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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
Second Finley novel and once again he picks the most obvious cliche to run with
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
In the glow of their children’s exciting first year of college at a small private school in Northern California, five families gather over dinner and cocktails for the opening festivities of Parents Weekend. As the parents stay out way past their bedtimes, their kids—five residents of Campisi Hall—never show up to dinner."
And then the search begins - are they being obnoxious college students? Is this payback to the parents? Or is something more sinister at foot? Given the recent death of a classmate, parents are worried - especially as they cannot locate their children nor do they respond to calls or texts.
The parents are as diverse as parents can be; their relationships with their children range from good to strained.
And then the search begins - are they being obnoxious college students? Is this payback to the parents? Or is something more sinister at foot? Given the recent death of a classmate, parents are worried - especially as they cannot locate their children nor do they respond to calls or texts.
The parents are as diverse as parents can be; their relationships with their children range from good to strained.
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Too many characters and not enough plot
mysterious
medium-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
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I don’t know what it is about Alex Finlays books but it is easy to get sucked into his story telling and finish his books so fast.
I really liked this story and I was really invested into the storyline and the well-being of all the characters in the storyline.
It did sometimes feel a little confusing as we were folksinger four different families and the cop and her family so if you don’t like many POVs this is not for you.
Genre: Thriller
APK: Ebook
Pages: 308
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Series or Standalone: Stand-alone
I really liked this story and I was really invested into the storyline and the well-being of all the characters in the storyline.
It did sometimes feel a little confusing as we were folksinger four different families and the cop and her family so if you don’t like many POVs this is not for you.
Genre: Thriller
APK: Ebook
Pages: 308
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Series or Standalone: Stand-alone
The writing in this book is genuinely impressive. The author has a way of crafting sentences that feel smooth and purposeful, whether I was reading or listening to the audiobook. It’s the kind of writing that makes you want to keep going, just to enjoy how the words flow together.
However, I found the story itself a bit underwhelming. While I appreciated the quality of the prose, the plot didn’t quite have the impact I was hoping for. It moved along steadily, but it never really built up to anything memorable or surprising. I kept waiting for something to pull me in deeper, but that moment didn’t come.
Even so, the writing style itself made it a worthwhile experience. If you appreciate thoughtful, well-written storytelling and don’t mind a plot that’s more subdued, this book could still be a good fit.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Parents Weekend is the latest release from Alex Finlay, an auto-buy author for me. Five college students are scheduled to meet their parents for dinner during freshman year Parents Weekend, but none of them show up. Is it just college-kid antics or is something more sinister at play?
The answer is glaringly obvious from the beginning, but, inexplicably, the author expects us to pretend that it’s a huge mystery. There would’ve been a great deal of suspense to be had if Alex Finlay had just acknowledged what was going on and proceeded on the basis that we’re ‘in on it’ with him. Instead, he made a weird, uncharacteristically amateurish choice that ended up compromising any possible logic in the plot. I’ll suspend a lot of disbelief for a fun suspense/thriller, but not for a dumb one.
I rate this disappointing Parents Weekend 3 stars and I do not recommend it. If you want the real Alex Finlay, read the far superior If Something Happens to Me.