3.52 AVERAGE


"Someone is Always Watching" by Kelley Armstrong is a thrilling suspense novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. The story follows the lives of a family in a small town, who become the targets of a stalker who is watching their every move.

As the tension builds and the threats become more sinister, the family members are forced to confront their own secrets and past traumas. The novel delves into themes of trust, betrayal, and the lengths we will go to protect the ones we love.

Armstrong's writing is expertly crafted, with well-drawn characters and a tightly woven plot that keeps the reader guessing until the very end. The novel explores the dark side of human nature, and the ways in which our past can come back to haunt us.

Overall, "Someone is Always Watching" is a gripping and suspenseful read that will appeal to fans of psychological thrillers. Armstrong has created a masterful work of suspense, with a satisfying and unpredictable conclusion. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a page-turner that will keep you guessing until the very end.

3.5/5 stars

YA mystery/thriller- what if your memories weren't even real?

Oh man, what a gripping read! From the very beginning, Someone is Always Watching had me totally hooked. It chucks you right into the action, which I appreciated, and the mystery grows more and more complex from there. I liked the characters and the relationships between them, and the story leaves you a lot to contemplate as events unfold.

One side character felt oddly unnecessary and I don't understand why that person was included in the story. The romance subplot also felt kinda unnecessary to me, but that kind of thing is to be expected in YA. There was also an aspect of the plot that I felt lacked foreshadowing, but maybe I missed some things?

By the way...in my opinion, the official synopsis gives WAY too much away and I'm glad I didn't read it. So that's why I put that one sentence up top. I literally don't know what else to say about the plot without spoiling things (but I am someone who hates spoilers and likes to go into books completely blind, so my idea of what constitutes a spoiler is probably really rigid. Lol).

I definitely recommend that YA thriller fans check this one out when it publishes!

Many thanks to Penguin Random House Canada and Kelley Armstrong for the ARC, which I received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
mysterious fast-paced

it started a bit too slow, then picked up about 75 pages in, then ended kind of abruptly. 

I do enjoy Kelley Armstrong's books, but the narrator for the audiobook reads like a super slow automaton for almost every voice, and it really detracted from the novel.
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_thelitlibrarian's review

2.0
adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad 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

2.00 stars
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TW:  Death, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Gun violence, Suicide attempt, Death of a parent, Fire/Fire injury, Suicide 
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I waited a few days to write this in case my thoughts would have changed, the concept had me intrigued but the book fell flat. I love Kelley Armstrong's writing, but this was a bit too much for me - the characters have the plot figured out within the book's first quarter and it just drags on for the rest. The premise of having some subtle mind control was intriguing, but the characters were just too annoying for me.

The story unfolds through Blythe’s perspective as she navigates her day-to-day life in high school. Surrounded by her close-knit group of friends, Blythe’s routine is suddenly disrupted by an act of violence that forces her to distance herself from one of them. This simple act throws a rift in the friendship. When one of Blythe's friends starts acting paranoid, claiming they're being watched, and perhaps being the cause of a faculty member's death - Blythe needs to team up with her friends once again to save their friend. 

Our characters are killed off one by one who no real reason, their deaths aren't needed to progress the story and don't add much to it other than a bit of drama. Also for a book about someone always watching, there's not a lot of watching going on. Great first half of the book, but it drags on far too much for me. 
dark mysterious
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
dark mysterious 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
adventurous dark mysterious fast-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
dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I made it one page.

:)