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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A fabulously entangled tale and a good psychological thriller. The story centres around an extended family of siblings and spouses who were at university together and are now business partners and the mysterious Rachel who turns up at antenatal class and befriends one of them, Helen.
There are many twists and turns and I was drawn in to see what the past connection was with Rachel and the family and what her real reasons behind befriending Helen were. The story unfolds at a good pace and there are secrets unveiled bit by bit all the way to the end. The result is a very satisfying and cleverly crafted storyline, well worth a read.
There are many twists and turns and I was drawn in to see what the past connection was with Rachel and the family and what her real reasons behind befriending Helen were. The story unfolds at a good pace and there are secrets unveiled bit by bit all the way to the end. The result is a very satisfying and cleverly crafted storyline, well worth a read.
4-1/2 stars! The first 40% seemed slow and, looking back, like there was a lot of development of background stories. The slow pace made me wonder what was going to happen and if something was going to happen to Helen or her baby. The thought of something happening to the baby made me too upset and stressed to keep reading!! (Spoiler: the baby is okay in the end! This is important for pregnant moms and new moms who may stop during the early part.) the second 60% was a non-stop thriller that had me flipping pages as quickly as possible to know what happens. I also did not see the ending happening and found it so good!
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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:
Yes
Now this was a great thriller!
The plot is slow at first but picks up speed quickly, becoming more and more sinister. The twists had me glued to the story; there are clues sprinkled all along that were fun to piece together. I’m very impressed that this is a debut novel.
I’d have to say this book’s greatest strength is the writing itself. The author is a whiz at describing small gestures, facial expressions, and nuances in conversation. It adds so much interesting detail and makes for a vivid reading experience, like watching a movie. I love a writer who can bring so many ordinary everyday scenes to life in such an engaging way.
However, I didn’t care for the weird italicized sections that were inset throughout the story. They don’t add anything to the plot, especially since we get a massive exposition dump towards the end. And speaking of which, I did end up docking a full star because the end of this book was just too drawn out and waited until the last couple chapters to explain every final thing at once. I don’t love books that wait for last-minute exposition to wrap things up nicely. And some of the final twists and explanations relied too heavily on coincidence and melodrama.
Despite the conclusion and solutions being a bit farfetched, I couldn’t put this book down and I think it would make a great Netflix movie or something. Frequently these kinds of stories translate well to the screen. I hope the author continues to write thrillers because I think she’s going to have a real knack for it. 4/5 stars.
The plot is slow at first but picks up speed quickly, becoming more and more sinister. The twists had me glued to the story; there are clues sprinkled all along that were fun to piece together. I’m very impressed that this is a debut novel.
I’d have to say this book’s greatest strength is the writing itself. The author is a whiz at describing small gestures, facial expressions, and nuances in conversation. It adds so much interesting detail and makes for a vivid reading experience, like watching a movie. I love a writer who can bring so many ordinary everyday scenes to life in such an engaging way.
However, I didn’t care for the weird italicized sections that were inset throughout the story. They don’t add anything to the plot, especially since we get a massive exposition dump towards the end. And speaking of which, I did end up docking a full star because the end of this book was just too drawn out and waited until the last couple chapters to explain every final thing at once. I don’t love books that wait for last-minute exposition to wrap things up nicely. And some of the final twists and explanations relied too heavily on coincidence and melodrama.
Despite the conclusion and solutions being a bit farfetched, I couldn’t put this book down and I think it would make a great Netflix movie or something. Frequently these kinds of stories translate well to the screen. I hope the author continues to write thrillers because I think she’s going to have a real knack for it. 4/5 stars.
A good psychological thriller that wasn’t too complicated, but did drag on a little too long. Fairly predictable ending that wasn’t as exciting as I hoped. Overall it was decently written but slow moving.
3.5 stars. It was entertaining but not a favorite for me.
This one wasn't for me- it felt pretty slow & while parts were intriguing, I don't feel like this one was especially original unfortunately. This is a very slow burn. If you don't read a lot of thrillers/mysteries this might work for you.