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A review by liz_ross
Paranoid by Lisa Jackson
adventurous
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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
A refreshing thriller that actually deserves that name. It's unbelievable the time that had passed since I had last read one as good as this one. I'm really glad I bought this book, clearly all my fears about it were groundless.
The way Jackson can change the mood of a scene so fast is insane and probably one of the best things (if not the best) about this book. There were chapters or scenes I started and I knew it's gonna be thrilling, but there were others that caught me off guard - everything is nice and calm and suddenly I'm feeling this chills and I am not even sure why yet but they are already being felt. And that's really great because I was never sure what to expect.
It's also amazing the amount of action lines Jackson runs at the same time. Rachel's motherhood struggles, Rachel's fears, nightmares, paranoia and trauma, the murders, the police investigation, Cade's life, the kids' lives. It's absolutely unbelievable the way Jackson managed to put them all in the book and pay attention to all of them.
And it really worked in her favour, because there was so much going on that it was hard to focus on one thing at the time - I wanted to know who the murder was, but I also wanted to know what the hell Rachel's kids were up too and I somehow ended up invested in the relationship between Cade and Rachel, wanting to know exactly what happened there. It's just like real life, messy and complicated, and I loved it.
The twists were also great. We can talk about two twists and a discovery - I mean, it was no secret there was a killer, we just don't know who that is. One of the twists was obvious that was going to happen and I also guessed how it would work - I just didn't have the reasons for it (and oh gosh I want to hurt someone so badly right now). The other twist I definitely saw it coming way too late. I found it out before it was revealed but I'm really mad at myself for not realizing it sooner (although I am aware the chances of doing that were almost zero). The discovery... that is the real star of the book. I was so damn sure of who wasn't responsible for the murders, but I just couldn't understand who it was. And I'm mad at myself for that too. Because damn it, it was so obvious!
AND THE ENDING! WHAT A FREAKING GOOD ENDING. TRUE PERFECTION FOR A BOOK LIKE THIS. A final shiver running down your spin.
A really, really great book. That will make you almost as paranoid as Rachel, because you'll find yourself suspecting of everyone. Except the real murderer. And damn it. It was so obvious.
Full review coming soon!
The way Jackson can change the mood of a scene so fast is insane and probably one of the best things (if not the best) about this book. There were chapters or scenes I started and I knew it's gonna be thrilling, but there were others that caught me off guard - everything is nice and calm and suddenly I'm feeling this chills and I am not even sure why yet but they are already being felt. And that's really great because I was never sure what to expect.
It's also amazing the amount of action lines Jackson runs at the same time. Rachel's motherhood struggles, Rachel's fears, nightmares, paranoia and trauma, the murders, the police investigation, Cade's life, the kids' lives. It's absolutely unbelievable the way Jackson managed to put them all in the book and pay attention to all of them.
And it really worked in her favour, because there was so much going on that it was hard to focus on one thing at the time - I wanted to know who the murder was, but I also wanted to know what the hell Rachel's kids were up too and I somehow ended up invested in the relationship between Cade and Rachel, wanting to know exactly what happened there. It's just like real life, messy and complicated, and I loved it.
The twists were also great. We can talk about two twists and a discovery - I mean, it was no secret there was a killer, we just don't know who that is. One of the twists was obvious that was going to happen and I also guessed how it would work - I just didn't have the reasons for it (and oh gosh I want to hurt someone so badly right now). The other twist I definitely saw it coming way too late. I found it out before it was revealed but I'm really mad at myself for not realizing it sooner (although I am aware the chances of doing that were almost zero). The discovery... that is the real star of the book. I was so damn sure of who wasn't responsible for the murders, but I just couldn't understand who it was. And I'm mad at myself for that too. Because damn it, it was so obvious!
AND THE ENDING! WHAT A FREAKING GOOD ENDING. TRUE PERFECTION FOR A BOOK LIKE THIS. A final shiver running down your spin.
A really, really great book. That will make you almost as paranoid as Rachel, because you'll find yourself suspecting of everyone. Except the real murderer. And damn it. It was so obvious.
Full review coming soon!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Blood
Moderate: Death