Scan barcode
namitakhanna's review against another edition
5.0
Amy , a diver by profession leads a happy comfortable life with her professor husband , her fifteen year old step daughter and an infant son. In her spare time she runs a book club with her best friend Charlotte but the peace is disturbed one evening when the new mysterious neighbor Roux joins in. Lots of wine and a game of Never have I ever reveals secrets that might have been better left unsaid resulting in a disruption in Amy’s life that might prove deadly.
Never Have I Ever is my first book by Joshilyn Jackson and will definitely not be my last.It has great characters and is an excellent domestic psychological thriller with lots of secrets and twists and turns to discover that kept misleading me .A well written emotional roller-coaster ride that does not let up which I would highly recommend to all my psychological thriller lovers.
I would like to thank Edelweiss+ and the publishers for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
Never Have I Ever is my first book by Joshilyn Jackson and will definitely not be my last.It has great characters and is an excellent domestic psychological thriller with lots of secrets and twists and turns to discover that kept misleading me .A well written emotional roller-coaster ride that does not let up which I would highly recommend to all my psychological thriller lovers.
I would like to thank Edelweiss+ and the publishers for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
jansbookcorner's review against another edition
4.0
I'm a big Joshilyn Jackson fan and this book didn't disappoint. An interesting plot, told in a way that kept me guessing. As things were revealed, I wasn't shocked, but at the same time I hadn't figured it all out.
rereader33's review against another edition
3.0
This was a difficult book to rate; on one hand, I didn't hate reading it and I did like the writing and the pacing. On the other hand, this novel commits the grave sin of throwing in one final reveal about the main villain to make them seem MORE evil, but really it's just disgusting and completely unnecessary.
I settled on three purely because I did enjoy reading this and I liked certain aspects of it to the point where I can handle its flaws. That one stop me from ranting, though!
First things first, I did really like the writing. While I feel like a LOT of the diving talk could be cut out purely because it got boring REAL FUCKIN' FAST, I did enjoy Amy talking about how diving was important to her. And again, I feel like a good 100 could be spared if you cut the mopey, angsty, woe-is-me pity parties, I did like how Amy took all of this seriously and I understand why she didn't want to give Roux the money from the start. Yes, all of this would have gone away, but Roux had no right to blackmail her and how many more people would have fallen victim to her if Amy hadn't acted?
That being said, the profound STUPIDITY put on display towards the end truly made me lose faith in humanity (yes, I understand WHY she acted, but it doesn't make her decision RIGHT). I won't get into spoilers because I don't hate this book enough to spoil it, but I did breathe a frustrated sigh at Amy's actions.
Now we get to Roux. Okay, I'm going to come clean, most of my problems with Roux stem from the fact that based off of the summary on the flap, I thought Roux was literally the devil. That's honestly the whole reason why I read this book because I thought it was going to be a battle between a suburban mom and THE FUCKING DEVIL. But nope! Roux's just an evil bitch and once I realized that, I lost so much interest in her. It doesn't help that Jackson is so FUCKING worried that we'll forget that Roux's all about sexual manipulation that she has to described Roux in a sexual way ALL THE FUCKING TIME. And in case you haven't caught on, allow me to repeat myself, THAT GOT OLD REAL FUCKIN' FAST. I won't deny that Roux's a perfectly hateable villain, but it doesn't make her a good one. Just someone I wanted to punch in the fucking face everytime she was on page.
So, yeah. Those are my barely coherent thoughts. Do I recommend this book? Yeah, I think people will enjoy it. Would it be the first book I recommend? Probably not. But hey, I had fun reading it, and I think others will too.
I settled on three purely because I did enjoy reading this and I liked certain aspects of it to the point where I can handle its flaws. That one stop me from ranting, though!
First things first, I did really like the writing. While I feel like a LOT of the diving talk could be cut out purely because it got boring REAL FUCKIN' FAST, I did enjoy Amy talking about how diving was important to her. And again, I feel like a good 100 could be spared if you cut the mopey, angsty, woe-is-me pity parties, I did like how Amy took all of this seriously and I understand why she didn't want to give Roux the money from the start. Yes, all of this would have gone away, but Roux had no right to blackmail her and how many more people would have fallen victim to her if Amy hadn't acted?
That being said, the profound STUPIDITY put on display towards the end truly made me lose faith in humanity (yes, I understand WHY she acted, but it doesn't make her decision RIGHT). I won't get into spoilers because I don't hate this book enough to spoil it, but I did breathe a frustrated sigh at Amy's actions.
Now we get to Roux. Okay, I'm going to come clean, most of my problems with Roux stem from the fact that based off of the summary on the flap, I thought Roux was literally the devil. That's honestly the whole reason why I read this book because I thought it was going to be a battle between a suburban mom and THE FUCKING DEVIL. But nope! Roux's just an evil bitch and once I realized that, I lost so much interest in her. It doesn't help that Jackson is so FUCKING worried that we'll forget that Roux's all about sexual manipulation that she has to described Roux in a sexual way ALL THE FUCKING TIME. And in case you haven't caught on, allow me to repeat myself, THAT GOT OLD REAL FUCKIN' FAST. I won't deny that Roux's a perfectly hateable villain, but it doesn't make her a good one. Just someone I wanted to punch in the fucking face everytime she was on page.
So, yeah. Those are my barely coherent thoughts. Do I recommend this book? Yeah, I think people will enjoy it. Would it be the first book I recommend? Probably not. But hey, I had fun reading it, and I think others will too.
anemonemily's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
kdaniels's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
thephdivabooks's review against another edition
5.0
Diabolical!
One of the best books I’ve read in 2019 without question, Joshilyn Jackson’s Never Have I Ever is intelligent, expertly-plotted, twisted, and with a dash of dark humor that makes it a masterpiece in my opinion. This is a keep-forever book if I’ve ever read one!
About the Book
Amy Whey lives a simple, ordinary life and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Amy doesn’t particularly crave excitement or novelty. She’s happy with what she has—a devoted professor husband, a fifteen-year-old step daughter who she loves dearly, a newborn son, and her best friend Charlotte. She gets to teach diving lessons—a passion that pulled her out of a self-destructive spiral on more than one occasion back in her youth—and help her friend Charlotte run a book club for other moms in the area. Amy is happier than she ever though she could be.
Until a new neighbor moves in. Angelica Roux is beautiful, magnetic, and drives a flashy car. When Angelica arrives on Amy’s door one evening for book club, she begins a game that will set a series of events in motion that may unravel everything Amy has built.
The game is simple. Share the worst thing you’ve done this week. Then the worst thing you’ve done this month. And eventually, the worst thing you’ve ever done. As Amy’s neighbors begin to spill their secrets, Amy knows this isn’t simply fun between girlfriends. Angelica Roux knows Amy’s greatest secret, one that she has kept buried from everyone including herself.
Amy could lose everything if her secret is revealed, so she does the only thing she can—she begins to play Angelica’s game. As their game escalates into a matching of wits, hidden pasts, and unearthed secrets, Amy knows that she needs to beat Roux at all costs, even if winning means losing everything important to her.
Reflection
I barely know what to say about this book because it is so well-executed, it feels like it doesn’t need my commentary! The book is narrated by Amy, and she’s a fantastic character. Amy seems so simple at first, and that’s part of what makes her incredible. Amy has worked so hard to be, quite simply, ordinary. She is your next door neighbor, your kid’s friend’s mom, a member of your book club. She’s someone that it feels like you could know. But because of her seeming ordinariness, Amy is able to hide in plain sight.
Because deep down, Amy is anything but ordinary…
The reveal of Amy over the first part of the book, as you learn that she’s more clever than she seems, more diabolical, more interesting—it’s literary delight! I underestimated Amy at first, thinking she’d be the eyes through which we saw the diabolical Roux enact her game. And Amy is that. But Amy is also perhaps the only person in the story who can match wits with Roux. Amy has gone to great lengths to hide her secret and reinvent herself, and she will continue to do everything she needs to in order to keep her secret buried.
Roux is another amazing character. I found myself liking and hating her at the same time. She is something else! I wanted to know more about her, and I wasn’t disappointed when I learned her back story. I loved the way she and Amy interacted—it wasn’t the dynamic I expected but it was incredible to read!
I don’t want to spoil so I’m going to cut my review here and say I highly recommend this book! It’s a story about guilt, love, secrets, betrayal, deception, making amends, surviving, and revenge. Who could turn that down??
Thank you to William Morrow for my copy. Opinions are my own.
One of the best books I’ve read in 2019 without question, Joshilyn Jackson’s Never Have I Ever is intelligent, expertly-plotted, twisted, and with a dash of dark humor that makes it a masterpiece in my opinion. This is a keep-forever book if I’ve ever read one!
About the Book
Amy Whey lives a simple, ordinary life and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Amy doesn’t particularly crave excitement or novelty. She’s happy with what she has—a devoted professor husband, a fifteen-year-old step daughter who she loves dearly, a newborn son, and her best friend Charlotte. She gets to teach diving lessons—a passion that pulled her out of a self-destructive spiral on more than one occasion back in her youth—and help her friend Charlotte run a book club for other moms in the area. Amy is happier than she ever though she could be.
Until a new neighbor moves in. Angelica Roux is beautiful, magnetic, and drives a flashy car. When Angelica arrives on Amy’s door one evening for book club, she begins a game that will set a series of events in motion that may unravel everything Amy has built.
The game is simple. Share the worst thing you’ve done this week. Then the worst thing you’ve done this month. And eventually, the worst thing you’ve ever done. As Amy’s neighbors begin to spill their secrets, Amy knows this isn’t simply fun between girlfriends. Angelica Roux knows Amy’s greatest secret, one that she has kept buried from everyone including herself.
Amy could lose everything if her secret is revealed, so she does the only thing she can—she begins to play Angelica’s game. As their game escalates into a matching of wits, hidden pasts, and unearthed secrets, Amy knows that she needs to beat Roux at all costs, even if winning means losing everything important to her.
Reflection
I barely know what to say about this book because it is so well-executed, it feels like it doesn’t need my commentary! The book is narrated by Amy, and she’s a fantastic character. Amy seems so simple at first, and that’s part of what makes her incredible. Amy has worked so hard to be, quite simply, ordinary. She is your next door neighbor, your kid’s friend’s mom, a member of your book club. She’s someone that it feels like you could know. But because of her seeming ordinariness, Amy is able to hide in plain sight.
Because deep down, Amy is anything but ordinary…
The reveal of Amy over the first part of the book, as you learn that she’s more clever than she seems, more diabolical, more interesting—it’s literary delight! I underestimated Amy at first, thinking she’d be the eyes through which we saw the diabolical Roux enact her game. And Amy is that. But Amy is also perhaps the only person in the story who can match wits with Roux. Amy has gone to great lengths to hide her secret and reinvent herself, and she will continue to do everything she needs to in order to keep her secret buried.
Roux is another amazing character. I found myself liking and hating her at the same time. She is something else! I wanted to know more about her, and I wasn’t disappointed when I learned her back story. I loved the way she and Amy interacted—it wasn’t the dynamic I expected but it was incredible to read!
I don’t want to spoil so I’m going to cut my review here and say I highly recommend this book! It’s a story about guilt, love, secrets, betrayal, deception, making amends, surviving, and revenge. Who could turn that down??
Thank you to William Morrow for my copy. Opinions are my own.
saunsack's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
ktswings's review against another edition
3.0
While I enjoyed the StepMonster relationship, the rest of the book was just too much. Almost twists for the sake of being twisty. I mean, I hadn’t even remembered Panda since book club.