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A Simple Favor
She鈥檚 your best friend.
She knows all your secrets.
That鈥檚 why she鈥檚 so dangerous.
A single mother's life is turned upside down when her best friend vanishes in this chilling debut thriller in the vein of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train.
It starts with a simple favor鈥攁n ordinary kindness mothers do for one another. When her best friend, Emily, asks Stephanie to pick up her son Nicky after school, she happily says yes. Nicky and her son, Miles, are classmates and best friends, and the five-year-olds love being together鈥攋ust like she and Emily. A widow and stay-at-home mommy blogger living in woodsy suburban Connecticut, Stephanie was lonely until she met Emily, a sophisticated PR executive whose job in Manhattan demands so much of her time.
But Emily doesn鈥檛 come back. She doesn鈥檛 answer calls or return texts. Stephanie knows something is terribly wrong鈥擡mily would never leave Nicky, no matter what the police say. Terrified, she reaches out to her blog readers for help. She also reaches out to Emily鈥檚 husband, the handsome, reticent Sean, offering emotional support. It鈥檚 the least she can do for her best friend. Then, she and Sean receive shocking news. Emily is dead. The nightmare of her disappearance is over.
Or is it? Because soon, Stephanie will begin to see that nothing鈥攏ot friendship, love, or even an ordinary favor鈥攊s as simple as it seems.
A Simple Favor is a remarkable tale of psychological suspense鈥攁 clever and twisting free-fall of a ride filled with betrayals and reversals, twists and turns, secrets and revelations, love and loyalty, murder and revenge. Darcey Bell masterfully ratchets up the tension in a taut, unsettling, and completely absorbing story that holds you in its grip until the final page.
She knows all your secrets.
That鈥檚 why she鈥檚 so dangerous.
A single mother's life is turned upside down when her best friend vanishes in this chilling debut thriller in the vein of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train.
It starts with a simple favor鈥攁n ordinary kindness mothers do for one another. When her best friend, Emily, asks Stephanie to pick up her son Nicky after school, she happily says yes. Nicky and her son, Miles, are classmates and best friends, and the five-year-olds love being together鈥攋ust like she and Emily. A widow and stay-at-home mommy blogger living in woodsy suburban Connecticut, Stephanie was lonely until she met Emily, a sophisticated PR executive whose job in Manhattan demands so much of her time.
But Emily doesn鈥檛 come back. She doesn鈥檛 answer calls or return texts. Stephanie knows something is terribly wrong鈥擡mily would never leave Nicky, no matter what the police say. Terrified, she reaches out to her blog readers for help. She also reaches out to Emily鈥檚 husband, the handsome, reticent Sean, offering emotional support. It鈥檚 the least she can do for her best friend. Then, she and Sean receive shocking news. Emily is dead. The nightmare of her disappearance is over.
Or is it? Because soon, Stephanie will begin to see that nothing鈥攏ot friendship, love, or even an ordinary favor鈥攊s as simple as it seems.
A Simple Favor is a remarkable tale of psychological suspense鈥攁 clever and twisting free-fall of a ride filled with betrayals and reversals, twists and turns, secrets and revelations, love and loyalty, murder and revenge. Darcey Bell masterfully ratchets up the tension in a taut, unsettling, and completely absorbing story that holds you in its grip until the final page.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published March 21, 2017
5,696 people are currently reading
43.7k people want to read
About the author
Darcey Bell
10听books885听followersDarcey Bell was born in 1981 and raised on a dairy farm in western Iowa. She is a preschool teacher in Chicago. A Simple Favor is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 7,059 reviews
June 21, 2018
The only nice thing I can say about this convoluted, ridiculous and BORING hella long novel is that the author, Darcey Bell, is one lucky person. How she managed to get this stinker of a book sold for movie rights is beyond me. Maybe to the Lifetime channel, but MAJOR MOTION PICTURE starring Blake Lively, Anna Kendrick and Rupert Friend?
Unbelievable.
Maybe the movie will be done right, but if this is the story they are working from...I just don't know. Stay tuned in September 2018.
In the meantime, don't feel bad if you didn't read the book. Wait and see the movie.
UPDATE: Here's a link to the film trailer. It looks so good! I'm convinced they re-wrote this book to death.
Note: Sorry for my harshness! I just finished a Liz Nugent novel and the difference between the writing is like comparing a first grader's writing to that of a literature professor's.
Unbelievable.
Maybe the movie will be done right, but if this is the story they are working from...I just don't know. Stay tuned in September 2018.
In the meantime, don't feel bad if you didn't read the book. Wait and see the movie.
UPDATE: Here's a link to the film trailer. It looks so good! I'm convinced they re-wrote this book to death.
Note: Sorry for my harshness! I just finished a Liz Nugent novel and the difference between the writing is like comparing a first grader's writing to that of a literature professor's.
December 9, 2020
Stephanie, a recently widowed mother, spends her life trying to be the absolutely perfect - mommy blog perfect - mother.
You鈥檇 be amazed by what people will do. Things they鈥檇 never admit to anyone鈥攏ot even to themselves.
She slowly ticking the boxes for perfection and even (finally) found a new friend in this rich, hoity toity neighborhood - Emily.
Sophisticated Emily with the darling little Nicky (just the right age to be friends with Stephanie's little Miles) and the handsome, mysterious and absentee husband.
Everything is going well. Then one day, Emily asks Stephanie to watch Nicky
...and then that one day turned into one night, and then one week...
And Emily is just...gone. Absolutely gone.
My mother used to say: Everyone has secrets. That鈥檚 why you can never really know anyone else. Or trust anyone.And Stephanie is left picking up the pieces...and when she reaches out to Emily's husband, she cannot deny that there is a spark - a teeny, tiny, teeeeeny little one, but a spark nonetheless.
But the more she thinks about that...the more she realizes that Emily would never - never - leave Nicky. There has to be something more. Right?
Some men lash out and leave marks, the black eyes and broken noses that send women to the emergency rooms...And soon she discovers, the only thing worse than not-knowing...is knowing.
This one started really strong - with reveal after reveal, the tension building and building - and then it fizzled.
It realllllllllly fizzled.
I really enjoyed the beginning, and it ramped up really quickly (especially when the big reveal with Miles happened)...but nothing really happened from it...or any of it.
It was a bit disappointing.
It was mostly just Stephanie prattling about this or that...making one dumb decision after another.
All in all - not bad but not one I'll return to.
Audiobook Comments
Read by Andi Arndt, Xe Sands, and Matthew Waterson -- they did an absolutely wonderful job with the audio. The voices were so distinct and the tones were absolutely on point. Fabulous listen.
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July 22, 2016
Okay....unreliable narrators (three of them, variously 1st POV throughout the novel), faked deaths, crappy marriages, incest, hidden siblings, etc should have made this book better than it actually was. In a nutshell, the story is about two best friends and one (or both?) of them is ala Gone Girl treacherous. It's got a very fast-moving plot and lots of "revelations" in which the reader is constantly presented with new information that is meant to change your mind about who is good and who is bad.
The problem? Utter cardboard cut-outs for characters. There is zero attempt to create real people that anyone could possibly identify with. It's readable, it's just very superficial and ultimately unsatisfying. If you're searching for a good thriller, skip it.
The problem? Utter cardboard cut-outs for characters. There is zero attempt to create real people that anyone could possibly identify with. It's readable, it's just very superficial and ultimately unsatisfying. If you're searching for a good thriller, skip it.
December 11, 2020
That鈥檚 a real first in my life but I鈥檓 literally screaming : please skip this book without thinking any further and watch Paul Feig鈥檚 snarky, sassy, smart, dark comedy adaptation! Just dive into the movie and forget this book!!!!!! Both Kendrick and Lively were so amazing!
January 30, 2020
I rlly need to stop drinking that trash book juice and starting reading proper literature
September 14, 2018
9/12/18: How a book this atrocious managed to get optioned for a film, find a director/cast for the film, and actually be made into a film that's going to be released this week in under a year from its publication date is something that will never cease to amaze me.
The Lord works in mysterious ways.
And to further add a cherry to this sundae, the summary for this film (directed by Paul Feig, for crying out loud), is labeling this as a neo-noir.... comedy.
I don't know whether to keel over laughing or scratch my head in total bewilderment. A COMEDY??!! The only think that was laughable about this book was how bad it was. And they're dragging my man Henry Golding down with it.
Or maybe Hollywood saw this review and is secretly trying to troll me. I bet it's that. Cause lately, there have been a lot of Emily's liking this review....
鈥濃€橠o you think real people would ever do things like that?鈥�
鈥楽weet Stephanie. You鈥檇 be amazed by what people will do. Things they鈥檇 never admit to anyone- not even themselves.鈥欌€�
Synopsis:A mommy blogger with an obsession with veggie burgers decides to half-heartedly play Nancy Drew when her best friend goes missing, and chaos ensues.
Pros:
We Are What We Blog鈥� Or Are We?- The one lone positive thing I can say about this book is that it does such a wickedly good job at satirizing the blogger lifestyle. Particularly the mommy blog lifestyle. Not having any kiddos or being a mom myself, I can鈥檛 relate to motherhood all that well, but I do admit to reading some mommy/lifestyle blogs here and there. There can be a stark contrast between your public blogging persona and private persona you have at home, particularly when it comes to mommy bloggers. You may hate veggie burgers, but you feel you have to feed it to your kidlet because other moms will think you鈥檙e poisoning your precious peanut with meat. The author did a hell of a good job showing the difference between Stephanie鈥檚 mommy blogging persona and her real personality. Too good of a job, considering how awful she is.
Cons:
NONE OF THE ADULTS ARE LIKABLE- I would go so far to say that no one in this book is likable, but that wouldn鈥檛 be true. The two little boys are just lovely and haven鈥檛 been on the earth long enough to become unlikable, but it wouldn鈥檛 surprise me if they turned out that way because of their fucked-up childhoods. The author is a daycare teacher, but I secretly think she hates all adults and loves all children, hence making the adults as nightmarish as possible.
The unlikable, morally gray female narrator has taken the psychological suspense/thriller genre by storm ever since the Gone Girl phenomenon happened. It鈥檚 really hit or miss, unfortunately. You have to create a character that鈥檚 pretty bad but still kind of worth rooting for. Or at least have the readers be invested in all the horrible things they鈥檙e doing. A book I read not to long ago, The Kind Worth Killing had one of the most deliciously sociopathic female characters I had the pleasure of reading. However, I can honestly say that in this book, all the three main players are truly awful people. Instead of gleefully delighting in their antics, you鈥檒l want to call the imaginary authorities on them to have their assess hauled off to jail. I kept flipping the pages with dread and horror, wondering what the hell they were planning to do next that would make me feel nauseous inside.
Gullible Husband is Gullible- Sean isn鈥檛 horrible in the way that Emily is sociopathically horrible or Stephanie is hornily horrible. Sean is actually the least offensive of the characters. However, he鈥檚 so damn gullible, especially towards the end. He鈥檚 totally and completely manipulated by either love or lust for his wife that if she told him to drink antifreeze straight out of the bottle, he would probably do it. And the fact that he鈥檚 so cowed by these two women makes him all the more pathetic.
The Little Mommy Blogger Who Did鈥� Everyone- And we鈥檙e talking in more ways than one. Stephanie is the mommy blogger bestie of Emily who has an aversion to meat and an obsessive love of veggie burgers. She makes her son eat them so often that I am thoroughly convinced that he will soon turn into one. She constantly goes on and on about her dead husband, even though she probably didn鈥檛 have time to love him because she was busy doing the dirty with her brother (there鈥檚 a different between 鈥楨ww, Incest鈥� in a gleeful tone and 鈥楨ww, Incest鈥� with a tone of disgust. This one was the latter.) She鈥檚 so horny to the point that even though her best friend is missing and presumed dead, she has wet dreams about her bestie鈥檚 husband, eventually caving and doing it with him, too. I KID YOU NOT, GENTLE READERS. What the fresh hell is that??!!! She鈥檚 just as gullible, if not more so, than Sean because she literally believes anything anyone tells her.
Emily, Whom You鈥檒l Want to Incinerate Over the Fiery Pits of Hell-Emily is the missing bestie of Mommy Blogger, and she鈥檚 the worst offender out of the three. She鈥檚 pure evil. You wouldn鈥檛 want to touch her with a thirty nine and a half foot pole, and cuddling Bruce the Shark would be much preferable to ever crossing paths with her. In the case of Lily Kitner, she鈥檚 awful in her own right, but there鈥檚 a small sense of vulnerability you got when reading about her. In the case of Emily, you never get that from her. From stealing her mother-in-law鈥檚 sapphire ring and later blackmailing her husband into keeping his mouth shut, too baiting Stephanie into friendship, to the countless other things she does that I鈥檓 not going to tell you (because spoilers), Emily makes the Grinch look like the nicest person on the face of the planet. You鈥檒l hate her guts, and not in a 鈥榣ove to hate鈥� kind of way.
Was Stephanie Even Necessary to the Plot?- Spoilers ahead, so beware! The fact that I even think this about a main character is pretty awful.
**
Intensely unlikable main characters and a nutters plot make this an unbearable, torturous debut novel that should suffer the same fate as one of Stephanie鈥檚 beloved veggie burgers: be avoided at all costs.
The Lord works in mysterious ways.
And to further add a cherry to this sundae, the summary for this film (directed by Paul Feig, for crying out loud), is labeling this as a neo-noir.... comedy.
I don't know whether to keel over laughing or scratch my head in total bewilderment. A COMEDY??!! The only think that was laughable about this book was how bad it was. And they're dragging my man Henry Golding down with it.
Or maybe Hollywood saw this review and is secretly trying to troll me. I bet it's that. Cause lately, there have been a lot of Emily's liking this review....
鈥濃€橠o you think real people would ever do things like that?鈥�
鈥楽weet Stephanie. You鈥檇 be amazed by what people will do. Things they鈥檇 never admit to anyone- not even themselves.鈥欌€�
Synopsis:A mommy blogger with an obsession with veggie burgers decides to half-heartedly play Nancy Drew when her best friend goes missing, and chaos ensues.
Pros:
We Are What We Blog鈥� Or Are We?- The one lone positive thing I can say about this book is that it does such a wickedly good job at satirizing the blogger lifestyle. Particularly the mommy blog lifestyle. Not having any kiddos or being a mom myself, I can鈥檛 relate to motherhood all that well, but I do admit to reading some mommy/lifestyle blogs here and there. There can be a stark contrast between your public blogging persona and private persona you have at home, particularly when it comes to mommy bloggers. You may hate veggie burgers, but you feel you have to feed it to your kidlet because other moms will think you鈥檙e poisoning your precious peanut with meat. The author did a hell of a good job showing the difference between Stephanie鈥檚 mommy blogging persona and her real personality. Too good of a job, considering how awful she is.
Cons:
NONE OF THE ADULTS ARE LIKABLE- I would go so far to say that no one in this book is likable, but that wouldn鈥檛 be true. The two little boys are just lovely and haven鈥檛 been on the earth long enough to become unlikable, but it wouldn鈥檛 surprise me if they turned out that way because of their fucked-up childhoods. The author is a daycare teacher, but I secretly think she hates all adults and loves all children, hence making the adults as nightmarish as possible.
The unlikable, morally gray female narrator has taken the psychological suspense/thriller genre by storm ever since the Gone Girl phenomenon happened. It鈥檚 really hit or miss, unfortunately. You have to create a character that鈥檚 pretty bad but still kind of worth rooting for. Or at least have the readers be invested in all the horrible things they鈥檙e doing. A book I read not to long ago, The Kind Worth Killing had one of the most deliciously sociopathic female characters I had the pleasure of reading. However, I can honestly say that in this book, all the three main players are truly awful people. Instead of gleefully delighting in their antics, you鈥檒l want to call the imaginary authorities on them to have their assess hauled off to jail. I kept flipping the pages with dread and horror, wondering what the hell they were planning to do next that would make me feel nauseous inside.
Gullible Husband is Gullible- Sean isn鈥檛 horrible in the way that Emily is sociopathically horrible or Stephanie is hornily horrible. Sean is actually the least offensive of the characters. However, he鈥檚 so damn gullible, especially towards the end. He鈥檚 totally and completely manipulated by either love or lust for his wife that if she told him to drink antifreeze straight out of the bottle, he would probably do it. And the fact that he鈥檚 so cowed by these two women makes him all the more pathetic.
The Little Mommy Blogger Who Did鈥� Everyone- And we鈥檙e talking in more ways than one. Stephanie is the mommy blogger bestie of Emily who has an aversion to meat and an obsessive love of veggie burgers. She makes her son eat them so often that I am thoroughly convinced that he will soon turn into one. She constantly goes on and on about her dead husband, even though she probably didn鈥檛 have time to love him because she was busy doing the dirty with her brother (there鈥檚 a different between 鈥楨ww, Incest鈥� in a gleeful tone and 鈥楨ww, Incest鈥� with a tone of disgust. This one was the latter.) She鈥檚 so horny to the point that even though her best friend is missing and presumed dead, she has wet dreams about her bestie鈥檚 husband, eventually caving and doing it with him, too. I KID YOU NOT, GENTLE READERS. What the fresh hell is that??!!! She鈥檚 just as gullible, if not more so, than Sean because she literally believes anything anyone tells her.
Emily, Whom You鈥檒l Want to Incinerate Over the Fiery Pits of Hell-Emily is the missing bestie of Mommy Blogger, and she鈥檚 the worst offender out of the three. She鈥檚 pure evil. You wouldn鈥檛 want to touch her with a thirty nine and a half foot pole, and cuddling Bruce the Shark would be much preferable to ever crossing paths with her. In the case of Lily Kitner, she鈥檚 awful in her own right, but there鈥檚 a small sense of vulnerability you got when reading about her. In the case of Emily, you never get that from her. From stealing her mother-in-law鈥檚 sapphire ring and later blackmailing her husband into keeping his mouth shut, too baiting Stephanie into friendship, to the countless other things she does that I鈥檓 not going to tell you (because spoilers), Emily makes the Grinch look like the nicest person on the face of the planet. You鈥檒l hate her guts, and not in a 鈥榣ove to hate鈥� kind of way.
Was Stephanie Even Necessary to the Plot?- Spoilers ahead, so beware! The fact that I even think this about a main character is pretty awful.
**
Intensely unlikable main characters and a nutters plot make this an unbearable, torturous debut novel that should suffer the same fate as one of Stephanie鈥檚 beloved veggie burgers: be avoided at all costs.
April 15, 2018
1 star.
The only reason I read this was because I wanted to see the movie starring Anna Kendrick, which is coming out this fall, but after reading this I'm not quite sure I want to watch it anymore.
First off, I HATED ALL OF THESE CHARACTERS. Sure, I'm fine with some likeable characters, but with a story that's as big of high stakes as this, you need to be able to root for someone, but I was honestly rooting for the "villain" of the story because I wanted to scream every time Stephanie had page time.
This also wasn't anything special. Just think GONE GIRL....but 5 times worse.
And THAT ENDING.....I'm 100% fine with open endings, but it didn't flow well at all and just felt like the author was too lazy to finish the book.
Ugh, don't read this. It's trash.
The only reason I read this was because I wanted to see the movie starring Anna Kendrick, which is coming out this fall, but after reading this I'm not quite sure I want to watch it anymore.
First off, I HATED ALL OF THESE CHARACTERS. Sure, I'm fine with some likeable characters, but with a story that's as big of high stakes as this, you need to be able to root for someone, but I was honestly rooting for the "villain" of the story because I wanted to scream every time Stephanie had page time.
This also wasn't anything special. Just think GONE GIRL....but 5 times worse.
And THAT ENDING.....I'm 100% fine with open endings, but it didn't flow well at all and just felt like the author was too lazy to finish the book.
Ugh, don't read this. It's trash.
August 7, 2017
After the movie ended, I asked Emily, 鈥淒o you think real people would ever do things like that?鈥�
Emily laughed. 鈥淪weet Stephanie. You鈥檇 be amazed by what people will do. Things they鈥檇 never admit to anyone - not even to themselves.鈥�
It all begins with a simple favor. You are asked to pick up your best friend's son from school when an emergency at work arises. It all makes sense anyway because your sons are best friends too. It'll be fine because she says she'll need to see her son after such a hard day so she'll be by tonight to pick him up. What do you do if your friend never shows?
Mommy blogger Stephanie is in just this predicament. She reaches out to her blog readers for help trying to figure out is this normal and should she be worried all the way to asking if anyone has seen Emily. It is an interesting perspective with Stephanie having no one else to turn to. This allows a bit of introspection, a chance to see who Stephanie is and how she communicates. I've read many novels at this point that use this device, but have seen none that used it as successfully as Bell does here. Stephanie admittedly isn't always honest on her blog. This allows for an unreliable narrator in a unique way. At times Stephanie can feel a bit preachy and to be honest quite annoying. But it's all in her character and who she is.
Many of us have shared on this blog how hard it is for moms to feel they鈥檝e got a grip on reality - what day it is, what鈥檚 expected of us, what someone said or didn鈥檛. Nothing is easier than convincing a mom that something鈥檚 her fault. Even when it isn鈥檛. Especially when it isn鈥檛.
At times, I definitely got vibes. Not in terms of Flynn's writing, but the plot. We're given the whole is the character dead or did they run off type of story. Not to say this is a bad thing, but you know it will go one of two ways. Luckily Bell manages to throw in a few additional twists to make it a bit more unpredictable. The problem is: is it too unbelievable?
I do love my stories filled with secrets and twists. Up to a certain point, I was really enjoying the story. This one veered a bit on the suspend your disbelief side of mysteries. And that VC Andrews-esque plot line is a bit much, eh?
February 12, 2017
Enough of a knock-off of "Gone Girl" to be annoying, and with enough additional, bizarre elements (incest? Really?) to also be annoying. Pass.
July 14, 2020
When I watched the trailer of this movie with a redhead Blake Lively, all shrouded in mystery and intrigue, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. But every time Stephanie went 'Hi moms' on her stupid blog I wanted to kill her. God, she deserved to be the "fish". Her affair with her half brother, their kid, her constant ramblings about how she missed her husband whom she cheated on for the better part of their marriage, her 'captain mom' avatar, everything was so maddening. Most of all, her blind faith in Emily. It was like she wanted to be taken for a ride! Honestly, I've never seen a dumber character.
Emily was the kind of girl our parents warned us about. She was a bloody genius if you ask me. I do seem to have a crazy obsession with morally grey characters.
Sean was the only person for whom I felt anything close to pity. Poor guy should have known better than to marry a girl who wanted to watch Peeping Tom on their third date. But jumping into bed with your wife's bestfriend immediately after her death (which wasn't even proven at that point) is a strict no, you dick, no matter how cray cray your wife was!
I'm pretty sure I'd never recommend this book to anyone looking for a good time. But, if you have nothing but time on your hands and want to read about twisted schemes played on gullible morons, go right ahead!
Emily was the kind of girl our parents warned us about. She was a bloody genius if you ask me. I do seem to have a crazy obsession with morally grey characters.
Sean was the only person for whom I felt anything close to pity. Poor guy should have known better than to marry a girl who wanted to watch Peeping Tom on their third date. But jumping into bed with your wife's bestfriend immediately after her death (which wasn't even proven at that point) is a strict no, you dick, no matter how cray cray your wife was!
I'm pretty sure I'd never recommend this book to anyone looking for a good time. But, if you have nothing but time on your hands and want to read about twisted schemes played on gullible morons, go right ahead!
July 1, 2019
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I'm bumping this because I ran across the movie last night and despite hating the book, I absolutely loved the trashy good times the film version delivered. While I don't think I was truly a wrongreader of this one due to the fact that the writing style/delivery did not come off as an attempt at dark comedy, there is a chance that if you go into it knowing you need to appreciate all the absurdity your rating could possibly flip from 1 Star to 3.5 or 4 Stars like mine did while I was watching the tube. I'm also not much of an Anna Kendrick fangirl, but she nailed the Stephanie role and was oh-so-enjoyable. And Blake Lively? Well just look at her. She didn't even need to speak to be the perfect Emily, but she was great too. Also? The husband is dude from Crazy Rich Asians. All I have to say about that is boiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing! If I was a re-reader I would give this one a second go.
WARNING: SPOILAGE APLENTY
鈥淵ou鈥檇 be amazed by what people will do. Things they鈥檇 never admit to anyone鈥攏ot even to themselves.鈥�
Okay, no one is amaaaaaazed by what people will do anymore. Especially in a myster/thriller. Double especially when that mystery/thriller is actually 鈥渢he next Gone Girl鈥� and when it was released Gillian Flynn was probably all like . . . .
But I鈥檓 getting ahead of myself. The premise here is a friend asks a friend for a simple favor (fitting title is at least fitting) of watching her son (who is also friend鈥檚 son鈥檚 buddy) until she returns from some meetings around 9:00 p.m. And then she never comes to pick him up because she is Gone. Girl. The why behind the woman鈥檚 vanishing is not too terribly hard to predict if you鈥檙e a frequent reader of books like this, but everything aside from the kitchen sink is thrown in getting there. Don鈥檛 believe me? (This is when it gets spoiley so step away from the monitor/put yo phone down NOW.) By the 35% mark the 鈥渇riend鈥� is not only banging her bestie鈥檚 hubs but has pretty much moved in with him as well. And then!!!! THENNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN we find out she also used to make a habit of fucking her half brother . . . .
Not to mention the missing chick has some sibling issues as well that conveniently result in matching DNA!
Someone please tell me the movie was better than this.
I'm bumping this because I ran across the movie last night and despite hating the book, I absolutely loved the trashy good times the film version delivered. While I don't think I was truly a wrongreader of this one due to the fact that the writing style/delivery did not come off as an attempt at dark comedy, there is a chance that if you go into it knowing you need to appreciate all the absurdity your rating could possibly flip from 1 Star to 3.5 or 4 Stars like mine did while I was watching the tube. I'm also not much of an Anna Kendrick fangirl, but she nailed the Stephanie role and was oh-so-enjoyable. And Blake Lively? Well just look at her. She didn't even need to speak to be the perfect Emily, but she was great too. Also? The husband is dude from Crazy Rich Asians. All I have to say about that is boiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing! If I was a re-reader I would give this one a second go.
WARNING: SPOILAGE APLENTY
鈥淵ou鈥檇 be amazed by what people will do. Things they鈥檇 never admit to anyone鈥攏ot even to themselves.鈥�
Okay, no one is amaaaaaazed by what people will do anymore. Especially in a myster/thriller. Double especially when that mystery/thriller is actually 鈥渢he next Gone Girl鈥� and when it was released Gillian Flynn was probably all like . . . .
But I鈥檓 getting ahead of myself. The premise here is a friend asks a friend for a simple favor (fitting title is at least fitting) of watching her son (who is also friend鈥檚 son鈥檚 buddy) until she returns from some meetings around 9:00 p.m. And then she never comes to pick him up because she is Gone. Girl. The why behind the woman鈥檚 vanishing is not too terribly hard to predict if you鈥檙e a frequent reader of books like this, but everything aside from the kitchen sink is thrown in getting there. Don鈥檛 believe me? (This is when it gets spoiley so step away from the monitor/put yo phone down NOW.) By the 35% mark the 鈥渇riend鈥� is not only banging her bestie鈥檚 hubs but has pretty much moved in with him as well. And then!!!! THENNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN we find out she also used to make a habit of fucking her half brother . . . .
Not to mention the missing chick has some sibling issues as well that conveniently result in matching DNA!
Someone please tell me the movie was better than this.
Read
December 9, 2018DNF32%
I Feel I'm Reading Trash ???
I Feel I'm Reading Trash ???
August 16, 2018
Reminded me of Gone Girl, and I hated that book.
Okay before I go into this review, I just wanted to say that when I saw the movie trailer for this I honestly wanted to read the book. I mean my love for Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick definitely intrigued me to dive into this before I go see the movie. However, after reading this.. I'll probably save my money and wait for it to come out on TV. Or Amazon.
A Simple Favor had an interesting concept.. but it was quite boring to listen to. I honestly zoned out so many times and was trying to predict the ending 10 minutes into the book. Spoiler alert: I came VERY close. I totally predicted a ton of shit correctly beforehand so I was very pleased with myself.
I don't even want to dive into the characters because they were so bland. I didn't like any of them (well maybe the kids but that's about it). Each person in this book was so weird, like beyond fucked up kind of weird. I didn't care about the betrayal, twists, turns, or the romance affairs. Of course everyone has baggage and a past.. but they were just meh.
Overall, I just didn't like it. I'm glad that I didn't buy the book and got a free audio from my library. I'm also glad that I didn't get a physical because I probably would've DNF'd the shit out of this.
Okay before I go into this review, I just wanted to say that when I saw the movie trailer for this I honestly wanted to read the book. I mean my love for Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick definitely intrigued me to dive into this before I go see the movie. However, after reading this.. I'll probably save my money and wait for it to come out on TV. Or Amazon.
A Simple Favor had an interesting concept.. but it was quite boring to listen to. I honestly zoned out so many times and was trying to predict the ending 10 minutes into the book. Spoiler alert: I came VERY close. I totally predicted a ton of shit correctly beforehand so I was very pleased with myself.
I don't even want to dive into the characters because they were so bland. I didn't like any of them (well maybe the kids but that's about it). Each person in this book was so weird, like beyond fucked up kind of weird. I didn't care about the betrayal, twists, turns, or the romance affairs. Of course everyone has baggage and a past.. but they were just meh.
Overall, I just didn't like it. I'm glad that I didn't buy the book and got a free audio from my library. I'm also glad that I didn't get a physical because I probably would've DNF'd the shit out of this.
May 2, 2017
I'm surprised by my 1 star rating, but reflecting upon the plot this morning, I realized that I didn't like the book at all. It was filled with unlikable characters and the plot was pretty weak if you remove all the fluff surrounding it.
Stephanie and Emily are best friends. Emily asked Stephanie one day to pick up her son after school, but then Stephanie doesn't hear anything else from Emily. A search is underway, but Emily is found to be dead. What could of made Emily go missing? Does Stephanie truly know her best friend?
So you have Stephanie, Emily and Emily's husband Sean and boy do they all suck. They all have their secrets, but their secrets don't even make them interesting. They were all flat and did pretty dumb things.
I also hated Stephanie's mommy blog that was roughly half of the novel. I didn't like the format and found it odd that people actually read it.
Sadly not the novel for me. I was however impressed that it was a debut novel.
Stephanie and Emily are best friends. Emily asked Stephanie one day to pick up her son after school, but then Stephanie doesn't hear anything else from Emily. A search is underway, but Emily is found to be dead. What could of made Emily go missing? Does Stephanie truly know her best friend?
So you have Stephanie, Emily and Emily's husband Sean and boy do they all suck. They all have their secrets, but their secrets don't even make them interesting. They were all flat and did pretty dumb things.
I also hated Stephanie's mommy blog that was roughly half of the novel. I didn't like the format and found it odd that people actually read it.
Sadly not the novel for me. I was however impressed that it was a debut novel.
January 31, 2022
Someone REALLY wanted to write the next Gone Girl but didn鈥檛 have the talent.
I picked this up because the movie looks SO good, but the only explanation is that they have completely changed and re-edited the story. Maybe they鈥檒l have all the same names, maybe similar situations, but the actresses they got to portray these two women suggest that the script is NOTHING like this mess of a novel.
This whole thing is full of huge spoilers from this point forward
Emily disappears and Super Mom Stephanie melts down. Her best friend is missing! She reaches out via her blog for help. You see Stephanie is a young widow and she spends her time at home, with her five year old and blogging while he鈥檚 away at school during the day. She鈥檚 the BEST mom, on her high horse of being a stay at home mom while her late husbands fortune keeps her in Lulu Lemons. She low key shades and shames other moms for not be the Super Mom she is. She edits out the 鈥渞eal鈥� parts of her life in order to make her candy coated blog more palatable and sanctimonious. Stephanie is the most one dimensional character I鈥檝e ever had the misfortune of reading. She is truly a ridiculous person. And that is BEFORE you find out she had a torrid affair with her half brother she didn鈥檛 even know existed until she was like 18 or so. And then continued to have that affair after she was married. And then got pregnant and had his child. Then her husband found out and maybe killed himself and her brother/lover/baby daddy in a car accident. And then she covered it up so she could collect insurance money so she could be a stay at home super mommy. That鈥檚 all she is in the book. She doesn鈥檛 even introduce herself as herself. It鈥檚 not 鈥淚鈥檓 Stephanie鈥� it鈥檚 鈥淚鈥檓 Miles鈥� mom, Stephanie鈥�. She has no identity outside her child. And you get the idea that before that she was 鈥淒avis鈥� wife, Stephanie鈥� this girl never had or gets her own identity.
It鈥檚 ironic when Emily goes missing and it鈥檚 all a scheme to cash in a $2million insurance policy and Stephanie judges them for it. Emily disappears in a Gone Girl haze. A wife goes missing and there鈥檚 a mysterious insurance policy out there that conveniently stupid Sean 鈥渇orgot about鈥�. It鈥檚 painfully obvious what is going on the moment the insurance is mentioned and it鈥檚 almost criminal how dense Stephanie is about the whole thing. And when the body turns up? You KNOW there鈥檚 a secret twin. It鈥檚 obvious in the writing even though the book is nearly half over before it鈥檚 鈥渞evealed鈥� that Emily has a secret, druggie identical twin.
Then there鈥檚 Sean. Spineless Sean who is scared of his wife and enables the toxicity of their marriage. You can tell what kind of person Sean is early on when a few weeks into his wife鈥檚 disappearance he starts fucking her best friend. But what really drives it home is the fact that his wife steals his mothers ring, her favorite thing and when he finds out he just rolls over. Don鈥檛 even get me started on his reaction to the whole 鈥淚鈥檓 back from the dead and have decided to tell everyone you beat me鈥� bullshit Emily pulled.
It was hard to know who I hated the most :
Was it Spineless Sean who was afraid of his wife and just gave in to whatever she wanted and - in the end - abandoned his son to his crazy wife?
Was it mindless, opinionless, sanctimonious, brother fucking Stephanie?
Or was it murdering, toxic Emily who got a kick out of blowing up everyone鈥檚 lives whenever possible for literally no reason whatsoever?
The book ends with Emily basically framing Stephanie for a murder she committed (and talked Stephanie into helping her cover up). Emily originally intended to frame her husband (having Stephanie bring along Seans brush) but apparently she went from hating him to deciding to spare him and point the cops in her 鈥渇riend鈥檚鈥� direction while she disappeared again, this time with her son. She literally had just gotten her job back, a huge raise and ran her husband out of the country but she picks up and hightailed it a month later.
This is the stupidest book I鈥檝e ever had the misfortune to pick up
** So I finally watched the movie and it鈥檚 A LOT better than the book. They kept all the plot points with the incest and the secret twin and insurance scam and all that but it changes the ending into something SO much better. I was nervous to watch it since I hated the book so much but it turned out way better.
I picked this up because the movie looks SO good, but the only explanation is that they have completely changed and re-edited the story. Maybe they鈥檒l have all the same names, maybe similar situations, but the actresses they got to portray these two women suggest that the script is NOTHING like this mess of a novel.
This whole thing is full of huge spoilers from this point forward
Emily disappears and Super Mom Stephanie melts down. Her best friend is missing! She reaches out via her blog for help. You see Stephanie is a young widow and she spends her time at home, with her five year old and blogging while he鈥檚 away at school during the day. She鈥檚 the BEST mom, on her high horse of being a stay at home mom while her late husbands fortune keeps her in Lulu Lemons. She low key shades and shames other moms for not be the Super Mom she is. She edits out the 鈥渞eal鈥� parts of her life in order to make her candy coated blog more palatable and sanctimonious. Stephanie is the most one dimensional character I鈥檝e ever had the misfortune of reading. She is truly a ridiculous person. And that is BEFORE you find out she had a torrid affair with her half brother she didn鈥檛 even know existed until she was like 18 or so. And then continued to have that affair after she was married. And then got pregnant and had his child. Then her husband found out and maybe killed himself and her brother/lover/baby daddy in a car accident. And then she covered it up so she could collect insurance money so she could be a stay at home super mommy. That鈥檚 all she is in the book. She doesn鈥檛 even introduce herself as herself. It鈥檚 not 鈥淚鈥檓 Stephanie鈥� it鈥檚 鈥淚鈥檓 Miles鈥� mom, Stephanie鈥�. She has no identity outside her child. And you get the idea that before that she was 鈥淒avis鈥� wife, Stephanie鈥� this girl never had or gets her own identity.
It鈥檚 ironic when Emily goes missing and it鈥檚 all a scheme to cash in a $2million insurance policy and Stephanie judges them for it. Emily disappears in a Gone Girl haze. A wife goes missing and there鈥檚 a mysterious insurance policy out there that conveniently stupid Sean 鈥渇orgot about鈥�. It鈥檚 painfully obvious what is going on the moment the insurance is mentioned and it鈥檚 almost criminal how dense Stephanie is about the whole thing. And when the body turns up? You KNOW there鈥檚 a secret twin. It鈥檚 obvious in the writing even though the book is nearly half over before it鈥檚 鈥渞evealed鈥� that Emily has a secret, druggie identical twin.
Then there鈥檚 Sean. Spineless Sean who is scared of his wife and enables the toxicity of their marriage. You can tell what kind of person Sean is early on when a few weeks into his wife鈥檚 disappearance he starts fucking her best friend. But what really drives it home is the fact that his wife steals his mothers ring, her favorite thing and when he finds out he just rolls over. Don鈥檛 even get me started on his reaction to the whole 鈥淚鈥檓 back from the dead and have decided to tell everyone you beat me鈥� bullshit Emily pulled.
It was hard to know who I hated the most :
Was it Spineless Sean who was afraid of his wife and just gave in to whatever she wanted and - in the end - abandoned his son to his crazy wife?
Was it mindless, opinionless, sanctimonious, brother fucking Stephanie?
Or was it murdering, toxic Emily who got a kick out of blowing up everyone鈥檚 lives whenever possible for literally no reason whatsoever?
The book ends with Emily basically framing Stephanie for a murder she committed (and talked Stephanie into helping her cover up). Emily originally intended to frame her husband (having Stephanie bring along Seans brush) but apparently she went from hating him to deciding to spare him and point the cops in her 鈥渇riend鈥檚鈥� direction while she disappeared again, this time with her son. She literally had just gotten her job back, a huge raise and ran her husband out of the country but she picks up and hightailed it a month later.
This is the stupidest book I鈥檝e ever had the misfortune to pick up
** So I finally watched the movie and it鈥檚 A LOT better than the book. They kept all the plot points with the incest and the secret twin and insurance scam and all that but it changes the ending into something SO much better. I was nervous to watch it since I hated the book so much but it turned out way better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2017
Mothers, Friends, Secrets....Stephanie and Emily were mothers, 鈥媡hey were 鈥媐riends, and they both had secrets even though they thought they knew each other better than they knew themselves.
A SIMPLE FAVOR begins when Stephanie keeps Emily's son, Nicky, after school because Emily is going to be late. But...after school turns into overnight, then after school turns 鈥媔nto another day and 鈥媋nother 鈥媙ight, and then 鈥媦et 鈥媋nother day and another 鈥媙ight with no Emily.
Stephanie didn't know where to turn except to her "mommy blog." Stephanie waits and waits and writes and writes. Stephanie finally calls Emily's husband, Sean, who was in London to tell him his wife has disappeared and that she has been keeping Nicky. Sean didn鈥檛 even know who Stephanie was.
Sean doesn't seem concerned since Emily said she was going on a business trip, but the problem is that Emily never returns from the business trip.
Sean, Stephanie, and the two boys spend a lot of time with each other until they find out the truth that Emily is dead.
As we read, Stephanie places her thoughts and emotions on her blog 鈥媋nd also with Sean.
A SIMPLE FAVOR keeps having secrets pop up about all of the characters both current and past.
A SIMPLE FAVOR had a unique style with Stephanie's blog taking up most of the chapters 鈥媋nd all the other chapters also being about Stephanie as she lives her daily life with her son and now Sean and Nicky.鈥� Chapters only about Stephanie change as the book continues, and the scare factor definitely moves up a few notches.
鈥�
My interest in the book was very high simply because of the wonderful writing and story line. The characters were authentic, but it was difficult to believe someone could act that way and think of ways to hurt others.
I had my doubts about Stephanie's sanity and motives and about the life she lead. Stephanie was quite gullible and insecure.
Emily was a difficult one to figure out, a character I didn't like, and a character I grew to hate. She was conniving and evil.
Sean seemed like a nice enough guy that was caught in the middle of everything.
鈥�
鈥婣 SIMPLE FAVOR is an excellent psychological thriller that kept me guessing and wondering what really was going on in the lives of the characters. 鈥�
鈥媁ere they honest with each other, honest with themselves, or were they all just fakes?鈥� Can we really trust or truly believe anyone?
The story line became quite intense and very good as the book continued.
The wrap up is amazing. A brilliant debut. 5/5
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.
September 13, 2018
This book is messed up and everyone was an idiot. I hope they changed some things to make the movie worth seeing.
July 29, 2017
螆谓伪 未蠀谓伪蟿蠈 蠄蠀蠂慰纬蟻维蠁畏渭伪. 危魏慰蟿蔚喂谓蠈 魏伪喂 未喂伪蟽蟿蟻慰蠁喂魏蠈. 螤慰位位苇蟼 蠁慰蟻苇蟼 慰喂 未伪委渭慰谓蔚蟼 蔚委谓伪喂 维谓胃蟻蠅蟺慰喂 蟿畏蟼 未喂蟺位伪谓萎蟼 蟺蠈蟻蟿伪蟼. 危委纬慰蠀蟻伪 蟽慰魏维蟻蔚喂.
December 11, 2020
You鈥檇 be amazed by what people will do. Things they鈥檇 never admit to anyone鈥攏ot even to themselves.鈥�
鈥� Darcey Bell, A Simple Favor
It鈥檚 interesting. I found the Movie to be Quite superior to the book and it鈥檚 usually the other way around.
The book started out with promise and I can鈥檛 really say I did not enjoy parts of it. But I just found that it ultimately became ludicrous and quite difficult to believe any aspect of the story at all particularly in reference to Stephanie and the changes her character undergoes.
It was also quite odd how the book started out genuinely creepy and almost became comical . I mean...I loved it at first. It was so creepy....deliciously so....and IO had no idea what on earth was going on but that was part of the fun!
Then it all fell apart. The story got obliterated by its own absurdities. I could not believe how unrealistic and "out there" it became, losing all the eerie and fun aspects and sort of descending into absurd parody.
However when watching the movie I noticed something great.
They somehow retained all the quality aspects of the book and got rid of some of the corny stuff and I wound up really loving the movie. I would recommend the movie version to lovers of the genre although and who knows maybe others feel differently about the book. It certainly has many reviews on here. And it is far from the worst book out there but ultimately I think the first part is much better than the second.
鈥� Darcey Bell, A Simple Favor
It鈥檚 interesting. I found the Movie to be Quite superior to the book and it鈥檚 usually the other way around.
The book started out with promise and I can鈥檛 really say I did not enjoy parts of it. But I just found that it ultimately became ludicrous and quite difficult to believe any aspect of the story at all particularly in reference to Stephanie and the changes her character undergoes.
It was also quite odd how the book started out genuinely creepy and almost became comical . I mean...I loved it at first. It was so creepy....deliciously so....and IO had no idea what on earth was going on but that was part of the fun!
Then it all fell apart. The story got obliterated by its own absurdities. I could not believe how unrealistic and "out there" it became, losing all the eerie and fun aspects and sort of descending into absurd parody.
However when watching the movie I noticed something great.
They somehow retained all the quality aspects of the book and got rid of some of the corny stuff and I wound up really loving the movie. I would recommend the movie version to lovers of the genre although and who knows maybe others feel differently about the book. It certainly has many reviews on here. And it is far from the worst book out there but ultimately I think the first part is much better than the second.
March 7, 2019
Loooool what a mess.
And that ending. 馃樁
Movie Emily, tho.....
What a snack 馃い
And that ending. 馃樁
Movie Emily, tho.....
What a snack 馃い
August 8, 2018
*
How can a simple favour of picking up your best friend鈥檚 son from school go so terribly wrong? This is the scenario debut novelist Darcey Bell explores in her pulse pounding psychological suspense novel, A Simple Favour.
Touted as a Gone Girl/Girl on the Train offshoot, A Simple Favour stands out on its own. A Simple Favour is a dark and twisted psychological suspense tale. This one reeled me in from the very start and it did not release its strong hold over me until the final page was turned. A Simple Favour was a careful read for me, one I had no compulsion to skim as every word seemed vital in solving this puzzling mystery. It is a solid effort for a debut novelist and it does not surprise me that film rights have already been purchased for this slick and compulsive novel.
A Simple Favour begins with the blog entries of one of the leading characters in this novel, Stephanie鈥檚 life. It gives us a preliminary insight into Stephanie鈥檚 world, as well as her intimate thoughts and feelings. The presence of the blog entries is quite strong in this book, it kick starts the early stages of the narrative and appears in other chunks throughout the progression of the novel. It was a good way to set the scene. As a mum and blogger I could relate.
In addition to the blog entries as a form of storytelling, A Simple Favour is also told from the perspective of Stephanie, her best friend Emily, and Sean, Emily鈥檚 husband. Each of these narrators airs a scent of mistrust and we are ever quite sure which character鈥檚 version of the events is the truth. As the book travels along, we learn each of these characters has a background and history they would rather stayed hidden. Stephanie in particular has quite the sordid background. Emily鈥檚 back story is utterly disturbing. I grappled with the fact that a person could keep a whole part of their life so hidden from a spouse and best friend. I did guess one of the plot twists involving Emily and her background. Darcey Bell has devised a first time novel that is full of twists, uncertainty and darkness. It鈥檚 also how I love my psychological thrillers.
It is a little difficult to discuss much more of this novel as I do not wish to spoil the enjoyment of A Simple Favour for prospective readers. I will say the narrative content, the characterisation and the writing style of A Simple Favour worked for me. I liked how the book questioned who we can trust and our intimate relationships. What worked for me with this book was that the catalyst event, where Emily asks Stephanie for a 鈥榮imple favour鈥�, is an occurrence I could easily see happening in my own life. A Simple Favour presents a realistic scenario, full of possibilities.
All in all I enjoyed A Simple Favour. It is a jarring psychological suspense novel that has cemented debut novelist Darcey Bell on my list of authors to watch! Don鈥檛 miss out on this one!
How can a simple favour of picking up your best friend鈥檚 son from school go so terribly wrong? This is the scenario debut novelist Darcey Bell explores in her pulse pounding psychological suspense novel, A Simple Favour.
Touted as a Gone Girl/Girl on the Train offshoot, A Simple Favour stands out on its own. A Simple Favour is a dark and twisted psychological suspense tale. This one reeled me in from the very start and it did not release its strong hold over me until the final page was turned. A Simple Favour was a careful read for me, one I had no compulsion to skim as every word seemed vital in solving this puzzling mystery. It is a solid effort for a debut novelist and it does not surprise me that film rights have already been purchased for this slick and compulsive novel.
A Simple Favour begins with the blog entries of one of the leading characters in this novel, Stephanie鈥檚 life. It gives us a preliminary insight into Stephanie鈥檚 world, as well as her intimate thoughts and feelings. The presence of the blog entries is quite strong in this book, it kick starts the early stages of the narrative and appears in other chunks throughout the progression of the novel. It was a good way to set the scene. As a mum and blogger I could relate.
In addition to the blog entries as a form of storytelling, A Simple Favour is also told from the perspective of Stephanie, her best friend Emily, and Sean, Emily鈥檚 husband. Each of these narrators airs a scent of mistrust and we are ever quite sure which character鈥檚 version of the events is the truth. As the book travels along, we learn each of these characters has a background and history they would rather stayed hidden. Stephanie in particular has quite the sordid background. Emily鈥檚 back story is utterly disturbing. I grappled with the fact that a person could keep a whole part of their life so hidden from a spouse and best friend. I did guess one of the plot twists involving Emily and her background. Darcey Bell has devised a first time novel that is full of twists, uncertainty and darkness. It鈥檚 also how I love my psychological thrillers.
It is a little difficult to discuss much more of this novel as I do not wish to spoil the enjoyment of A Simple Favour for prospective readers. I will say the narrative content, the characterisation and the writing style of A Simple Favour worked for me. I liked how the book questioned who we can trust and our intimate relationships. What worked for me with this book was that the catalyst event, where Emily asks Stephanie for a 鈥榮imple favour鈥�, is an occurrence I could easily see happening in my own life. A Simple Favour presents a realistic scenario, full of possibilities.
All in all I enjoyed A Simple Favour. It is a jarring psychological suspense novel that has cemented debut novelist Darcey Bell on my list of authors to watch! Don鈥檛 miss out on this one!
February 21, 2020
Thriller A Thon: A recommended read
This book is bad.
But its bad in a fun way.
A Simple Favor reminded me of a Lifetime movie or possibly a daytime soap opera. It was cheesy, melodramatic and over the top.
In order to fully enjoy A Simple Favor you need to suspend your disbelief, sit back and just let the BATSHIT CRAZY plot unfold.
My sister watched the movie, hated/loved it and told me I had to read the book.
So I did.
Every character in this book is unlikable and Imma just say it....
They crazy as hell.
This book isn't funny but I laughed so many times. Each plot twist was crazier than the last one. And the ending was truly nonsensical but I'm not mad about it.
I'm not gonna recommend A Simple Favor because this book was not good. But for those of you like me who like to read bad books for fun, A Simple Favor might be worth your time.
This book is bad.
But its bad in a fun way.
A Simple Favor reminded me of a Lifetime movie or possibly a daytime soap opera. It was cheesy, melodramatic and over the top.
In order to fully enjoy A Simple Favor you need to suspend your disbelief, sit back and just let the BATSHIT CRAZY plot unfold.
My sister watched the movie, hated/loved it and told me I had to read the book.
So I did.
Every character in this book is unlikable and Imma just say it....
They crazy as hell.
This book isn't funny but I laughed so many times. Each plot twist was crazier than the last one. And the ending was truly nonsensical but I'm not mad about it.
I'm not gonna recommend A Simple Favor because this book was not good. But for those of you like me who like to read bad books for fun, A Simple Favor might be worth your time.
July 15, 2018
This is by far one of the worst books I've read. The characters are horrible - either evil and vile or such ridiculous doormats, I want to slam their faces into something. I read the book because I saw the trailer for the movie, and I can say, with conviction, I will never watch the movie. Ever. I don't want to waste any more time elaborating on this steaming pile of horseshit.
May 3, 2017
I really need to not read books that are described as good for fans of Gone Girl, since I was not a fan of Gone Girl.
A nasty woman disappears after asking her weak-willed "best friend" to take care of her child after school. A body is later found, the nasty woman is declared and thought by all to be dead, but then the friend starts to have her suspicions.
I was so annoyed with Stephanie- the way she talked about moms and to moms like if you are a mother you are a different species. Her blog was ridiculous. She was ridiculous. I hated that she has the same name as me.
Emily was also awful, of course, but because of the comparisons to GG, you knew that there had to be an awful, manipulative woman in there somewhere.
Just like GG, I hated the ending. I finished it because I kept hoping that the "fish" would somehow out-manipulate the manipulator, even though I didn't like her.
A nasty woman disappears after asking her weak-willed "best friend" to take care of her child after school. A body is later found, the nasty woman is declared and thought by all to be dead, but then the friend starts to have her suspicions.
I was so annoyed with Stephanie- the way she talked about moms and to moms like if you are a mother you are a different species. Her blog was ridiculous. She was ridiculous. I hated that she has the same name as me.
Emily was also awful, of course, but because of the comparisons to GG, you knew that there had to be an awful, manipulative woman in there somewhere.
Just like GG, I hated the ending. I finished it because I kept hoping that the "fish" would somehow out-manipulate the manipulator, even though I didn't like her.
July 10, 2023
I recently enjoyed the movie, although the ending felt weird and rushed, and then I read it!
Wow! SO MANY CHANGES! I would say that the essence of the characters was definitely the same. However, in the book, Stephanie (Anna Kendrick) is MUCH more jacked up, selfish, and crazy. We affectionately refer to her as .
Emily is actually MUCH less of a villain in the book, she is still perfectly cast as Blake Lively, but she has much more depth to her personality. I enjoyed her book form a LOT more.
Definitely a great hilarious, also messed up, Psych/thrillerish devious book. I enjoyed the ride.
4/5 Stars
Wow! SO MANY CHANGES! I would say that the essence of the characters was definitely the same. However, in the book, Stephanie (Anna Kendrick) is MUCH more jacked up, selfish, and crazy. We affectionately refer to her as .
Emily is actually MUCH less of a villain in the book, she is still perfectly cast as Blake Lively, but she has much more depth to her personality. I enjoyed her book form a LOT more.
Definitely a great hilarious, also messed up, Psych/thrillerish devious book. I enjoyed the ride.
4/5 Stars
September 29, 2018
From the outset I should mention that I鈥檓 a big Anna Kendrick fan, so when I first saw the trailer for the movie I instantly wanted to see it.
I felt that once you know all the surprises in this mystery thriller it would impact the reading experience, so quickly ordered a copy of the book first.
The story opens with Stephanie a blogger who is asked by her friend Emily the simple favour of picking her son up from school.
Having not heard from her for days Stephanie starts to panic and uses her blog to help find her missing friend.
It might be because I know that Stephanie is being played by Kendrick, but I really liked her character. Telling the story initially through her blog and thoughts was a great way to draw the reader in.
I liked how her online persona was completely different.
The second half of the book produces some shock twists, it has to be said that they started to get more unbelievable as the story unravels.
The one frustrating aspect of the book is how incredibly stupid Emily鈥檚 husband Sean. He鈥檚 actions are so incredibly stupid that it almost took me out of the story.
I was glad that all the elements tied up in the end though.
I found it to be a fun page turner, it鈥檚 no Patricia Highsmith (which the book kept referencing) but I was interested enough to know the conclusion.
I鈥檓 more interested to see Kendrick鈥檚 and Lively鈥檚 take on these characters.
I felt that once you know all the surprises in this mystery thriller it would impact the reading experience, so quickly ordered a copy of the book first.
The story opens with Stephanie a blogger who is asked by her friend Emily the simple favour of picking her son up from school.
Having not heard from her for days Stephanie starts to panic and uses her blog to help find her missing friend.
It might be because I know that Stephanie is being played by Kendrick, but I really liked her character. Telling the story initially through her blog and thoughts was a great way to draw the reader in.
I liked how her online persona was completely different.
The second half of the book produces some shock twists, it has to be said that they started to get more unbelievable as the story unravels.
The one frustrating aspect of the book is how incredibly stupid Emily鈥檚 husband Sean. He鈥檚 actions are so incredibly stupid that it almost took me out of the story.
I was glad that all the elements tied up in the end though.
I found it to be a fun page turner, it鈥檚 no Patricia Highsmith (which the book kept referencing) but I was interested enough to know the conclusion.
I鈥檓 more interested to see Kendrick鈥檚 and Lively鈥檚 take on these characters.
September 11, 2018
"Here's to moms and good friends."has a whole lot going on and the writing directs your attention in various directions that quite confused me when all was said and done. No, I wasn't confused by the truth but I was confused why I was led astray in Part I. Once the meat of this book picked up speed, it was a fairly interesting ride ... yes I'm going to say it ... written for fans of Gone Girl. Note: I am not saying if you liked Gone Girl then you'll like . I am saying the writing was most likely motivated by this statement. It attempts at brow-raising, jaw-dropping, and WTF's which worked for me on one occasion: . It wasn't a complete success but it certainly gives the book world another disturbed female character strong enough to carry an adaptation to film, which I look forward to watching.
Overall, a readable psychological thriller that will require patience for some but may pay off for others. I did really enjoy the "mom blog" and all the very empathetic statements about stay-at-home moms. I made the decision to read this based on my love for comparing books to movies, but I'll leave it up to you whether you want to check it out or not.
My favorite quote:
"Treasure every moment you are lucky enough to spend with your loved ones because we never know what will happen just a few heartbeats later."
February 26, 2019
I wouldn't recommend this book to a flea, if a flea could read. I hated the blog chapters. They came across as phony and like Stephanie was talking to herself instead of her supposedly loyal followers, and if she had said moms one more time...
The other chapters featuring Stephanie were a little better but not much. I thought a lot of the material was tacky and not something I wanted to continue reading.
Updated 02/26/2019: I still hate the book but I did force myself to watch the movie last night and I loved it! Wow, what a difference turning the movie into a comedy of sorts made. After seeing it, I think I might be willing to watch Henry Golding just standing in a corner waving. That man is beautiful! I usually go more for your tall blond types, and here and there your tall dark-haired-white-guy types, but Henry has blown all of my usual beliefs out the window.
Side note: The above update really has nothing to do with the book, I just wanted to talk about how lovely Henry Golding is. Hehe.
The other chapters featuring Stephanie were a little better but not much. I thought a lot of the material was tacky and not something I wanted to continue reading.
Updated 02/26/2019: I still hate the book but I did force myself to watch the movie last night and I loved it! Wow, what a difference turning the movie into a comedy of sorts made. After seeing it, I think I might be willing to watch Henry Golding just standing in a corner waving. That man is beautiful! I usually go more for your tall blond types, and here and there your tall dark-haired-white-guy types, but Henry has blown all of my usual beliefs out the window.
Side note: The above update really has nothing to do with the book, I just wanted to talk about how lovely Henry Golding is. Hehe.
February 22, 2020
This was honestly as terrible as the overall rating and reviews make it out to be. The characters are horrendous, whiny, and annoying. The writing it appalling. The plot is SO Gone Girl that this book should honestly just be called Gone Girl, since very little is different.
The only reason I'm giving this an added star is because legit I couldn't stop reading, until I realized I wanted to be reading anything else instead. Still gonna watch the movie though because Blake Lively is bae and also it seems good enough to make me forget about this nonsense book.
The only reason I'm giving this an added star is because legit I couldn't stop reading, until I realized I wanted to be reading anything else instead. Still gonna watch the movie though because Blake Lively is bae and also it seems good enough to make me forget about this nonsense book.
December 22, 2018
Stephanie and Emily are best friends. Emily asks a favor of Stephanie - to watch her son one afternoon and she'll pick him up that evening... but Emily never comes back.
Stephanie is a widow and mommy blogger with a young son. Emily is a working mom with a young son. They don't seem to have much in common, other than their sons are friends, but soon they also become friends. They also both have secrets in their past that they don't want to get out.
Told with alternating points of view - Stephanie, Emily, and Sean. Plus, some of the story is told using posts from Stephanie's blog. Stephanie is naive, creepy, and fake. Emily is arty, manipulative, and awful. Sean is Emily's dopey husband.
A twisted psychological thriller. I enjoyed the writing style, but the story itself was not that great. Stephanie and Emily are both unlikable, and not in a "they're morally corrupt, but interesting" way. Even with unlikable characters, I want to root for someone, and this book didn't have that. There were some interesting happenings and twists. It's just unfortunate that I never connected with any characters.
Stephanie is a widow and mommy blogger with a young son. Emily is a working mom with a young son. They don't seem to have much in common, other than their sons are friends, but soon they also become friends. They also both have secrets in their past that they don't want to get out.
Told with alternating points of view - Stephanie, Emily, and Sean. Plus, some of the story is told using posts from Stephanie's blog. Stephanie is naive, creepy, and fake. Emily is arty, manipulative, and awful. Sean is Emily's dopey husband.
A twisted psychological thriller. I enjoyed the writing style, but the story itself was not that great. Stephanie and Emily are both unlikable, and not in a "they're morally corrupt, but interesting" way. Even with unlikable characters, I want to root for someone, and this book didn't have that. There were some interesting happenings and twists. It's just unfortunate that I never connected with any characters.
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