What do you think?
Rate this book
Blackout
In this unforgettable psychological thriller, the dark is a terrifying mystery for a woman on the edge.
Seven hard-won months into her sobriety, sociology professor Maris Heilman has her first blackout. She chalks it up to exhaustion, though she fears that her husband and daughter will suspect she’s drinking again. Whatever their cause, the glitches start becoming more frequent. Sometimes minutes, sometimes longer, but always leaving Maris with the same disorienting question: Where have I been?
Then another blackout lands Maris in the ER, where she makes an alarming discovery. A network of women is battling the same inexplicable malady. Is it a bizarre coincidence or something more sinister? What do all the women have in common besides missing time? Or is it who they have in common?
In a desperate search for answers, Maris has no idea what’s coming next—just the escalating paranoia that her memories may be beyond her control, and that everything she knows could disappear in the blink of an eye.
Seven hard-won months into her sobriety, sociology professor Maris Heilman has her first blackout. She chalks it up to exhaustion, though she fears that her husband and daughter will suspect she’s drinking again. Whatever their cause, the glitches start becoming more frequent. Sometimes minutes, sometimes longer, but always leaving Maris with the same disorienting question: Where have I been?
Then another blackout lands Maris in the ER, where she makes an alarming discovery. A network of women is battling the same inexplicable malady. Is it a bizarre coincidence or something more sinister? What do all the women have in common besides missing time? Or is it who they have in common?
In a desperate search for answers, Maris has no idea what’s coming next—just the escalating paranoia that her memories may be beyond her control, and that everything she knows could disappear in the blink of an eye.
296 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2022
6,054 people are currently reading
10.9k people want to read
About the author
Erin Flanagan
5Ìýbooks166ÌýfollowersErin Flanagan's forthcoming novel, Come with Me (Thomas & Mercer), releases in August 2023. Her novel Deer Season (University of Nebraska Press) won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel by an American Author and was a Macavity finalist for Best First Mystery. Her second novel, Blackout (Thomas & Mercer) was a June 2022 Amazon First Reads pick. She is also the author of two collections: It's Not Going to Kill You and Other Stories, and The Usual Mistakes. Erin is an English professor at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, and a regular book reviewer for Publishers Weekly. For more information about her and her writing, please visit or say hello on Twitter at @erinlflanagan.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 929 reviews
June 3, 2022
Oh boy.
This was pretty bad. The writing itself was okay. It was readable in that middle of the road way that thrillers can be. The protagonist, Maris, is a junior sociology professor at a Midwestern university and lives with her husband and daughter froma previous relationship. After an incident months before, she quit drinking. But people who were close to her don't really believe she's quit.
So, Maris is trying for tenure. She's supposedly a feminist who has a decent social media following because she writes think pieces on white male privilege, and about a local rape case where the rapist only served 4 months. And then the blackouts start.
Without spoiling it, it's the most over the top story I've read in a long time. It's not based in reality or science. And Maris' feminism feels weird and inauthentic. It's the most white lady feminism ever; it's so bad it feels like a parody. The story was stupid. The pacing went wonky about halfway through. And the resolution was an insult to people who manage to sit through the whole thing.
Do yourself a favour and miss this one.
This was pretty bad. The writing itself was okay. It was readable in that middle of the road way that thrillers can be. The protagonist, Maris, is a junior sociology professor at a Midwestern university and lives with her husband and daughter froma previous relationship. After an incident months before, she quit drinking. But people who were close to her don't really believe she's quit.
So, Maris is trying for tenure. She's supposedly a feminist who has a decent social media following because she writes think pieces on white male privilege, and about a local rape case where the rapist only served 4 months. And then the blackouts start.
Without spoiling it, it's the most over the top story I've read in a long time. It's not based in reality or science. And Maris' feminism feels weird and inauthentic. It's the most white lady feminism ever; it's so bad it feels like a parody. The story was stupid. The pacing went wonky about halfway through. And the resolution was an insult to people who manage to sit through the whole thing.
Do yourself a favour and miss this one.
June 5, 2022
DNF. Way too woke and/or PC for me, and definitely of a liberal bent. Why can't today's authors just tell a good story without all the "subtle" political pontifications? I don't care about your politics, left or right; I just want an engaging story.
June 26, 2022
3.5/5 (rounded up)
While I didn't read them prior to starting, I was very curious about the reviews for by . They really ran the gamut in terms of ratings, and it made me think this was one of those love-it-or-hate-it types of books. Well, now that I finished it, I can see how that would be the case, even if this was more middle-of-the-road for me personally. I wouldn't call this a thriller though, and it actually had a very sci-fi feel to me, especially towards the middle and end. I'm not sure I would have put thriller on the cover, and I feel like this is a bit misleading to the reader. The pacing is a touch on the slow side at first, but I was really invested in the story and managed to read it in just 1 sitting. Maris could be really frustrating at times, but I love how flawed Flanagan made her, and most of the time I completely understood where she was coming from.
After reading the acknowledgments, I do wonder how much of what happened in the book is actually possible, and I think a lot of readers will find the reason for the blackouts pretty outlandish and unbelievable (especially for something being marketed as a thriller). This is another reason I think Blackout should be sat in the sci-fi genre, and if you read this, I would be really interested to get other thoughts. There are also a lot of heavy themes including rape, and I liked that the author tackled some important matters since we need to talk about these things more. The majority of the story is told from Maris's viewpoint, with the occasional other POV, which we don't really know the identity of until later. I was a huge fan of this and it helped keep things interesting for me. I was a big fan of the author's writing style as well, and I know I will definitely read whatever she writes next.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
While I didn't read them prior to starting, I was very curious about the reviews for by . They really ran the gamut in terms of ratings, and it made me think this was one of those love-it-or-hate-it types of books. Well, now that I finished it, I can see how that would be the case, even if this was more middle-of-the-road for me personally. I wouldn't call this a thriller though, and it actually had a very sci-fi feel to me, especially towards the middle and end. I'm not sure I would have put thriller on the cover, and I feel like this is a bit misleading to the reader. The pacing is a touch on the slow side at first, but I was really invested in the story and managed to read it in just 1 sitting. Maris could be really frustrating at times, but I love how flawed Flanagan made her, and most of the time I completely understood where she was coming from.
After reading the acknowledgments, I do wonder how much of what happened in the book is actually possible, and I think a lot of readers will find the reason for the blackouts pretty outlandish and unbelievable (especially for something being marketed as a thriller). This is another reason I think Blackout should be sat in the sci-fi genre, and if you read this, I would be really interested to get other thoughts. There are also a lot of heavy themes including rape, and I liked that the author tackled some important matters since we need to talk about these things more. The majority of the story is told from Maris's viewpoint, with the occasional other POV, which we don't really know the identity of until later. I was a huge fan of this and it helped keep things interesting for me. I was a big fan of the author's writing style as well, and I know I will definitely read whatever she writes next.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
June 26, 2022
Started out okay, but went downhill very fast. The writing was weak and cheesy, the main character was extremely unlikeable and impossible to sympathize with, and the plot was pure fantasy. All of the main character’s choices throughout the book were questionable at best, and her constant whining about male white privilege was not well executed at all. It unfortunately just came across as tone-deaf and petulant, which cheapened the actual real-world issue. Also, throughout the book we were led to believe that the “villain� was motivated by “silencing women�, but in the end we learned that two of his victims were actually men, and that his main goal was purely financial (unless I’m misunderstanding the sloppy wrap-up). And whatever happened to Beth? No one cared to follow up and make sure she was okay? Was Tammy involved? Where were Lolly’s parents? What kind of name is “Lolly�? Lastly, any book that ends with a murder that is just conveniently swept under the rug leaves me rolling my eyes. Two words: bad book.
June 15, 2022
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
This book seemed interesting at first. The main character is a sociology professor and a dry drunk. She quit drinking, but is still acting like an alcoholic- lying, hiding things from her family, constantly thinking everything is about her, etc…and it is causing a lot of problems in her life. This is especially true once she starts having unexplained blackouts and feels she needs to hide this too (at least that is my interpretation, the author never gives a good explanation for why she is hiding this).
Then the book escalates into some weird unbelievable sci-fi craziness. A random male professor who hates women for some reason (no one really explains why, we are just to assume it’s because he’s a man) decides to steal the work of a female colleague and develops a way to use cell phone signals to disrupt the formation of memories in a given targeted individual (WTF?) with a plan to later erase/replace memories. One of the targeted individuals is our protagonist who was writing articles about his nephew’s conviction for rape and his light sentence. Once she starts to figure out what’s going on, she assembles a rag tag group of highly educated and intellectual women, all with unique skills essential to beat the bad guy, and they band together to come to the rescue! (seriously, it was pretty cheesy).
There’s another girl who was a victim of the nephew’s but we don’t know why she doesn’t get targeted for this memory-disrupting- experiment, maybe she was going to be next- who knows!? The nephew also gets targeted because the mad-scientist wants him to believe he’s innocent. It’s ok though, our protagonist does some breaking and entering and attacks him and then the nephew kills him in an anti-climactic ending. Since he’s dead, you never really know why he did what he did (the hypothesis our main character puts together makes no sense) but at this point you don’t care anymore and just want to book to be over. Apparently the department chair was in on the whole thing, but no one knows why and it is never talked about again. No one is held accountable and nothing happens. There’s an unrealistic feel good ending that made me want to vomit. The end.
This book seemed interesting at first. The main character is a sociology professor and a dry drunk. She quit drinking, but is still acting like an alcoholic- lying, hiding things from her family, constantly thinking everything is about her, etc…and it is causing a lot of problems in her life. This is especially true once she starts having unexplained blackouts and feels she needs to hide this too (at least that is my interpretation, the author never gives a good explanation for why she is hiding this).
Then the book escalates into some weird unbelievable sci-fi craziness. A random male professor who hates women for some reason (no one really explains why, we are just to assume it’s because he’s a man) decides to steal the work of a female colleague and develops a way to use cell phone signals to disrupt the formation of memories in a given targeted individual (WTF?) with a plan to later erase/replace memories. One of the targeted individuals is our protagonist who was writing articles about his nephew’s conviction for rape and his light sentence. Once she starts to figure out what’s going on, she assembles a rag tag group of highly educated and intellectual women, all with unique skills essential to beat the bad guy, and they band together to come to the rescue! (seriously, it was pretty cheesy).
There’s another girl who was a victim of the nephew’s but we don’t know why she doesn’t get targeted for this memory-disrupting- experiment, maybe she was going to be next- who knows!? The nephew also gets targeted because the mad-scientist wants him to believe he’s innocent. It’s ok though, our protagonist does some breaking and entering and attacks him and then the nephew kills him in an anti-climactic ending. Since he’s dead, you never really know why he did what he did (the hypothesis our main character puts together makes no sense) but at this point you don’t care anymore and just want to book to be over. Apparently the department chair was in on the whole thing, but no one knows why and it is never talked about again. No one is held accountable and nothing happens. There’s an unrealistic feel good ending that made me want to vomit. The end.
August 1, 2022
I enjoyed this book way more than I thought I was going to, considering how many issues it has, but I was honestly hooked from about the 30% mark, straight on through to the (terrible!) ending.
The biggest problem this book has is that its premise is completely preposterous. I mean the entire premise makes little sense. Characters rely on giant gaping holes in logic to deliver plot points and keep the story moving. And we won't mention the unacceptable distance you'll need to suspend your disbelief to stick with this plot.
The Characters are fun though. Maris, the lead, is a hot mess and her family are extremely loveable. There's an unreliable antiheroine, a handy gang of helpful heroines to keep the book glued together, and some very boring villains. (I forgive Flanagan for the boring villian; he steals interesting ideas at least.)
Anyway, as preposterous as the concept is, I was on the edge of my seat. Maris is, after all, having blackouts for *no* reason. That is freaky. And dangerous. And she's a recovering alcoholic, which causes all kinds of conflict for her in the story, but most importantly, obfuscates the source of her terrifying new condition.
I had to know what the heck was going on, I had no problem finishing this terrible little weirdo of a book. I do, in fact recommend this one. Trigger warnings below.
Rating 4 stars
Finished July 2022
Recommended for thriller fans
Trigger warning, alcohol, excessive alcohol consumption, SA
The biggest problem this book has is that its premise is completely preposterous. I mean the entire premise makes little sense. Characters rely on giant gaping holes in logic to deliver plot points and keep the story moving. And we won't mention the unacceptable distance you'll need to suspend your disbelief to stick with this plot.
The Characters are fun though. Maris, the lead, is a hot mess and her family are extremely loveable. There's an unreliable antiheroine, a handy gang of helpful heroines to keep the book glued together, and some very boring villains. (I forgive Flanagan for the boring villian; he steals interesting ideas at least.)
Anyway, as preposterous as the concept is, I was on the edge of my seat. Maris is, after all, having blackouts for *no* reason. That is freaky. And dangerous. And she's a recovering alcoholic, which causes all kinds of conflict for her in the story, but most importantly, obfuscates the source of her terrifying new condition.
I had to know what the heck was going on, I had no problem finishing this terrible little weirdo of a book. I do, in fact recommend this one. Trigger warnings below.
Rating 4 stars
Finished July 2022
Recommended for thriller fans
Trigger warning, alcohol, excessive alcohol consumption, SA
August 27, 2022
I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I was enticed to listen by the good audible narrator, not expecting a whole lot, and was glad to find out that this was much more than your typical "recovering alcoholic with blackouts" amnesia book. It takes what for me was a pleasant turn into the science fiction realm, and also has some funny and incisive commentary about what it's like to be a woman in academia and the social sciences.
One of the other readers below said it was too "woke" and "PC" (are we still saying that?) for her, but for me it was just the right amount of timely and interesting social commentary, with a super creative plot and a really fun bunch of sci fi metaphors carrying a good feminist message.
Very enjoyable!
One of the other readers below said it was too "woke" and "PC" (are we still saying that?) for her, but for me it was just the right amount of timely and interesting social commentary, with a super creative plot and a really fun bunch of sci fi metaphors carrying a good feminist message.
Very enjoyable!
June 5, 2022
For my full review, visit me at
Defining this book as a ‘thriller� is a little bit generous for a book that I thought dragged and was rather far-fetched. It was not what I was expecting at all.
Defining this book as a ‘thriller� is a little bit generous for a book that I thought dragged and was rather far-fetched. It was not what I was expecting at all.
March 21, 2022
I'm a huge fan of Flanagan's, so I was eagerly anticipating this new book. And wow, did she deliver! This book has it all: timely topics, authentic characters, and a plotline that keeps the reader engaged from the first page. I'm not one to reveal spoilers, but please note that if you're looking for a fantastic, thought-provoking read that will keep you on the edge of your seat, this one is for you.
June 15, 2022
An Eye-Rolling Waste of Time
I chose this as my free selection of the month through Kindle Unlimited.
This is described as a “thriller�. It should have been categorized as “Political Sci-Fi�.
The storyline started out fine, but quickly had me rolling my eyes.
A mother who vows to connect with her daughter continues to ignore her, a character is introduced and the “punch-line� is so easily guessed, there wasn’t any “thrill� at all.
Couple shallow characters with the author’s obvious political platform and male bashing and I’m left wishing I had my 5 hours back, but thankful I didn’t waste money too.
I chose this as my free selection of the month through Kindle Unlimited.
This is described as a “thriller�. It should have been categorized as “Political Sci-Fi�.
The storyline started out fine, but quickly had me rolling my eyes.
A mother who vows to connect with her daughter continues to ignore her, a character is introduced and the “punch-line� is so easily guessed, there wasn’t any “thrill� at all.
Couple shallow characters with the author’s obvious political platform and male bashing and I’m left wishing I had my 5 hours back, but thankful I didn’t waste money too.
July 22, 2022
As a woman in academia, this book made me furious for all of the right reasons. I finished Blackout feeling empowered, motivated and most importantly seen. At a time where woman are somehow still fighting for basic human rights, Flanagan’s writing screams for us to be heard and believed.
August 1, 2023
Blackout is such a compelling thriller. I love three-dimensional, complicated heroines, and Flanagan definitely delivers with Maris! She’s career driven, loves her family, but she has her vices, ones that have taken their toll on her relationships with her loved ones. This book has light sci fi vibes–in the sense where you just can’t tell if the book is going to take the science fiction or reality-based turn. This book is set in academia, a setting that I love in my fiction books. While this book is a thriller, the author deftly navigates complex issues, such as feminism and the Me Too movement, which is prominent throughout the plot of this novel.
June 13, 2022
Just Plain Unreadable
The entire book is peppered with woke, anti-American, anti-male, and the standard "look at how disadvantaged I am, and it is everyone's fault but my own" diatribe of annoying liberal white women today. The main character is a miserable drunk and a pathetic college professor who her colleagues can't stand. The blackouts are not handled in any way that makes sense. None of the characters are developed past their superficial and stereotypical traits of the modern liberal. I'm glad I didn't spend any money on this dumpster fire of a book.
The entire book is peppered with woke, anti-American, anti-male, and the standard "look at how disadvantaged I am, and it is everyone's fault but my own" diatribe of annoying liberal white women today. The main character is a miserable drunk and a pathetic college professor who her colleagues can't stand. The blackouts are not handled in any way that makes sense. None of the characters are developed past their superficial and stereotypical traits of the modern liberal. I'm glad I didn't spend any money on this dumpster fire of a book.
July 20, 2022
This was a slow read thriller for me because I was never fully engrossed in the story. The problem was that I was not sympathetic to the lead character Maris no matter what she was going through because she was just not likeable. I managed to finish the book but it was a disappointment for me and I hope to move on to a gripping thriller immediately.
July 8, 2022
Favorite Quotes:
“Everyone thinks old people are old except for old people.� Maris knew what she meant. When she was twenty, she thought forty-two sounded like you had a foot in the grave, but despite the math she still wouldn’t call herself middle-aged.
When she and Noel started dating, they called it second adolescence, only better than the first because they had high limits on their credit cards.
Maris felt like someone had told her the earth was flat, then strapped her in and sent her flying over the edge.
She missed her students. Two had emailed her to say Dr. Scanlon had fallen asleep at the front of the class while they were taking a test and had farted himself awake.
I am worthy, she thought. I am loved. And then, My god, it’s like I finally understand bumper stickers, and she hiccuped out a laugh.
My Review:
This prickly book had a bit of everything and was distressingly realistic with family drama, addiction issues, social ills, complicated yet frighteningly plausible neuroscience, a twisted mystery, and deeply flawed characters who were self-involved yet generally well-meaning while difficult to fully appreciate.
I battled with the slow and irregular pace as well as the self-admittedly poor decisions the main character continued to make � I wanted to smack her in the back of the head with my beloved Kindle - yet I was also unquestionably curious, deeply invested in the story, and compelled to know how it was going to resolve.
The Easter eggs hidden in the storylines were clever and twisty yet the various story threads kept me itchy and dissatisfied with the annoying behaviors of the struggling characters. Needless to say, I’m more than a bit conflicted about how to rate this one yet the inner musings and narrative style were insightful and perceptive with occasional glimmers of wit and brilliance.
“Everyone thinks old people are old except for old people.� Maris knew what she meant. When she was twenty, she thought forty-two sounded like you had a foot in the grave, but despite the math she still wouldn’t call herself middle-aged.
When she and Noel started dating, they called it second adolescence, only better than the first because they had high limits on their credit cards.
Maris felt like someone had told her the earth was flat, then strapped her in and sent her flying over the edge.
She missed her students. Two had emailed her to say Dr. Scanlon had fallen asleep at the front of the class while they were taking a test and had farted himself awake.
I am worthy, she thought. I am loved. And then, My god, it’s like I finally understand bumper stickers, and she hiccuped out a laugh.
My Review:
This prickly book had a bit of everything and was distressingly realistic with family drama, addiction issues, social ills, complicated yet frighteningly plausible neuroscience, a twisted mystery, and deeply flawed characters who were self-involved yet generally well-meaning while difficult to fully appreciate.
I battled with the slow and irregular pace as well as the self-admittedly poor decisions the main character continued to make � I wanted to smack her in the back of the head with my beloved Kindle - yet I was also unquestionably curious, deeply invested in the story, and compelled to know how it was going to resolve.
The Easter eggs hidden in the storylines were clever and twisty yet the various story threads kept me itchy and dissatisfied with the annoying behaviors of the struggling characters. Needless to say, I’m more than a bit conflicted about how to rate this one yet the inner musings and narrative style were insightful and perceptive with occasional glimmers of wit and brilliance.
May 5, 2022
First, thank you to Erin Flanagan for sending an advanced read copy!! After reading Deer Season, I was excited to see more of her work and get a sense for her writing personality. I don't know if Flanagan could've predicted just how on point the main themes of this book would be by its release, but wow did so much of this hit home!
Toxic social media, fake news, invasion of privacy, racial inequality.. all of these threads are woven into this new thriller that will have you revaluating (and possibly reforming) the community with which you surround herself. Unlike Deer Season, where a town rips itself apart, the women in Blackout come together in a tight-knit group to save each other and bring the villain to justice.
Our main character, Maris, begins to think she's losing her mind after suffering a few blackouts. When she learns she isn't the only woman plagued by this strange, new condition, the truth she helps uncover is beyond anything she could have expected. Was it a little bit out there, bordering on implausible? Yes. But the writing and strong characters make up for it. I admire the way Flanagan's voice comes through in her storytelling. Overall, an entertaining read!
Toxic social media, fake news, invasion of privacy, racial inequality.. all of these threads are woven into this new thriller that will have you revaluating (and possibly reforming) the community with which you surround herself. Unlike Deer Season, where a town rips itself apart, the women in Blackout come together in a tight-knit group to save each other and bring the villain to justice.
Our main character, Maris, begins to think she's losing her mind after suffering a few blackouts. When she learns she isn't the only woman plagued by this strange, new condition, the truth she helps uncover is beyond anything she could have expected. Was it a little bit out there, bordering on implausible? Yes. But the writing and strong characters make up for it. I admire the way Flanagan's voice comes through in her storytelling. Overall, an entertaining read!
June 15, 2022
In lesser hands, a thriller like BLACKOUT might be a disaster. Any plot that juggles alcoholism, gaslighting, rape, murder, white-male hostility and an incredible conspiracy involving brain waves, neural transmissions and cellular towers � all to a backbeat of social media � could easily collapse under its own weight in splatter of histrionics and implausibilities.
But Erin Flanagan, author of DEER SEASON, which deserved its prestigious Edgar Award for First Novel, is too assured and smart for that. In her hands, BLACKOUT is the riveting story of Maris Heilman, an alcoholic who suffers strange blackouts months after her last drink, just as she's trying to land tenure as a professor at her Dayton, Ohio university in the face of some sexist headwinds. To everybody close to Maris, her blackouts are the product of a secretly resumed drinking habit, and the more she tries to convince her husband and teenage daughter � and everyone else in her orbit � that she hasn't relapsed, the more she looks exactly like someone who has. It's only when Maris discovers that other women have experienced similarly mysterious blackouts that she gets a glimpse of a monstrous conspiracy to discredit her � a conspiracy tied to her advocacy for the rights of victims in the wake of a well-connected local rapist's relatively light prison sentence. Even as she bottoms out � and relapses � other women in her orbit are helping her connect the dots of the conspiracy, and come to realize that if they don't take down the plotters, they themselves will be taken down � perhaps fatally. As Maris realizes: "He could create women as he saw fit. All free thinking could be taken away, replaced with submission ... a scientific gaslighting. It wouldn't just be a reverting to the old ways of seeing women as inferior, but a literal dark age where women would have no free well."
Flanagan's genius is in delivering all this in a level tone that subtly, even deceptively, ratchets up the tension without ever giving way to linguistic hysterics or implausibilities. She makes a plot that tilts into Michael Crichton-meets-Mary Higgins Clark territory into something utterly terrifying and utterly believable with each measured passage and page. All in a story that's as fresh as tomorrow's headlines, as America flirts with theocracy and stares down the barrel at a future in which women's reproductive rights are restricted and women's sexual agency closely regimented.
BLACKOUT is a knockout � a compulsively readable pulse-popper with wide appeal that never dumbs itself down for a wide audience. Don't be surprised to see it in the conversation for the Best Novel competition come next year's Edgar Award nominations. It's that good. And Erin Flanagan is on her way to becoming one of the finest voices in contemporary crime fiction, one of those authors whose books you'll come to want to read simply because her name is on them.
But Erin Flanagan, author of DEER SEASON, which deserved its prestigious Edgar Award for First Novel, is too assured and smart for that. In her hands, BLACKOUT is the riveting story of Maris Heilman, an alcoholic who suffers strange blackouts months after her last drink, just as she's trying to land tenure as a professor at her Dayton, Ohio university in the face of some sexist headwinds. To everybody close to Maris, her blackouts are the product of a secretly resumed drinking habit, and the more she tries to convince her husband and teenage daughter � and everyone else in her orbit � that she hasn't relapsed, the more she looks exactly like someone who has. It's only when Maris discovers that other women have experienced similarly mysterious blackouts that she gets a glimpse of a monstrous conspiracy to discredit her � a conspiracy tied to her advocacy for the rights of victims in the wake of a well-connected local rapist's relatively light prison sentence. Even as she bottoms out � and relapses � other women in her orbit are helping her connect the dots of the conspiracy, and come to realize that if they don't take down the plotters, they themselves will be taken down � perhaps fatally. As Maris realizes: "He could create women as he saw fit. All free thinking could be taken away, replaced with submission ... a scientific gaslighting. It wouldn't just be a reverting to the old ways of seeing women as inferior, but a literal dark age where women would have no free well."
Flanagan's genius is in delivering all this in a level tone that subtly, even deceptively, ratchets up the tension without ever giving way to linguistic hysterics or implausibilities. She makes a plot that tilts into Michael Crichton-meets-Mary Higgins Clark territory into something utterly terrifying and utterly believable with each measured passage and page. All in a story that's as fresh as tomorrow's headlines, as America flirts with theocracy and stares down the barrel at a future in which women's reproductive rights are restricted and women's sexual agency closely regimented.
BLACKOUT is a knockout � a compulsively readable pulse-popper with wide appeal that never dumbs itself down for a wide audience. Don't be surprised to see it in the conversation for the Best Novel competition come next year's Edgar Award nominations. It's that good. And Erin Flanagan is on her way to becoming one of the finest voices in contemporary crime fiction, one of those authors whose books you'll come to want to read simply because her name is on them.
June 3, 2022
Rating: 1.9/5
"Blackout" is described as being a psychological thriller, but while there are certainly plenty of psychological elements in the narrative, it is short on anything remotely thrilling.
I was quite intrigued by the central premise: The idea that the blackouts being experienced by sociology professor, Maris Heilman, and a group of other women, were not merely a natural medical phenomenon, but the result of something more sinister. (I feel I can happily make that reference here without it being a spoiler, as it is hinted at in the marketing blurb and becomes apparent quite early in the story.) However, unfortunately, the author failed to deliver on this promising potential.
In addition to the aforementioned premise there are also significant leitmotifs relating to (a) alcohol abuse and its effects and (b) and sexual abuse, including the broader subjugation of women by men. These themes also had the potential to be hard-hitting, but generally failed to be. I never felt that the author succeeded in weaving the key themes together in a manner that came across and fully-formed and compelling. As a result it all felt quite disjointed and also a bit "preachy" at times, which undermined the importance of the message.
At just over 300 pages, this is not a particular lengthy novel - but it felt considerably longer than that! The fragmented nature of the key premise and the sub-themes certainly contributed to this, but nor did it help that the sci-fi influenced core plot idea became increasingly silly and harder to take seriously as the story progressed.
With skilful handling "Blackout" could have been something very good, but it is actually decidedly ordinary.
"Blackout" is described as being a psychological thriller, but while there are certainly plenty of psychological elements in the narrative, it is short on anything remotely thrilling.
I was quite intrigued by the central premise: The idea that the blackouts being experienced by sociology professor, Maris Heilman, and a group of other women, were not merely a natural medical phenomenon, but the result of something more sinister. (I feel I can happily make that reference here without it being a spoiler, as it is hinted at in the marketing blurb and becomes apparent quite early in the story.) However, unfortunately, the author failed to deliver on this promising potential.
In addition to the aforementioned premise there are also significant leitmotifs relating to (a) alcohol abuse and its effects and (b) and sexual abuse, including the broader subjugation of women by men. These themes also had the potential to be hard-hitting, but generally failed to be. I never felt that the author succeeded in weaving the key themes together in a manner that came across and fully-formed and compelling. As a result it all felt quite disjointed and also a bit "preachy" at times, which undermined the importance of the message.
At just over 300 pages, this is not a particular lengthy novel - but it felt considerably longer than that! The fragmented nature of the key premise and the sub-themes certainly contributed to this, but nor did it help that the sci-fi influenced core plot idea became increasingly silly and harder to take seriously as the story progressed.
With skilful handling "Blackout" could have been something very good, but it is actually decidedly ordinary.
February 3, 2023
I didn't care for this. It wasn't really a thriller. It was really boring.
July 30, 2022
I've been pretty lazy with reviews lately so it's time I wrote one.
This book was "okay", no more than that. The story was a bit far fetched, but I don't have too much problem with that, hey, it's fiction. The writing was of a decent standard. The characters were the problem, particularly the main character, Maris.
I'm sure she is supposed to be damaged and vulnerable and endearing, but instead she is selfish, self-obsessed and self-pitying (always looking for someone else to blame for her weaknesses and failures while kidding herself she is taking responsibility) and it's hard to give much of a monkey about what happens to her. None of the other characters are especially engaging either, and I found it a bit of a chore at times to keep going with the book, hence it took me much longer to read than it really should have done.
The "thriller" part is quite sinister and builds a decent amount of tension as it unravels, but then the finale is somewhat rushed and anti-climatic, as you often find with books like this. Another failing is the open questions left unresolved at the end which conveniently get pushed aside.
Overall disappointing. Possibly a reasonable holiday read if you like psychological thrillers, but I've read much better to be honest.
This book was "okay", no more than that. The story was a bit far fetched, but I don't have too much problem with that, hey, it's fiction. The writing was of a decent standard. The characters were the problem, particularly the main character, Maris.
I'm sure she is supposed to be damaged and vulnerable and endearing, but instead she is selfish, self-obsessed and self-pitying (always looking for someone else to blame for her weaknesses and failures while kidding herself she is taking responsibility) and it's hard to give much of a monkey about what happens to her. None of the other characters are especially engaging either, and I found it a bit of a chore at times to keep going with the book, hence it took me much longer to read than it really should have done.
The "thriller" part is quite sinister and builds a decent amount of tension as it unravels, but then the finale is somewhat rushed and anti-climatic, as you often find with books like this. Another failing is the open questions left unresolved at the end which conveniently get pushed aside.
Overall disappointing. Possibly a reasonable holiday read if you like psychological thrillers, but I've read much better to be honest.
Want to read
January 2, 2022So this sounds AMAZING and I can't wait!!
I really enjoyed Flanagan's and I'm so excited to see what she comes up with next!
I really enjoyed Flanagan's and I'm so excited to see what she comes up with next!
July 25, 2022
DNF at 40%. I felt like I was at work, so I decided to quit. 😅
But seriously: ugh.
File Under: Hogwarts� History Ghost Tells A Soporific Tale
But seriously: ugh.
File Under: Hogwarts� History Ghost Tells A Soporific Tale
April 15, 2022
I read Erin Flanagan first book Deer Season and loved it. Blackout was big disappointment.
Maris is the main character who suffers from black outs, sometimes minutes, sometime longer.
Why doesn't she tell Noel her husband. Noel thinks Maris is acting like she has started to drink again.
Noel character lacks any substance or smarts. Can say the something about her daughter Cody.
Cody is more concern why her mom is missing so many of her advents. She suspects her mom may be drinking again too.
Maris figurers out that she is being control by some type experiment .Just too much for anyone to believe. Just goes on and on.
Do want to say special thanks to the author Erin Flanagan for sending me a advance copy.
Maris is the main character who suffers from black outs, sometimes minutes, sometime longer.
Why doesn't she tell Noel her husband. Noel thinks Maris is acting like she has started to drink again.
Noel character lacks any substance or smarts. Can say the something about her daughter Cody.
Cody is more concern why her mom is missing so many of her advents. She suspects her mom may be drinking again too.
Maris figurers out that she is being control by some type experiment .Just too much for anyone to believe. Just goes on and on.
Do want to say special thanks to the author Erin Flanagan for sending me a advance copy.
June 9, 2022
I� can’t even. What the hell did I just read?! I suppose the expectation in this review is about the themes of female generational trauma and abuse, coupled with the double standards of gender/sex in today’s elite systems.
What I read though was…evil man mind controls women via 5g cell towers� cause he’s a misogynist and loves when his family rapes� like where did that come from?!
As a woke lib, this is a book trying to capitalize on the politics we feel are meaningful, and it was poorly planned and gross. Definitely in my top worst list of books.
What I read though was…evil man mind controls women via 5g cell towers� cause he’s a misogynist and loves when his family rapes� like where did that come from?!
As a woke lib, this is a book trying to capitalize on the politics we feel are meaningful, and it was poorly planned and gross. Definitely in my top worst list of books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 2, 2022
Good one-off. Extremely plausible primary and secondary premises, which is what made it so unsettling. Unlikeable/semi-unreliable main protagonist. Bordered on pedantic when it came to the topic of alcohol abuse.
Wouldn't hesitate to read something by Erin Flanagan again, especially by the pool or at the beach.
PS
Didn't realize it until I came here to write my Book Report on this Kindle free read, but there sure are an _awful_ lot of books out there titled Blackout.
Wouldn't hesitate to read something by Erin Flanagan again, especially by the pool or at the beach.
PS
Didn't realize it until I came here to write my Book Report on this Kindle free read, but there sure are an _awful_ lot of books out there titled Blackout.
July 4, 2022
Combine the thought of a tepid thriller with that of a sci-fi fail and the result is Erin Flanagan’s Blackout. Unlikeable, stereotypic characters with stilted dialogue and a beyond far-fetched storyline collide at a blind intersection and end in a twisted heap of pages that, much like this sentence, seems to go on, and on, and on. Each thread of this plot is beaten to death, then kicked for good measure. Definitely not my cuppa.
June 9, 2022
Promising Young Woman meets Blake Crouch in this paranoid psychological thriller that will mess with your brain and keep you furiously turning pages late into the night.
Following up her 2021 Edgar-winning debut novel, , Flanagan is in top commercial thriller form here, obviously inspired by the #MeToo movement and the disturbing and shameful confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, spinning a suspenseful tale about a culture where women are seldom believed and men are too often excused for the worst behavior, even rape.
Protagonist Maris, a professor and writer of several articles about rape culture, is a recovering alcoholic seven months into her sobriety, who is just trying to white-knuckle her way through each day, not letting on to her husband Noel and adolescent daughter Cody how difficult that really is. Then, on top of her struggle to achieve tenure at the university where she teaches, she starts experiencing blackouts, losing moments in time. Then it starts getting worse and she's involved in an accident. Soon, she's worried she could be putting her family in danger. Is it all related to her past with drinking? Or is something more sinister afoot?
Along the way, Maris finds herself in the crosshairs of a bitter co-worker and has several brushes with a mysterious young woman obsessed with her articles who may know more than she's letting on. Soon, she finds a network of women experiencing similar blackouts, who become an investigative team trying to get down to the bottom of things. The answers they find are shockingly believable and devastating for all characters involved.
If you're looking for a suspenseful psychological thriller that grapples with the toxicity plaguing our culture today, then this is the book for you. I highly recommend it.
NOTE: I received an ARC from the author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Following up her 2021 Edgar-winning debut novel, , Flanagan is in top commercial thriller form here, obviously inspired by the #MeToo movement and the disturbing and shameful confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, spinning a suspenseful tale about a culture where women are seldom believed and men are too often excused for the worst behavior, even rape.
Protagonist Maris, a professor and writer of several articles about rape culture, is a recovering alcoholic seven months into her sobriety, who is just trying to white-knuckle her way through each day, not letting on to her husband Noel and adolescent daughter Cody how difficult that really is. Then, on top of her struggle to achieve tenure at the university where she teaches, she starts experiencing blackouts, losing moments in time. Then it starts getting worse and she's involved in an accident. Soon, she's worried she could be putting her family in danger. Is it all related to her past with drinking? Or is something more sinister afoot?
Along the way, Maris finds herself in the crosshairs of a bitter co-worker and has several brushes with a mysterious young woman obsessed with her articles who may know more than she's letting on. Soon, she finds a network of women experiencing similar blackouts, who become an investigative team trying to get down to the bottom of things. The answers they find are shockingly believable and devastating for all characters involved.
If you're looking for a suspenseful psychological thriller that grapples with the toxicity plaguing our culture today, then this is the book for you. I highly recommend it.
NOTE: I received an ARC from the author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 13, 2022
This book was actually really good. Truly a thriller. Here are the reasons I didn’t give it a 5: Maris just made a lot of wrong decisions that didn’t seem reasonable; the science was very hard to follow; I feel like it wrapped up too quickly. It was a riveting thriller right up until the very end when it just simply stopped Way too abruptly.
June 7, 2022
Blackout was my Prime First Reads selection for June, and I wasn't quite sure what to expect. What I got was a fast paced psych-thriller that absolutely blew me away. There is a lot of cutting edge psychological science detailed in the book and that is an area in which I'm extremely interested so this was perfect for me. Knowing that our government - and others - use psyops against us is fascinating and, in essence that it what the book is alluding to. I loved it; read it in one sitting and if you like this type of genre I think you will like it as well.
October 3, 2024
you know you read a good book when most of the negative reviews are from triggered conservatives!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 929 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.