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3.09 AVERAGE
3.09 AVERAGE
mysterious
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was an interesting story and I have never read anything like it. It is like you get a bonus book because there is a story within a story.
The Merrison family moves to Devon so that the mother, Justine, can have a fresh start. The daughter, Ellen, changes temperament and eventually reveals that she is upset because her best friend, George, was expelled from school. When Justine checks into this, she is told that there was and is no George at the school. This is all bewildering to her and so the mystery begins. Amidst all of this, Justine also starts receiving phone calls from someone who insists that Justine is actually Sandy. And then finally, intertwined is the story Ellen is writing for school. It seems as though it is plagiarized, or at the very least a retelling of a true story. But, Justine can't find anything of the sort in any google searches.
What the what is going on??? Exactly.
The Merrison family moves to Devon so that the mother, Justine, can have a fresh start. The daughter, Ellen, changes temperament and eventually reveals that she is upset because her best friend, George, was expelled from school. When Justine checks into this, she is told that there was and is no George at the school. This is all bewildering to her and so the mystery begins. Amidst all of this, Justine also starts receiving phone calls from someone who insists that Justine is actually Sandy. And then finally, intertwined is the story Ellen is writing for school. It seems as though it is plagiarized, or at the very least a retelling of a true story. But, Justine can't find anything of the sort in any google searches.
What the what is going on??? Exactly.
There's a mystery hidden somewhere in this book, but it gets old quick when the reasoning for everything is "because they're crazy."
Convoluted. Kept my interest but rarely were things explained. Messy, weird story and I really enjoy suspense and effed up books. I wouldn't bother w this one.
This passed a long day in bed and I enjoyed turning the pages. I also really like her writing style. But it didn't quite carry off its own preposterousness and the ending was a bit 'Is that it?'.
This book doesn't have the most stellar reviews, but I thought it was great. It was fun, witty and very entertaining and an absolutely terrific audiobook. Very different from anything I have read in a while. I will be reading more by this author.
This just didn't do it for me. I figured everything out way before the characters. I kept waiting for a twist but there really wasn't one.
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
I found this psychological thriller intriguing for sure—I zoomed through most of it during various car rides. But, the plot felt so non-sensical—completely bonkers. I really had to sit with it a bit to see how I felt. And, ultimately, for enjoyment’s sake, it gets a three star, but for literary value, it’s a two. I found most of the characters flat, the villain was supposed to be deranged (but we don’t ever get told why), and the protagonist herself also loses her cool frequently, which is kind of annoying. The only characters I liked were the kids and the dog. The writing pulled you through, but I didn’t find it enchanting. I also couldn’t stand the writing style of the random chapters from the daughter’s story—they were very choppy.
Overall, fine, but I wouldn’t read it again.
Overall, fine, but I wouldn’t read it again.
It kind of annoys me that I rather enjoyed reading this book. Like, when I wasn't reading it, I wanted to be. And when I was reading it, I was entertained, but I can't really figure out why.
The story was interesting enough. And the writing was fine. But ... it was all just so unbelievable. It was like two mysteries in one, and while I wanted to know the outcome of both (which ended up being the same), none of it seemed even remotely fathomable even in the mind of a person going through a psychotic break. And one of the characters was indeed living in a fantasy land.
All that said, the last 30 pages are what kind of disgusts me the most. It was, to say the least, the most disappointing climax of my life. Before the ending, I thought perhaps I should look into some of Sophie Hannah's other works, but now I'm not so sure. Might just be a waste of time.
The story was interesting enough. And the writing was fine. But ... it was all just so unbelievable. It was like two mysteries in one, and while I wanted to know the outcome of both (which ended up being the same), none of it seemed even remotely fathomable even in the mind of a person going through a psychotic break. And one of the characters was indeed living in a fantasy land.
All that said, the last 30 pages are what kind of disgusts me the most. It was, to say the least, the most disappointing climax of my life. Before the ending, I thought perhaps I should look into some of Sophie Hannah's other works, but now I'm not so sure. Might just be a waste of time.