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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
EDIT: in the meantime, the Goodreads synopsis has been altered to the one displayed on Bookbub, hence not giving away the entire plot anymore.
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Promising novel, intriguing plot, makes you think about what's right and what's wrong, the nature-nurture debate, ... But you have to make it halfway through before you arrive at what's described in the synopsis on Goodreads (and you won't read much that isn't yet described in the synopsis). So don't read the one on Goodreads but head over to Bookbub for the synopsis (as shown below).
~~~
Synopsis :
Their lives are a lie. Their memories may not be real. A new psychological thriller by #1 NYT bestselling author, Kelley Armstrong.
Blythe and her friends—Gabrielle, and brother and sister Tucker and Tanya—have always been a tight friend group, attending a local high school and falling in and out of love with each other. But an act of violence has caused a rift between Blythe and Tucker . . . and unexpected bursts of aggression and disturbing nightmares have started to become more frequent in their lives.
The strange happenings culminate in a shocking event at school: Gabrielle is found covered in blood in front of their deceased principal, with no memory of what happened.
Cracks in their friendship, as well as in their own memories, start appearing, threatening to expose long-forgotten secrets which could change the group’s lives forever. How can Blythe and her friends trust each other when they can’t even trust their own memories?
~~~
Now a bit more into detail. When I saw Kelley Armstrong was going to publish a new book, I really wanted to give it a try because 1 I've enjoyed reading her books when I was younger and 2 the (Goodreads) synopsis sounds absolutely promising. The synopsis immediately brings me to the thing that annoyed me the most: it takes the main characters way to much time to start figuring everything out. As a reader, you basically know what will happen in 75% of the book just because of the Goodreads synopsis, but the main characters need the entire book to figure it all out. Only the details and the ending are new for the reader, all that happens in between is basically nothing new. Nevertheless the small plotwists are well written, the search of the main characters to figure everything out too. The plot is original and really appealed to me as a criminologist (the way CMT tries to rehabilitate the kids, the nature nurture debate, whether you could do all this in a deontological correct way, ... But don't worry, this book isn't an in depth analysis of all this, it just skims the surface very quickly). Once you get past 50% the pacing is good as well. You also empathise with the characters. The ending could have used a little more retaliation in my opinion, everyone still seems to get away with everything quite easily (plus the last two chapters felt a little bit rushed), but nevertheless all pieces of the puzzle fit together perfectly at the end.
There was just one other thing that felt a bit strange to me. In the beginning, the context of the school is sketched, but soon that fades into the background. Along with the daily lives of the main characters, that also disappears. Suddenly, all that matters is unravelling what is going on with CMT. That there are only 24 hours in a day, that there are other obligations, all that falls away. This makes the story feel somewhat detached from reality at times. By this I do not mean that every time the characters have to eat or go to the bathroom, it has to be described. But a slightly better balance between the two extremes would benefit the story.
So overall I did enjoy the story, it offered some food for thought, is well written and sometimes keeps you on the edge of your seat. I also really liked the main characters. But I think a more limited synopsis that still reflects the gist of the story but without giving so much away from the beginning would benefit the reading experience. For example by using the one on Bookbub everywhere, that one would be a lot better, instead of the one on Goodreads spoiling everything. Hence 3,5/5 ⭐, because most of the story had already been spoiled before it even started, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless.
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.
~~~
Promising novel, intriguing plot, makes you think about what's right and what's wrong, the nature-nurture debate, ... But you have to make it halfway through before you arrive at what's described in the synopsis on Goodreads (and you won't read much that isn't yet described in the synopsis). So don't read the one on Goodreads but head over to Bookbub for the synopsis (as shown below).
~~~
Synopsis :
Their lives are a lie. Their memories may not be real. A new psychological thriller by #1 NYT bestselling author, Kelley Armstrong.
Blythe and her friends—Gabrielle, and brother and sister Tucker and Tanya—have always been a tight friend group, attending a local high school and falling in and out of love with each other. But an act of violence has caused a rift between Blythe and Tucker . . . and unexpected bursts of aggression and disturbing nightmares have started to become more frequent in their lives.
The strange happenings culminate in a shocking event at school: Gabrielle is found covered in blood in front of their deceased principal, with no memory of what happened.
Cracks in their friendship, as well as in their own memories, start appearing, threatening to expose long-forgotten secrets which could change the group’s lives forever. How can Blythe and her friends trust each other when they can’t even trust their own memories?
~~~
Now a bit more into detail. When I saw Kelley Armstrong was going to publish a new book, I really wanted to give it a try because 1 I've enjoyed reading her books when I was younger and 2 the (Goodreads) synopsis sounds absolutely promising. The synopsis immediately brings me to the thing that annoyed me the most: it takes the main characters way to much time to start figuring everything out. As a reader, you basically know what will happen in 75% of the book just because of the Goodreads synopsis, but the main characters need the entire book to figure it all out. Only the details and the ending are new for the reader, all that happens in between is basically nothing new. Nevertheless the small plotwists are well written, the search of the main characters to figure everything out too. The plot is original and really appealed to me as a criminologist (the way CMT tries to rehabilitate the kids, the nature nurture debate, whether you could do all this in a deontological correct way, ... But don't worry, this book isn't an in depth analysis of all this, it just skims the surface very quickly). Once you get past 50% the pacing is good as well. You also empathise with the characters. The ending could have used a little more retaliation in my opinion, everyone still seems to get away with everything quite easily (plus the last two chapters felt a little bit rushed), but nevertheless all pieces of the puzzle fit together perfectly at the end.
There was just one other thing that felt a bit strange to me. In the beginning, the context of the school is sketched, but soon that fades into the background. Along with the daily lives of the main characters, that also disappears. Suddenly, all that matters is unravelling what is going on with CMT. That there are only 24 hours in a day, that there are other obligations, all that falls away. This makes the story feel somewhat detached from reality at times. By this I do not mean that every time the characters have to eat or go to the bathroom, it has to be described. But a slightly better balance between the two extremes would benefit the story.
So overall I did enjoy the story, it offered some food for thought, is well written and sometimes keeps you on the edge of your seat. I also really liked the main characters. But I think a more limited synopsis that still reflects the gist of the story but without giving so much away from the beginning would benefit the reading experience. For example by using the one on Bookbub everywhere, that one would be a lot better, instead of the one on Goodreads spoiling everything. Hence 3,5/5 ⭐, because most of the story had already been spoiled before it even started, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless.
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
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:
Complicated
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Some of the twists here were obvious, but others were actually really well done. I think there's definitely a discussion that could happen around the potential of altering memories and the societal impacts but I'm not paid enough to get into that
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I felt like many of the plot points and revelations were supposed to be shocking and dramatic, and they just fell flat. There was such potential for this book to be thrilling, exciting, and shocking, but it was a little boring. Several events that I think were shocking (or at least could have been) were downplayed or brushed off, and I wish the author had done more with that material.
I also found some of the character voices very annoying, which totally took me out of the story because I just wanted them to stop talking.
It was interesting enough that I finished it, but only because I can listen to the audio while working.. If I picked this up as a physical book I might have DNF'd.
At first the switch between first person and third person pov was jarring/annoying, but I got used to it quickly and decided it didn't factor towards a lower rating.
I also found some of the character voices very annoying, which totally took me out of the story because I just wanted them to stop talking.
It was interesting enough that I finished it, but only because I can listen to the audio while working.. If I picked this up as a physical book I might have DNF'd.
At first the switch between first person and third person pov was jarring/annoying, but I got used to it quickly and decided it didn't factor towards a lower rating.
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Someone is Always Watching was a thrilling read. Blithe's friend starts freaking out about cameras and people watching her. Something happens, but Blithe only knows she got a concussion from hitting her head on a sink in the bathroom. Odd delusions start to plague her, although she writes them off as a concussion symptom.
She receives an anonymous email telling her that someone she knows is a murderer.
Suddenly, Blithe has more questions than answers. She and her friends are on a mission to get their answers.
But they aren't prepared for what they are about to learn.
A thriller and a mystery. Worth the read.
She receives an anonymous email telling her that someone she knows is a murderer.
Suddenly, Blithe has more questions than answers. She and her friends are on a mission to get their answers.
But they aren't prepared for what they are about to learn.
A thriller and a mystery. Worth the read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Mental illness, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Want to see more bookish things from me? Check out my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCferU-BCL2dlFjWdD0rS75Q
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review*
4.5/5 Stars
Blythe, Gabrielle, Tucker, and Tanya have been friends attending the same high school. A recent violent event creates tension between Tucker and Blythe, causing them to be forced apart by their parents. Then Gabrielle has a mental breakdown and is sent to the office, where Blythe finds her covered in blood with the Vice Principal at her feet. The next day, Blythe wakes up with memory loss but knows something isn't right. The three remaining friends decide to investigate.
This was such a fun read with an addictive writing style, that had me hooked right from the beginning. I was so caught up in the mystery behind what was happening to the teens, that I didn't care that it was so unbelievable. I'm a sucker for an unreliable narrator so I loved how no one could be trusted, and everyone was being gaslighted at some point. It made it so interesting to try and figure out who was actually telling the truth. I found the characters to be very intriguing, and I liked learning more about their backstories. I really liked Tucker and Blythe's complicated relationship. I thought it was interesting how they fed off one another, whether it be for better or for worse. I would love to read more stories about these characters and where they go from here.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review*
4.5/5 Stars
Blythe, Gabrielle, Tucker, and Tanya have been friends attending the same high school. A recent violent event creates tension between Tucker and Blythe, causing them to be forced apart by their parents. Then Gabrielle has a mental breakdown and is sent to the office, where Blythe finds her covered in blood with the Vice Principal at her feet. The next day, Blythe wakes up with memory loss but knows something isn't right. The three remaining friends decide to investigate.
This was such a fun read with an addictive writing style, that had me hooked right from the beginning. I was so caught up in the mystery behind what was happening to the teens, that I didn't care that it was so unbelievable. I'm a sucker for an unreliable narrator so I loved how no one could be trusted, and everyone was being gaslighted at some point. It made it so interesting to try and figure out who was actually telling the truth. I found the characters to be very intriguing, and I liked learning more about their backstories. I really liked Tucker and Blythe's complicated relationship. I thought it was interesting how they fed off one another, whether it be for better or for worse. I would love to read more stories about these characters and where they go from here.