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lisayates's review against another edition
5.0
Wow!!!!
What a fantastic read. I really didn't see the massive twist coming at the end and had to re-read a few chapters just to be sure I was reading it right! This book had me gripped from the start & I can't wait to read more from the author. If your unsure about buying it don't be, believe me the twist will blow your mind!!
What a fantastic read. I really didn't see the massive twist coming at the end and had to re-read a few chapters just to be sure I was reading it right! This book had me gripped from the start & I can't wait to read more from the author. If your unsure about buying it don't be, believe me the twist will blow your mind!!
karlyo83's review against another edition
1.0
My Rating: 1⭐️ very disappointed it didn’t tick the boxes for me LET DOWN!!!
I am going to be upfront and let you know I am going to spoil the big ‘shocking’ reveal in my review… I just can’t do the review without it… so I have hidden the review on GR but please don’t read on if you don’t want to know!!!
This one was a huge let down for me… I wasn’t overly convinced I would enjoy it anyway because although labelled a psychological thriller I don’t really think that is the right marketing for it… It is a story of domestic abuse. Which is terrible and horrible but not a thriller … in my opinion. I also wish to point out these are just my opinions and my experience with the book… I have some strong opinions on Domestic Violence for personal reasons but I didn’t rate it down because of those reasons.
First of all you all know I am a sucker for the multiple POV so I was delighted to see that we were getting the story from both Charlie and Sal. This was a plus for me… however… like some (very few) readers I found that the sheer amount of repetitiveness was too much. The same themes, story and occurrences were gone over more than once or twice and while I appreciate that the author was trying to give us the Birds Eye view from both parties it really could have been done better. I think for a short book this felt really really really long and drawn out.
I AM LITERALLY ABOUT TO SPOIL THE TWIST SO IF YOU NEED TO BOW OUT DO IT NOW!!!!
I also don’t think the way the twist was set up was all that thrilling either… it was very obvious to me the way the author wrote this book that Sal (the abused party) was either not a woman or in fact Sal and Charlie were in a same sex relationship. The amount of times that Charlie referred to Sal while as opposed to he or her was a dead give away. As it turns out Sal is a man and Charlie is in fact a woman. Which is quite uncommon in a book about domestic abuse.
Having said that… I think this was a great opportunity to ignite a thought provoking look into the dynamics of those kinds of abusive relationships however the way this was written it literally was only going for the shock factor…. Oh jeez you’re kidding Charlie is abusing Sal…get out of town!!! Instead of there being a chance to look at the relationship… how did Charlie get to be how she was… why did Sal allow her to be abusive and the dynamics of that. Ultimately people in those kinds of relationships will always have their “reasons” for staying or ignoring the behaviour that they always later feel guilty or sad or regretful about… that is absolutely normal… however I am yet to read another novel about a F to M, DV scenario and I think this could have been done A LOT better to put a light onto the fact that this does happen (although the statistics are much lower) it is still a very sad and awful situation.
The author was dead set on that shock value though and it completely fell flat for me. I was actually convinced that the couple were in a same sex relationship and I thought that too would have been an interesting dynamic to explore in the context of a relationship gone wrong… but either way the ending would still have been a let down.
The writing was sub par… very repetitive and circular in how the story was told. It became tiresome because the same issues were dragged up over and over. Charlie was controlling yes… and that was clear but she was controlling in the exact same way every time. An abusive spouse generally has a big bag of despicable tricks up their sleeve that they roll out over time and while Charlie did do a number of things… it felt like she was just rotating through ‘every day’ motions to keep Sal on his toes. NOW … that does not diminish the abuse at all… but this was supposed to be a thriller right?? AND there was nothing thrilling about reading the same thing over and over and over.
When Charlie cheated on Sal it was as if we were just ticking off a checklist of things that were completely expected… I really could drone on and on but then you might as well just read the book for repetition.
I didn’t like this one…. Not because I couldn’t handle the content… that was awful without a doubt but it was also done in a way that was light touch… not that I think it should have been bash city or anything… but still again this was fiction and it was supposed to be a thriller and it was supposed to be shocking… none of this shocked me… it was sad absolutely but not the shock factor I think the author was going for.
Overall - I wouldn’t recommend this and if you have gotten to this point of my review I definitely wouldn’t recommend it cause I have now completely ruined the story for you…so you might as well read something I didn’t spoil
I am going to be upfront and let you know I am going to spoil the big ‘shocking’ reveal in my review… I just can’t do the review without it… so I have hidden the review on GR but please don’t read on if you don’t want to know!!!
This one was a huge let down for me… I wasn’t overly convinced I would enjoy it anyway because although labelled a psychological thriller I don’t really think that is the right marketing for it… It is a story of domestic abuse. Which is terrible and horrible but not a thriller … in my opinion. I also wish to point out these are just my opinions and my experience with the book… I have some strong opinions on Domestic Violence for personal reasons but I didn’t rate it down because of those reasons.
First of all you all know I am a sucker for the multiple POV so I was delighted to see that we were getting the story from both Charlie and Sal. This was a plus for me… however… like some (very few) readers I found that the sheer amount of repetitiveness was too much. The same themes, story and occurrences were gone over more than once or twice and while I appreciate that the author was trying to give us the Birds Eye view from both parties it really could have been done better. I think for a short book this felt really really really long and drawn out.
I AM LITERALLY ABOUT TO SPOIL THE TWIST SO IF YOU NEED TO BOW OUT DO IT NOW!!!!
I also don’t think the way the twist was set up was all that thrilling either… it was very obvious to me the way the author wrote this book that Sal (the abused party) was either not a woman or in fact Sal and Charlie were in a same sex relationship. The amount of times that Charlie referred to Sal while as opposed to he or her was a dead give away. As it turns out Sal is a man and Charlie is in fact a woman. Which is quite uncommon in a book about domestic abuse.
Having said that… I think this was a great opportunity to ignite a thought provoking look into the dynamics of those kinds of abusive relationships however the way this was written it literally was only going for the shock factor…. Oh jeez you’re kidding Charlie is abusing Sal…get out of town!!! Instead of there being a chance to look at the relationship… how did Charlie get to be how she was… why did Sal allow her to be abusive and the dynamics of that. Ultimately people in those kinds of relationships will always have their “reasons” for staying or ignoring the behaviour that they always later feel guilty or sad or regretful about… that is absolutely normal… however I am yet to read another novel about a F to M, DV scenario and I think this could have been done A LOT better to put a light onto the fact that this does happen (although the statistics are much lower) it is still a very sad and awful situation.
The author was dead set on that shock value though and it completely fell flat for me. I was actually convinced that the couple were in a same sex relationship and I thought that too would have been an interesting dynamic to explore in the context of a relationship gone wrong… but either way the ending would still have been a let down.
The writing was sub par… very repetitive and circular in how the story was told. It became tiresome because the same issues were dragged up over and over. Charlie was controlling yes… and that was clear but she was controlling in the exact same way every time. An abusive spouse generally has a big bag of despicable tricks up their sleeve that they roll out over time and while Charlie did do a number of things… it felt like she was just rotating through ‘every day’ motions to keep Sal on his toes. NOW … that does not diminish the abuse at all… but this was supposed to be a thriller right?? AND there was nothing thrilling about reading the same thing over and over and over.
When Charlie cheated on Sal it was as if we were just ticking off a checklist of things that were completely expected… I really could drone on and on but then you might as well just read the book for repetition.
I didn’t like this one…. Not because I couldn’t handle the content… that was awful without a doubt but it was also done in a way that was light touch… not that I think it should have been bash city or anything… but still again this was fiction and it was supposed to be a thriller and it was supposed to be shocking… none of this shocked me… it was sad absolutely but not the shock factor I think the author was going for.
Overall - I wouldn’t recommend this and if you have gotten to this point of my review I definitely wouldn’t recommend it cause I have now completely ruined the story for you…so you might as well read something I didn’t spoil
paulabrandon's review against another edition
1.0
Oh my. I got through two chapters and figured out what the big twist would be! There was no way I was going to wade through 300 pages of clunky writing that was so obviously trying not to use the words "he", "she", "him" or "her" when referring to the main characters. I mean, come on! I skipped to the end and confirmed my suspicions. I hate one-trick pony books where the author gets the last laugh!
As I did not bother to read the rest, I'm not including this in my Goodreads challenge for this year (2017)! But I do think it warrants a one-star rating.
As I did not bother to read the rest, I'm not including this in my Goodreads challenge for this year (2017)! But I do think it warrants a one-star rating.
holmstead's review against another edition
4.0
In the back of my mind I had remembered reading a snippet of reviews about this couple. However, I tried to keep that thought at bay and read it at face value. So as I do, I begin to feel very empathetic for the character who is being abused. And yet at around 30% into the story, I notice that there are words and phrases eluding to the situation surrounding this couple. No pronouns are being used. Gender neutral names are tossed around. So that nagging feeling of what I think is the truth turns out to be the "twist" behind this book. Regardless, I had a crazy time reading it. I had butterflies in my stomach and my heart would beat rapidly. The comeuppance of the "bad guy" was good....sooooo good. I found myself trying to find any free time to read this so I can get that much further: in line at the grocery store, at the million stop lights on my way home from work, anywhere!
I also think that if you have experienced ANY type of similar situation in your household, the circumstances make it feel that much more real to you. Without going into mundane detail, I lived with an alcoholic who caused a lot of mostly mental abuse (10+ years). And for A LONG time after I left, I never believed my self worth, until that right person came into my life. So the character in the book fighting the struggle of the abuser starts to repeat every mantra I did. The first instance, "Oh that was an accident, that won't happen again. He's not THAT kind of person." The second time, "It was my fault. If I would only behave and do this, then he'll be happy." After the third or fourth, you think "He said he's really sorry, he loves me and the kids. He'll never do it again." Thus it becomes part of your every day life, and then it becomes "Well it's better that we are together and the kids have 2 parents. Is it really that bad?.....I could never leave. I have nowhere to go, no money or support." On and on the vicious cycle continues. Until one day you FINALLY reach your breaking point.
I think this writer executed the situation very well, and it was a nail-biter. Had I not been thinking about the "crazy twist" and read reviews beforehand, it would have been even better. But when an author can cause the reader to feel that sense of panic and turmoil, and the constant need to gobble up more story like a hungry-hungry hippo, they are doing something right.
I also think that if you have experienced ANY type of similar situation in your household, the circumstances make it feel that much more real to you. Without going into mundane detail, I lived with an alcoholic who caused a lot of mostly mental abuse (10+ years). And for A LONG time after I left, I never believed my self worth, until that right person came into my life. So the character in the book fighting the struggle of the abuser starts to repeat every mantra I did. The first instance, "Oh that was an accident, that won't happen again. He's not THAT kind of person." The second time, "It was my fault. If I would only behave and do this, then he'll be happy." After the third or fourth, you think "He said he's really sorry, he loves me and the kids. He'll never do it again." Thus it becomes part of your every day life, and then it becomes "Well it's better that we are together and the kids have 2 parents. Is it really that bad?.....I could never leave. I have nowhere to go, no money or support." On and on the vicious cycle continues. Until one day you FINALLY reach your breaking point.
I think this writer executed the situation very well, and it was a nail-biter. Had I not been thinking about the "crazy twist" and read reviews beforehand, it would have been even better. But when an author can cause the reader to feel that sense of panic and turmoil, and the constant need to gobble up more story like a hungry-hungry hippo, they are doing something right.
calturner's review against another edition
4.0
This is a difficult book to review without giving anything away. I would have preferred not to have known there was a twist before even starting the book as I prefer to go in blind, but I can see why that would be seen as a good marketing strategy.
But other than that this is a gripping thriller that I enjoyed immensely, and I will definitely read more from this author in the future. Anything more than that I won't say for fear of spoiling someone. Excellent, tension filled novel.
A 4 star read that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a good psychological thriller.
But other than that this is a gripping thriller that I enjoyed immensely, and I will definitely read more from this author in the future. Anything more than that I won't say for fear of spoiling someone. Excellent, tension filled novel.
A 4 star read that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a good psychological thriller.
amu98's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
beingaubrey's review against another edition
5.0
Great book with some great twists! Never would’ve expected it.
sarahbelle's review against another edition
1.0
Where do I start? This book is mostly about verbal, emotional, and physical abuse from a husband (Charlie) to his Wife (Sal). Each chapter is written back and forth between their perspectives. It was OK. Sal I found to be extremely annoying and stupid. It was hard to enjoy. Then I got almost to the end (and I am unsure if it’s my copy as no one else has mentioned this) but the last 3 chapters were completely screwed up. He and she and the perspectives were mixed together (obviously on accident) The author was writing the chapter is Charlie’s view but was saying he was a she and Sal was a he and it was just a mess. Literally had it fine the entire book and then it was like she got drunk writing the last 3 chapters and didn’t realize she was mixing the characters sexes from their standpoint it was ass backwards. Literally backwards. For me it ruined the book.