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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
A gripping thriller. I really enjoyed following Nap as he tries to find answers to his brother's death and his girlfriend's disappearance 15 years ago.
A book that kept me guessing every step of the way with an ending that I did not see coming.
My first Coben book but I'm sure it won't be my last.
A book that kept me guessing every step of the way with an ending that I did not see coming.
My first Coben book but I'm sure it won't be my last.
Alrighty, right off the bat, this was a super quick read, so it hooks you very early and keeps you busy throughout, the pace barrelling along at a breakneck speed, never really slowing down. It’s a thrilling little story that is well written and doesn’t waste your time dawdling around.
The characters are not particularly fleshed out or robust, but that doesn’t hurt this in the least. Nap is the most important, and he is a character we get to know more than the others purely because the story is being told by him and the conversations he has in his head with his dead brother Leo. Then there is his best friend, Ellie, who is only really his best friend, and never becomes real. Augie is also a peripheral character, but important to Nap, and so, like Ellie, he becomes important to us.
There were many leaps and bounds that the story took, but nothing too outrageous. You hang in for the ride, filled with twists and turns every step of the way. I do think that a lot of the humour fell flat though, which is unfortunate. It came across as trying to be smarter and sharper than it was, and just didn’t get really well. While there aren’t a lot of super likable characters in this, there is an interesting story. Conspiracy? Murder? Secret clubs? Obsession? So many boxes ticked for me, so naturally I was on board.
Don’t Let Go is a book that hustles and bustles along, a busy little read that zooms by before you even know what’s happened. It reads easily enough and has a story that will keep you hooked from the get-go. It won’t linger long after you have read it, and will not change the way you think about things, but that does not detract from the fact that the read is entertaining as all hell. If you are looking for a quick, gripping thrill of a ride, this book definitely meets that criteria.
The characters are not particularly fleshed out or robust, but that doesn’t hurt this in the least. Nap is the most important, and he is a character we get to know more than the others purely because the story is being told by him and the conversations he has in his head with his dead brother Leo. Then there is his best friend, Ellie, who is only really his best friend, and never becomes real. Augie is also a peripheral character, but important to Nap, and so, like Ellie, he becomes important to us.
There were many leaps and bounds that the story took, but nothing too outrageous. You hang in for the ride, filled with twists and turns every step of the way. I do think that a lot of the humour fell flat though, which is unfortunate. It came across as trying to be smarter and sharper than it was, and just didn’t get really well. While there aren’t a lot of super likable characters in this, there is an interesting story. Conspiracy? Murder? Secret clubs? Obsession? So many boxes ticked for me, so naturally I was on board.
Don’t Let Go is a book that hustles and bustles along, a busy little read that zooms by before you even know what’s happened. It reads easily enough and has a story that will keep you hooked from the get-go. It won’t linger long after you have read it, and will not change the way you think about things, but that does not detract from the fact that the read is entertaining as all hell. If you are looking for a quick, gripping thrill of a ride, this book definitely meets that criteria.
I read this quick on the heels of finishing another Harlan Coben novel. I think I enjoyed it more, but for different reasons. As with the other one, he’s a very engaging writer with a skill for writing gripping suspense novels. Something big happens in every chapter and it never really stops moving.
I didn’t find the plot as interesting - I think the actual concept was a bit bland, for me. But I thought the writing was stronger and the plotting was better and it had a final twist that I didn’t see coming
I think part of why I liked it is because of the main character and narrator, from a purely superficial place. I’m primarily a reader of romance novels and romantic suspense is a favourite genre of mine - and the main character of this book, for me, was like an archetypal romantic suspense hero. I enjoyed the romantic element of the novel, too, and would have liked to see more of it - but I get that this isn’t a romance book.
I found the ending a bit rushed.
Also…
I thought it was an engaging, well-paced suspense novel with a lot of good twists and turns and an interesting hero. I just thought it had a slightly unsatisfactory ending.
I would recommend it if you want a fast-paced suspense novel full of twists with a morally grey hero.
Content Warnings:
I didn’t find the plot as interesting - I think the actual concept was a bit bland, for me. But I thought the writing was stronger and the plotting was better and it had a final twist that I didn’t see coming
Spoiler
despite it being hinted at throughout, on reflection.I think part of why I liked it is because of the main character and narrator, from a purely superficial place. I’m primarily a reader of romance novels and romantic suspense is a favourite genre of mine - and the main character of this book, for me, was like an archetypal romantic suspense hero. I enjoyed the romantic element of the novel, too, and would have liked to see more of it - but I get that this isn’t a romance book.
I found the ending a bit rushed.
Spoiler
The twist was good, but the actual conclusion fell a bit flat. It was like the author didn’t really know how to resolve it - by the end of the book, the hero had done so many illegal things there was no real way out for him that I could see that would have been frustrating as I liked his character. As a reader, it was just a bit unsatisfying...It might be the romance reader in me but I would have liked a bit of an epilogue just to see how the characters had moved past things. Just a bit more resolution would have made this a stronger book, to me.Also…
Spoiler
The previous book I read by the same author had some similar themes in it when it came to some of the major twists. In both books, the seemingly golden boy figure who is idolised by the narrator is revealed to have been manipulative and a bully, in different degrees of severity. It might have been because I pretty much read them back to back, but I saw it coming a mile off that Leo was not the perfect person that Nap thought him to be, and I was not shocked at the revelation he died in the process of using humiliation to punish his girlfriend. It just felt a bit repetitive and I’d hoped I was wrong as I read it. That said - I don’t think I’d have this complaint if I’d read a different book, maybe?I thought it was an engaging, well-paced suspense novel with a lot of good twists and turns and an interesting hero. I just thought it had a slightly unsatisfactory ending.
I would recommend it if you want a fast-paced suspense novel full of twists with a morally grey hero.
Content Warnings:
Spoiler
Violence, murder, torture, domestic violence, drugs, descriptions of military black sites.
I'll take a bet that even cocaine doesn't get the old juices flowing like a Harlan Coben novel. 'Don't Let Go' had great pacing, tension, mystery and a dry humour throughout. At times I was on the edge of my seat and others I was laughing to myself. I devoured the book within a very short space of time. I fell into the story immediately and I didn't come back up for air.
Usually, I dislike novels that have 'the whole government is out to get me' plots. 'Don't Let Go' really bordered on my limit for the trope. There were elements that felt somewhat far-fetched, but because it was always underpinned by the more realistic conspiracy club elements, it felt grounded and acceptable.
Nap was a great leading character who drew my sympathy and respect from the off and held my interest throughout. I loved this sense of humour and blunt manner, but still got to see the grief that lingered on him. I really enjoyed reading about his relationships with the secondary characters, they all had different tones, purposes and nuances but were equally enjoyable. Whether it was the platonic relationship between him and his female best bud or the lusty relationship with him and his childhood sweetheart.
Loved the pacing, loved the characters and couldn't give it anything other than five full stars.
Usually, I dislike novels that have 'the whole government is out to get me' plots. 'Don't Let Go' really bordered on my limit for the trope. There were elements that felt somewhat far-fetched, but because it was always underpinned by the more realistic conspiracy club elements, it felt grounded and acceptable.
Nap was a great leading character who drew my sympathy and respect from the off and held my interest throughout. I loved this sense of humour and blunt manner, but still got to see the grief that lingered on him. I really enjoyed reading about his relationships with the secondary characters, they all had different tones, purposes and nuances but were equally enjoyable. Whether it was the platonic relationship between him and his female best bud or the lusty relationship with him and his childhood sweetheart.
Spoiler
So. I have a confession. I almost lowered the rating to four-stars because I thought that the present day killer was obvious. Was that just me? I thought that the killer's manner, tone and dialogue set them up from very early on in the novel. I would have been more shocked if they hadn't been the killer. It was only on retrospection that I realised that knowing the killer, or at least strongly suspecting from so early, didn't ruin the journey at all.Loved the pacing, loved the characters and couldn't give it anything other than five full stars.
Not a 5 but not a 3. As with other thrillers, I was hooked from beginning to end. I didn’t rate this 5 stars because this was just an entertaining read. Nothing really stuck out to me and 3/4ths of the way, I predicted how it would end. This helped with my reading slump though!
You can't go wrong with Coben. He writes an interesting, captivating, page turner that always has you guessing. The big reveal is one of my least favorites of his books, but the build up and guessing and anticipating made this an enjoyable read.
Coben is always a fun read.
Coben is always a fun read.
Not disappointed with my second Harlan Coben book. Gripping and mind numbing
Not as good as some of his others, but still a good mystery. It's mainly about the story, not about caring what happens to the characters.