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katyannreads's review
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Sexual assault, and Violence
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Bullying
Minor: Pregnancy and Alcoholism
caitgiam's review
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Child abuse and Stalking
Minor: Dementia and Pregnancy
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
readers_sea's review
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
full vlog & thoughts here: https://youtu.be/aU1dMqwHOO4?si=pp2KfInddFJ0_4we
I fully expected to LOVE this book especially since I love the author duo.
This book had a great premise and setup. I was really loving it when it started and was so excited to see where it was going to go. In the end, I felt the book revealed too much too soon and that made the ending drag. Nothing groundbreaking and a bit predictable for me, but not the worst in my opinion.
I fully expected to LOVE this book especially since I love the author duo.
This book had a great premise and setup. I was really loving it when it started and was so excited to see where it was going to go. In the end, I felt the book revealed too much too soon and that made the ending drag. Nothing groundbreaking and a bit predictable for me, but not the worst in my opinion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Bullying, Dementia, and Child abuse
Minor: Pregnancy and Rape
bekah1210's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, and Dementia
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Physical abuse
Minor: Drug use, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Rape, and Suicide attempt
pomoevareads's review against another edition
adventurous
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
4.0
Twenty-four year old Catherine Sterling has only known life with an overprotective mother. They don’t have any other family and share an apartment and car and each other’s phone locations. They have moved several times but this will be the first time that they will live separately as Catherine has taken a job as a nurse at a hospital in another city. All that is threatened when Catherine starts noticing some strange behaviours from her mother that may result in Catherine not taking her new job. From Ruth’s perspective, she will do anything to protect her daughter including keeping her as close as possible. Ruth has secrets that are threatening to cause harm to her and Catherine and decides to keep a journal to pass on to her daughter, should anything go awry.
As a fan of short chapters, mother/daughter stories and alternating POVs, I was hooked. I binged the last 50% of this book and loved all the crumbs dropped along the way. It was a slower burn for the first half and I have read comments from reviewers saying this wasn’t for them but I didn’t mind it one bit. I was invested in the storyline, the deception and discoveries, the suspenseful jaw drop moments and in the journal entries.
I was in the mood to read escapism and didn’t care about believability. So if you don’t mind suspending belief and are looking for a story to keep you on your toes, then pick up Gone Tonight by @sarahpekkanen when it comes out August 1st.
Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.
As always, potential triggers will be shared to my StoryGraph review (also Pomoevareads)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Murder, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Animal cruelty and Dementia
oceanwriter's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It’s been a few months since I’ve read a psychological thriller and I can’t think of a better one to have come back to the genre. With quiet twists and extraordinarily flawed yet lovable characters, I was hooked.
Though Catherine has always had a good relationship with her mother Ruth, she’s ready to leave home and begin a life and career of her own. Her plans change when her mother receives an Alzheimer’s diagnosis from her doctor. Not willing to waste a minute of the time left with Ruth, she cancels her moving plans.
Ruth begins to write down her life story for her daughter… but not for the reasons one might expect at such a time. She’s worked the entirety of Catherine’s life to keep her past buried. Not only her past but also the secrets Catherine unknowingly carries. It isn’t long before Catherine begins to pick up on the fact something deeper is amiss. How well does she really know her mother?
While the book keeps a slower pace than usually found in these kinds of thrillers, there is a constant string of events weaved in and out. Through Ruth, we get glimpses of her past. Through Catherine, we hear recollections of her mother and the conflict the plot brings into their relationship. I found Catherine’s character the most fascinating element of the book. Some might disagree with me, but I also found Ruth’s love for her child admirable under the circumstances. I feel she did the best she could with what she had.
I listened to the audiobook version. Kate Mara did a fantastic job narrating. Sometimes I don’t love listening to thrillers because the narrator will be too dramatic. There was the perfect amount of emotion and urgency conveyed without becoming theatrical. That said, the story would have benefited from two narrators so each character had their own voice. Nevertheless, the reading experience was not hindered because of the single narrator.
Gone Tonight is easily the best thriller I’ve read this year. I can’t wait to read Sarah Pekkanen’s other books.
A huge thanks to Macmillan Audio for inviting me to listen to an audio ARC of this book through NetGalley! I am looking forward to purchasing a hard copy for myself.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Dementia, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Bullying
Minor: Rape and Pregnancy
jennergyy's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Murder, and Death
Minor: Rape
minimicropup's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Atmosphere: 👍
Fly-on-the-wall feels. We see the independent interpretations of the mother and daughter of similar events and behaviours, but it wasn't repetitive and the character reactions made sense even when you started to piece together what was really going on.
-Mostly set in an apartment and geriatric facility in a Pennsylvania town; imagine away because the author isn't overly detailed (in a way that fits the story), so if they don't describe something in detail early on you won't get your imaginings smashed in later.
Main POVs: 👌
-A parent in their 40s who had their child while in high school. They dropped out of school, cutting off their family, friends, and boyfriend. They successfully made a life as a waitress and single mother. They are caring, protective, intelligent, and cautious bordering on cunning.
-A morally grey adult child (in their 20s) of the above-mentioned parent. They are close with their parent, loyal, but also excited to branch out on their own after obtaining a geriatric nursing degree. They have confusing and conflicting emotions about leaving because their parent has recently shown symptoms of early-onset Alzheimer's.
-Journal entries sprinkled throughout of the parent recounting how they met their boyfriend, handled pregnancy and high school, and why they cut everyone off in their life.
Cred Rating: 👍
Mostly realistic/plausible. I found myself fly-on-the-wall screaming "what about____" sometimes and every time the MC would address my internal rantings in a way that made sense or showed they were aware of the shortcomings in their plan/interpretative of events, which drew me into the story and made me feel like I was interacting with the characters sometimes. Certain scenes near the end had to rely on a complete lack of eye witnesses but I guess it could happen! The feels about a parent wondering if their child inherited the worst of the other parent (while ignoring their own shortcomings) were realistic.
Reading Journey: 👍
Cruising through town in the evening on a twisty turny road while totally lost in an audiobook/podcast/radio program.
Great match if you like:
-Mother daughter relationship tropes
-Book club/thought-provoking commentary based on "Nature vs Nurture", "What would you do in that situation?", and how far is healthy/non-psychopathic for protecting your loved ones
-Fly-on-the wall narratives (we are deep in both MCs thoughts and understanding why they do what they do or think what they think while knowing more of what happened as the observer)
-Fugitive/secretly on-the-run plots
-puzzle piecing over the course of a story
Vibes: 🫢🥺🤗
Content heads-up: One of the characters works in a geriatric facility supporting elderly patients with dementia and Alzheimer's. There are descriptions of what the patients go through based on the MC's POV, and although dementia and Alzheimer's is touched on in the story, it isn't the main focus.
Format: ARC from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley
Fly-on-the-wall feels. We see the independent interpretations of the mother and daughter of similar events and behaviours, but it wasn't repetitive and the character reactions made sense even when you started to piece together what was really going on.
-Mostly set in an apartment and geriatric facility in a Pennsylvania town; imagine away because the author isn't overly detailed (in a way that fits the story), so if they don't describe something in detail early on you won't get your imaginings smashed in later.
Main POVs: 👌
-A parent in their 40s who had their child while in high school. They dropped out of school, cutting off their family, friends, and boyfriend. They successfully made a life as a waitress and single mother. They are caring, protective, intelligent, and cautious bordering on cunning.
-A morally grey adult child (in their 20s) of the above-mentioned parent. They are close with their parent, loyal, but also excited to branch out on their own after obtaining a geriatric nursing degree. They have confusing and conflicting emotions about leaving because their parent has recently shown symptoms of early-onset Alzheimer's.
-Journal entries sprinkled throughout of the parent recounting how they met their boyfriend, handled pregnancy and high school, and why they cut everyone off in their life.
Cred Rating: 👍
Mostly realistic/plausible. I found myself fly-on-the-wall screaming "what about____" sometimes and every time the MC would address my internal rantings in a way that made sense or showed they were aware of the shortcomings in their plan/interpretative of events, which drew me into the story and made me feel like I was interacting with the characters sometimes. Certain scenes near the end had to rely on a complete lack of eye witnesses but I guess it could happen! The feels about a parent wondering if their child inherited the worst of the other parent (while ignoring their own shortcomings) were realistic.
Reading Journey: 👍
Cruising through town in the evening on a twisty turny road while totally lost in an audiobook/podcast/radio program.
Great match if you like:
-Mother daughter relationship tropes
-Book club/thought-provoking commentary based on "Nature vs Nurture", "What would you do in that situation?", and how far is healthy/non-psychopathic for protecting your loved ones
-Fly-on-the wall narratives (we are deep in both MCs thoughts and understanding why they do what they do or think what they think while knowing more of what happened as the observer)
-Fugitive/secretly on-the-run plots
-puzzle piecing over the course of a story
Vibes: 🫢🥺🤗
Content heads-up: One of the characters works in a geriatric facility supporting elderly patients with dementia and Alzheimer's. There are descriptions of what the patients go through based on the MC's POV, and although dementia and Alzheimer's is touched on in the story, it isn't the main focus.
Format: ARC from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia
Moderate: Sexual assault, Murder, and Death
Minor: Pregnancy
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