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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
mysterious
tense
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:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body shaming, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Drug use, Suicide, Death of parent
TW: forced captivity
[a:Kelley Armstrong|7581|Kelley Armstrong|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1625010968p2/7581.jpg]Generally, I power through reading with ease, but for some reason I held off finishing this book. It was a slower read for me, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
Kelley Armstrong is a strong and cohesive writer. I loved the detail in her writing and I did not have to backtrack after setting the book down for a day or two. It is, indeed, a psychological thriller, but I do not believe it was a psychological thriller that aligned with my personal taste.
A lot of the characters were thought out well, (Tanya being my favorite) while others just seemed to have a walk-through experience that made me more curious about their character development, but it was lacking.
The last 30% of my book were my favorite. It was inventive, a little twisted, but I felt overall, the book took a little too long with teen nuances to reach the precipitous of excitement thirst in a psych thriller.
I'd like to take my age into account. I do love a good YA, but it just seemed like a lot of teenage back and forth, which works great given the character dynamic. All was deployed well and will hit its centered market beautifully.
I would be interested in other books by Shelley Armstrong on a more adult level and refer audiences of a more YA late 20s market.
Also, the cover to the story doesn't add up much to me? Is it a filing cabinet? post?
Kelley Armstrong is a strong and cohesive writer. I loved the detail in her writing and I did not have to backtrack after setting the book down for a day or two. It is, indeed, a psychological thriller, but I do not believe it was a psychological thriller that aligned with my personal taste.
A lot of the characters were thought out well, (Tanya being my favorite) while others just seemed to have a walk-through experience that made me more curious about their character development, but it was lacking.
The last 30% of my book were my favorite. It was inventive, a little twisted, but I felt overall, the book took a little too long with teen nuances to reach the precipitous of excitement thirst in a psych thriller.
I'd like to take my age into account. I do love a good YA, but it just seemed like a lot of teenage back and forth, which works great given the character dynamic. All was deployed well and will hit its centered market beautifully.
I would be interested in other books by Shelley Armstrong on a more adult level and refer audiences of a more YA late 20s market.
Also, the cover to the story doesn't add up much to me? Is it a filing cabinet? post?
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Another book I feel conflicted about, it has a very interesting plot and the concept is very unique and complex. The mystery really caught my attention and I was determined to read until the end to find out what happen.
However, I was left confused about some things regarding the memories. It took me a while to understand it. I also felt some parts feels dragging especially in the middle part of the story.
I really like getting to know the characters and the secret pasts each of them has. Some of them really caught me by surprise and made a good plot twist. Although, I wish there’s more depth to the side characters as well.
I don’t know if this is going to be a series or remain a standalone, if it is a standalone then the ending doesn’t feel very satisfying cause it left with some unanswered questions that I wish were resolved at the end of it.
Overall, it’s still a pretty good story. A dash of romance, strong friendship and unexpected twists makes this book quite enjoyable to read.
⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: Death, murder, sexual assault, mention of suicide, fire injury, suicide attempt and child death.
I received an advanced review copy for free through Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Huge thank you to the author and publisher!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Child death, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not my favorite Kelley Armstrong book but also not the worst book I’ve ever read 😅 It was… interesting. A bit confusing at times with an unreliable narrator and multiple pov’s. It reminded me of a couple of her ya series, if you took the supernatural aspect out of them. I do enjoy Kelley’s writing and I’m sure this won’t be the last book I read by her.
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Book Summary:
Blythe, Gabriel, Tucker, and Tanya are the best of friends. We all know how important a solid friend group is – especially for teens. Yet this group is unprepared for what is to come, as a rift forms between the two.
When Gabrielle is found, covered in blood, over a murder victim (who happens to be their principal), things go from bad to worse. Without any memory of how she got there, Gabrielle can hardly defend herself. Can the group trust anyone anymore? What about each other?
My Review:
As a huge fan of Kelley Armstrong, I knew right away I had to try her latest thriller novel, Someone Is Always Watching. It's always interesting seeing authors experiment with a different genre, and this is no exception.
Someone Is Always Watching is a teen drama/mystery/thriller, so naturally, it gets quite tense and complex at times. More importantly, it shows the power and fragility of friendship and how quickly things change.
Throw in the creepy nightmares, and you've got a compelling story. I read Someone Is Always Watching in one sitting and have zero regrets about it.
Highlights:
Thriller/Mystery
Romantic Subplot
Teen Thriller
Thanks to Tundra Books and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
Blythe, Gabriel, Tucker, and Tanya are the best of friends. We all know how important a solid friend group is – especially for teens. Yet this group is unprepared for what is to come, as a rift forms between the two.
When Gabrielle is found, covered in blood, over a murder victim (who happens to be their principal), things go from bad to worse. Without any memory of how she got there, Gabrielle can hardly defend herself. Can the group trust anyone anymore? What about each other?
My Review:
As a huge fan of Kelley Armstrong, I knew right away I had to try her latest thriller novel, Someone Is Always Watching. It's always interesting seeing authors experiment with a different genre, and this is no exception.
Someone Is Always Watching is a teen drama/mystery/thriller, so naturally, it gets quite tense and complex at times. More importantly, it shows the power and fragility of friendship and how quickly things change.
Throw in the creepy nightmares, and you've got a compelling story. I read Someone Is Always Watching in one sitting and have zero regrets about it.
Highlights:
Thriller/Mystery
Romantic Subplot
Teen Thriller
Thanks to Tundra Books and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book had a fun premise and kept surprising me. However, it felt like ideas were thrown into the page and whatever stuck was kept. It would definitely benefit from proper editing to tighten things up.
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
Maybe 2.5, this one was tough. I really liked the concept and some of the friendships worked, but some of the characters were a bit under developed and I found the pacing of the plot a bit challenging especially since the ending was a bit rushed and felt like it needed one more chapter to close some openings.
This one also needs all the trigger warnings which was a bit unexpected but handled fairly well
This one also needs all the trigger warnings which was a bit unexpected but handled fairly well