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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I’m not going to waste my time with a long review for two reasons: one, everyone should go in blind, and two, not everyone will want to read this book. I loved it, of course. Was it hard to read at parts? Yes. Are the main characters likable? No, not really. Do the events take place in a pretty, magical setting? Not even close. But love doesn’t care about any of those things, because it can grow in the unlikeliest of places. That’s what this book had in spades: devotion and love sprinkled in a place devoid of any light.
Like a few people out there, I predicted the ending fairly early, but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story. This is a dark read with just about every trigger out there, but if you look closely, you’ll see a love story wrapped up in a lot of ugliness. In the end, the reader has to decide if that love turned ugly, or if it was simply forced to adapt to survive.
You should never look down on a person who the world will tell you is unworthy. You never know what that person is willing to do to survive.
I’m not going to waste my time with a long review for two reasons: one, everyone should go in blind, and two, not everyone will want to read this book. I loved it, of course. Was it hard to read at parts? Yes. Are the main characters likable? No, not really. Do the events take place in a pretty, magical setting? Not even close. But love doesn’t care about any of those things, because it can grow in the unlikeliest of places. That’s what this book had in spades: devotion and love sprinkled in a place devoid of any light.
Like a few people out there, I predicted the ending fairly early, but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story. This is a dark read with just about every trigger out there, but if you look closely, you’ll see a love story wrapped up in a lot of ugliness. In the end, the reader has to decide if that love turned ugly, or if it was simply forced to adapt to survive.
You should never look down on a person who the world will tell you is unworthy. You never know what that person is willing to do to survive.
3.75
Lily White has a beautiful way to write a story. I was hooked from the start and loved the FMC even if She made so much bad decisions in her Life. We could really understand why Rainey acted the way She did even if it was kind of horrific. It is a friends to lover and im usually less into that but the author make this story nice to me.
She really build the bad neighborhood vibes and it was immersive.
What really drop my rate for this book is the plotwist, the second rainey said rowan was dead i just knew he simulate his death and i was right so i would have really enjoyed being surprise by something else in the end. Still, the story felt rich and i loved to read that. I would try other books from this author.
Lily White has a beautiful way to write a story. I was hooked from the start and loved the FMC even if She made so much bad decisions in her Life. We could really understand why Rainey acted the way She did even if it was kind of horrific. It is a friends to lover and im usually less into that but the author make this story nice to me.
She really build the bad neighborhood vibes and it was immersive.
What really drop my rate for this book is the plotwist, the second rainey said rowan was dead i just knew he simulate his death and i was right so i would have really enjoyed being surprise by something else in the end. Still, the story felt rich and i loved to read that. I would try other books from this author.
3.75 stars ⭐️
I enjoyed this book. Loved the gritty factor and the psychological games.
The question of what, who and why was great!
I did actually see the surprise end coming towards the reveal so it kind of ruined the awe and shock factor. I didn’t get that WTH moment very strong.
I know a lot of people were shocked so I don’t think it was predictable. For once I just guessed right I suppose.
The writing was enjoyable and the main characters were definitely intriguing!
I enjoyed it!
I enjoyed this book. Loved the gritty factor and the psychological games.
The question of what, who and why was great!
I did actually see the surprise end coming towards the reveal so it kind of ruined the awe and shock factor. I didn’t get that WTH moment very strong.
I know a lot of people were shocked so I don’t think it was predictable. For once I just guessed right I suppose.
The writing was enjoyable and the main characters were definitely intriguing!
I enjoyed it!
Every time...
Every single time...
Every single Lily White book grabs me from page one and beats my head repeatedly against it's sheer brilliance until I'm so dizzy I can barely breathe.
Fantastic. Awe-inspiring. Mind blowing. Heart crushing. Soul searing. Take every amazing, wonderful, out of this world descriptive and apply it to The Five, and even then you won't come close to conveying just how good this book is.
Every single time...
Every single Lily White book grabs me from page one and beats my head repeatedly against it's sheer brilliance until I'm so dizzy I can barely breathe.
Fantastic. Awe-inspiring. Mind blowing. Heart crushing. Soul searing. Take every amazing, wonderful, out of this world descriptive and apply it to The Five, and even then you won't come close to conveying just how good this book is.
Five years, five neighbours, five older men, five victims, five times
Whilst you can sort of guess some of the twists, and unlike so many other authors whose work falls by the wayside, Lily very cleverly weaves her tale so that there aren't the usual plot holes. So many twists in other books don't stand up to closer scrutiny, I don't believe that can be said of The Five. In fact I even stupidly doubted her at one point. I was naive enough to think 'well if I'm correct, I'm not sure how she's going to explain.... or how she will convince me that....'.
HA! FOOL! Of course the magnificence that is Lily White will pull the twists off. Not only that but she will pound you into the finest dust, to be blown away on the wind, whilst she does it. My heart bled for Rainey and, despite all the fucked-up (pun intended) stuff she had done, even at the end I totally and utterly adored her. When she lost Rowan, a little piece of my heart crumbled too.
This magnificent story is told in first person, with 'present day' chapters from Justin's point of view and most of Rainey's being her retelling the previous five years.The number five was important for some reason, but there were already so many possibilities as to what it could mean.
This is a romance that isn't a romance but yet is a truly great love story that will last beyond time on this mortal coil and span into the infinity of the great ever after. Despite not being able to love herself, Rainey was so very much loved, into death and beyond, by one wonderful, if broken, man.
Do yourself a favour and read this. You'd be a fool not to.I promise you I'll take care of you, I promise I'll always protect you....... I will love you more than anybody Rainey, I promise you that......I'll always come find you...promise.....You and me forever, promise.
Hell-of-a-lot of potential triggers in this.
This was a difficult read. This was one crazy ride. Rainey has had a hard life. You are introduced to her following a vicious murder of four young adults. Rainey begins telling her story, and it is heartbreaking. I have no idea how the author was able to write such vile acts, yet I could not stop reading. The things Rainey goes through are just hard to read. This is story about someone just barely surviving. I am still very conflicted about my feelings. The end was beautiful in a very dark, twisted way. But man, what a messed up journey.
This was a difficult read. This was one crazy ride. Rainey has had a hard life. You are introduced to her following a vicious murder of four young adults. Rainey begins telling her story, and it is heartbreaking. I have no idea how the author was able to write such vile acts, yet I could not stop reading. The things Rainey goes through are just hard to read. This is story about someone just barely surviving. I am still very conflicted about my feelings. The end was beautiful in a very dark, twisted way. But man, what a messed up journey.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
First and foremost, this is an erotic thriller. Think, Girl in 6E. If you purchased this expecting a traditional dark romance, you might be disappointed.
This was a really hard book to read. I typically enjoy dark books, but there's something so viscerally disturbing about this one, that my reactions while reading, were surprising.
As such, it's also a hard book to rate.
If you want a book to affect you on a physical and emotional level, this gets a 5.
If you want a book to be emotionally uplifting when it's all said and done, 1 abysmal star.
If you want a book that's different from your other reading experiences by an author with the finest audacity, again a 5.
Finally, if you need a book to be well written and dense with prose, its about a 3.
So, I settled on a 4.
That said, I can't imagine re-reading this. I'm not that masochistic.
Lily White joins John Marrs and Peter Swanson as being the only three authors I've read from brave enough to give their narrator this type of arc. There's nothing else I can reveal ahead of time, though I can say, the 'twist' isn't hard to see coming.
This was a really hard book to read. I typically enjoy dark books, but there's something so viscerally disturbing about this one, that my reactions while reading, were surprising.
As such, it's also a hard book to rate.
If you want a book to affect you on a physical and emotional level, this gets a 5.
If you want a book to be emotionally uplifting when it's all said and done, 1 abysmal star.
If you want a book that's different from your other reading experiences by an author with the finest audacity, again a 5.
Finally, if you need a book to be well written and dense with prose, its about a 3.
So, I settled on a 4.
That said, I can't imagine re-reading this. I'm not that masochistic.
Lily White joins John Marrs and Peter Swanson as being the only three authors I've read from brave enough to give their narrator this type of arc. There's nothing else I can reveal ahead of time, though I can say, the 'twist' isn't hard to see coming.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes