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lornmari's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
If you’re a fan of the series “You” or If you favor a dark MC this book is a good quick read.
When I first started reading it it felt a lootttt like “You” (I couldn’t stop picturing the male lead as Joe for the entire book) but then it took a sharp turn 50ish pages in that solidified “I like this book” for me.
Admittedly I don’t read books very critically so I found all the twists and turns surprising and engaging (though in hindsight I can see how another person could have easily predicted the next step). The pace of the book was quick and the story progressed consistently. Sitting at a little over 300 pages I would say this was a quick and easy read. Kind of dark, but I enjoyed that.
Trigger Warnings: domestic abuse, blood, death, violence, stalking, drugs, and suicide.
When I first started reading it it felt a lootttt like “You” (I couldn’t stop picturing the male lead as Joe for the entire book) but then it took a sharp turn 50ish pages in that solidified “I like this book” for me.
Admittedly I don’t read books very critically so I found all the twists and turns surprising and engaging (though in hindsight I can see how another person could have easily predicted the next step). The pace of the book was quick and the story progressed consistently. Sitting at a little over 300 pages I would say this was a quick and easy read. Kind of dark, but I enjoyed that.
Trigger Warnings: domestic abuse, blood, death, violence, stalking, drugs, and suicide.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Stalking, and Murder
Moderate: Blood, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Suicide and Suicide attempt
isabelsdigest's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0
In the spirit of honesty and professionalism, I will say that I could have put this book down and stopped reading the moment I noticed I disliked it. It is my fault but I personally don't like not finishing books because they might get better … this one didn't.
The Obsession is a YA Thriller novel that is marketed for fans of YOU (the Netflix series and books) with a promising: “Boy Meets Girl. Boy Stalks Girl. Girl Gets Revenge.”
First of all, I am not in the target demographic and I’ve read enough thrillers to not get easily engrossed in the typical plots. However, if the series of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder taught me anything, is that it is possible to enjoy a YA thriller series as an adult and it does not have to be unconvincing.
So, I want to take my personal stakes out of the review, and I will use “Boy Meets Girl. Boy Stalks Girl. Girl Gets Revenge” to go over the flaws in this novel. Boy meets girl is the typical trope for romance, therefore, I expected a deconstruction of romance into a thriller. The revenge aspect is perpetuated by the girl, but ‘the plot twists’ surrounding her undermines the revenge (as it is against two, not just ‘the boy’) and concludes with a conversation about being prey or predator by nature.
The characters are bland. The girl is meant to be the main character that goes through a lot of development, but there was no moment when I cared about her as a person. It is clear she is a player on the board. The illusion of characters as actual people might not be what everyone seeks, but for me, it made me indifferent towards her and towards the guy.
The backdrop is unimportant, yet it is so overstated that there is a sequel coming that continues in the same privileged school. Like the equally disappointing They Wish They Were Us, this novel wants you to think it will be a mix of Gossip Girl and You, with rich private school kids and delusional dangerous people. Again, The Obsession does not deliver and the wealth is just another cliché that becomes irrelevant after mentioning they live in a dorm situation because it is convenient for the plot and the ‘plot twist’.
This brings me to the heart of thrillers. They are meant to induce you into an anxious state that makes you be at the edge of your seat when the plot twists just keep surprising you. In this novel, the plot twists are predictable, and that is the worst thing you can have when reading/writing a thriller. On top of that underwhelming plot, I think it was a mistake to have both points of view the whole novel. As readers, we are never surprised or buying into the delusions because we have the immediate perspective of the other. You’s success is due to Joe as an unreliable -but charismatic- narrator. Gone Girl’s major moment is when the reader breaks away from the story that Amy built, and we realize that what we assumed was real was all fabricated by her to make us sympathetic. I feel this novel could have been better if it would have used this resource to surprise us.
I wish you do not read this novel, but if you do, I guess I should give some positive comments. It is easy to read, fast-paced, and with an ‘empowering’ ending, but mostly it is meh and you can do so much better with your reading time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Murder, Drug use, Violence, and Death of parent
I do not recommendtheloveofwordss's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Racial slurs
Minor: Suicide and Suicide attempt
fandomckb's review
dark
mysterious
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? It's complicated
1.5
Honestly, after reading the summary I was expecting so much more than I got. The story moved so fast at times I thought the character was hallucinating or imagining it. Finally, the story just moved way too fast. There was no breaking up talking with text, they spent way too many pages of just dialogue or just internal thoughts and whenever it was mixed, it was hard to follow because it was too fast. The characters were extremely dark, and made it hard to relate to them. The choices they made didn't make sense and the 'plot twists' felt more twisted and dark than actually enjoyable. If you're at all interested in reading for the world being built and not just the characters find another book. All I got was 'fancy boarding school'.
<spoliers> She kills her mom's boyfriend after fantasizing about hurting him or fighting back or something so I thought that was the same thing? And the 'she was the drug dealer's thing was bull. There was almost nothing leading to that and it felt almost forced. Finally, the ending where she kills Logan was one of the only things that sort of made sense, but again, it only took like 2 pages to kill him. <spoilers>
<spoliers> She kills her mom's boyfriend after fantasizing about hurting him or fighting back or something so I thought that was the same thing? And the 'she was the drug dealer's thing was bull. There was almost nothing leading to that and it felt almost forced. Finally, the ending where she kills Logan was one of the only things that sort of made sense, but again, it only took like 2 pages to kill him. <spoilers>
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, and Stalking
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, and Drug abuse
Minor: Racism and Suicide attempt
readingwitherin's review against another edition
fast-paced
3.5
Trigger Warnings: Abusive relationships, death, drug use, stalker/obsession.
The Obsession was one of those books that I wasn't sure if I would like or not, but I did and it was such a quick read for me.
Delilah's mom is dating a guy that is not only abusive but is also a detective making it so they are in a very tough spot when it comes to how to get away from him and the situation they are currently in. However one day Delilah sees a chance to do just that and takes it and it somehow doesn't get pinned on her. Because of what she did her stalker now has blackmail on her and is forcing her into a relationship. From here is where the book really kicks off because we see Delilah having to deal with both what she did and now having to deal with fake dating her stalked who thinks they are really dating. It's a precarious situation but one that Delilah handles as best as she can.
She does get some help from her best friend which ended up being vital in being able to do what she does to get away from her stalker.
Overall I enjoyed this book a lot and ended up reading the majority of it in one day! Delilah is one of those characters that was constantly surprising me with not only what she was able to do, but also how she went about things. She's smart and finds ways not only to help provide for her family but also in how to get out of terrible situations as well. This book was so much better than I thought it would be and I can't wait to read more by this author in the future!
I'm really looking forward to this getting a second book after the cliffhanger that this one ended on.
The Obsession was one of those books that I wasn't sure if I would like or not, but I did and it was such a quick read for me.
Delilah's mom is dating a guy that is not only abusive but is also a detective making it so they are in a very tough spot when it comes to how to get away from him and the situation they are currently in. However one day Delilah sees a chance to do just that and takes it and it somehow doesn't get pinned on her. Because of what she did her stalker now has blackmail on her and is forcing her into a relationship. From here is where the book really kicks off because we see Delilah having to deal with both what she did and now having to deal with fake dating her stalked who thinks they are really dating. It's a precarious situation but one that Delilah handles as best as she can.
She does get some help from her best friend which ended up being vital in being able to do what she does to get away from her stalker.
Overall I enjoyed this book a lot and ended up reading the majority of it in one day! Delilah is one of those characters that was constantly surprising me with not only what she was able to do, but also how she went about things. She's smart and finds ways not only to help provide for her family but also in how to get out of terrible situations as well. This book was so much better than I thought it would be and I can't wait to read more by this author in the future!
I'm really looking forward to this getting a second book after the cliffhanger that this one ended on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Stalking, and Drug use
read_fox's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Stalking, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Domestic abuse
larabezzina's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Murder, Misogyny, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood
breereadsalot_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Death, Murder, Physical abuse, Blood, Stalking, and Suicide
Moderate: Misogyny and Racism
pamshenanigans's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
These thoughts will also be shared on my Youtube channel! Subscribe to my channel: Pam's Shenanigans!
"I'd escaped from one maniac only to run straight into another."
- The Obsession was both predictable and unpredictable in the sense that there are SO MANY routes that the book could've gone to.
- The depiction of obsession was great and was nuanced. Jesse Q. Sutanto easily switched to the two distinguishable POVs. Nuanced in a way that the character was aware of his unhealthy fantasy and dangerous obsession, yet can't seem to just give it up.
- For the two POVs, the characters are each dealing with their own monsters that are meant to break them both, and only one of them can survive.
- Writing is great! It was fast-paced yet still managed to bring out the different layers to the characters
- Plot may be predictable to some but I really enjoyed the ride!
- I wasn't expecting it but I'm also lowkey interested to read the sequel (found out when I finished the book!) because who would it focus on? Dee's life in college?
Trigger/Content Warnings: stalking, physical abuse, mental abuse, gaslighting, murder, drugging, racial slur, suicide attempt, blackmailing, erotomania, delusional disorder
"I'd escaped from one maniac only to run straight into another."
- The Obsession was both predictable and unpredictable in the sense that there are SO MANY routes that the book could've gone to.
- The depiction of obsession was great and was nuanced. Jesse Q. Sutanto easily switched to the two distinguishable POVs. Nuanced in a way that the character was aware of his unhealthy fantasy and dangerous obsession, yet can't seem to just give it up.
- For the two POVs, the characters are each dealing with their own monsters that are meant to break them both, and only one of them can survive.
- Writing is great! It was fast-paced yet still managed to bring out the different layers to the characters
- Plot may be predictable to some but I really enjoyed the ride!
- I wasn't expecting it but I'm also lowkey interested to read the sequel (found out when I finished the book!) because who would it focus on? Dee's life in college?
Trigger/Content Warnings: stalking, physical abuse, mental abuse, gaslighting, murder, drugging, racial slur, suicide attempt, blackmailing, erotomania, delusional disorder
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Drug use
Minor: Racial slurs, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
outsmartyourshelf's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Logan knows that Delilah is perfect for him. He has watched her, stalked her on social media, and contrived to meet her - all so he can prove he is the perfect boyfriend for her. Delilah is through letting anyone else control her life, and when Logan inadvertently records her killing her abusive stepfather, well that's just the start of his problems.
Fed up of all those books where women are victims? Then let me introduce you to Delilah. She's not going to stand back and let her stepfather carry on his abusive behaviour to her or her mum, and she's not going to put up with Logan trying to blackmail her about his death either. It's such a good read, I couldn't put it down. The author writes so well that you alternately feel sympathy for and/or creeped out by both Delilah and Logan, depending upon which one is narrating the current chapter. The only thing I could have done without is the paragraph about feeding the poor rat to the snake.
Overall, it's a great read which puts a different spin on the thriller genre.
Fed up of all those books where women are victims? Then let me introduce you to Delilah. She's not going to stand back and let her stepfather carry on his abusive behaviour to her or her mum, and she's not going to put up with Logan trying to blackmail her about his death either. It's such a good read, I couldn't put it down. The author writes so well that you alternately feel sympathy for and/or creeped out by both Delilah and Logan, depending upon which one is narrating the current chapter. The only thing I could have done without is the paragraph about feeding the poor rat to the snake.
Overall, it's a great read which puts a different spin on the thriller genre.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Drug use
Minor: Domestic abuse