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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
mysterious
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
Parents Weekend tries to sell itself as an edge-of-your-seat mystery, but it barely delivers a footnote of suspense. The setup has potential, but the execution feels like a rushed first draft—clunky dialogue, cardboard characters, and a plot that stumbles over its own predictability.
The multiple POVs? More like multiple reasons to lose interest. Every character feels like a recycled stereotype, and their motivations are about as deep as a dorm room mini-fridge. The pacing is frantic, but not in a gripping way—more like a desperate attempt to distract from the lack of originality.
If this book were a weekend trip, I’d be requesting an early checkout.
The multiple POVs? More like multiple reasons to lose interest. Every character feels like a recycled stereotype, and their motivations are about as deep as a dorm room mini-fridge. The pacing is frantic, but not in a gripping way—more like a desperate attempt to distract from the lack of originality.
If this book were a weekend trip, I’d be requesting an early checkout.
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan audio for the advanced audio copy of Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay.
This was a gripping fast paced thriller. It starts out as a rather normal parents weekend at a college. That is until the students of the parents in the group don't show up and as the night goes on, not a text or call is received from any of them.
This is one of those novels that has a multiple points of view, and you're getting it from a fair amount of characters since we have 5 families of parents and students. What I particularly loved was how the story kept surprising me. Just when I thought I had it figured out, another layer would reveal even more secrets and complications.
I think anyone who is a fan of thrillers will enjoy this one.
This was a gripping fast paced thriller. It starts out as a rather normal parents weekend at a college. That is until the students of the parents in the group don't show up and as the night goes on, not a text or call is received from any of them.
This is one of those novels that has a multiple points of view, and you're getting it from a fair amount of characters since we have 5 families of parents and students. What I particularly loved was how the story kept surprising me. Just when I thought I had it figured out, another layer would reveal even more secrets and complications.
I think anyone who is a fan of thrillers will enjoy this one.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.75⭐️ This book held my attention the entire time. The chapters switched POVs between the five that were missing and their families. This kept the book moving quickly and the chapters short. Each family had their own issue they were dealing with. Overall I would say the book is simple and the twists predictable, but the book was still enjoyable. I would recommend to others that want a quick and easy thriller.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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:
No
Thank you to NetGalley, MacMillan Audio, and Alex Finlay for providing me with an ARC e-audiobook of "Parents Weekend". This is a fast paced thriller involving 5 freshman students, at a private college in California, who go missing on Parents Weekend. Told from many multiple points of view, the intrigue captures you to understand what has happened to these students and the events that lead up to their disappearance. With a lot of family secrets and drama, you will be captivated. The narrator did an excellent job in building the suspence. My favorite characters was Special Agent Sarah Keller and her husband. I hope there are more books in the future with these characters. Overall, I liked this book but was not my favorite Alex Finlay book. I was disappointed in the ending, as I was hoping for so much more. I am glad I listened to this book but not likely one I would pick up again in the future.
Five families come together for Parent's Weekend at a small Northern California college campus. The first night they are all supposed to meet up at a restaurant for dinner and the opening festivities. But none of the five kids show up. The parents aren't too concerned at first, thinking it's just college kids out partying. But by the second night, they know that something is definitely wrong. As they all gather to search for the kids we start to see that there are lots of secrets and everyone is hiding something. There were a lot of characters and they were definitely hard to keep track of for awhile, but I finally got them all straight. This is a fast paced, popcorn type of thriller that was a lot of fun for a Summer read. I liked getting to see the return of FBI Special Agent, Sarah Keller from his previous books.
This is an author that I can always count on for a solid thriller read. He will continue to be an auto-read for me. Thank you to @minotaurbooks and @netgalley for this #gifted copy. It's out now, so add this one to your Summer Beach Bag!
This is an author that I can always count on for a solid thriller read. He will continue to be an auto-read for me. Thank you to @minotaurbooks and @netgalley for this #gifted copy. It's out now, so add this one to your Summer Beach Bag!
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
fast-paced