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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
You can't really connect with any of the characters but I don't see it as a bad thing. These people are flawed, so flawed it makes you mad but I feel like it only shows the true nature of people.
Ali is preaching something but when she's put in position in which she has to decide whether to trust her accused husband or her best friend who got raped, she makes bad decisions that don't go along with her beliefs. I hated the fact that she didn't have her best friend's back and she wanted to keep her family intact when that was actually no longer possible.
Other characters are no better and the reveal made me sad a bit. Secrets that were hidden for so long, only to protect the idea of a life someone dreamed of and planned, only to discover that it was all for nothing. I feel like the message of this book should be: "Women, stick up for yourself, rely on yourselves and don't be afraid to be alone." If Jodi realised this earlier, this story wouldn't exist.
The writing was very smooth and I enjoyed it a lot. I also liked the different points of view and flasbacks from the past, it made the story much more dynamic.
Ali is preaching something but when she's put in position in which she has to decide whether to trust her accused husband or her best friend who got raped, she makes bad decisions that don't go along with her beliefs. I hated the fact that she didn't have her best friend's back and she wanted to keep her family intact when that was actually no longer possible.
Other characters are no better and the reveal made me sad a bit. Secrets that were hidden for so long, only to protect the idea of a life someone dreamed of and planned, only to discover that it was all for nothing. I feel like the message of this book should be: "Women, stick up for yourself, rely on yourselves and don't be afraid to be alone." If Jodi realised this earlier, this story wouldn't exist.
The writing was very smooth and I enjoyed it a lot. I also liked the different points of view and flasbacks from the past, it made the story much more dynamic.
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am a big fan of Clare McGowan's Paula McGuire series. It is a police procedural set in McGowan's native Northern Ireland. I read this free Kindle edition because I'm a fan. But unlike her Paula McGuire series, this book lacked well developed characters. Overall, there was nothing to like or admire about any of them with maybe the exception of Bill (Bilwar). It is a thriller that centers on a group of Oxford graduates, 25 years since they met.
To call these people friends is a stretch. The story centers on lies and deception. I wondered if McGowan held back on character development so she could just throw in outrageous plot twists. I didn't care about these people, even when things got really bad for them.
Writers from Northern Ireland have difficulty getting away from the expectation that their novels will always center on the history, the sectarianism and connections to the Troubles. The novelist David Park has written 11 novels and only recently has he been able to write novels that don't have the Troubles somewhere in there. But McGowan chose to move to very foreign territory - wealthy Oxford graduates, living outside of and in London. Writers certainly can write about people and places that aren't their own, but they have to develop believable characters and settings.
Thrillers are currently the best sellers in the mystery genre. I find too many of them lacking in the ways this novel does. They rely on springing twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. This was a 2.5 star read for me rounded up to 3 stars.
To call these people friends is a stretch. The story centers on lies and deception. I wondered if McGowan held back on character development so she could just throw in outrageous plot twists. I didn't care about these people, even when things got really bad for them.
Writers from Northern Ireland have difficulty getting away from the expectation that their novels will always center on the history, the sectarianism and connections to the Troubles. The novelist David Park has written 11 novels and only recently has he been able to write novels that don't have the Troubles somewhere in there. But McGowan chose to move to very foreign territory - wealthy Oxford graduates, living outside of and in London. Writers certainly can write about people and places that aren't their own, but they have to develop believable characters and settings.
Thrillers are currently the best sellers in the mystery genre. I find too many of them lacking in the ways this novel does. They rely on springing twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. This was a 2.5 star read for me rounded up to 3 stars.
Interesting ending. Also a couple of minor twists- enjoyed the mystery
The Title What You Did really makes you think as the story unfolds about 6 college friends reuniting after 25 years….you don’t really know which YOU the author is referring to in the title. Everyone has their secrets. At one point someone called the main character “a f*cking idiot”
And they couldn’t be more accurate. I caught myself so many times yelling at the her while reading like “what’re you thinking!?”
The connections, the lies, the twists kept me on my toes as the plot thickened. 4.5/5 stars!
And they couldn’t be more accurate. I caught myself so many times yelling at the her while reading like “what’re you thinking!?”
The connections, the lies, the twists kept me on my toes as the plot thickened. 4.5/5 stars!
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The characters were well developed, the plot had plenty of surprises, I struggled to empathise with the main character as she seems very annoying. The sections with different perspectives made the book more enjoyable. Overall it was good but not a favourite.
(Used Audible to listen to)
(Used Audible to listen to)
A big Thank you to @amazonpublishing, Thomas & Mercer, & Netgalley for sending me this e-book for my honest review! My first "ARC." :)
Tiny Synopsis: Ali Morris has her friends from her Oxford Uni days visit for the weekend to catch up after for a reunion. It seems Ali has the most charmed life with the amazing, successful husband, 2 great kids, beautiful home, and a respectable job helping women in need. However it all comes crumbling down when her best friend, Karen, accuses Ali's husband Mike of the most unthinkable crime: rape. It all spirals down from there as Ali has to grapple with trusting the word of her husband or her own best friend. This also brings up other aspects of their past at Oxford and the mysterious death of their friend (Martha) whilst in college.
Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 /5
What a gripping page-turner of a book! I was going back and forth on who and what really happened at college when their friend Martha was murdered. As I kept reading, I thought I had it all figured out who did what. I was SO wrong. This book just has you guessing every chapter. My gripe is that I did not like the multiple perspectives because it made the tone of the story a bit inconsistent - from Benji (10 years old) to Ali then to Karen again then back to Ali. I felt it would have been stronger with just Ali's POV to be honest. Also, I really did not care for some of these characters and possible that the author did this purposefully to make everyone feel like a suspect. Her husband and her friend: I almost wanted to scream to Ali to leave them both as she deserved so much better than what these 2 were doing to her throughout the story. It's a fast read, entertaining, and great for mystery/crime fiction lovers like me.
Tiny Synopsis: Ali Morris has her friends from her Oxford Uni days visit for the weekend to catch up after for a reunion. It seems Ali has the most charmed life with the amazing, successful husband, 2 great kids, beautiful home, and a respectable job helping women in need. However it all comes crumbling down when her best friend, Karen, accuses Ali's husband Mike of the most unthinkable crime: rape. It all spirals down from there as Ali has to grapple with trusting the word of her husband or her own best friend. This also brings up other aspects of their past at Oxford and the mysterious death of their friend (Martha) whilst in college.
Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 /5
What a gripping page-turner of a book! I was going back and forth on who and what really happened at college when their friend Martha was murdered. As I kept reading, I thought I had it all figured out who did what. I was SO wrong. This book just has you guessing every chapter. My gripe is that I did not like the multiple perspectives because it made the tone of the story a bit inconsistent - from Benji (10 years old) to Ali then to Karen again then back to Ali. I felt it would have been stronger with just Ali's POV to be honest. Also, I really did not care for some of these characters and possible that the author did this purposefully to make everyone feel like a suspect. Her husband and her friend: I almost wanted to scream to Ali to leave them both as she deserved so much better than what these 2 were doing to her throughout the story. It's a fast read, entertaining, and great for mystery/crime fiction lovers like me.
A real page turner
I raced through this. I don't want to spoil any of it, but it is very pacy, and very satisfyingly resolved.
I raced through this. I don't want to spoil any of it, but it is very pacy, and very satisfyingly resolved.