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A review by boba_nbooks
Middle of the Night by Riley Sager
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Middle of the Night by Riley Sager is definitely an average thriller in my eyes. It's not the worst one I've ever read, but it's also not the best.
Thirty years ago, Ethan is having a sleepover in his backyard with his best friend, Billy. But when Ethan wakes up the next morning, Billy is gone, and his body has still never been found all these years later. Now Ethan is back in his childhood home in the seemingly calm suburban cul-de-sac full of normal, boring people. Or so everyone thinks. While living in the house, Ethan sees signs of Billy everywhere and has to wonder whether it's a cruel prank or maybe even something supernatural. Ethan starts to dig into Billy's disappearance and starts to find out that not everything is as it seems and that his neighbors might have more secrets than meets the eye.
This book was truly just fine. I enjoyed the dual timeline and the way the author showed the POV of everyone in the neighborhood at one point or another, and the premise had a lot of potential. However, I think the author had a swing and a miss when it came to the ending.I know the point of the novel was that even though there was nothing spectacularly tragic that happened at the end, it still felt like a disappointing ending to me after spending so much build-up thinking it was more than that.
Thirty years ago, Ethan is having a sleepover in his backyard with his best friend, Billy. But when Ethan wakes up the next morning, Billy is gone, and his body has still never been found all these years later. Now Ethan is back in his childhood home in the seemingly calm suburban cul-de-sac full of normal, boring people. Or so everyone thinks. While living in the house, Ethan sees signs of Billy everywhere and has to wonder whether it's a cruel prank or maybe even something supernatural. Ethan starts to dig into Billy's disappearance and starts to find out that not everything is as it seems and that his neighbors might have more secrets than meets the eye.
This book was truly just fine. I enjoyed the dual timeline and the way the author showed the POV of everyone in the neighborhood at one point or another, and the premise had a lot of potential. However, I think the author had a swing and a miss when it came to the ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Dementia
Minor: Kidnapping, Car accident, and Death of parent