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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
Set in 2014 Chloe is juggling looking after her grandmother who has dementia and her job as an archivist at a local newspaper.
After a written warning from her boss and numerous calls from her grandmother’s social worker Chloe finds herself at her wits end.
During her archiving she comes across a story of a missing girl who would be the same age as her now. She becomes obsessed with the story, takes the file home and when it’s discovered to be missing she loses her job.
Chloe goes back to the office to copy the file and starts her own investigation into the girl’s disappearance.
She find herself at the parents’ new house, and as if by chance they are advertising for a lodger at the local newsagents. With her grandmother in a home and no longer with a job to fill her days Chloe finds herself living with them and it’s not all that it looks to be on the surface.
This was a slow burning thriller where you wondered what was going to be the end result.
I had a few theories in my mind but none of them met the twist at the end. I really wasn’t expecting that!
There were enough red herrings to keep you guessing and enough people to suspect.
I did find the timeline odd in that I don’t know why it was set in the early 2000’s rather that today. Perhaps it was written earlier and dates not changed or the time period meant something to the author? It didn’t detract from the story but didn’t really add anything either.
A good novel for fans of thrillers and mysteries. It will definitely keep you guessing and you won’t realise what is said at the end. It left me open mouthed!
After a written warning from her boss and numerous calls from her grandmother’s social worker Chloe finds herself at her wits end.
During her archiving she comes across a story of a missing girl who would be the same age as her now. She becomes obsessed with the story, takes the file home and when it’s discovered to be missing she loses her job.
Chloe goes back to the office to copy the file and starts her own investigation into the girl’s disappearance.
She find herself at the parents’ new house, and as if by chance they are advertising for a lodger at the local newsagents. With her grandmother in a home and no longer with a job to fill her days Chloe finds herself living with them and it’s not all that it looks to be on the surface.
This was a slow burning thriller where you wondered what was going to be the end result.
I had a few theories in my mind but none of them met the twist at the end. I really wasn’t expecting that!
There were enough red herrings to keep you guessing and enough people to suspect.
I did find the timeline odd in that I don’t know why it was set in the early 2000’s rather that today. Perhaps it was written earlier and dates not changed or the time period meant something to the author? It didn’t detract from the story but didn’t really add anything either.
A good novel for fans of thrillers and mysteries. It will definitely keep you guessing and you won’t realise what is said at the end. It left me open mouthed!
I really enjoyed the premise of this debut novel by Anna Wharton, but I felt like there was something lacking there and I can't quite put my finger on what. I didn't really gain any attachment to any of the main characters, and I particularly had a dislike to the protagonist, Chloe, she seemed largely disconnected from a lot of the issues in her life. There felt like a lack of emotion attached to things that should have been major points (no spoilers here!), although you do learn later on that there could be years of issues causing this and so it may be understandable further down the line.
"Why are people so tied to reality" is a line that stood out for me in this book as you can tell Chloe isn't quite in touch with the real world.
I would read other novels by this author as I think there is definitely potential there, this one just wasn't for me.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review
"Why are people so tied to reality" is a line that stood out for me in this book as you can tell Chloe isn't quite in touch with the real world.
I would read other novels by this author as I think there is definitely potential there, this one just wasn't for me.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review
I thought I had this book all figured out. The plot twist seemed SO obvious that I was just waiting for it to unfold as I flicked through the pages. It wasn't until 70% that something suddenly clicked. The twist suddenly seemed too easy and the clues that had been laid down finally slotted into place. Even though I did eventually figure it all out, it was done so well that I was actually swearing out loud when it all took place in the final chapters.
We first meet Chloe when she is working in the archive section of a local newspaper, living with her nan with dementia who she is struggling to look after. After her nan goes missing and is then located and taken to a nursing home, Chloe becomes obsessed with the disappearance of a 4 year old girl 25 years previously and finding her for her distraught parents. She loses her job at the newspaper and soon dives further into her obsession.
This is such a fantastic read and I really recommend it.
Also, the cover has just been released and it's fab and really reflects the story.
Thank you to Anna Wharton, Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
We first meet Chloe when she is working in the archive section of a local newspaper, living with her nan with dementia who she is struggling to look after. After her nan goes missing and is then located and taken to a nursing home, Chloe becomes obsessed with the disappearance of a 4 year old girl 25 years previously and finding her for her distraught parents. She loses her job at the newspaper and soon dives further into her obsession.
This is such a fantastic read and I really recommend it.
Also, the cover has just been released and it's fab and really reflects the story.
Thank you to Anna Wharton, Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Whilst working in a newspaper archive, Chloe comes across an old story about a little girl called Angie who went missing from a park in the 80’s. Angie was never found, she would have been the same age as Chloe and as Chloe keeps reading, she is drawn deeper and deeper into the story...
I really wanted to love this one but it just didn’t work for me.
The premise and the first 100 pages really hooked me in but we were left with so many questions and vague explanations that all of the tension leaked away and nothing was fully satisfying.
I did like some of the writing and would pick up another from this author but this didn’t deliver in the way I wanted it to.
Huge thanks to @bookbreakuk for this review copy, the book is released this month.
I really wanted to love this one but it just didn’t work for me.
The premise and the first 100 pages really hooked me in but we were left with so many questions and vague explanations that all of the tension leaked away and nothing was fully satisfying.
I did like some of the writing and would pick up another from this author but this didn’t deliver in the way I wanted it to.
Huge thanks to @bookbreakuk for this review copy, the book is released this month.
I have actually never read a book with this premise before. I went in expecting something totally different after reading the synopsis, but in the end I still managed to be pleasantly surprised. I would say that typically mainstream thrillers do not have the calming elements that this had, and completely unrelated to the book, this would make an amazing movie.
After the first couple of chapters, I instantly felt bad for Chloe. She was never really taken seriously by anyone and often was treated like a child. The constant tiptoeing around her by other adults was quite unnerving.
It is an incredibly lonely book. There is not many characters, events, interactions, background information or places. By removing everything apart from Chloe and Angela, I thought this would be more immersive within Chloe's thoughts but the writing felt as though it would constantly push the reader out of Chloe's mind and life.. making readers scavenging for information through Chloe the impostors. Clever move.
It does offer a very satisfying and ominous twist at the end, and proved to be a very intriguing read and is a must-read for those that like to immerse themselves with unreliable characters and a little bit of mystery.
After the first couple of chapters, I instantly felt bad for Chloe. She was never really taken seriously by anyone and often was treated like a child. The constant tiptoeing around her by other adults was quite unnerving.
It is an incredibly lonely book. There is not many characters, events, interactions, background information or places. By removing everything apart from Chloe and Angela, I thought this would be more immersive within Chloe's thoughts but the writing felt as though it would constantly push the reader out of Chloe's mind and life.. making readers scavenging for information through Chloe the impostors. Clever move.
It does offer a very satisfying and ominous twist at the end, and proved to be a very intriguing read and is a must-read for those that like to immerse themselves with unreliable characters and a little bit of mystery.
I think this is one of those book you love or hate. In my case I'm on the fence.
It's not a comforting and easy read, it's very tense and you cannot help feeling for the MC.
I liked the descriptions but I couldn't connect to Chloe as I found her to reckless for her own good.
I think it's not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
It's not a comforting and easy read, it's very tense and you cannot help feeling for the MC.
I liked the descriptions but I couldn't connect to Chloe as I found her to reckless for her own good.
I think it's not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
2 stars for the book on the whole, and 1 for that twist at the end.
This is a psychological thriller that you didn't know was one. Sounds fascinating, but it's only when you reach the end that you realise how much. The narration is incredibly slow, to the point that I was beginning to wonder if it would ever get going, and the narrator is someone difficult to like or empathise with. I wanted to give up many times, but didn't because I wanted to find out what had happened to the little girl who'd disappeared 25 years ago. It's not difficult to piece together the clues, so it's disappointing when you end up right. I was almost up to the last few pages, wondering what the point of the whole thing was...
Then came the twist, almost right at the end. And things started to make sense.
Review copy from NetGalley.
This is a psychological thriller that you didn't know was one. Sounds fascinating, but it's only when you reach the end that you realise how much. The narration is incredibly slow, to the point that I was beginning to wonder if it would ever get going, and the narrator is someone difficult to like or empathise with. I wanted to give up many times, but didn't because I wanted to find out what had happened to the little girl who'd disappeared 25 years ago. It's not difficult to piece together the clues, so it's disappointing when you end up right. I was almost up to the last few pages, wondering what the point of the whole thing was...
Then came the twist, almost right at the end. And things started to make sense.
Review copy from NetGalley.
I’ve struggled to write the review all day because I’m still trying to figure this book out in my head.
I think (if Goodreads allowed it) I’d actually give The Imposter 3.5 stars because it was a great read, and I did enjoy it. I feel though that I spent so long trying to figure the book out that I did myself a disservice.
The twist got me good. I just did not see it coming and that is the sign of a great book to me.
I will say you should read this book, but if you are expecting to like the characters, don’t. I feel that Chloe is an unlikeable protagonist and that is not a bad thing. Sometimes we put too much stock in falling for the characters that we read about. With The Imposter I just kept wondering whether I wanted things to go well for Chloe or whether I wanted her whole world to crumble around her.
Will definitely read other fiction books from Anna if she writes more.
I think (if Goodreads allowed it) I’d actually give The Imposter 3.5 stars because it was a great read, and I did enjoy it. I feel though that I spent so long trying to figure the book out that I did myself a disservice.
The twist got me good. I just did not see it coming and that is the sign of a great book to me.
I will say you should read this book, but if you are expecting to like the characters, don’t. I feel that Chloe is an unlikeable protagonist and that is not a bad thing. Sometimes we put too much stock in falling for the characters that we read about. With The Imposter I just kept wondering whether I wanted things to go well for Chloe or whether I wanted her whole world to crumble around her.
Will definitely read other fiction books from Anna if she writes more.
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Mental illness, Dementia, Grief, Gaslighting
Minor: Animal death, Blood, Abandonment
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
This book was way more of a slow-burner than I had anticipated, it took around half of the book just to get to what is described in the blurb! In this case I didn’t mind too much as it allowed me to really get to know Chloe and her situation, which made her slow descent into obsession all the more believable and understandable.
It was well-written and it had some beautiful moments touching on grief and loneliness, especially when we get to meet the Kyle parents and see how they’ve dealt with the loss of their daughter, the lack of closure and putting their lives on hold as they wait for Angela to return.
It also portrayed dementia in a really touching and realistic way that added to the sadness of this book.
I thought I had this book figured out, but my theory was hinted at and then swiftly tossed aside, so I was genuinely surprised and pleased with how it ending – it felt plausible but still quite shocking. Overall I enjoyed the story, however the pacing was a bit too slow for me.
It was well-written and it had some beautiful moments touching on grief and loneliness, especially when we get to meet the Kyle parents and see how they’ve dealt with the loss of their daughter, the lack of closure and putting their lives on hold as they wait for Angela to return.
It also portrayed dementia in a really touching and realistic way that added to the sadness of this book.
I thought I had this book figured out, but my theory was hinted at and then swiftly tossed aside, so I was genuinely surprised and pleased with how it ending – it felt plausible but still quite shocking. Overall I enjoyed the story, however the pacing was a bit too slow for me.