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gruberkare's review
4.0
A bit reminiscent of the movie Sliding Doors. Enjoyable in that it was so different. Creepy at times - in a good way!
kylietokar's review
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? Yes
2.0
readerofthings's review
5.0
Despite what many of the other reviewers have said about the ending, I enjoyed the book. There are two parallel story lines about what could have happened to Anna, and you never do find out which one "actually happened" but both plots are interesting and both seem to have an ending. I found it to be a well written suspenseful novel with interesting, fleshed-out characters.
mackenzierm's review
2.0
Alright, where to start.
This book was in three different perspectives:
The first being Estella's, while Anna was missing.
The second being Anna's, while she was kidnapped.
The third being Anna's with this man Samuel.
I was expecting more from this book, it's supposed to be a psychological thriller and whatnot.. but where was the thrill? In my opinion, this book was a 300 page novel that went absolutely nowhere. The third perspective had pretty much nothing to do with the story.. or at least, that's what I think.
And what exactly was the point of Anna being "kidnapped", when NOTHING came of it. I really thought this book was going to get better, well I was more hoping it would, but sadly, it didn't.
Poor structure, no plot, average characters. All in all, a rating of about 1.5 at best.
This book was in three different perspectives:
The first being Estella's, while Anna was missing.
The second being Anna's, while she was kidnapped.
The third being Anna's with this man Samuel.
I was expecting more from this book, it's supposed to be a psychological thriller and whatnot.. but where was the thrill? In my opinion, this book was a 300 page novel that went absolutely nowhere. The third perspective had pretty much nothing to do with the story.. or at least, that's what I think.
And what exactly was the point of Anna being "kidnapped", when NOTHING came of it. I really thought this book was going to get better, well I was more hoping it would, but sadly, it didn't.
Poor structure, no plot, average characters. All in all, a rating of about 1.5 at best.
unabridgedchick's review
4.0
This exciting thriller left me ill until the end (in a good way). It tells the parallel stories of Anna, a single mother on an impromptu vacation in Italy, and Stella, her best friend. Very quickly, the reader learns that Anna did not return home when she said she would and had not contacted anyone to explain the delay. This sets up an exciting tension: the reader catches Stella's anxiety as we wait with her for word from Anna; and since we the reader know that something is going to happen to Anna, all the chapters with her are nail-bitingly tense as we hurtle toward that moment when Anna doesn't get on the plane home. Is she having an affair? Has she been kidnapped? Until the last page (and even then), the reader is left wondering: what is Anna after? What is she hiding? Do her friends know her as well as they think they do? And how will it end? A fast, tense read.
libraryowl's review
3.0
I liked this but didn't love this book. It has two different scenarios and it is up to the reader to figure things out. It caught my interest and is an interesting idea, but I guess I wanted a final answer.
waywithwords's review
2.0
Meh. The two different possible Away story lines were really just two short stories pushed together as a gimmick, and I ended up completely skipping the Home portions in the last half of the book as they were boring and completely unnecessary to the plot. This was definitely disappointing to me as I have really enjoyed all of Dunant's historical fiction novels.
katheastman's review against another edition
3.0
There is a really interesting premise behind this book. One woman, Anna, a single mother living in London, ups and walks out of her life for a long weekend in Florence. You pick up her story towards the end of her time there. Initially, I was disappointed by this. The fact that the setting was Florence had been part of the attraction and one of the reasons I'd wanted to read this book, especially as it promised a modern-day take on one of my favourite cities. However, the book quickly sucked me in and I forgot this early let down (helped by the fact that Anna stayed in Tuscany!)
Interestingly, Dunant covers the story of Anna's disappearance from the viewpoint of those left behind, looking after her child, and not only dealing with the fact that she went off without a word in the first place but that she might not be coming back. Dunant also writes two parallel accounts of what happens to Anna in Italy and leaves it up to the reader to decide which of those is the truth or, perhaps more fittingly, which of those they prefer and are more comfortable with believing.
It's an interesting read, not least because of the questions it throws up about the bonds of parenthood and the ties of friendships and relationships. It also asks the reader to question how well we ever really know those we love and trust and how we can become disillusioned by them.
Interestingly, Dunant covers the story of Anna's disappearance from the viewpoint of those left behind, looking after her child, and not only dealing with the fact that she went off without a word in the first place but that she might not be coming back. Dunant also writes two parallel accounts of what happens to Anna in Italy and leaves it up to the reader to decide which of those is the truth or, perhaps more fittingly, which of those they prefer and are more comfortable with believing.
It's an interesting read, not least because of the questions it throws up about the bonds of parenthood and the ties of friendships and relationships. It also asks the reader to question how well we ever really know those we love and trust and how we can become disillusioned by them.