet that so-called obviousness is completely useless to a person involved.
4 stars for spurring this thought process, otherwise 3 stars
I think there is a tendency to roll one's eyes at Alice's decisions throughout the book, especially because the development of her relationship fits these signs of IPV, but this tendency is both deeply misguided and insensitive. Of course, Alice is a fictional character, but often the tone of these judgments spills into real life. Comments such as "why don't they just leave" assume that making decisions in abusive relationships is easy. The authors portray the fact that abusive relationships might appear obvious or irrational from an external perspective, yet that so-called obviousness is completely useless to a person involved.
4 stars for spurring this thought process, otherwise 3 stars
From the start I knew something was wrong with Adam and I think we were meant to get that feeling. But also I feel like they kept dragging it out. I really felt for Alice because she deserved better. The ending was quite painful because the lies she has to live with, I hoped it would end on a better note for her. Even if it wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. Nice read but nothing too special.