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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
hopeful
reflective
slow-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:
Yes
This was such a fun ride, great twists and turns and a completely unexpected ending. Would suggest this book on anyone in a reading slump.
I picked up a Harlan Coben book on a whim sometime in the summer of 2005. I was early for a doctor appointment, and there was a Borders—a Borders!—across the street, so I popped in and Just One Look was sitting there in a paperback ‘new releases’ display.
I still think that Just One Look is one of Coben’s best standalones.
But I have been a fan since that day…or maybe the next day, since that’s when I finished that freight train of a book.
My point is that I am a pretty big fan of Mr. C, and have been for a decade and a half. So I was really looking forward to this book—and when I got approved for the #ARC, well, it would not be an exaggeration to say that there was some squeeing.
This book is a direct sequel to 2020’s The Boy From The Woods, and follows Wilde, the titular boy from the woods as he navigates the increasing complexity of his relationships with his late best-friend Daniel’s family. He is godfather to Daniel’s son, a surrogate son to Daniel’s mother, famed attorney Hester Crimstein, and reluctantly in love with Daniel’s widow, Laila.
Things get even more complicated when Wilde gets a DNA hit from one of those “23 and Me” sites, and jets off to confront the father he never knew, inadvertently setting off a chain of events that will explode almost everything he thought he knew about himself.
This is a tight thriller, with the propulsive action that I have come to expect from Coben. There are hidden agendas, federal agents who are not at all forthcoming, and a shady cabal of bad guys whose motives shift with the wind. Add to that the ever-evolving nature of Wilde’s relationships with both his chosen family and his newly-discovered genetic family and there is something going on on every page.
However, some of the things that were going on were a little confusing. I am a pretty smart cookie and I could not keep the players straight. The DNA stuff was especially taxing—The mental gymnastics I had to do to figure out how everyone was related in this book finally led me to give up and just draw a family tree.
I loved getting to know Wilde better, and found his desperate search for his own family believable. It’s not that Wilde doesn’t love his godson, and Hester and Laila…but it is that he views all of them as uniquely Daniel’s…and Wilde longs for someone to call uniquely his. How this resolves is satisfying, if a little open-ended.
There are other mystery trails that are left hanging, which I hope points toward a third book. I think that Wilde is a compelling protagonist, and I’d love to follow his story further. Highly recommend for mystery/thriller lovers who don’t shy away from a complicated plot.
I still think that Just One Look is one of Coben’s best standalones.
But I have been a fan since that day…or maybe the next day, since that’s when I finished that freight train of a book.
My point is that I am a pretty big fan of Mr. C, and have been for a decade and a half. So I was really looking forward to this book—and when I got approved for the #ARC, well, it would not be an exaggeration to say that there was some squeeing.
This book is a direct sequel to 2020’s The Boy From The Woods, and follows Wilde, the titular boy from the woods as he navigates the increasing complexity of his relationships with his late best-friend Daniel’s family. He is godfather to Daniel’s son, a surrogate son to Daniel’s mother, famed attorney Hester Crimstein, and reluctantly in love with Daniel’s widow, Laila.
Things get even more complicated when Wilde gets a DNA hit from one of those “23 and Me” sites, and jets off to confront the father he never knew, inadvertently setting off a chain of events that will explode almost everything he thought he knew about himself.
This is a tight thriller, with the propulsive action that I have come to expect from Coben. There are hidden agendas, federal agents who are not at all forthcoming, and a shady cabal of bad guys whose motives shift with the wind. Add to that the ever-evolving nature of Wilde’s relationships with both his chosen family and his newly-discovered genetic family and there is something going on on every page.
However, some of the things that were going on were a little confusing. I am a pretty smart cookie and I could not keep the players straight. The DNA stuff was especially taxing—The mental gymnastics I had to do to figure out how everyone was related in this book finally led me to give up and just draw a family tree.
I loved getting to know Wilde better, and found his desperate search for his own family believable. It’s not that Wilde doesn’t love his godson, and Hester and Laila…but it is that he views all of them as uniquely Daniel’s…and Wilde longs for someone to call uniquely his. How this resolves is satisfying, if a little open-ended.
There are other mystery trails that are left hanging, which I hope points toward a third book. I think that Wilde is a compelling protagonist, and I’d love to follow his story further. Highly recommend for mystery/thriller lovers who don’t shy away from a complicated plot.
Continuing the story of Wilde, the boy who came out of the woods, the story spotlights reality shows and internet trolls combined with a fast paced plot and sharply drawn characters. Another wild ride from Harlan Coben.
My dad recommended Harlan Coben to me so I randomly picked this one up at the library without realizing it’s a sequel, oops. Despite that it’s a sequel, this book was great as a stand alone. Wilde & others were very engaging characters from the start. I like this style of mystery writing in how things were slowly revealed to create complex interwoven stories into a cohesive narrative. I wish the ending was more twisty, the murderer reveal at the end just wasn’t as shocking as I would’ve liked. I always wish there was more answers but I assume that’s the lay the ground work for another sequel.
I really enjoyed the first Wilde book so I think my expectations were super high for this one. I liked this but not near as much. It seemed a tad confusing at some points and a bit far fetched. The ending seemed rushed to tie it all up in a neat bow. I’m a huge fan of HC so I feel bad giving it 3 stars but it is what it is.
mysterious
medium-paced
I feel like something is wrong with me - everyone loves this book and at each turn I kept asking “why?!” My feelings can be surmised with “meh”. I didn’t find it riveting or engaging. I never cared enough about the characters to consider it a page turner. I finished it because I kept waiting for some moment where I could exclaim “I get it now!” I like dark and twisty novels and this just wasn’t dark and twisty despite the reviews. It was a fine book and my rating is probably harsh and more in reaction to why does everyone love it so much?
Also, his portrayal of women really irked me. I’m fully on board with well-written villainous women, but these are not them.
Also, his portrayal of women really irked me. I’m fully on board with well-written villainous women, but these are not them.
A quick entertaining read but the plot was a bit convoluted. So many characters, so many random story lines that were thinly connected. It seemed like the author took many crime/suspense tropes from popular stories and put them all in one.
I am so glad Wilde is back for his second book. :) Fast, fun, summer read with a nice twist at the end. If you liked his first book, you will dig this one!