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gonewithflynn's review against another edition
2.0
Thank you to Book Club Girl and William Morrow for the gifted copy for review. All opinions are my own.
I love a good domestic thriller and I haven't read a ton with stalkers so this one definitely intrigued me. That being said, unfortunately it wasn't my cup of tea. Overall, the plot required for the reader to suspend disbelief a lot - the main character was annoying and her behaviour just made no sense and the stalker and bad guy situation was just... implausible (I won't get more specific due to spoilers). Overall, the characters were also largely flat. Out of all of them, my favourite was Meribel's daughter.
Content warnings: Stalking, kidnapping, confinement, sexual assault, death.
I love a good domestic thriller and I haven't read a ton with stalkers so this one definitely intrigued me. That being said, unfortunately it wasn't my cup of tea. Overall, the plot required for the reader to suspend disbelief a lot - the main character was annoying and her behaviour just made no sense and the stalker and bad guy situation was just... implausible (I won't get more specific due to spoilers). Overall, the characters were also largely flat. Out of all of them, my favourite was Meribel's daughter.
Content warnings: Stalking, kidnapping, confinement, sexual assault, death.
krissipocalypse's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
danubooks's review against another edition
5.0
When moving from Hollywood to Georgia doesn’t shake a stalker, what is an actress’s next move?
Meribel Mills achieved a dose of stardom thanks to a small but juicy role on a popular nineties sitcom. She has worked fairly steadily ever since but, as she she says at the beginning of the novel, she never thought that she was famous enough to get murdered. Her stalker clearly disagrees, and when his actions rose from garden-variety weirdo to breaking into her home, Meribel jumps at the opportunity to move herself and her teenage daughter Honor to her home state of Georgia to work on a new project. The situation isn’t ideal; Meribel decided to end a budding romance because of the move; she had fled her life in Georgia years earlier after a tragic accident, leaving her husband behind as well; and Honor is autistic, so a move like this wreaks havoc on the ordered life she needs. But the sacrifices will be worth it to bring a sense of security and peace of mind to their lives. The calm doesn’t last long, though; Meribel’s “superpower”, the ability to sense when she is under observation, starts tingling. Is it her stalker, whom she has nicknamed the Marker Man (the creepy letters and drawings he sends her are written and drawn with scented colored markers) followed her to Georgia? Could her ex-husband, though he seems to be happily remarried, still carrying a torch for her? Has the discarded boyfriend decided that their relationship isn’t over after all? Or is her new neighbor, who is still pining for his ex, not happy about being friend-zoned? Meribel isn’t sure that she can trust any of the men in her life, past or present; but she knows that if she doesn’t make the right choices, she and possibly her daughter will pay the ultimate price.
I have loved Joshilyn Jackson’s novels since the day I picked up her first, gods in Alabama. Her female characters are flawed, but they are also feisty, resourceful, and pretty darned funny. Her characters all have charm and dimension; I particularly enjoyed how she developed the character of Honor, who is so much more than just autistic. And where else but in one of Ms Jackson’s novels would you find a group of young people described as a “United Colors of Benetton Scooby Gang”? She plays with language so very well.
With My Little Eye is a wonderful read, equal parts Southern and suspense. If you have read any of Joshilyn Jackson’s prior novels, I don’t have to tell you to read this one too…its already on your to-be-read list. If you haven’t, then this is the time to start! If you have enjoyed books by Mark Childress, Fannie Flagg, or Alafair Burke, then you should definitely give this a try too. Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to delve into the advanced reader’s copy of this latest novel by a favorite author!
Meribel Mills achieved a dose of stardom thanks to a small but juicy role on a popular nineties sitcom. She has worked fairly steadily ever since but, as she she says at the beginning of the novel, she never thought that she was famous enough to get murdered. Her stalker clearly disagrees, and when his actions rose from garden-variety weirdo to breaking into her home, Meribel jumps at the opportunity to move herself and her teenage daughter Honor to her home state of Georgia to work on a new project. The situation isn’t ideal; Meribel decided to end a budding romance because of the move; she had fled her life in Georgia years earlier after a tragic accident, leaving her husband behind as well; and Honor is autistic, so a move like this wreaks havoc on the ordered life she needs. But the sacrifices will be worth it to bring a sense of security and peace of mind to their lives. The calm doesn’t last long, though; Meribel’s “superpower”, the ability to sense when she is under observation, starts tingling. Is it her stalker, whom she has nicknamed the Marker Man (the creepy letters and drawings he sends her are written and drawn with scented colored markers) followed her to Georgia? Could her ex-husband, though he seems to be happily remarried, still carrying a torch for her? Has the discarded boyfriend decided that their relationship isn’t over after all? Or is her new neighbor, who is still pining for his ex, not happy about being friend-zoned? Meribel isn’t sure that she can trust any of the men in her life, past or present; but she knows that if she doesn’t make the right choices, she and possibly her daughter will pay the ultimate price.
I have loved Joshilyn Jackson’s novels since the day I picked up her first, gods in Alabama. Her female characters are flawed, but they are also feisty, resourceful, and pretty darned funny. Her characters all have charm and dimension; I particularly enjoyed how she developed the character of Honor, who is so much more than just autistic. And where else but in one of Ms Jackson’s novels would you find a group of young people described as a “United Colors of Benetton Scooby Gang”? She plays with language so very well.
With My Little Eye is a wonderful read, equal parts Southern and suspense. If you have read any of Joshilyn Jackson’s prior novels, I don’t have to tell you to read this one too…its already on your to-be-read list. If you haven’t, then this is the time to start! If you have enjoyed books by Mark Childress, Fannie Flagg, or Alafair Burke, then you should definitely give this a try too. Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to delve into the advanced reader’s copy of this latest novel by a favorite author!
motmoove's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
davisek223's review against another edition
3.0
Wow, there's a lot going on in this book. Two villains, two climaxes happening simultaneously, multiple red herrings, a few twists I saw coming and one I didn't. It feels like the author has crammed at least three novels, possibly more, into one, and the effect is very . . . busy.
Meribel Mills is a C-list celebrity -- famous enough to have a stalker, but not famous or wealthy enough to have a security team or a gated compound. When her stalker in LA gets too close for comfort, she makes the odd choice to move to Georgia, as if that will somehow protect her. This is the whole basis of the book, but it doesn't make any sense -- she's an actress, and she has a part on a new show, and social media and Entertainment Tonight are a thing, so it's not like her move is going to keep her stalker away from her. She gets a couple of weeks of peace before the guy realizes she's moved and follows her. Duh. Who didn't see that coming?
Then we meet A) the neighbor down the hall, B) the ex-husband, and C) the new boyfriend, all of whom are suspicious in their own ways. But more importantly, they are also characters in three different novels that are all happening here at the same time. Neighbor Dude seems great at first but turns out to be starring in his own thriller. Ex-husband and Meribel are having a small Lifetime movie on the side, and New Boyfriend is Brooding, Tough, Mysterious, blah blah blah -- clearly the hero in a Jack Reacher movie or something. It's a lot to keep up with.
Oh, we also have Homeless Girl, Daughter with Autism, Surly Teenage Neighbor, and Surly Neighbor Mom. Not to mention the stalker, who we haven't even met yet. I'm exhausted just thinking about it.
The book held my interest and was a quick read, but the characters are one-dimensional and/or eye-rollingly ridiculous. Neighbor Dude's backstory is completely ludicrous, and we never learn what made Stalker Guy latch on to Meribel to begin with, or how he had the means or the wherewithal to follow her across the country. He doesn't come across as dangerous -- just sad and not very threatening. The ex doesn't even need to be there -- that whole side story adds nothing to the book. And Neighbor Dude and Homeless Girl really should have their own book.
All of this would be forgivable, though, if it weren't for the ending. It just . . . stops. The climax happens, we know everyone is safe, and four sentences later, it's over. Can we at least get an epilogue?! It was like the author reached a word limit and said "Nope. That's it. Can't write one more word."
The first Joshilyn Jackson book I read was Almost Sisters, and I loved it. Nothing else of hers has quite lived up to that one. I'll continue reading her stuff, though, in hopes of finding one that does.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Meribel Mills is a C-list celebrity -- famous enough to have a stalker, but not famous or wealthy enough to have a security team or a gated compound. When her stalker in LA gets too close for comfort, she makes the odd choice to move to Georgia, as if that will somehow protect her. This is the whole basis of the book, but it doesn't make any sense -- she's an actress, and she has a part on a new show, and social media and Entertainment Tonight are a thing, so it's not like her move is going to keep her stalker away from her. She gets a couple of weeks of peace before the guy realizes she's moved and follows her. Duh. Who didn't see that coming?
Then we meet A) the neighbor down the hall, B) the ex-husband, and C) the new boyfriend, all of whom are suspicious in their own ways. But more importantly, they are also characters in three different novels that are all happening here at the same time. Neighbor Dude seems great at first but turns out to be starring in his own thriller. Ex-husband and Meribel are having a small Lifetime movie on the side, and New Boyfriend is Brooding, Tough, Mysterious, blah blah blah -- clearly the hero in a Jack Reacher movie or something. It's a lot to keep up with.
Oh, we also have Homeless Girl, Daughter with Autism, Surly Teenage Neighbor, and Surly Neighbor Mom. Not to mention the stalker, who we haven't even met yet. I'm exhausted just thinking about it.
The book held my interest and was a quick read, but the characters are one-dimensional and/or eye-rollingly ridiculous. Neighbor Dude's backstory is completely ludicrous, and we never learn what made Stalker Guy latch on to Meribel to begin with, or how he had the means or the wherewithal to follow her across the country. He doesn't come across as dangerous -- just sad and not very threatening. The ex doesn't even need to be there -- that whole side story adds nothing to the book. And Neighbor Dude and Homeless Girl really should have their own book.
All of this would be forgivable, though, if it weren't for the ending. It just . . . stops. The climax happens, we know everyone is safe, and four sentences later, it's over. Can we at least get an epilogue?! It was like the author reached a word limit and said "Nope. That's it. Can't write one more word."
The first Joshilyn Jackson book I read was Almost Sisters, and I loved it. Nothing else of hers has quite lived up to that one. I'll continue reading her stuff, though, in hopes of finding one that does.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
smalltownbookmom's review against another edition
3.0
Definitely not my favorite by this author unfortunately. I liked the stalker plot and the mother of an autistic tween aspects but I felt there was a lot of POV switching (made more palatable with a cast of talented narrators) but I found myself getting confused at points where the story seemed to veer off course and go off in one direction. Possibly this would be a better physical than audio read and it was more a me thing but it wasn't a great listen for me.
emily_loves_2_read's review
3.0
With My Little Eye
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Joshilyn Jackson
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and William Morrow and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: It started with the letters…
For actress Meribel Mills, disturbing fan mail is part of the price of fame. So when she starts getting creepy letters written in fruit-scented marker she is mostly unphased and diligently files them along with her other messages from unhinged fans. After all, she’s a single mom approaching forty, not the kind of hot young celeb who sparks dangerous obsessions. But there’s something different about Marker Man…
He’s been in her home…
Meribel’s sheets smell of unfamiliar cologne, and objects have gone missing around the house. Plus, the letters have become more perverse, with drawings of a naked Meribel tied up or chopped into pieces. While the police insist that stalkers hardly ever escalate to violence, Meribel has played the dead girl one too many times on TV to risk becoming her in real life. She and her daughter move from Los Angeles to Atlanta for a fresh start—but no distance is great enough.
He’s watching her…
Years of being in front of a camera have given Meribel a superpower—she can feel eyes on her, a creeping sensation like bees inside her skin. And someone definitely has her in their sights. Could Marker Man have followed her all the way across the country?
Who else might be watching—her ex-husband? The lover she left behind in LA? Her new neighbor? Suddenly, every man in her life is a suspect, but she can’t keep herself and her daughter safe from a monster she can’t identify. When the paths of all of these men collide, Meribel will find herself alone in the fight of her life, desperate to protect those she loves as danger closes in from all sides.
My Thoughts: This is slow burn thriller, with the thriller part incurring in the last part of the book. However, when the twists start coming, they don’t stop, it is one after another, after another. The last part was definitely exciting and heart beating fast. Meribel moved across country to get away from her stalker. She meets some interesting characters along the way. Her adopted daughter, Honor, is autistic. I think the author did a good job with this aspect.
The book is narrated by multiple characters, Meribel, Honor, Cam, Cooper, and some others, in their POV, it became too confusing. The chapters were not labeled so, it was hard to tell where one began and the other ended. I would have to read a few lines to understand whose POV was narrating. Some of the leading stories to the plot were not necessary, and even if they were, could have been wrapped up shorter. Some of the relationships were also irrelevant and could have been left out, while focusing on the more relevant relationships. Some of the subplots did not impact the overall plot, and at times were hard to follow.
The part as briefly mentioned is twisty, and even unpredictable. It really made getting through the first part worth it. The ending is surprising, creative, and I loved it. Usually Jackson’s writing style delivers a solid thriller, so I would still read other books of hers in the future. I just felt like the writing was not as solid as it normally is for this story. I would recommend giving this book a read, or even picking up the audiobook for a listen.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Joshilyn Jackson
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and William Morrow and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: It started with the letters…
For actress Meribel Mills, disturbing fan mail is part of the price of fame. So when she starts getting creepy letters written in fruit-scented marker she is mostly unphased and diligently files them along with her other messages from unhinged fans. After all, she’s a single mom approaching forty, not the kind of hot young celeb who sparks dangerous obsessions. But there’s something different about Marker Man…
He’s been in her home…
Meribel’s sheets smell of unfamiliar cologne, and objects have gone missing around the house. Plus, the letters have become more perverse, with drawings of a naked Meribel tied up or chopped into pieces. While the police insist that stalkers hardly ever escalate to violence, Meribel has played the dead girl one too many times on TV to risk becoming her in real life. She and her daughter move from Los Angeles to Atlanta for a fresh start—but no distance is great enough.
He’s watching her…
Years of being in front of a camera have given Meribel a superpower—she can feel eyes on her, a creeping sensation like bees inside her skin. And someone definitely has her in their sights. Could Marker Man have followed her all the way across the country?
Who else might be watching—her ex-husband? The lover she left behind in LA? Her new neighbor? Suddenly, every man in her life is a suspect, but she can’t keep herself and her daughter safe from a monster she can’t identify. When the paths of all of these men collide, Meribel will find herself alone in the fight of her life, desperate to protect those she loves as danger closes in from all sides.
My Thoughts: This is slow burn thriller, with the thriller part incurring in the last part of the book. However, when the twists start coming, they don’t stop, it is one after another, after another. The last part was definitely exciting and heart beating fast. Meribel moved across country to get away from her stalker. She meets some interesting characters along the way. Her adopted daughter, Honor, is autistic. I think the author did a good job with this aspect.
The book is narrated by multiple characters, Meribel, Honor, Cam, Cooper, and some others, in their POV, it became too confusing. The chapters were not labeled so, it was hard to tell where one began and the other ended. I would have to read a few lines to understand whose POV was narrating. Some of the leading stories to the plot were not necessary, and even if they were, could have been wrapped up shorter. Some of the relationships were also irrelevant and could have been left out, while focusing on the more relevant relationships. Some of the subplots did not impact the overall plot, and at times were hard to follow.
The part as briefly mentioned is twisty, and even unpredictable. It really made getting through the first part worth it. The ending is surprising, creative, and I loved it. Usually Jackson’s writing style delivers a solid thriller, so I would still read other books of hers in the future. I just felt like the writing was not as solid as it normally is for this story. I would recommend giving this book a read, or even picking up the audiobook for a listen.
seachell1's review against another edition
3.0
Joshilyn Jackson's "With My Little Eye" was kind of slow to get started for me. There was a lot of build=up and story building. The last quarter was very thrilling and I was on the edge of my seat. But then it ended so abruptly. I usually don't mind an ending that makes you think about what happens next, but I wanted a little more form this book.
I had a hard time liking most of the characters in this book or wanting to route for them. The book had a couple twists I enjoyed.
Overall the novel had some good thriller aspects, but I needed just a little more especially at the end!
Thank you to William Morrow and Netgalley for an advanced reader's copy of this book for my honest review.
I had a hard time liking most of the characters in this book or wanting to route for them. The book had a couple twists I enjoyed.
Overall the novel had some good thriller aspects, but I needed just a little more especially at the end!
Thank you to William Morrow and Netgalley for an advanced reader's copy of this book for my honest review.
gillianalice's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Kept me guessing the whole time! My only complaint was that I feel like it wrapped up too quickly. I wanted more of the aftermath, and maybe a Marker Man origin.