I'm so confused for what to feel for this book. On one hand I really like the content of the story and I appreciate that this was inspir2.5/5 � ˚｡⋆୨୧˚
I'm so confused for what to feel for this book. On one hand I really like the content of the story and I appreciate that this was inspired by the author's own experiences. I just think there was a lot of loose ends that didn't fit together in the end, and maybe I don't understand the content as well as I thought I did? I'm just so confused I don't know if I can review this properly
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₊˚⊹� reading log
16/05 8:35pm ୨ৎ i am so close to finishing this but dnfing it would also feel so good but i've come this far ive got to know how it ends
15/05 4:20pm ୨ৎ okay so i feel like the premise of this is really good but the execution has fallen slightly short? it just feels weird and choppy but i am really invested in the outcome, im just not spooked or anything like i feel i should be?
14/05 9:44pm ୨ৎ how does one balance reading and work/school
13/05 7:44am ୨ৎ i'm always nervous to read on the train because i dont like people looking over my shoulder
₊˚⊹� pre-reading
i'm not doing so good on my planned may tbr (the gripes of being a huge mood reader) - but i'm not tooo mad about breaking it for this one because i loved the premise of this thriller, but i've been put off by the reviews, so let's see how it goes.
︶︶� � ︶︶︶⠀୨♡୧⠀︶︶� � ︶︶�
may tbr:
�. salt to the sea �. powerless �. house of earth and blood �. everyone in my family has killed someone �. bride �. listen for the lie �. she's not sorry �. love on the brain �. the familiar �. a court of wings and ruin + a good girl's guide to murder + the clinic...more
I'm .... indifferent on so many different things in the book. I'm really confused on how the book ended, I think there were a lot of loo3/5 �
╰┈� Plot
I'm .... indifferent on so many different things in the book. I'm really confused on how the book ended, I think there were a lot of loose ends and the reveals weren't as shocking. There were some plot points that led you down one path felt like they had no merit at the end. I'm still sitting here going "what about this... or what about this"?
I was really excited for this because of one of her other books, The Overnight Guest, in which I guessed the plot twist but it still kept my heart pumping. This somehow felt less high stakes even though the premise felt like it should have been even MORE high stakes.
I think this had so much potential, it just fell short for me.
╰┈� Characters
I think you had all your tell tale characters to make up this kind of thriller - mum, lawyer, doctor, senator, journalist - all very typical. That being said, I didn't like any of the characters. I felt no emotional attachment to any of them - so I didn't really care what happened to them.
We don't really know why anyone wants to win the money (except Marie) other than the fact money = good. Which felt really shallow and gave me only one character to root for - Marie.
╰┈� World/Setting
The world was described very nicely and I love some Italian architecture. I think the world was the only thing that gave the book its 'eerieness'. The setting was also very good, very Squid Game. But in Squid Game, I felt the characters pain and suffering.
╰┈� Pacing
Very fast paced. I chewed through this in a day because I was really interested, the book keeps you hooked, even if the plot points fell short. I was so excited to see how they all came together so I just kept on turning pages.
╰┈� Enjoyment
If the ending didn't turn out the way it did, I would rate this higher. I enjoyed all the little clues in Italian (yes I went to google translate), I enjoyed flipping the pages to see how it would all come together, the premise is brilliant - it just fell short at tying everything together in a bow and so the end kind of crushed it for me.
02/04 4:50pm ୨ৎ ok hang on things are starting to come together i feel like a bit of a detective putting clues together here -- (view spoiler)[ so they were all given wine bottles that had words on them written on Italian - and maybe i'm ruining this for myself but i decided to go to google translate and they give such a big hint into what's to come (hide spoiler)]
02/04 8:00am ୨ৎ this is super easy to get through and i am intrigued to see who wins i don't have any bets yet but there is for sure high stakes with (view spoiler)[ fern locking cat away in the cellar (hide spoiler)].
02/04 4:22am ୨ৎ it may or may not be 4am - i've read about 11%? not as heart racing as the overnight guest so far - i think it might be the setting
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pre-reading ⁺�*･༓�
OH MY GOSH i’m so excited i’ve been waiting for this one to come out for some reason it released in australia today?? anyway i absolutely loved the overnight guest it was a 5 star read for me so yes i’m mood reading like hell right now (please don’t hate me i’m going through a nasty break up)...more
Do you like high stakes, drama in every chapter and unexpected twists & turns? This is for you.
I honestly think I could give this 5/5.4.8/5 *:･ﾟ�*:･ﾟ�
Do you like high stakes, drama in every chapter and unexpected twists & turns? This is for you.
I honestly think I could give this 5/5. In my opinion, the flaws were so minor I didn't notice them at all. I could not put this book down at all. Every page I wanted to know what happened next. I was glued to it for 4 hours I think? It did not leave my hand.
I thought oh man I guessed the plot twist - and I mean I *sort of* did - but it was so much bigger than I expected, so much more jaw dropping. For my first Holly Jackson book - I have such high praises for her and will most certainly be reading everything else she has to offer.
I don't know if it's naïve of me that I can't find a fault in this book. The pacing, the characters, the plot - all amazing. My own personal enjoyment, 5/5. My heart was thudding in my chest. So good. Maybe my favourite thriller of the year.
If you read my reading log, you'll see I looked a tad silly ...more
I must just be choosing all the wrong reads for me.
This really disappointed me. I wanted to love this so much - I loved the premis2.2/5� ✩‧₊˚
DNF @ 55%
I must just be choosing all the wrong reads for me.
This really disappointed me. I wanted to love this so much - I loved the premise. I used to read the Chinese Cinderella series when I was younger and I loved how rich the culture was, and discovering everything that came along with that.
The main issue for me was the pacing. Without spoiling - the blurb tells you that Rebecca and Jasmine's stories intertwine, but they don't show you how, at least not yet. I felt no urgency on (view spoiler)[ how Jasmine was going to get Fifi back, or if Wren was going to find Jasmine. (hide spoiler)]
I felt like they spent way too long on the world building and I'm really sorry but I just got bored and didn't want to finish it, and was not looking forward to what was happening next. It's 2024 - if I don't want to read a book, I'm going to DNF it ):
Things I loved surrounded the underlying themes, with Rebecca's struggle of being a mother of a mixed baby. That reminds me of my own mother, and that was the most interesting part of the book to me.
I just think for over halfway through, I should feel a bit more urgency and a bit more direction in the plot. It feels like there has been no development since the start.
Would I recommend this? I'm not sure. The plot has so much promise. The writing style was so vivid and built a world I could picture perfectly in my mind. Maybe if I had finished this book I'd have a different opinion, but for now this is where I'm at.
07/04 2:32am goodness me its picked up the pace now, and i'm intrigued. i think initially the pacing was hard to get behind and I do love the underlying feminist themes
06/04 8:08pm i love jasmine’s chapters, rebecca’s not so much - they feel like fever dreams
06/04 12:48pm i'm finding it a tad difficult to get into this, maybe because of my sort of drowsy state from being in hospital?
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pre-reading ⋆˙⟡�
i can't continue on with magnolia parks at the minute whilst my own heartbreak is going on, so i thought i'd switch it up a little bit.
i haven't heard too much on this book so i'm excited to go into this blind :)...more
Wow, the end of this was hectic. I did not see the twist coming at all actually - Alice Feeney does that so well and I adore her for that.3.5/5 *ੈ✩‧₊˚
Wow, the end of this was hectic. I did not see the twist coming at all actually - Alice Feeney does that so well and I adore her for that. I had to pause the TV I had on in the background to pay attention in those last few chapters. I've rounded this up to 4 stars.
Compared to her other books, specifically Rock Paper Scissors and Daisy Darker, I think the characters lack something in this one. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I feel like I couldn't differentiate the two main characters from a book I read previously, for example.
Nevertheless, this is slaps, and I would recommend. I don't think there's a single book of hers that I wouldn't - and I'm definitely adding Good Bad Girl as well as I Know Who You Are to my list.
I'm a bit burnt out on full written reviews but I'm sure I'll get to this in the next few hours.
15/04 4:26pm okay nevermind i called nothing, but i'm calling it now the person behind all this is (view spoiler)[ catherine....? i think her name was the coke can girl you know what i mean (hide spoiler)] and i am going to look real silly if im wrong
14/04 8:34pm I CALLED it i called it no one can sneak one by detective natilie let me tell you (i still don't understand what the heck is going on)
14/04 6:50pm i feel like one of those scooby doo investigators - which one of you meddling kids is either faking some thing or has a mask on hm?
14/04 3:14pm i’m not like blown away or anything yet, but i am just sitting here wondering who the blooming heck is responsible for all these shenanigans and also WHY DOES (view spoiler)[EVERYONE CHEAT is it that hard to be faithful (hide spoiler)]
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₊˚⊹� pre-reading
hello, welcome to my ted talk (hopefully) on why I adore alice feeney as an author. i haven't looked at the reviews for this one (because i'm scared.)...more
this took me longer than i expected, probably recovering from being in hospital has something to do with it?
this જ⁀� 2.5/5 ⭐️
˗ˏˋ � ˎˊ˗ post-reading
this took me longer than i expected, probably recovering from being in hospital has something to do with it?
this struck me as a domestic ‘cozy-murder� - i wasn’t really on edge, but i liked the story, it was entertaining and i did get through it pretty quick all things considering. RTC.
˗ˏˋ � ˎˊ˗ pre-reading
as we're on the thriller train, up next is a domestic thriller - the trope I've been avoiding for a while so let's see how this goes :)...more
I'll be honest, it's been a while since I read this book so my mind isn't totally clear on why I disliked it so much. It just felt like 2.2 / 5 *ੈ✩‧₊˚
I'll be honest, it's been a while since I read this book so my mind isn't totally clear on why I disliked it so much. It just felt like everything was mashed together in the weirdest ways. The plot twist made sense and I did see it coming, but it wasn't very satisfying.
I've heard that this author often does this in her books, particularly 'The Paris Apartment' (thanks to those who commented telling me to avoid it.)
It's a shame because I loved the world. Dark and stormy? 100% my thing. Cultish frat boys? Not really my thing.
I do understand how it all tied together, but getting there was so confusing, I felt like I was reading a million short stories compiled together and it wasn't intentional.
I might give the Paris Apartment a shot to kind of see, because I do think this had a lot of potential.
so i finally finished it! am i a little disappointed? yes. something i can't quite put my finger on didn't hook me in like ot3.5/5 ͙͘͡�
୨ৎ post-reading
so i finally finished it! am i a little disappointed? yes. something i can't quite put my finger on didn't hook me in like other thrillers, even though the twist was quite good and clever, i didn't enjoy reading it as much. i may have to come back to my rating, but for now its a 3.25.
pre-reading
i need a good redemption thriller, this seems easily digestible i have confidence in this ...more
This was an incredibly fast paced gripping read that ultimately had me yelling at the characters going "WHY" every 10 minutes. This book is th4.25/5 �
This was an incredibly fast paced gripping read that ultimately had me yelling at the characters going "WHY" every 10 minutes. This book is the definition of gaslighting, gaslighting yourself even and how that might lead to your ultimate demise - yay!
I'm under no impression this was a perfect book. I've lowered my rating since finishing it after discussing it with people and then I found the glaringly obvious plot holes staring back at me. I also couldn't give it a higher rating because I guessed every twist and turn - and if you're an experienced thriller enthusiast you probably will as well. I still found it enjoyable and couldn't put it down and finished it in one sitting.
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જ⁀� The plot was fast paced, but predictable. I struggled to put this down, but again for the experienced thriller reader I guarantee you'll see the ending coming. As soon as I found out (view spoiler)[ Josh wasn't the killer, I instantly went *inhale gasp* it's Robbie. (hide spoiler)] There are also some glaringly annoying decisions that our main character Charlie makes, which people may have her thinking she lacks common sense. I get it, it's frustrating.
I had sympathy for her, since she struggles with some sort of dissociation probably stemming from PTSD (I'm no mental health professional) and a lot of her 'stupid' decisions seemed to come from her experiencing reality a bit differently.
When I was reading it, her intentions seemed to explain her somewhat rash behaviour. Josh's motivations at the time of reading also seemed reasonable - which now that I think about it they do seem a little far-fetched. Okay completely unreasonable.
જ⁀� The writing style? Enthralling. I was absolutely captivated by this, I wasn't bored ever. The way this was written did just hook me in, and I appreciated the different POV's which never truly gave away anything. I found it hard hitting and equally eerie with a tinge of 'should I be reading this at 3am alone in the dark'.
જ⁀� Would I recommend this? YES. To someone who maybe is just starting to read thrillers and wants to dip their toe in the water. It's shocking enough to be interesting, but not shocking enough to be utterly confused.
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post reading ♡༄
I absolutely demolished this and managed to sneak in a last read for January, and it slapped. I’m really tired now because it’s 5am and I stayed up reading, but RTC :)
-徱Բੈ♡�
i’m a thriller girl at heart, this will be my first riley sager novel! i have high expectations for this one ...more
guys i finished a book after so many months are you proud of me and i finished this in a day yes go me - i'm debating whether or not w3.5/5 ˗ˏˋ � ˎˊ˗
guys i finished a book after so many months are you proud of me and i finished this in a day yes go me - i'm debating whether or not writing a review on this just to try and get into reading more as a hobby and see if i feel like reviewing later! :)
(i might review this actually nvm ive changed my mind)
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₊˚⊹� reading log
23/09 9:00pm �. i've actually chewed through this (62% not that impressive actually) but like do i know how to read again??
23/09 1:01pm �. my first thoughts are that there are short chapters (yay) but too many characters/POV's to keep track of my ADHD brain is strugglingggg
₊˚⊹� pre-reading
i have tried to come back from my hiatus multiple times but something was always in the way - mental health, relationship breakdown, workaholic tendencies etc. but now i'm not doing anything whilst in hospital so i am determined to get back into reading and meet my goal of 50 books<33
i love the black mirror concept of this, and whilst i have reads like beach read and powerless on the run at the moment as well, it's hard to get excited about coming back to a book after months....more
This book resonated with me in a way I hadn't experienced in a while and whilst that being the case it is an incredibly heavy disturbi5/5 � - MAJOR TW
This book resonated with me in a way I hadn't experienced in a while and whilst that being the case it is an incredibly heavy disturbing read so personally I wouldn't recommend it to everyone.
It is the first thriller that I've read that whilst being twisty and gripping, made me introspective. Maybe that's just me because of who I am and where I come from, and that's what made the themes in this book hit home with me.
It's fast paced, dark as hell and beautifully told. All the female characters in this book are outstandingly written. The strong female lead is a strong female lead, whilst being typically 'feminine'.
I can understand why people who have read this don't particularly like it and question a lot of the plot points and the main character's inner monologue / decisions. For me, everything made sense. The things that other people have critiqued made absolute sense to me and seemed fitting, again probably because of where I come from.
I do love this, Ashley Winstead has done an amazing job. If you choose to read it, please read the trigger warnings first. It is extremely confronting and hard hitting - but told in the right way, in my opinion....more
(i'm redoing a bunch of my ratings because i was clearly under the influence or something when making these)
i liked this book, the story it3.5 / 5 ✮⋆˙
(i'm redoing a bunch of my ratings because i was clearly under the influence or something when making these)
i liked this book, the story itself felt very cozy - for a thriller. to me it felt very wholesome, which probably says a lot about me.
i wanted to love this book and i was going to give it 4 stars until about the halfway point.
pros ₊˚⊹� - amazing FMC. ruby simon is relatable and intriguing at the same time. - really great writing style, was easy to follow. - all the characters had substance, felt individual and important to the story. - the story is still really interesting, i loved reading about her life and how it evolves over time.
cons ₊˚⊹� - there wasn’t a sense of urgency to me which affected the pacing of the plot heavily. - for a thriller, it wasn’t very thriller-y. at the start it felt very dramatic, and then tapered off. - the resolution was very predictable....more
₊⊹⁶� Upon reflection I've updated this rating from a 3.5 to a 4 as I keep comparing other thrillers to this one, and wishing they made me feel li4/5⭐️
₊⊹⁶� Upon reflection I've updated this rating from a 3.5 to a 4 as I keep comparing other thrillers to this one, and wishing they made me feel like this book
I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book - initially I didn’t think there was a plot and then I was literally dropping my jaw in public and being too freaked to read it at night time, to being underwhelmed by the end.
I think the biggest reason this isn’t a higher rating is because of the pacing, it felt too slow at the start and then was quick and then sort of dwindled out. The ending just wasn’t for me, as a personal preference.
I would recommend this - just with some pre warnings!...more
I know I just said I guessed the twist and I didn’t want to finish it, but alas, I was pleasantl3.5/ 5✮⋆˙
I'd call this book a crime / murder mystery.
I know I just said I guessed the twist and I didn’t want to finish it, but alas, I was pleasantly surprised! I wouldn’t necessarily call this book a thriller, maybe not until the very end.
I didn’t speed through this book, but not because it wasn’t gripping I just had a big week ...more
Natilie Bell
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