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dark
mysterious
slow-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
𪨠Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay đި
MY RATING: âď¸âď¸âď¸
During Parents Weekend at a small California college, five students from Campisi Hall vanish without a traceâjust as their parents gather for dinner, expecting them to join.
At first, it's shrugged off as typical college behavior. But as hours turn into days, panic sets in, search parties are launched, and the media descends.
Dubbed âThe Five,â the missing students spark a frenzy of theories. Did something sinister happen that nightâor are their parentsâ pasts catching up with them?
This book definitely got my attention with the synopsis and the first part, but I felt it was a little bit slow. I did read it in one sitting, but didnât feel super connected to the story as I felt some of the major plot points were very predictable. I also felt like there were a loooot of characters which made some parts a bit confusing/not as thought out. I did feel like there was a lot of drama - everyone had secrets - and there were different drama dynamics such as drama between students, within their families, and otherwise. The resolution did make sense, but was quite obvious, and I wish there were more twists and thrills. That said, it was enjoyable and I think would be a good quick beach read.
Read this if you like:
- slow burn mystery
- college/university settings
- detective procedural vibes
Vibes: đިđđąđ¤łđ
Song that matches the vibe: bury a friend by Billie Eilish
Full review including content warnings on my StoryGraph.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Drug use, Gun violence, Blood, Kidnapping
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
SYNOPSIS
-Itâs Parents Weekend at a small private college in California. Five freshmen mysteriously go missing.
-At first, everyone assumes theyâre just being typical college kids â partying, blowing off dinner with their parents.
But as the hours stretch into days with no word, panic sets in.
-Search parties form, reporters swarm, and the missing students (dubbed âThe Fiveâ) become a media obsession.
-Told through multiple POVs and split timelines (past and present), the story unravels messy family secrets and raises the big question: are the parentsâ past mistakes catching up with their kids?
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MY THOUGHTS
-The idea was fun â messy families, missing students, media circus â but the execution didnât totally land for me.
-There are way too many points of view. Between the kids, their parents, and Agent Keller, it felt like a lot of voices competing for space.
-Similarly, the cast of characters is huge. Five missing kids, plus all their families â it gets a little crowded. I definitely felt like the same story could have been told with fewer people.
-I liked the short chapters.
-The writing style wasnât my favorite. The dialogue felt really unnatural in a lot of places â very âtell-yâ instead of âshow-y.â Characters explained things instead of just talking like normal humans.
-Definitely a popcorn thriller â quick & dramatic.
-Apparently, Agent Sarah Keller is from earlier books, but I hadnât read them, and it didnât matter. This reads fine as a standalone.
-If you love stories about dysfunctional families and bad life choices coming to light, this book leans heavily into that vibe. Basically everyone is cheating on everyone.
-The mystery itself felt a little flat â not super twisty or complex.
-The ending didnât really wow me either. It wrapped up quickly and felt kind of anticlimactic.
-Overall, the characters didnât have a ton of depth, which made it hard to care about them once everything hit the fan.
⸝
TL;DR: âď¸âď¸A fast, easy read with messy families, missing kids, and a ton of drama, but the huge cast of characters, too many POVs, flat mystery, and not-so-great dialogue made it fall a little flat for me.
⸝
THANKS: Thanks to St. Martinâs Press | Minotaur Books and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on May 6, 2025.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Infidelity, Murder
Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse
Minor: Stalking
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wow, I flew through this book! With its academic setting, short chapters, and compelling mystery, "Parents Weekend" was an unputdownable popcorn thriller. I enjoyed Finlay's last book, but I think I liked this one more. It was a quick read, and I finished it in just a few sittings. My only real complaint is the number of characters. There were a lot of families involved, and it was hard to keep track of who was who. With so many characters, I didn't really feel a strong connection to any of them, but I did enjoy all of the family drama. I also really liked the FBI agent, Keller, and the campus security officer, McCray, who were working together to find the missing college students. Their investigation was intriguing, and while there wasn't a huge plot twist, the story still held my attention the entire time. Overall, a bingeworthy story that I couldn't put down.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Brittany Pressley. I've listened to so many of her audiobooks, and I thought this was one of her best performances. She really nailed the emotions, accents, and voices of the many characters of all different ages, genders, and backgrounds. She did a great job building suspense and keeping me engaged in the story.
Thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Death, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Suicide, Terminal illness, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder