Scan barcode
A review by serahlunareads
The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
4.0
A very fun, thrilling read! On one hand, the book sucked me in incredibly fast. From the first page, I was hooked, wanting to know what happened as soon as possible. The mystery was intriguing, but not hard to guess after the first major twist/breakthrough. There were a few twists, however, that surprised me and had me second-guessing my theories.
Being a mother of a 1 year-old definitely affected my view on the book. I believe it helped me connect with the characters, as I can't imagine the horror of coming home to my daughter missing from her crib. That fear and empathy carried me through the book with amazing urgency.
The writing leaves a lot to be desired. Many times, the dialogue felt flat and forced, and the POVs were all over the place, which had the tendency to be confusing. Also, I felt that many of the events that happened were a little too difficult to believe (I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll leave it at that).
The ending was horrific and very unsatisfying. Added to that, it was incredibly unbelievable. Not only the final event, but everything leading up to it. Maybe the family is made up of a bunch of crazies, but I just don't think people act or think the way they did in the last chapter.
All that being said, it was an enjoyable book that pulled me in quickly, regardless of the flaws. And it definitely made me stop, go to my daughter, and hug her tightly quite a few times.
Being a mother of a 1 year-old definitely affected my view on the book. I believe it helped me connect with the characters, as I can't imagine the horror of coming home to my daughter missing from her crib. That fear and empathy carried me through the book with amazing urgency.
The writing leaves a lot to be desired. Many times, the dialogue felt flat and forced, and the POVs were all over the place, which had the tendency to be confusing. Also, I felt that many of the events that happened were a little too difficult to believe (I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll leave it at that).
The ending was horrific and very unsatisfying. Added to that, it was incredibly unbelievable. Not only the final event, but everything leading up to it. Maybe the family is made up of a bunch of crazies, but I just don't think people act or think the way they did in the last chapter.
All that being said, it was an enjoyable book that pulled me in quickly, regardless of the flaws. And it definitely made me stop, go to my daughter, and hug her tightly quite a few times.