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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Blood, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The story seemed promising to me. We follow Blythe, a teenage girl that loves following the rules. She witnesses her friend have a mental breakdown and attack a teacher. The next day, she can't remember what happened but has "invasive thoughts" about events she thinks she is hallucinating. She and her friends investigate, and it seems everyone has a hidden truth, something that was concealed from them.
While I enjoyed the story at first, it was intriguing, and though it started slowly, the pace picked up after the first third of the book. It is well written, but the author insists on some elements for no apparent reason (so many recurring headaches/migraines at the beginning that are never mentioned afterward). It could have tied to the story, but no. It was just a random characteristic repeated over and over.
At first, I was interested in seeing where the story was going and how the characters evolve, but I stopped caring for them at one point. They felt unidimensional, like puppets serving the author, and weren't allowed any character development.
Still, I kept wanting to know what would happen next. Overall, it is a good story, sometimes rushed a little, but it kept my attention. It is nothing groundbreaking, but it was a good read.
The story seemed promising to me. We follow Blythe, a teenage girl that loves following the rules. She witnesses her friend have a mental breakdown and attack a teacher. The next day, she can't remember what happened but has "invasive thoughts" about events she thinks she is hallucinating. She and her friends investigate, and it seems everyone has a hidden truth, something that was concealed from them.
While I enjoyed the story at first, it was intriguing, and though it started slowly, the pace picked up after the first third of the book. It is well written, but the author insists on some elements for no apparent reason (so many recurring headaches/migraines at the beginning that are never mentioned afterward). It could have tied to the story, but no. It was just a random characteristic repeated over and over.
At first, I was interested in seeing where the story was going and how the characters evolve, but I stopped caring for them at one point. They felt unidimensional, like puppets serving the author, and weren't allowed any character development.
Still, I kept wanting to know what would happen next. Overall, it is a good story, sometimes rushed a little, but it kept my attention. It is nothing groundbreaking, but it was a good read.
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
sadly, this one started off so intriguing and heart pounding, but it fell kinda flat after that 🙃
I love a good ol mind control premise, especially when it has to do with sci fi advancements and not a divine intervention (*cough* manifest *cough*)! so I was super into the beginning and the mystery of the government hiding certain events!
the intrigue, however, ended there. the characters were capable of only making bad decisions and wandering off on their own. literally, they did nothing else.
and don’t even get me started on their parents. for being labeled helicopter parents, they sure were pretty lenient about their high school children 🤨
the ending was a little too wrapped up and HEA for this kind of story. I wanted an ambiguous sci-fi ending, and instead, I got “and all was well and right in the world.” and I was like … alrighty then?
it just felt super unedited and disjointed for me, but I loved the premise!!
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
rating: 2 stars
wine pairing: napa valley sauvignon blanc
I love a good ol mind control premise, especially when it has to do with sci fi advancements and not a divine intervention (*cough* manifest *cough*)! so I was super into the beginning and the mystery of the government hiding certain events!
the intrigue, however, ended there. the characters were capable of only making bad decisions and wandering off on their own. literally, they did nothing else.
and don’t even get me started on their parents. for being labeled helicopter parents, they sure were pretty lenient about their high school children 🤨
the ending was a little too wrapped up and HEA for this kind of story. I wanted an ambiguous sci-fi ending, and instead, I got “and all was well and right in the world.” and I was like … alrighty then?
it just felt super unedited and disjointed for me, but I loved the premise!!
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
rating: 2 stars
wine pairing: napa valley sauvignon blanc
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
This was my first Kelley Armstrong book and it won't be my last.
From those early pages to the rest of this rapidly paced YA thriller, I was hooked. The cast of characters is decent sized but told through only four of their POVs: Blythe, Tanya, Tucker and Callum.
What would you do if you couldn't trust your memories?
This was a decent psychological thriller delving into the science fiction of the mind. More can't be said without revealing the plot. But the reveals, and there are many, are good. Highly recommend for fans of YA and thrillers.
From those early pages to the rest of this rapidly paced YA thriller, I was hooked. The cast of characters is decent sized but told through only four of their POVs: Blythe, Tanya, Tucker and Callum.
What would you do if you couldn't trust your memories?
This was a decent psychological thriller delving into the science fiction of the mind. More can't be said without revealing the plot. But the reveals, and there are many, are good. Highly recommend for fans of YA and thrillers.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really liked the premise of this one. It started off pretty strong then lost a little momentum for awhile. It felt like the main characters kept doing the same thing for awhile without much purpose. It was definitely a fast read. Not bad, but not top of the class. Very mid.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
It started out slow. why does everyone have a headache? lol but it got me wanting to know what was going on eventually. I never read anything by Armstrong before but i liked her writing style so I'll read more by her. Glad I read this.
tense
medium-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
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Murder