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kaleenazagrzebski's review
5.0
The Night Olivia Fell is an emotional story about Abi Knight, a single mother who gets the phone call no mother ever wants to get in the wee hours of the morning. Her daughter, Olivia, has fallen off a bridge. Not only is Olivia brain dead, but according to the law, the hospital has to keep her on life support. Because she’s pregnant.
When Abi notices the bruises on Olivia’s wrists that the doctors and police don’t seem to care about, Abi is determined to find out what really happened to her daughter, and who the father of her unborn grandchild is.
During flashbacks told from Olivia’s perspectives, we find out what she was going through during the months leading up to her fall. Olivia is a teenager trying to figure out who her father is and who she is, trying to prove to her mom that she can get into college, get a good job, and meet the man of her dreams, without her mom monitoring her every move.
I loved the alternating perspectives between mother and daughter and the differing timelines. I thought it was very effective for this type of story. You had a pretty good iea how Olivia’s storyline was going to end, you just needed a few details worked out.
Definitely an emotional read towards the end as the storylines wrap up. I loved the emotional element to this mystery. I think the best description of this book would be described as a mystery written by Taylor Jenkins Reid. You read the book waiting and guessing the big reveal you know is coming, while leaving you an emotional wreck in the process.
When Abi notices the bruises on Olivia’s wrists that the doctors and police don’t seem to care about, Abi is determined to find out what really happened to her daughter, and who the father of her unborn grandchild is.
During flashbacks told from Olivia’s perspectives, we find out what she was going through during the months leading up to her fall. Olivia is a teenager trying to figure out who her father is and who she is, trying to prove to her mom that she can get into college, get a good job, and meet the man of her dreams, without her mom monitoring her every move.
I loved the alternating perspectives between mother and daughter and the differing timelines. I thought it was very effective for this type of story. You had a pretty good iea how Olivia’s storyline was going to end, you just needed a few details worked out.
Definitely an emotional read towards the end as the storylines wrap up. I loved the emotional element to this mystery. I think the best description of this book would be described as a mystery written by Taylor Jenkins Reid. You read the book waiting and guessing the big reveal you know is coming, while leaving you an emotional wreck in the process.
jennabuythebook's review
3.0
Good mystery but I don’t think I picked this one up at the right time. Even though we know what will inevitably happen to Olivia, a terribly sad ending nonetheless.
boskycat's review against another edition
3.0
Suggested book for an online bookclub book. Thrillers are what I enjoy and I got what I wanted. The book started with the death of Olivia. The rest of the book goes back and forth in time from the POV of Olivia and Abi, her mother. There were enough interesting plot points to keep me reading. However, was disappointed by the juvenile writing style throughout the book.
lookingforamandaa's review
3.0
I’m having a hard time while thinking about this book. I don’t think I would say that I enjoyed it, but I really needed to know what happened. I think the author did a good job writing this story. The twists and turns were not ones I predicted. I think I would have liked this book if Olivia had just died. But her being in the hospital with no brain activity, but being kept alive because she was pregnant made me uncomfortable. I think that’s because I have a daughter and since having her, I have a tough time with bad things happening to kids.
I liked that the story went back and forth between Olivia’s perspective in the past and Abi’s perspective in the present. I thought this was a good way to create more suspense. We follow Abi as she tries to figure out what happened to Olivia, but we also get to see the events from Olivia’s point of view leading up to that night.
Overall, this was a well written and interesting story. Certain parts didn’t sit well with me, but that’s a personal thing for me. The book was suspenseful and I couldn’t put it down until I knew exactly what had happened. I was also really happy with the ending.
I liked that the story went back and forth between Olivia’s perspective in the past and Abi’s perspective in the present. I thought this was a good way to create more suspense. We follow Abi as she tries to figure out what happened to Olivia, but we also get to see the events from Olivia’s point of view leading up to that night.
Overall, this was a well written and interesting story. Certain parts didn’t sit well with me, but that’s a personal thing for me. The book was suspenseful and I couldn’t put it down until I knew exactly what had happened. I was also really happy with the ending.
evaseyler's review
5.0
I borrowed the audiobook from my library and this was SUCH a well-crafted story. It kept me guessing and second-guessing until the very end, and even though I knew from the start (to some extent) how the story is going to end, HAS to end, I was NOT prepared for the emotional wallop it gave me. I do not cry easily over books, but this made me ugly cry. I think one of the things I liked most about the story was the strong character development. Olivia and her mother are flawed, but their growth throughout the book is so believable and you really sympathise with them. I recommend it highly.
zooloo1983's review against another edition
4.0
When a thriller book says there is a heartbreaking ending, you kinda scoff at it, I mean it’s a thriller right!? Right?! WRONG! That last chapter, (not the epilogue) well I was crying, I was sobbing and my heart broke. I hate the outcome of this book, despite knowing it’s going to happen from the very beginning. I mean you are told at the beginning but I kept hoping things would be different, but they weren’t and so I cried. Just to be clear, I didn’t hate the book, loved it in fact. I just wanted a different outcome for the characters I have grown to love, despite knowing it was going to happen!!!!!!!!
I loved the story from Abi and Olivia’s point of view and the two narrators were amazing! They gave these characters life, passion and love. Olivia’s story seemed to be a very typical teenage story, but despite this, I was enthralled by it. The secrets, the lies, and the love. Abi wow wasn’t she overbearing you learn why, but you always wonder if things had been different, if she behaved slightly differently would it be a different outcome?
I had no idea what happened the night Olivia fell, and I had SO many theories. I was wrong so wrong, and then there was something said and it all made sense and I can’t believe how I missed it all!! Even when something was explicitly said, I still buried my head. I also loved how small actions from outside forces led to the showdown that happened. The ripples from people caused the explosion.
This was my first outing with Christina and her perfectly woven storytelling. I need more! I was hooked, lined and well, obsessed. I was addicted to finding out the truth and finding out all the secrets, I loved all the threads and how they tied together. It was beautifully done, just I need time to recover. However, loved the name of the baby, I mean Zoe – perfect no? LOL.
I can’t wait for my next outing!
I loved the story from Abi and Olivia’s point of view and the two narrators were amazing! They gave these characters life, passion and love. Olivia’s story seemed to be a very typical teenage story, but despite this, I was enthralled by it. The secrets, the lies, and the love. Abi wow wasn’t she overbearing you learn why, but you always wonder if things had been different, if she behaved slightly differently would it be a different outcome?
I had no idea what happened the night Olivia fell, and I had SO many theories. I was wrong so wrong, and then there was something said and it all made sense and I can’t believe how I missed it all!! Even when something was explicitly said, I still buried my head. I also loved how small actions from outside forces led to the showdown that happened. The ripples from people caused the explosion.
This was my first outing with Christina and her perfectly woven storytelling. I need more! I was hooked, lined and well, obsessed. I was addicted to finding out the truth and finding out all the secrets, I loved all the threads and how they tied together. It was beautifully done, just I need time to recover. However, loved the name of the baby, I mean Zoe – perfect no? LOL.
I can’t wait for my next outing!
bookish_blonde's review
4.0
A contemporary mystery that made me cry? Yes please. Family can be both strong and protective, sometimes destructive and crippiling. I love books about mother daughter relationships and when families are protrayed with realostic themes. This book a beautiful thing. Not as suspensful as I thought but enjoyable none the less.