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beckyyreadss's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I decided to read this book because I brought a poster with 100 books to read in your lifetime. This is the twenty-first book on the life. As with most classics, I thought I was going to struggle reading this book, but holy mother, I loved it.
This book is based on David Beck, and the loss he experienced eight years ago was shattering, and every day he has relived the horror of what happened. The gleaming lake, the pale moonlight, the piercing screams. The night that his wife was taken and the last night he saw her alive. Everyone keeps telling him that it’s time to move on, to forget the past once and for all. But for David Beck, there can be no closure. A message has appeared on his computer, a phrase only he and his dead wife know. Suddenly Beck is taunted with the impossible – that somewhere, somehow, Elizabeth is alive. Beck has been warned to tell no one. And he doesn’t. Instead, he runs from the people he trusts the most, plunging headlong into a search for the shadowy figure whose messages hold out a desperate hope. But already Beck is being hunted down. He's headed straight into the heart of a dark and deadly secret – and someone intends to stop him before he gets there.
This novel is great because it grips you from the very first chapter. The storyline is intriguing. The characters are easy to love with a lot of development and the plot twist is amazing. My favourite chapters in any type of these books are when the main characters figures everything out and has a game plan. You feel hype for the main character and want him to succeed especially when they realise, they aren’t crazy. I think the author was a genius and the mystery and the suspense was brilliantly written. The only thing that I would say that is a weakness, for me personally, is the short chapters. I just prefer bigger chapters. However, in this book, it did fit well with Harlan Coben’s writing style where it usually doesn’t work for me. I was hooked that after a while the short chapters didn’t both me as they usually would with other authors.
I bloody loved this book and it managed to keep me hooked from the beginning and I am intrigued for the next book. I gave this book 5 stars as I loved the storyline and the plot twists. I know this film has been done in French, but I would love for this to be a series or a TV movie with Netflix. I will definitely be reading more of Harlan Coben’s work in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Torture, Death of parent, and Gun violence
Minor: Drug use, Homophobia, and Mental illness
elskabee's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
A really solid mystery thriller. Intriguing and keeps you guessing, with vibrant and interesting characters. In some ways this is a pretty straightforward thriller and not normally a story I'd reach for, but I blazed through the audiobook in only a couple of days and really enjoyed it!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Torture, Murder, and Death of parent
Minor: Mental illness, Car accident, Drug use, and Islamophobia
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