A review by bribreez
The Unraveling by Vi Keeland

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

*Thank you to Atria for sending me an ARC of this book, as always much appreciated! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5⭐️/ 2🌶️

I decided to dip my toes into the thriller genre and with this story, I went in knowing not a single thing! I’ve heard of Vi Keeland, but never read a book by her so I was really curious to see what this book was about. From what I’ve gathered especially when it comes to thriller books, it’s best to go in blind, and that was my approach when reading this book. This story followed, Meredith and how she experienced an event that involved her husband and that was as much as I could gather from the beginning. Told in “now” and “then” chapters, the story illustrated the vast difference in Meredith’s life. All I will say without giving away too much is that if I could describe this book in one word it would be, obsessive!

Ok, so I’m going to try to explain this story without giving any any spoilers, but keep in mind certain details. Ahem, so with the story being told in the past and present, Meredith obviously experienced a traumatic experience that involved her husband, but also apparently other people were involved too. From that specific event, it not only changed Meredith’s life, but she was trying to regain her routine of working as a psychiatrist. Meredith wasn’t completely healed after all that she went through, but she was managing…kind of. When Meredith found herself following a man that she recognized, it immediately threw me in for a loop like, “excuse me, Meredith, how do you know this man, and…WHY ARE YOU FOLLOWING HIM?!” Suffice it to say, Meredith didn’t make the best decision to follow said person on a daily basis. 

Now, here’s where the story started to get interesting for me. With each chapter I read, it got a little more detailed in what Meredith was dealing with whether it was in the past with her husband or in the present with the man she had been following. I will say that even from the beginning, I quickly became immersed in Meredith’s story, but also constantly wondering, “WHAT’S GOING ON??” This was the kind of story that left me feeling a bit anxious and often times anticipating something to throw me for another loop, which it did! 

Gabriel had an “interesting” connection to Meredith, and despite the twisted truth that banded them together, there was something more I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Gabriel was also a fascinating character because, at first glance I assumed he was a well adjusted man even after what he experienced, but similar to Meredith, there was more hidden underneath him that left him questioning his behavior and motives at certain parts of the story. I was also taken aback by the flirtatious tone that Gabriel would talk to Meredith even during their therapy sessions like, “Sir, that’s your therapist! Maybe DON’T flirt with her!!”  But I guess, in this story it didn’t matter especially when the lines crossed way beyond Doctor and patient.

WHAT. DID. I. JUST. READ?!!! This whole story took me on different routes of thinking certain individuals were the one at fault, but then also surprising me with plot twists that I didn’t see coming! The connection between Meredith and Gabriel was unconventional and by far pass what would normally constitute a doctor/ patient relationship. The lines not only blurred, but became a dangerous game of who really was the cat and the mouse. Towards the ending, the mystery of what was really happening started to come together, but again just as I thought I was getting some answers, it turns out THAT WASN’T THE ENTIRE STORY! OMG! By the end of the book, that chapter, and very last sentence made me question basically everything I just read, and had me going back to analyze it all! I think for this being Vi Keeland’s thriller debut, she did a wonderful job of crafting a storyline with intriguing plot lines, constantly having me on edge, and basically worried for Meredith the whole time! I’m not much of a thriller girlie, but dang the way this story was, I could definitely see myself reading more books by Vi Keeland especially in the thriller genre. I feel like I’m not going to stop questioning this book nor thinking about it so it’s safe to say I’m going to be scouring the internet for answers as to WHAT HAPPENED! Would highly recommend reading this if you’re looking to step into the thriller genre or even a quick read that has a lot of interesting parts of a story that will hook you in from the beginning.