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lovelymisanthrope's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I was so excited to picked this up because of how much I enjoyed Sarah Pekkanen's work with Greer Hendricks.
"Gone Tonight" is a mystery thriller that explores a mother daughter relationship. Catherine Sterling has always had a very close relationship with her mother, but now that Catherine wants to forge her own path, her mother does not seem supportive. Ruth Sterling has shielded Catherine from her past, but now that Catherine is older, she is asking questions Ruth does not want to answer.
I was SO disappointed with this story. This mystery felt very mediocre, and it felt like it relied way too much on convenience, rather than well thought out plot. Catherine was able to unearth things about her mother so quickly because there here literal crumbs presented to her in such an easy way. If she could so easily figure out where her mother came from, wouldn't she have figured at least something out sooner?
Catherine was also just not an interesting character to read from. She never questioned or doubted her mother, and she just always accepted Ruth's word as law. I think this is a pretty "normal" train of thought for a child, but Catherine is in her 20's now and Ruth's behavior warrants some questions.
Ruth's chapters were the most interesting to read about, especially the flashbacks to her childhood and why she has built the life she has for herself and Catherine.
The mystery of this story and the "twists" were kind of easy to anticipate and I did not think they were done in an interesting or fresh way. All of the characters just seemed to easily accept everything any other character told them. It was way too easy for Catherine and Ruth to get what they needed, and it shattered the thrilling feeling at times.
I have not written off reading from Sarah Pekkanen in the future, but I am optimistically cautious about what I will pick up.
"Gone Tonight" is a mystery thriller that explores a mother daughter relationship. Catherine Sterling has always had a very close relationship with her mother, but now that Catherine wants to forge her own path, her mother does not seem supportive. Ruth Sterling has shielded Catherine from her past, but now that Catherine is older, she is asking questions Ruth does not want to answer.
I was SO disappointed with this story. This mystery felt very mediocre, and it felt like it relied way too much on convenience, rather than well thought out plot. Catherine was able to unearth things about her mother so quickly because there here literal crumbs presented to her in such an easy way. If she could so easily figure out where her mother came from, wouldn't she have figured at least something out sooner?
Catherine was also just not an interesting character to read from. She never questioned or doubted her mother, and she just always accepted Ruth's word as law. I think this is a pretty "normal" train of thought for a child, but Catherine is in her 20's now and Ruth's behavior warrants some questions.
Ruth's chapters were the most interesting to read about, especially the flashbacks to her childhood and why she has built the life she has for herself and Catherine.
The mystery of this story and the "twists" were kind of easy to anticipate and I did not think they were done in an interesting or fresh way. All of the characters just seemed to easily accept everything any other character told them. It was way too easy for Catherine and Ruth to get what they needed, and it shattered the thrilling feeling at times.
I have not written off reading from Sarah Pekkanen in the future, but I am optimistically cautious about what I will pick up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Death
Moderate: Child abuse, Gun violence, Stalking, and Death of parent
Minor: Pregnancy
theinstabookworm's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This story wasn't at all what I thought it would be, in a good way. I've read so many thrillers and mysteries where one person is manipulative for their own gain and I definitely got those vibes from reading the synopsis, but I was pleasantly surprised that this wasn't that at all. While there was deception, there was a valid explanation for it which the reader learns throughout the book. I also loved that the characters were younger. I feel like a lot of MCs in mysteries and thrillers are at least in their mid-30s and it was refreshing to have perspectives from one MC in her mid-20s and another in her early 40s (we get alternating POVs in every chapter).
I liked that this book mentioned early on-set Alzheimer's because I feel like it's not talked about a lot. The fact that both mom and daughter are young lends a fresh perspective on the condition.
This is definitely a slow-burn domestic mystery and not a thriller, which is something to know going in. Also, can we stop using italics for long blocks of text? It hurts my eyes. 😵💫🤪
I liked that this book mentioned early on-set Alzheimer's because I feel like it's not talked about a lot. The fact that both mom and daughter are young lends a fresh perspective on the condition.
This is definitely a slow-burn domestic mystery and not a thriller, which is something to know going in. Also, can we stop using italics for long blocks of text? It hurts my eyes. 😵💫🤪
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Dementia, Drug use, Murder, Self harm, Death of parent, Child abuse, and Suicide attempt
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