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A review by shelleys_book_nook
Imaginary Strangers by Minka Kent
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I loved both The Stillwater Girls and When I Was You by this author so it was a no-brainer to request this on NetGalley and am I ever glad I did. This is a well-done psychological thriller. Not a lot happens but Minka Kent's writing style is easy to read and it sucked me in right away. The best part? She totally caught me by surprise and that doesn't happen very often.
Using a two-timeline format (or is it three?) we get Camille in the present raising her two kids in California with her adoring doctor husband. We also get Camille in the past (six years ago), when she lived in Chicago, via therapy sessions and in those sessions she speaks about her past, especially her childhood. This was a hard book to read at times because Camille did not have the best childhood. It was mega disturbing to me and I have a rough background myself.
This book was so intense with short punchy chapters. I held my breath without realizing it and flipped through the pages like a maniac. We readers know all about Camille's secrets as she takes us on a journey of trying to discover who is trying to reveal her past while protecting her family from the perpetrator, in a word...gripping. This one starts out with a bang and never lets up. The super fast pacing and wonderful writing were such a joy to read.
I took half a star off because some of the happenings at the end were a little too convenient for my liking, which is typical of thrillers nowadays. I did love the ambiguous ending though. This one is a part of a series and I didn't know that when I requested it, it happens. I am not a series reader but I cannot wait to see what happens with Camille next.
Using a two-timeline format (or is it three?) we get Camille in the present raising her two kids in California with her adoring doctor husband. We also get Camille in the past (six years ago), when she lived in Chicago, via therapy sessions and in those sessions she speaks about her past, especially her childhood. This was a hard book to read at times because Camille did not have the best childhood. It was mega disturbing to me and I have a rough background myself.
This book was so intense with short punchy chapters. I held my breath without realizing it and flipped through the pages like a maniac. We readers know all about Camille's secrets as she takes us on a journey of trying to discover who is trying to reveal her past while protecting her family from the perpetrator, in a word...gripping. This one starts out with a bang and never lets up. The super fast pacing and wonderful writing were such a joy to read.
I took half a star off because some of the happenings at the end were a little too convenient for my liking, which is typical of thrillers nowadays. I did love the ambiguous ending though. This one is a part of a series and I didn't know that when I requested it, it happens. I am not a series reader but I cannot wait to see what happens with Camille next.