This is hands down one of the best thrillers I've ever read. I went in basically blind, and I do recommend doing that (unless you need trigger warningThis is hands down one of the best thrillers I've ever read. I went in basically blind, and I do recommend doing that (unless you need trigger warnings, in which case, please do look those up for this, it's not a light read). I've rarely read thrillers that so expertly capture the moment-to-moment reality of a harrowing situation so believably. You don't have to have extreme violence, or wild set-piece shenanigans to get a reader's heart racing. Quite mundane things will do the trick if the reader is transported to the situation and mindset of the character. This book is a masterclass in that sort of writing. The main character I found at times extremely frustrating, but the book is written in such a way that I found myself checking the instinct to be frustrated or annoyed with the MC, because part of the "point" of the book is to make us question our assumptions about people, about believability, etc. Well done, highly recommend. ...more
This was my first Veronica Roth book and, it left basically no impression, so I suppose that means I might try her again if something piques my intereThis was my first Veronica Roth book and, it left basically no impression, so I suppose that means I might try her again if something piques my interest... This started out very strong (and that's after drooling over the cover). It's immediately atmospheric and mysterious, it begins in medias res, and I was hoping it would sort of continue on that way, leaving you to piece things together for yourself as it vibed along. But, alas, no. We quickly eschew that sort of storytelling and instead favor a very explanation-heavy, info-dump prone, exposition-filled narrative that I lost interest in almost immediately. The story itself is...fine? The thing that could have elevated it to something truly special would have been writing that allowed things to be, for lack of a better word, impressionistic? We aren't setting up the rules for a magic system that will need to be understood for 10 long books. When you're writing something this short, you can (and should) leave things mysterious and focus on the characters, on the atmosphere, on the tone. You have very little time to make an impression and spending a large chunk of it doing a mini wiki for your magic is not the way to go, in my opinion. All in all, this felt like squandered potential, which is unfortunate. But, a lot of people liked it and I'm often yucking the majority's yum, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. ...more
This started out so strong, I was so certain I'd end up feeling this was even better than Bunny and, in may respects, it is. But, in my opinion, this This started out so strong, I was so certain I'd end up feeling this was even better than Bunny and, in may respects, it is. But, in my opinion, this book utterly fails to stick the landing. The prose, the vibes, the artful use of language, these are all really fantastic and, again, an improvement on what we got in Bunny, but it seems to me the author had a great premise and then wasn't completely sure where to go with it or what to do with it and sort of cobbled together an ending that really didn't work. I would have preferred a completely open ending to the weirdly neatly tied up one we got....more
I find that these YA mystery/thriller series all sort of blend together in my mind. I've really enjoyed the likes of Truly Devious, Inheritance Games,I find that these YA mystery/thriller series all sort of blend together in my mind. I've really enjoyed the likes of Truly Devious, Inheritance Games, and now this, but they do feel a bit "paint by number" after a while. I guessed several of the twists before they were revealed. So, why the high-ish rating? In short, this book does a lot of the same things that others have done, but it does them quite well. The book is paced well, the characters are sympathetic and decently interesting, the mystery doesn't overstay its welcome, and the way clues and information are given to the reader strikes good balance between giving you the info you need to puzzle it out yourself while still keeping you in suspense. Four stars for sheer competence. ...more
All three stars are for vibes and readability. I enjoyed the setting and the type of mystery this seemed to be, but, as with seemingly all Sager booksAll three stars are for vibes and readability. I enjoyed the setting and the type of mystery this seemed to be, but, as with seemingly all Sager books, the plot quickly goes of the rails......more
This had a promising start but the longer it went on the more ridiculous and unbelievable it became until it reached a point where it was truly absurdThis had a promising start but the longer it went on the more ridiculous and unbelievable it became until it reached a point where it was truly absurd but not quite ridiculous enough to be entertainingly bad... If you want a smidge of believability in your thrillers, steer clear....more
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