Reviews

Leave the Lights On by Liv Andersson

haylee_reads's review

I am DNF-ing this at 54%. The premise of this book sounded really interesting and the writing was…fine. 

However, the main character is such a frustrating and deeply unlikeable character that I literally cannot continue to read this. I really can’t go into details as to why she’s this way without spoilers. But honestly I was so disappointed in the way she was written and the fact that instead of escaping the island after some shit went down, she ran out into the rain to scream and then pained a mural of some mermaids. 

This was clearly written to be a TV show of some sorts and that’s very clear. 

Also, I love frustrating and deeply unlikeable characters. Normally. Beatrice had absolutely zero depth to her. 

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

nikki_in_niagara's review against another edition

4.0

 Beatrice has it all. A beautiful millions of dollars house, an ocean view, all the money her husband has to spend, and an art therapy centre to build and run. A charmed life that is if you overlook her husband's other family. But then her husband's son gets kidnapped and then another boy. Beatrice's secrets are going to come to light.

This was a popcorn thriller for me. A quick 24-hour page-turning read. A fast pace that kept me on the edge of my seat and twists that kept me guessing who the suspect was. I loved the ending. 

herthrillingreads's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I absolutely loved @liv_andersson_authordebut novel Little Red House. Her sophomore novel, Leave The Lights On, is a fantastic domestic thriller that grabs your attention from the beginning and has you turning pages to find out what happens next. The story is told with dual timelines, long held secrets, twists, and the illusions of a perfect life. This novel has sealed Liv in as a must read author for me. She does a great job of writing thrillers with complex family dynamics. I recommend adding both of her novels to your TBR list.

Thank you @crookedlanebooks and @netgalley for allowing me to read this book ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

jessgarcia28's review against another edition

3.0

Thank you Liv Andersson, Crooked Lane Books, and Netgalley for an ARC of Leave The Lights On.

This is one of those books that makes you truly question how well do you actually know someone?

I got wrapped up in this book and kept wanting to know more. I loved the twists and turns from the beginning. Josh and Beatrice live in a million dollar house on the coast on Maine. Both live their idyllic lives while they both are holding onto massive secrets that they want to keep in the dark from each other. Can they really do just that when Josh's secret 2 year old son is abducted?

I had a hard time trying to decide whether or not to rate this 3 stars or 4. I ultimately rated it a 3 because the book was extremely wordy throughout the entirety of the book like sometimes the dialogue just didn't seem remotely close to be what would be said in a scenario in real life. However, it was a great book and storyline that I really enjoyed. 4 stars for the story but dropped to a 3 overall.

bookshelf_therapy's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 

Are you ever in the mood to just not think much while reading. Let the story lead, while at the same time being wonderfully entertained? Then this pageturner is my recommendation for you. I got this thriller as an ARC, so I didn’t really know what to expect. I also like to go blind into books a lot of the times (or at least as blind as I can manage while, while still suspecting I might like the book based on some general information). So I dove into this with an open mind.
Right from the start I really enjoyed the language used. You can really tell that Liv Andersson knows what she is doing. Whilst still being clear and understandable, the choice of words and syntax provided a beautiful and intriguing picture of the Upper East Coast of the USA and the life and psyche of our main character.

The characters in itself where believable, whilst still being interesting enough for a thriller novel. Writing thriller characters and plot realistically is one of the hardest things to do in my opinion, but Andersson succeded. Our main character has its definite flaws, at the same time I coudn’t do anything else than root for her and her story.

The plot sucked me right in as well. The novel is set at the beautiful upper east coast of the USA. The short chapters made for an entertaining reading experience, that I could fit into every waiting time I had at bus stations, waiting rooms etc. Only problem: It was so captivating, that I didn’t want to stop, so i do not recommend reading this, when you don’t have the time to keep going.
There are some twists and turns in this novel, but they all were done well and convincing. And whilst it kept me guessing and thinking (always a good sign in a thriller or mystery), it was never predictable in the end.

Liv Andersson is a former therapist (hello former colleague!) and you can tell that she uses her experience in her writing. The suspense, the plot, the characters – everything benefits from it. Therefore I think I found a new favourite thriller author and I will be gladly read more from her in the future (you can subscribe if you don’t want to miss that):

 

This is for you if:

• you are in a reading slump and want something that sucks you in an ignites that love for reading again
• you watch out for believability in plot, characters and novel construction
• you love thrillers with a psychological component
• 
  

Trigger Warning: Physical violence, psychic manipulation