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aripialbastre's review
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
I hate it because I spent money on it. It was a waste of potential and I should have read the reviews before buying it because I just finished reading it and I feel so disappointed.
My only thought about it currently is
"Eh."đ
My only thought about it currently is
"Eh."đ
mariasimson's review
4.0
Thank you @grandcentralpub for sending me the finished copy.
I am rating this 4.5 because as deranged as this story was, I loved it! I could not put it down and it was an easy read for me. Starting with the good things, the #meetoo movement captivated our attention back in 2016 and since then it has lost its flame in the media but I'm so happy that the author brought our attention back to it. The writing was excellent and there was a cinematic feeling while reading this. The visualization and imagination and thought put into this book is obvious from the very start. Steven's POV was my favorite because we get to reading his thought process and how he self0rationalizes his actions. Now the not so good things, I don't agree with Ellie's actions. She is vulnerable and grief is making her act in such way. There were movements where I was confused as to what was happening and I think the author lost the smoothness to her writing because she was adding so much to build momentum. Overall, I think the message is important. I believe this author did justice to the #meetoo movement and for a debut I think this excellent considering the heavy topic.
I am rating this 4.5 because as deranged as this story was, I loved it! I could not put it down and it was an easy read for me. Starting with the good things, the #meetoo movement captivated our attention back in 2016 and since then it has lost its flame in the media but I'm so happy that the author brought our attention back to it. The writing was excellent and there was a cinematic feeling while reading this. The visualization and imagination and thought put into this book is obvious from the very start. Steven's POV was my favorite because we get to reading his thought process and how he self0rationalizes his actions. Now the not so good things, I don't agree with Ellie's actions. She is vulnerable and grief is making her act in such way. There were movements where I was confused as to what was happening and I think the author lost the smoothness to her writing because she was adding so much to build momentum. Overall, I think the message is important. I believe this author did justice to the #meetoo movement and for a debut I think this excellent considering the heavy topic.
haliebird's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
samikoonjones's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
t_and_books's review
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This book was sooooo slow. Very wordy. Iâd say 25% of this book wasnât necessary.
emily_loves_2_read's review
3.0
Nobody But Us
âď¸âď¸âď¸
Genre: Thriller
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 4/12/22
Author: Laure Van Rensburg
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Pages: 384
Goodreads Rating: 3.32
TW â ď¸: Sexual assault, suicide, and domestic violence.
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: When Ellie and her boyfriend Steven take their first trip together, that becomes apparent that each of them harbors secretsâand that one of those secrets is deadly. Ellie is an NYU grad student. Steven is a wealthy and privileged teacher at an elite Manhattan school. When they head out for their romantic break, they're both excited to get to know each other better away from prying eyes. But when a snowstorm strands them in the house, they begin to realize that neither of them is quite who they say they areâand that one of them won't escape the weekend alive.
My Thoughts: First, let me say, that the author does an amazing job at setting the tone throughout the book. Her descriptions tests all of your senses. The plot is brilliant. The ending is mind blowing. Everything in between is what I am struggling with. This is a character driven story, they are well developed, but I had a very hard time connecting with either of them for various reasons, which I will not say as I do not want to spoil for someone else. While some reviewers have pegged the plot as out there, I do agree with that, but I enjoy out there scenarios in fiction books. One thing I did like is the authorâs reasoning for writing this book, which is at the end, which I again, will not relay as to not spoil things. The writing is a bit choppy and doesnât flow, the book is a bit long-winded as well. Now, do not get me wrong, it was not a bad read, and I did like the book.
âď¸âď¸âď¸
Genre: Thriller
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 4/12/22
Author: Laure Van Rensburg
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Pages: 384
Goodreads Rating: 3.32
TW â ď¸: Sexual assault, suicide, and domestic violence.
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: When Ellie and her boyfriend Steven take their first trip together, that becomes apparent that each of them harbors secretsâand that one of those secrets is deadly. Ellie is an NYU grad student. Steven is a wealthy and privileged teacher at an elite Manhattan school. When they head out for their romantic break, they're both excited to get to know each other better away from prying eyes. But when a snowstorm strands them in the house, they begin to realize that neither of them is quite who they say they areâand that one of them won't escape the weekend alive.
My Thoughts: First, let me say, that the author does an amazing job at setting the tone throughout the book. Her descriptions tests all of your senses. The plot is brilliant. The ending is mind blowing. Everything in between is what I am struggling with. This is a character driven story, they are well developed, but I had a very hard time connecting with either of them for various reasons, which I will not say as I do not want to spoil for someone else. While some reviewers have pegged the plot as out there, I do agree with that, but I enjoy out there scenarios in fiction books. One thing I did like is the authorâs reasoning for writing this book, which is at the end, which I again, will not relay as to not spoil things. The writing is a bit choppy and doesnât flow, the book is a bit long-winded as well. Now, do not get me wrong, it was not a bad read, and I did like the book.
meghan_readsbooks's review
3.0
Thank you Grand Central Publishing for the ebook copy of Nobody But Us. This book is available now. I appreciated many aspects of this atmospheric thriller and I feel Laure Van Rensburg shows a lot of strengths in terms of style and tone. The plot involves an older literature professor and a young graduate student on a long weekend away together, fairly cut off from all the things people want to cut off from; the plot has a fairly obvious focus on the age differences, academia, and the definite foreboding of chaos (the first chapter leads into the backstory that leads back to the first chapter).
there are a lot of references to gothic type literature and women's poetry (plath, dickinson) and at times some readers are going to find this too much or not connect with this aspect of the book. For me the academic vibes worked, I am a psych lecturer and sadly a lot of what is here in terms of ego/fragile male ego vibes, feelings of insecurity, and men not always being upstanding aren't untrue (not my personal experience but broadly speaking)... misogyny is ever present for many. This book captures some of that mood but I think in a way that alienates readers unfortunately, the writing is a bit too heavy handed and the dialogue at times just feels stilted or not really how a couple would talk (though are they a couple?).
What does work as noted is the mood, the atmosphere and for me the value in always trying to explore ways to share stories about women's lives, how women/young girls are mistreated in their daily lives; I saw some reviews that felt this book and narrative have been written before and though true there is always space for attention to themes explored in this book.
there are definite content warnings for this one: grooming, self harm, violence, sexual abuse, manipulation
there are a lot of references to gothic type literature and women's poetry (plath, dickinson) and at times some readers are going to find this too much or not connect with this aspect of the book. For me the academic vibes worked, I am a psych lecturer and sadly a lot of what is here in terms of ego/fragile male ego vibes, feelings of insecurity, and men not always being upstanding aren't untrue (not my personal experience but broadly speaking)... misogyny is ever present for many. This book captures some of that mood but I think in a way that alienates readers unfortunately, the writing is a bit too heavy handed and the dialogue at times just feels stilted or not really how a couple would talk (though are they a couple?).
What does work as noted is the mood, the atmosphere and for me the value in always trying to explore ways to share stories about women's lives, how women/young girls are mistreated in their daily lives; I saw some reviews that felt this book and narrative have been written before and though true there is always space for attention to themes explored in this book.
there are definite content warnings for this one: grooming, self harm, violence, sexual abuse, manipulation
charlottethebookharlot's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars
Steven Harding is a well respected professor with his professional life moving from strength to strength his personal life is also positive too; his young girlfriend Ellie Masterson is completely besotted with him. Together they travel for a romantic break in the woods; but away from the hustle of the city and cut off from others cracks start to appear and secrets that both Steven and Ellie have been keeping are exposed.
I loved this thriller/suspense story; the three perspectives, Steven, Ellie and the unknown female brought depth and interest to the story and I was gripped as what started as a seeming good relationship between Steven and Ellie was exposed. I love the film Hard Cady and this gave me the same vigilante vibes which I really enjoyed. A great book which had me hooked until the very end.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review
Steven Harding is a well respected professor with his professional life moving from strength to strength his personal life is also positive too; his young girlfriend Ellie Masterson is completely besotted with him. Together they travel for a romantic break in the woods; but away from the hustle of the city and cut off from others cracks start to appear and secrets that both Steven and Ellie have been keeping are exposed.
I loved this thriller/suspense story; the three perspectives, Steven, Ellie and the unknown female brought depth and interest to the story and I was gripped as what started as a seeming good relationship between Steven and Ellie was exposed. I love the film Hard Cady and this gave me the same vigilante vibes which I really enjoyed. A great book which had me hooked until the very end.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review