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A review by beate251
They Had It Coming by Nikki Smith
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin General UK for this ARC.
So much is going on in this book that I made copious notes which had lots of question marks because this isn't just a simple story of Jude and Sophie visiting mates Nate and Layla in Bali on an extended holiday after a burglary before going back to London. Soon, there is trouble in paradise, and chaotic lives collide. Can they trust anyone?
Every one of those characters is hiding at least one, often more secrets, everyone is lying to the others, and the secrets are hinted at for such a long time before they are exposed that I was just jotting down keywords like "fire", "what was behind bathroom door?", "what happened at wedding?" and "lost job why?".
I was captivated by this book and finished it late at night but I'm sitting here now thinking how far-fetched it is that all these things happened to just those four people in the past. It's extremely well-written and full of twists and turns, but you have to suspend disbelief at all the coincidences and how bad the lads turn out to be. Also, the pacing is a bit off, with everything happening at once at the end.
We get four third person POVs interspersed with a mystery POV telling us a story in instalments that happened in 2007, and it takes the longest time to make the connection to the present. I can't say I saw any of the twists coming the way they did - beware of all the men in this story! Sure, Layla has a problem with alcohol and Sophie is a petty thief, but that's small fry against the other characters.
Also, if you're thinking of making a new life in Bali because it's so cheap and you can work anywhere as a "digital nomad" (#blessed), this book will hopefully disabuse you of that notion, as it makes quite clear how detrimental it is for the country and the Balinese people.
This is fantastic as a fast-paced beach read about some privileged people with issues. You have to pay real attention though about who is who and what their secrets are. If you like dark twisty thrillers, this tale of deceit and revenge is for you, but observe the content warnings as there are many.
So much is going on in this book that I made copious notes which had lots of question marks because this isn't just a simple story of Jude and Sophie visiting mates Nate and Layla in Bali on an extended holiday after a burglary before going back to London. Soon, there is trouble in paradise, and chaotic lives collide. Can they trust anyone?
Every one of those characters is hiding at least one, often more secrets, everyone is lying to the others, and the secrets are hinted at for such a long time before they are exposed that I was just jotting down keywords like "fire", "what was behind bathroom door?", "what happened at wedding?" and "lost job why?".
I was captivated by this book and finished it late at night but I'm sitting here now thinking how far-fetched it is that all these things happened to just those four people in the past. It's extremely well-written and full of twists and turns, but you have to suspend disbelief at all the coincidences and how bad the lads turn out to be. Also, the pacing is a bit off, with everything happening at once at the end.
We get four third person POVs interspersed with a mystery POV telling us a story in instalments that happened in 2007, and it takes the longest time to make the connection to the present. I can't say I saw any of the twists coming the way they did - beware of all the men in this story! Sure, Layla has a problem with alcohol and Sophie is a petty thief, but that's small fry against the other characters.
Also, if you're thinking of making a new life in Bali because it's so cheap and you can work anywhere as a "digital nomad" (#blessed), this book will hopefully disabuse you of that notion, as it makes quite clear how detrimental it is for the country and the Balinese people.
This is fantastic as a fast-paced beach read about some privileged people with issues. You have to pay real attention though about who is who and what their secrets are. If you like dark twisty thrillers, this tale of deceit and revenge is for you, but observe the content warnings as there are many.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail