I was surprised to see so many negative reviews about this book. I enjoyed it. It reminded me very much of defending Jacob although I will confess I eI was surprised to see so many negative reviews about this book. I enjoyed it. It reminded me very much of defending Jacob although I will confess I enjoyed Jacob a bit more. But then again, defending Jacob really is in a league of its own.
But this was good! I didn’t notice any childishness in the writing as several people said. Maybe a bit in the beginning, but then it kind of eased off. I will admit it takes a couple of chapters to get into, but I finished it in one evening .
Now you may be wondering why I only gave it to a three. Here’s the thing.
I enjoyed the book. I read it quickly, but there were two things that prevented me from giving it a higher rating, two things that I really disliked about it. Has nothing to do with the writing, which I thought was quite good. I will explain what I mean , but I will have to include spoilers when I do. But first….
First, let’s talk about what was good. The title sort of says it all. A high school boy is murdered, and they think that Sonia’s son did it. Sonia is a divorcee, and she fiercely loves her son Ethan and does not believe he can possibly be guilty.
Predictable, but interesting premise. It was exactly what I needed at the time .
I was looking for a book that I could just sort of zing through! This definitely satisfied my quick read, thriller craving.
Now, unfortunately I can’t discuss what I didn’t like without the use of spoilers. So.
SPOILERS:
OK. The first thing I didn’t like was the ending . No this is not a dig at the writer. However, it might be construed as a dig at the publishing industry and people who think that would not be wrong.
As I’ve said, in other reviews, I took a long break from the domestic thrillers . I’ve read mysteries and domestic thrillers through all my life since childhood but for about I don’t know , 18 months or so I’m guessing , I really did not read any. I came back to them this year but something seems to have changed.
I am noticing a pattern with every or almost every domestic thriller that I read now.
They have not one twist, but multiple towards the end.
These twists usually come in the last 10 pages. It’s like nothing I’ve seen before and because I’m seeing them so prevalently, I have to think that the publishing industry perhaps wants this?
Or Perhaps writers just see other writers doing it and so all of a sudden everyone’s doing it! I don’t know if the books sell quicker if they have multiple twists or Gone girl set off an earthquake and now everybody’s doing it but either way , I love one twist but anything more than that really doesn’t play well with me . I like a little bit of realism in my books.
There was not one and not two but three twists towards the end of this book.
It did absolutely nothing for me. If any of you are reading this and have read the book, do you know what I would’ve liked? I would’ve liked it to end with Felix is the murderer. That is the way I thought it would end, and all the twists came after in rapidfire did zilch for me.
Let’s look at these twists
Ethan turns out to be the murderer after all which kind of sucked, but I might’ve been able to deal with that one.
Then we have Felix, who’s behind bars and inexplicably gets the chance to murder the local pervert. It was sloppy and unrealistic, and I didn’t believe it in the slightest.
Then it turns out that although Ethan was the murderer, His girlfriend was a witness, and he has been lying to his mom about what really happened. Bear in mind this comes one twist on top of the other.
Again, this is not a dig at the writer. I mean they all seem to do it now.
It’s gotten to the point where I can predict endings because I figure whoever seems nice is actually evil and whoever seems evil is actually nice and I’m right more than 50% of the time.
The second thing I disliked ties into the first.
Now I don’t know if the author will ever see this review. I know some authors do read the reviews. But I had a big frustration with the character of Felix.
He was the pivotal character in the book! And yet we see so little of him.
Am I alone in wanting a confrontation between him and Ethan and him and Sonya? I mean the whole book essentially really revolves around him and he’s in it so little that it was frustrating.
I would love to see a part two of this, because the whole thing felt unfinished at the end. And yes, I would read it. I think the writing is the most powerful thing in the book.
I got really involved, and I wanted to know how things turned out, but I just feel a sense of frustration because of those things I mentioned above.
I would even like to see a prequel, perhaps narrated by Felix. Oh, and there’s one more thing . Felix is a douche bag but pretty much everybody in this book is unlikable, and the fact of the matter is by the end of the book either everybody is a murderer, or they have died so yes, I guess I had more than two frustrations!
But I mean, obviously I like the book or I wouldn’t be asking for a prequel or sequel.
But knowing what authors are doing these days with the twists over and over again I doubt I’ll get one and that’s disappointing. I’d really like to see what happens in Sonia’s Journey .
I’d also really like to see the background when her and Felix were happy.
Wow, this turned out to be a long review ! Just to sum up — a really enjoyable thriller that although had some problems with , I would rate 3.5 stars out of five....more
This is a short story, a slice of life, and yet the characters bloom as real as any I’ve read about iI have to say that this writer has great talent.
This is a short story, a slice of life, and yet the characters bloom as real as any I’ve read about in a full-length novel.
I don’t want to give too much away in this review. But if you like short stories, or Novella‘s and slices of life, then I think you’re going to like this.
I must admit that the writer reminds me a bit of JD Salinger. Also a bit of John Steinbeck. I read for the first time recently Steinbeck‘s masterpiece Canary row, which was also a slice of life.
Of course, BEING slices of life, they encompass all of life’s emotions and a lot of that is pain and heartache.
I’ll also admit I almost made a big mistake. I almost gave this a three instead of a four.
The reason why is because although there are many stories , the primary story involves someone with cancer. That is a sore spot for me as my mom passed away several years ago from cancer. I generally stay away from books that have that as a subject but in this case I didn’t know.
So yes, I enjoyed the secondary stories more than the primary one because of that fact.
But you know what ?
You really can’t judge a book JUST on enjoyment. You have to rate it on its ability to touch your heart.
This touched my heart.
It was tender and sublime, and really got into my head. The fact that I don’t like to read about the subject matter is neither here nor there.
The fact is this was a well above average short story from an , immensely talented author that I would really recommend to everyone ....more
For those who are not familiar with this book, it is a reimagining of the classic story, The gift of the Magi.
Only it’s Oh my gosh, did I enjoy this!
For those who are not familiar with this book, it is a reimagining of the classic story, The gift of the Magi.
Only it’s reimagined really really darkly.
Really, REALLY darkly!
I can’t say too much about it. I mean it’s not that long and I finished it in about an hour or less.
But I have to say this upfront. It’s better than the original!
I read the original, as a kid, reread it not that long ago and I never as a kid or now , was really that fond of it.
You may also recognize odes to other short story classics in this story like the Monkey’s Paw, yet another short story I read as a kid, reread as an adult and never ever liked at all.
Yeah, I know I’m kind of a party pooper.
But I did like this. I liked it a whole heck of a lot in fact.
I will also say that this is one of the creepiest short stories, I’ve read in years. It’s dark, it’s edgy, and it was just so good. I gobbled it down. I sipped it like a fine wine and damn I didn’t feel hung over afterwards , I just wanted more!
So definitely add this one if you’re looking for a creepy short story. It was a lot of fun....more
This book was superb and chilling, and frightening because it’s a true story.
You can see what it’s aboFive. Stars. Not even a question on the rating.
This book was superb and chilling, and frightening because it’s a true story.
You can see what it’s about from the book description. But basically, the writer of this book fell in love with someone who wasn’t real. She got scammed on the Internet, as millions upon millions of human beings do every single — DAY.
That’s right. Every single day, not every single month, nor every year but every single day.
There are millions upon millions upon millions of different kind of Internet scams. Not all of them have to do with relationships sometimes, as happened to a good friend of mine, one will get an email from supposedly a friend or family member, who needs money desperately but it’s not really from your friend or family member.
Others will get scammed purely because the person you’re getting scammed by is a psychopath. A good example is the story I once heard about a guy who loved to seduce women over the Internet, meet them, bed them, and then leave them. It had nothing to do with money . They just love to cause pain.
Then there are the ones who pose as companies like Amazon or your local community bank. They will email you, but it’s not really them. It’s a scammer trying to get your credit and debit card information or your Social Security number or all of the above.
There are all kinds of predators on the Internet, all kinds of scams, all kind of angry and vicious non-humans, some of whom get off on hurting other people for the thrill of it.
Some of them just want the money. They make careers of scamming people.
They are all over the place posing as people they are not, infiltrating, social media, sites, and dating sites and chat rooms, these are the great pretenders of the Internet, who pretend to have the qualities of morality and human decency.
They come in all shapes and sizes and sexes, and they can be lethal.
I have friends and family members who have encountered these people. I have encountered these people and over half of the people I know have in one way or another encountered these people.
Sometimes it’s just a teeny tiny scam. Sometimes the people who are the marks are able to get away before any damage is done.
But sometimes they can’t.
This book almost reads like fiction. The entire book or I’d say 90% of it, is told with emails and chats.
It is a must read for anybody, anybody who does Internet dating, anybody who has been scammed, anybody who is afraid of being scammed, and anybody interested in the human mind. It is rare that I hand out five stars but this was, I mean, if I had 20 stars, if Goodreads had 20 stars, that’s what I would give this.
What is utterly fascinating is it’s painful. We’re part of the audience and we see the whole relationship taking place as Tom gets to know Annie and she starts to fall for him and he slowly starts perpetuating his scam.
For anybody who would ever judge the author, I would say up yours. Do you know how many people can get taken advantage of? Good people, educated people , tough people. People who work in the law and order industry. Believe me, I’ve known a few of them.
The grifters who grift, are sometimes tops at what they do. They cyber lie, they perpetuate phishing, scams, and sometimes in the worst cases they pretend to love you.
Cheers for the author for bringing her incredibly piercingly relevant story to print. Highly recommend it to everybody....more
First off this is a prequel to another novel, called the pretty girls and I’ve heard about this for a long tYeah I really didn’t care for this at all.
First off this is a prequel to another novel, called the pretty girls and I’ve heard about this for a long time, and always been rather intrigued with it. So I figured I would read it, and if I like the prequel, I could go on to read the Main book.
I did not like the prequel. Often I feel bad giving low ratings, but this author is much loved, and I’ve spent the last 40 minutes reading other low ratings of this story and the main story .
The darkness, the bleakness and the feeling of imminent doom did not do a thing for me.
Not that the prequel is real violent although the threat of violence is omnipresent.
However , I am so glad that I read the reviews for the Main brook after finishing blonde hair blue eyes. Because apparently it is extremely violent and that is not some thing I would have any desire to read.
This book, which is very short, is about Julie, who is madly in love with her new boyfriend, and also obsessed with a girl who vanished some time ago.
But I mean, she’s really obsessed. And that is pretty much the whole story. There really was not any plot other than her obsessing about this other girl and wanting to write a news story about missing girls and women.
Honestly , I started to skim. The story just was so gloomy, and without giving any spoilers, the ending was just oh boy.
Clearly, I am not the target audience. Look, it’s not like I haven’t read any stories about serial killers before. I’ve read books about them , I’ve seen movies about them. I love the silence of the lambs, and I just recently a couple years ago read the nonfiction book, the Stranger, beside me, which I found really incredible.
Blonde hair, blue eyes was utterly joyless. It was bereft of anything except dark shadows and a heck of a lot of gloom . I was horrified reading how much violence is in pretty girls, which is the name of the main book that this is a prequel to.
The thing is, it did succeed in getting me interested in how things work out for Julie. Not enough, however to go on and read the main book. I am not trying to be harsh at all, but from what I could tell the amount of blood and gore in the pretty girls would be way too much for anyone who didn’t have a cast iron stomach. I did manage to find out a little bit of what ultimately happens by reading reviews with spoilers.
Ultimately, I’m feeling let down because I heard about this book for a while as well as the other one and I’d had an interest in reading both. I had no idea just how dark it would be and how there really wouldn’t be much of a plot or any resolution to anything so no this was not for me....more
I feel like apologizing for not liking this. I say that because it contains some incredible writing. This writer is absolutely brilliant with the metaI feel like apologizing for not liking this. I say that because it contains some incredible writing. This writer is absolutely brilliant with the metaphors and similes, and I personally think I’d read anything that she wrote.
I did not like the story. It was just a case of the wrong fit for me.
I’m not gonna go over the plot a great deal because I’m tired. I often times do a plot synopsis , but so many others have done that. Suffice to say this was a wee bit too dark and graphic for me.
What I mean by that is there’s an awful lot of gore, and that’s really almost never to my liking. I prefer horror stories that are much more psychological nature.
I was also puzzled by the protagonist. I couldn’t begin to scratch the surface with her, and I found the dialogue very odd although when the twist came along, I understood the reason for it if that makes any sense.
But the book was a little bit too out there for me, frankly. It was an exceptionally well written, actually a beautifully written book, but the plot did not land with me.
I do have to include some spoilers now because part of what I did not like about it is what the plot was versus what I thought it would be when I selected it.
SPOILERS
OK, so this is basically a retelling of Adam and Eve, in the garden of Eden and the snake and apples but it’s retold in a very dark way, and in a way that I did not take to at all. Had I known what the subject matter was, I really would not have picked it as beautifully written as it was.
Started getting queasy as Sophia found more and more body parts scattered around her home. This is so far out from what I usually read and I didn’t really read the reviews in-depth enough to know what I was letting myself in for.
I was not satisfied with the ending either. I just found the whole thing again the word that comes to mind is out there. I see that many others seem to have adored this book, and with the writing being as visual and utterly enchanting as it was, I can certainly understand why. This was just a case of the wrong fit....more
A rather unique serial killer is on the loose. He only murders husbands – abuMixed feelings. Review to follow.
Who is the crossed hearts serial killer?
A rather unique serial killer is on the loose. He only murders husbands – abusive husbands – husbands who beat their wives.
On paper this looked like my kind of book. It’s certainly should’ve been . Yet I have mixed feelings. I didn’t really enjoy reading it that much. I think I know why.
First, let me talk about the good. It is a great subject matter on which to base a book. The POV is told from the point of view of three different characters. They are all wives of these abusive men.
Trigger alerts include physical abuse.
The aspects that I enjoyed was the back stories of some of the women and the characters themselves some of whom I definitely had strong opinions on!
It’s also a very readable book. I definitely see that most of the ratings are positive and mine is kind of positive. I didn’t dislike it. You will get hooked almost immediately, and want to know who the murderer is.
Here’s the thing though. I expected it to be way darker and more sinister than it wound up being.
Parts of the book for me read like a big chat -athon between the women and their kids. It’s not that I don’t like children in my books, believe me.
But there were so many in this one! And it was distracting. I can’t tell you how many times I’d be getting into the book and then a scene would pop out of nowhere with one of the children running into the room and stuff about toys and this child, and that child and I didn’t really enjoy that aspect of it to be honest.
I thought it would be more of a dark, brooding, insidious, slow, walk into creepy.
At times I felt I was reading more of a family drama about mothers and kids than a mystery or thriller. As such, I mildly enjoyed this, but it really wasn’t the best pick for me.
SPOILERS
The other reason I couldn’t get into it so much was because I was waiting for the book to do something all domestic thrillers seem to do these days and that is not a criticism of the writer. In other reviews, I’ve mentioned that I’ve been away from the domestic thriller genre for a while, and since I’ve come back, which was recently, it seems that all books feature an unreliable narrator, who is not what the reader thinks they are and all is revealed in the last couple of pages of the book.
Of course, that happened with this ending too. I guess I’m going to have to accept that domestic thrillers have changed in between my brief break from the genre and my coming back.
Virtually every thriller I’ve read lately has the same ending. They feature an unreliable, narrator , and then, in the last two pages, maybe even in the last half page, one finds out at the unreliable narrator had a hand in the crime, after all!
Again, this is not directed toward this writer. It’s kind of every book in this genre lately that I’ve been reading. I guess I’m going to have to accept it though, because I cannot seem to find any domestic thrillers that do not have this kind of ending.
If you’re still with me through the spoilers, then yes, I would recommend this book. It’s rare that I see a thriller with so many positive reviews!
That’s what made me want to read this in the first place. And there’s really nothing that was not well written about it. For me it all comes down to personal preference and books that have those plots where the kids are featured so heavily almost as much as the mystery element. They’re just not my cup of tea . I would still rate this 3.5 stars and recommend it....more
There is something extremely fun about reading a psychological thriller, through the eyes of a florist.
The florist is quite an exciting domestic thrilThere is something extremely fun about reading a psychological thriller, through the eyes of a florist.
The florist is quite an exciting domestic thriller! The story revolves around Amy, who runs her own flower shop.
Amy is a complete workaholic but she’s also rather socially awkward and doesn’t have many friends.
When she lands a glamorous new account for the shop, that involves providing the floral arrangements for a surprise party for a girl from a very rich family, Amy is in paradise.
The party is being given for the charismatic Izzy. Amy, quickly becomes enamored of the whole wealthy family, Izzy included.
But when a horrible event happens, all signs point to Amy being involved. But is she really?
This is a good domestic thriller, with a memorable cast of characters and twists. that at least makes sense. I really enjoyed the florist. I also learned so much about flowers!
The key to enjoying this book is knowing that you have no idea where the plot is going to go at any given time.
It seems like almost every character is hiding something and you really don’t know who is without secrets and who isn’t.
This was definitely a hit for me in a sea of forgettable thrillers.
I almost never give four stars to domestic thrillers these days, but this one most definitely deserves it.
It actually has interesting characters, it’s fun to read, and it’s a little bit of a mindfuck without going off the walls into outrageousness and impossibilities.
It would be virtually impossible for me to give this book anything under a four or five.
At the same time, it is an incredibly painful story to read, aIt would be virtually impossible for me to give this book anything under a four or five.
At the same time, it is an incredibly painful story to read, as the subject matter is human trafficking.
It takes place in Cambodia. There are two storylines going on, from the beginning, which, as you might suspect, come together, somewhere in the middle, to form a beautifully written, yet harrowing tale of human trafficking, strength, resilience and survival.
There is talk about the Khmer Rouge.
I admit, I don’t know as much as I’d like about this savage and evil group . Many years ago, however, I read a book about what they did, and it was a lyrically beautiful book but like this one quite harrowing. If any of you reading this are interested in reading this book, it’s called “In the shadow of the Banyan.” It was excellent just like this book.
Anyway, I should warn you about some trigger warnings. The girl sold into sexual slavery is eight years old. It is a brothel with many other young girls. There is physical and verbal abuse but no actual sex. if there had been, I don’t think I’d have been able to continue on.
Our protagonist is a gentle and sensitive and uniquely special girl, who sees life in colors, a subject I can relate to because I myself, am a very visual reader. There is also an author, who inadvertently get swept up into the saga of the girls in the red dresses.
This was a very good novella that starts off, searing and brutal, though, like I said, even though it may seem like you will, you will not witness any rape in the book.
The book reminded me of a colorful, tropical bird. It was so visual, and had such a beautiful melody to it. It’s a short book, more than a short story, but less than a full book. I would call it a novella.
I would definitely recommend it if you can handle the subject matter....more
I do have to say first there are trigger alerts. This is a dark story of domestic violence and physical abuse. It’This was a really well written book.
I do have to say first there are trigger alerts. This is a dark story of domestic violence and physical abuse. It’s the story of a husband, who abuses his wife, and the abuse is laid out in very stark terms.
It is also a sort of homage to strangers on a train.
Daisy is married to Bruce in South Carolina near Charleston.
Bruce is a physically abusive prick, who pretty much runs Daisy’s life.
As is the case with many abused women, she’s allowed, virtually no freedom, the cleaning people, and the gardeners spy on her and report back to Bruce, and Bruce frequently abuses her, threatens her and beats her up.
Daisies has just about given up. She can’t imagine ever leaving him. It does not help matters that he comes from a very prominent family and his dad is the mayor.
Daisy is convinced that if she ever left Bruce, he would track her down and either kill her, or bring her back. So she is sort of resigned to life being trapped and at the mercy of her fuckhead of a husband.
One day, in a rare moment of freedom, Daisy stops into her favorite bookstore to look for new books to buy. Reading is one of the ways she can immerse herself and get away from her husband, at least emotionally.
As Bruce calls and texts her furiously, demanding that she come home now , Daisy realizes there is a stranger lounging in one of the book aisles listening to her conversation. He makes his presence known to her, and his name is Marco.
A Bizzarre and eerie conversation issues where Marco tells her some of his story and remarks that they’re sort of in the same boat. Then he suggest something ALA strangers on the train.
Of course, Daisy thinks he’s crazy – at first
But what happens a couple of days later when the police come over to tell Daisy her husband is dead?
Now , Marco will be waiting for Daisy to fulfill her part of the bargain, a bargain that has become a personal nightmare
None of this is a spoiler by the way as it’s all in the description about the book and it happens fairly quickly.
I enjoyed this book but readily admit it’s not for everybody. That’s why I listed the trigger alerts and also there’s a lot that happens that really defies the bounds of believability.
I just found it so compulsively readable I was able to get around that little glitch, and I did like reading this.
I have not been having great luck with domestic thrillers lately, but this is one of the better ones I’ve read....more
This is going to be a tough review for me. It is very rare for me to give a two to a book that I absolutely loved for the first half.
And it’s also rarThis is going to be a tough review for me. It is very rare for me to give a two to a book that I absolutely loved for the first half.
And it’s also rare, very rare, that a domestic thriller could make as upset as this one did.
Not that I’m telling you not to read it. In fact, much of the book is good and the writing is fantastic. That’s not the problem.
And here is another problem. To explain exactly why I rated it low, is going to require the use of spoilers. But first I’ll tell you what I liked about the book. I’ll let you know when spoilers come into the equation.
Cassie is all set to marry the man of her dreams. His name is Jamie, a particularly favorite name of mine.
Cassie is extremely jaded. She’s watched her friends get their hearts broken. In many cases it’s happened without warning. She’s watched how falling in love has drained many of the people that she loves. She harbors in icy resentment toward relationships in general and for a long time, her heart was not even open to love.
But you know how it is. She meets Jamie and in the blink of an eye everything changes.
Now she’s getting married and she couldn’t be happier. Finally the hard shell around her has melted. Finally, she has let love in.
Until she sees the picture. Of her fiancé and Tara.
Here’s the thing I wanna say about this book straight up. I think this had the potential to be a modern classic. Sure we have domestic thrillers all over the place, but rarely have I red one that gets the commentary about the rat race that is dating so very correct.
The writer captures the essence of how love could make even the most sane person crazy. And she also highlights how dating and relationships can come with degradation, and how competitive and cutthroat it can be. And how one person can think they’re happy, and in a good relationship, not knowing that they’re sleeping next to somebody who’s planning to leave them.
If the whole book had been like that, the book would be on my favorites list, and it would have five stars. But there was something that happened that bothered me so much and I see it bothers other reviewers as well, that I must talk about it now here comes the.
SPOILERS
I am going to quote a review. I saw on here by Cherlynn.
“This book hates women.”
It does.
I don’t know that I’ve ever been so appalled by an ending for domestic thrillers in my life. I don’t know what the writer was thinking if indeed there is a sequel then I apologize and I’ll up my rating.
Every single, beautiful, females soul, be it Cassie, or Anne or Tara is reduced to mush at the end. The incel gets away with it all.
I don’t know if this was supposed to be clever or cute, but the ending which consisted of a one page twist was horrible.
I get that many books end badly. Do you know how many thousands of books I’ve read that end badly? But this was another level altogether.
I felt the book was almost punishing. Women. My three favorite characters are beautiful giving females and are left broken at the end, Cassie, Tara and Anne.
In view of what’s happening in America today with Women slowly losing their rights and independence, it particularly grated on me. Not to mention the fact that I have met and dated incels myself although luckily, none as bad as Jamie. Not to mention the fact that the whole book was leading up to Cassie, taking back her independence and instead the Book ends basically with Cassie soul being crushed at the end by the incel , who is busy laughing at her and then it’s the end.
Numerous reviewers, have commented on the ending. It was deeply emotionally, upsetting and very unwelcome so yes, I took three points off for the ending something I don’t think I’ve ever done with a book before.
This was so good throughout much of it! I don’t know what the message we are supposed to take away is. Don’t even try? Men rule, so give it up , Women? I think the writing was great, but I can’t in good conscience, pretend to like the ending or pretend that it wasn’t insane.
I want to feel empowered when I read about women . This didn’t make me feel empowered. It made me feel defeated....more
This is -- wow. Just wow. This was an excellent book. Full review to follow.
Calling all mystery fans, domestic thriller fans -- THIS is how it's done!This is -- wow. Just wow. This was an excellent book. Full review to follow.
Calling all mystery fans, domestic thriller fans -- THIS is how it's done!
The pretty ones, got me out of my drought. This drought was a fundamental lack of good quality domestic thrillers. At last! I found a great one.
This book is one I will have to review using spoilers but I will say a bit before the spoilers come into play.
This book is about two girl's, Charlie and her bestie, Quinn.
Quin is such a nice name for a girl isn't it? I've always loved it. And the Quinn we met in this book is simply lovely, with long, fine blonde hair, and vivid ocean colored eyes and a mischivious smile.
But we met Charlie, the star of the book first. Charlie is not a happy girl and that's putting it mildly.
She has returned to her family's home and she is having memory lapses and showing up at places she shouldn't be at. That's not a spoiler as we know this from the first page.
I am about to head into spoiler territory but first -- I have so many friends who love domestic thrillers. You should add this one to your list.
SPOILERS:
If you're still with me, either you've read this or you don't mind spoilers. Let me just say this.
There is a major twist in this book . It changes the trajectory of the whole book.
I knew the twist very quickly.
The reason I knew it is not because I am good at guessing twists. I suck at it.
I knew the twist because I come from a family of psychologists and counselors. And my mom who was a counselor and a great one, specialized in an area. That area was MPD (Multiple personality disorder.)
My mom worked with many and yes, this is a real condition. If you want to know more about it, Read the book Sybil.
My mom , (Mamacita) worked with and saved many. MPD fascinated her and I can conform that there are people who have this in real life.
Sometimes they have more than one "alter." Alters are other personalities.
Sometimes there are multiple ones. The person may experience blackouts and wake up in far away places. When this person's alter is in control, they may talk differently, walk differently and dress differently.
Alters can can be children in an adult body, , males in a female person, , female alter in a male.
So yes, I knew pretty quickly where this book was going. It didn't interfere with my enjoyment AT ALL.
In fact, the end was so eerie, so creepy and SOOOO well done. The hair on the back of my neck stood up and I had to read the end again, something I almost never do.
Two things:
Jenny was my favorite character and how I felt for her. Everybody treated her like shit. She was raped and tortured by a madman, murdered by her niece,and all but ignored by her sister and her sister's husband,.
Jenny was sort of the unsung hero in my opinion.
Secondly, the only quibble I have is that I still have questions.
I have a very analytical mind and that extends to my books.
Did Charlie's parents KNOW she murdered Jenny? It sounded like it.
Did Asher? How come the police did not put it together?
Here's the thing. I would love a part two of this.
A sequel or even a prequel! Or have the story told from another POV.
Look, this came out in 2021 so there likely will not BE a second book but I wish that there would be.
If you're looking for a WELL-CRAFTED, GOOD, absorbing thriller that does NOT let one down, that does not have exhausting twists after twist (just ONE twist -- one excellent twist) this is the book for you....more
This one did not do it for me. It is a retelling of the Salem witch trials, a topic that has always interested me and which I’ve read many books aboutThis one did not do it for me. It is a retelling of the Salem witch trials, a topic that has always interested me and which I’ve read many books about.
I should also mention this was a DNF at around 60%. The problem for me is not the writing which was quite good, but that the book just wasn’t a good fit for me.
First off, it’s not just about the Salem witch trials. It’s also about. America’s wars with Native Americans. Now for the record that is also a topic I have a strong interest in and I’ve read many books on this too .
However I’ve never read a book simultaneously about both at the same time.
My feeling is that there was just too much going on for me. The chapters alternated, and in one chapter you might be reading about someone being accused of being a witch, and then the next chapter you’ll be reading about natives and dead bodies of Americans and natives.
This really didn’t interest me because you’re constantly pulled out of whatever you’re reading about to read about something else if that makes any sense. I also felt it was way too fast paced and this is the kind of book where if it had taken place in Arizona for instance, I would have calked a Western. It’s that kind of novel.
This is not a slow and atmospheric buildup. It drops you right into the middle of everything from the beginning and there’s so many characters, and so many people, and so much alternating between the two plots and some gore and people being arrested on the Salem side and people being murdered on the Native American side that it was too much for me almost immediately.
The kind of book that I enjoy reading in regards to the topic of Salem would be something like the crucible. But my favorite book about any kind of witch trials is the classic historical fiction The Witch of blackbird pond, which is among my 10 favorite books ever and which, no other book about the subject, no other book that I’ve ever read on the subject can possibly top it as it comes to atmosphere.
I didn’t feel like I knew any of the characters in this. It was just going so quickly, and there were so many people in it and I didn’t and I couldn’t really get into it with enthusiasm. ...more
It's almost mystical. I can't believe this has not been reviewed yet. I read Pike as a kid but this is an adult story.
While on a trip, a happily marriIt's almost mystical. I can't believe this has not been reviewed yet. I read Pike as a kid but this is an adult story.
While on a trip, a happily married writer sees a golden journal that he just HAS to have.
He is warned against it but buys it anyway.
Shades of Steinbeck's "The Pearl" here. I can't say to much and really debated doing a review at all, because this is a short story and it's easy to give away. I chose it because I like the writer and I love Mythology which plays a role here.
Might I also say the cover art is exquisite?
I'd say -- read it. Pike is VERT versatile. He has written other books where mysticism and philosophy and mythology play big roles.
I would recommend his full length book "Strange girl" as well....more
I have been reading a lot of corporate thrillers lately.This is is a good one my friends!
Review to follow.
So this was a whole heck of a lot of crazy!
I have been reading a lot of corporate thrillers lately. This one had both positives and negatives, which is why I chose to give it a rating of three stars which actually means 3.5 stars, and seven on a scale of one to 10.
Things I liked:
It moves at a very brisk pace, and I loved that. I was finished with this before I knew it.
The mystery is very noirish — Who is the mysterious new office girl and what dark and evil games does she have in mind for Tina?
For much of the book, I did like Tina. Tina, who is an attorney, and very happily married, finds her equilibrium is thrown off when a mysterious bombshell of a secretary, gets hired at her office.
In no time Tina’s feeling like a fish out of water,
Somehow, someway, whenever Maggie speaks, she somehow manages to humiliate Tina.
You know this type of girl I’m sure. Actually they don’t have to be female.
They can be pretty much any sex but somehow someway I’m sure anybody reading this review has come across a couple of people in their lifetimes who have a unique gift of trying to make everybody around them as miserable as they are.
Maggie is one such person. But it does not help Tina than everybody fucking loves Maggie, and nobody believes anything Tina says about her.
Oh, and did I tell you the Tina must deal with Maggie after hours as well? I will not tell you why.
This is a cat and mouse game between two women and it really had a shadowy element that I loved. I would definitely recommend it for psychological thriller fans. The only reason I’m not giving it a four is because.
SPOILERS
Let me preface this by saying I’ve been away from the psychological thriller genre for about 18 months and I came back and it seems like every domestic thriller that I read now has the same ending.
Something changed majorly in the time I stopped reading these kind of books, they all seem to have unreliable narrators, who are revealed to be scheming and insane at the end of the book.
I may just have to resign myself to this, as I can’t seem to find very many with any kind of different ending though if you’re still reading and you want a damn good psychological thriller, a damn good one, a great one check out the pretty ones which I read a few weeks ago, and which temporally satiated my need for an outstanding mystery.
So I mildly enjoyed this, but I didn’t love it and I have read this type of storyline time and time again. It’s best qualities were that it is extremely well written, and deeply and compellingly atmospheric which I really enjoyed.
Before I even start on my review, behold this cover! This gorgeous, magnificent, beautiful cover.
This was a really heartbreaking read. But it was an eBefore I even start on my review, behold this cover! This gorgeous, magnificent, beautiful cover.
This was a really heartbreaking read. But it was an extraordinary book that I would give 4.5 stars to.
That being said, there is a lot of brutality in it. It follows the life of a slave, by the name of Phebe Dolores. We follow her from childhood into adulthood.
With historical fiction, things can go either way as far as atmosphere goes. With the yellow wife, the beauty of the writing shines forth like – well – like gold. And yellow.
There is not a lot of sunlight in Phoebe’s Life though.
She and her mom are both slaves together and both are treated terribly by the wife of the House master, the Missus (although I’d prefer to call her Madame wicked pathetic, stupid ignorant, bitchy, horrible and evil.)
Phoebe is looking forward to the day that she goes away to school and gets her freedom as her mother tells her she will.
However, when tragedy strikes , Phoebe is cast into a world, she doesn’t understand. She is alone, alienated, and frightened.
Phoebe does what she needs to do to stay alive in a cruel world where it seems the fates are against her. As I said, this is a brutal book. There is heartbreak and tragedy and a lot of violence. As another reviewer said it’s not for the faint of heart.
I also think that few books have shown the inhumanity and barbaric practice of slavery better than this book. It was a stunning read that I devoured in one sitting. It’s one of the best historical fiction books I’ve read in a long time.
And now I will say that there are going to be spoilers so if you’re interested in this book and don’t want to know what happens, do not read on.
SPOILERS:
The problem is even though this is fiction it was reality for so many. It’s a really tough book to get through, but the thing is, it is so well written, and the characters are so vivid that at least for me, you just can’t stop reading.
And this is not a book that wraps up neatly. Of all the ending it could have had, it could’ve been a lot worse. Phoebe is one of the most complicated characters I’ve read about in years,
I’ll admit there were times, through my reading when I did not understand her and felt a little disconnected, but by the end of the book I loved her. It’s a simple as that.
The husband is a fascinating character. He’s an abusive fuck, but for some reason he does not cast her out.
I felt that Phoebe trusted by far the wrong people such as the dressmaker, whose name escapes me right now.
I felt a little lonely when the book ended.
That’s how you know you’re reading really high quality literature. I wanted more from Phebe and from the book in general.
At its heart, the yellow wife is a book about survival. It has as its protagonist, a strong and fiery female who doesn’t bow down to power, but instead spits on it.
Phebe is an unsung hero of sorts in this book, that, despite all its darkness and tragedy, was such a pleasure to read, and so wonderfully written that I almost feel like thanking the author for writing it.
Hannah has been institutionalized. Her medical Files say she is a danger to herself and to others.
Hannah thinks it’s all a huge mistake. She’ll be letHannah has been institutionalized. Her medical Files say she is a danger to herself and to others.
Hannah thinks it’s all a huge mistake. She’ll be let out soon, really. Somebody will be coming for her any minute now. Perhaps it will be her parents or her lover.
I should mention that Hannah is not a woman. She is a young girl, and she has no idea why she’s been placed under psychiatric evaluation. It may have something to do with the fact that her best friend Agnes is in a coma, and Hannah was with her at the time of the accident.
But it’s a mistake! Hannah wouldn’t have, she couldn’t have!
She may have?
OK now. I decided to read this almost immediately after seeing what it was about. It struck me as the kind of story I would love. I do so love young adult mysteries.
Yet I didn’t like this is much as I thought I would. The writing was superb, and the author made me feel an awful lot, but there were some things that prevented me from enjoying this as much as I would’ve liked.
For one thing is the fact that much of the book revolves around Hannah’s internal dialogue, I really do not always take to books like that. I was hoping for more interactions with people on the outside. I particularly wanted to know more about Agnes and maybe even see more current interactions between her and Hannah.
There is also no denying the gloom that permeates the book. That wouldn’t be so bad if we had more in depth flashback’s.
You see I really wanted to know Hannah better, and the way she was in the past. While there were some flashbacks , they did not really provide me with the knowledge I would’ve liked to have as to who she was before getting into the situation.
Internal dialogue can get dull after a while. The interaction with her doctor was interesting, but I guess I was hoping for more, in terms of who she was in the past, her day-to-day life and activities.
I am going to have to do the rest of my review with spoilers, so if anybody plans on reading this and does not like spoilers it’s probably best to stop here.
SPOILERS:
One thing that really interfered with my enjoyment of this was finding out that the boyfriend was imaginary, the roommate was imaginary, almost everybody was imaginary. This strikes me not so much as a young adult mystery but really a book on mental illness. I have no problem with that, but it just wasn’t what I was looking for at the time.
I should stress that the writer is extremely talented and that with many books that are not my cup of tea I abandon them, but in spite of this being extremely different from how I envisioned it, I read till the end, and I think the author did a great job with the twists, and with the permeating sense of loneliness, that Hannah felt.
So I would still offer it a mild recommendation. I am mature enough to recognize a well written book, Even if it’s a book I don’t deeply connect with. Mental illness is a very important topic and it’s one that doesn’t get written about enough so kudos to this author for writing about it it...more
I am just going to say what I feel. And my first thought, sitting down to write this review was :
How on earth am I going to review a book like this?!I am just going to say what I feel. And my first thought, sitting down to write this review was :
How on earth am I going to review a book like this?!
Strange Eden is a five star book.
Everybody should read it . If you have it on your to read list, bump it up.
it is a magnificent, sweeping saga that I literally could not stop reading until I finished.
This is historical fiction that takes place in the 1700s in the Caribbean in a house on a windswept beach in the Bahamas.
I just stumbled upon this book. Within about five seconds of reading what it was about, I knew that I would be reading it soon. I actually stopped reading another book to read this one. I read it over the course of a 48 hour time period.
Eliza is ahead of her time. She is what we would call today, a feminist.
As one might expect, feminism in the 1700s in the Bahamas in a house on a windswept Beach is not received with joy.
Eliza comes to be there after accepting a marriage proposal from Charles, a man whom she really doesn’t know at all.
Eliza has always dreamed of adventure in her life. She never really wanted to be married at all, but she dreams of seeing other, more exotic places and she desperately wants and yearns for freedom and she thinks this marriage will get her that.
The island does not receive her with welcoming arms. She is a stranger in a strange land, a woman in a man’s world and is horrified by some of the things that she sees .
One of them is the international slave trade, and I have to say upfront, that there was a lot of that in this book.
Naturally, Eliza is horrified at this and she wants to change things.
There is also a menacing, Governor’s mansion and a menacing governor, and then there is Cleo , one of the slaves and Celia, another slave, and the angelic Jean, who I can’t say much about.
Oh -- I must not forget the pirates! And there is also a Gothic feel and some super natural events.
But always there is Charles, her husband, and the two of them might be living on different planets for how much they understand each other.
Of course, in the year 2024 they could divorce but as you know things were quite different back then.
Eliza find solace and freedom in the ocean. The house Charles takes her to live in, is located on the beach with the swirl of the glittering waters inches from her at all times.
Eliza has no fear of the water. it is her friend.
I have to take a moment and say that this is one of the most lush, visually magnificent, gorgeously written books I’ve ever had the pleasure to read.
The island, and it’s tropical winds, the beach, and it’s ethereal glow in so many different shades of shimmering blues is described in an almost otherworldly way.
If you. are a visual reader and you like that kind of writing you really need to read this.
The essence of the Caribbean is present through the whole book. I have never been to the Bahamas, but I’ve been to other Caribbean islands, and this book left in my soul a longing to go back. It Left me thinking about the clear, gentle waters of palm tree, covered islands, and coconuts and Mystic beauty and tropical winds.
You can even inhale the smells and scents. You are put right there. . I’m telling you I was starry eyed reading this.
But there’s violence, and there’s things that could be triggering like slavery and emotional abuse and physical abuse.
And now I will continue on with my review, but I have to put in place spoilers so if you do have an interest in reading this book, I would stop here. For those that have read it or who don’t mind spoilers.
SPOILERS:
Yes, there is a romance in this book. No I generally don’t read much in the way of romance. Yes, I fucking loved the romance in this book.
It is very unlike me to get deeply emotionally invested in a romantic coupling in a book. I read much more romance in my teen years and 20s than I did in my childhood and adulthood. Don’t get me wrong. I have read many a smutty Jackie Collins novel in my time and love them but the point is my tastes have changed, and I don’t read as much romance anymore . But I loved the romance here.
But that is only one part of this book, one aspect, and I was just riveted by everything. I would say not only is this a five star book but one of the best books I’ve read this year and it has been an incredible year of books too.
Still with me?
Well, if anyone knows when part two is coming out feel free to comment in the comment section! Do authors read their own reviews on Goodreads? If so, please, I am yearning for part two. I hope it’s out soon. That was a heck of a way to end the book.
One last thing before I end this review. This year has been interesting for reading because there’s been a few times that some of my favorite books of 2024 have reminded me of some of my favorite books ever. I’m talking about books on my top 20 or 30 of all time.
This one really really reminds me of a book that I read in my youth called Fiona. I read it so many times that it became a joke in my family that I was always reading Fiona. That book also features a main character, who is a stranger in a strange land, and it takes place in the West Indies. It also deals heavily with the issue of slavery, and there was also a tragic romance In that book I guess I like these kind of books!
Five gorgeous turquoise, fragrant, tropical stars for a wonderful story....more
I’ve said, in other reviews that my relationship with Kafka is extremely complicated.
I really never read a word by him until last year. Now I’ve read I’ve said, in other reviews that my relationship with Kafka is extremely complicated.
I really never read a word by him until last year. Now I’ve read about four or five of his works. I seem to be in the category of really loving his stuff or really disliking it. This is a dislike.
I really did not expect this story to take the turn that it did, and I really didn’t care for where it went. There was nothing to really prepare me, I went in reading one type of story, and finished reading something else entirely.
I also had no idea what was going on through most of it. Look, I know that Kafka has some really – well – for lack of a better term — Bizarre works. I have a feeling with this, I stumbled upon one of them.
But I just didn’t care for it. All I felt reading it was bewilderment. had to actually look it up afterwards to really find out what it was even about which shows how baffled I was.
My favorite from him, so far, is the book Metamorphosis which I’ve heard described as one of the best books ever written. I certainly thought it was outstanding as I read it in one sitting. I wish I could say the same about this. I don’t like giving any of his works a low review .
But they can’t all be five stars, and I can’t lie and say I enjoyed the story when I didn’t.
I guess I could say I enjoyed the first couple of pages? If you want to check it out it’s a very quick read. I mean you’ll be done probably in about 15 minutes at the most, but it just wasn’t really a pleasant experience for me.
Not every book is pleasant to read of course , but I do have to find some kind of connection, and my mind was backing away from this, almost from the beginning.
OK, so this is a book that is a family drama, about a group of siblings, whose mother disappears. And they think the father might have something to doOK, so this is a book that is a family drama, about a group of siblings, whose mother disappears. And they think the father might have something to do with it.
A few thoughts here. I have not finished the book yet. But I can honestly say so far It is my favorite of the books I’ve read by her and I’ve read several.
I must, however, mention that there appears to be a bug on Goodreads because this book is showing up in my read books even though I’m still reading it.
In addition, I am writing this as a test because lately when I write reviews I am seeing capsha’s all over the place. My last few reviews I have not been able to finish unless I fill out a kapsha.
I’m getting very tired of checking off how many crosswalks I see.
Update— this posted with no kapsha’s. Yay!
When I finish this very good book which I expect will be in the next couple days, I will come back in and do an actual very detailed review....more
Bren fall in love with the sea.
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