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aaronlindsey's review
5.0
So many twists, shocks, and surprises! This book would make an excellent television series.
It's the story of Kelly Lund, and what a story it is. Kelly is a twin and is living her teenage life in California mixing with the rich and famous, although she is really poor and unknown.
Trouble comes knocking when her sister sees fame on the horizon.
A real page turner and not to be missed!
It's the story of Kelly Lund, and what a story it is. Kelly is a twin and is living her teenage life in California mixing with the rich and famous, although she is really poor and unknown.
Trouble comes knocking when her sister sees fame on the horizon.
A real page turner and not to be missed!
maddydaisy's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Rape, Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, Murder, Addiction, Child abuse, and Self harm
Minor: Suicide and Suicidal thoughts
queen_kitty's review against another edition
DNFed at 46%, I’m bored and I don’t really care about anything here.
naomistrange's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
holtfan's review against another edition
2.0
I really need to stop reading thrillers. I just...can't anymore. Why must they always be populated with dysfunctional assholes? Why do they always have more drama than a Spanish soap opera? Why the sex and the drugs and the angst?
I'm also finding I doubly don't care much for books that involve the criminal justice system, so the very plot elements I thought would draw me into this story (main character was behind bars for 25 years) just further alienated me with incompetent lawyering and borderline bumbling police officers.
I'll touch on more detailed complaints in the spoilers. But to summarize...if you like thrillers like those written by [a:Gillian Flynn|2383|Gillian Flynn|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1232123231p2/2383.jpg], you'll like this one. And if you don't...well, you won't.
Also, I didn't like who Rocky III was or the ending with the husband.
I'm also finding I doubly don't care much for books that involve the criminal justice system, so the very plot elements I thought would draw me into this story (main character was behind bars for 25 years) just further alienated me with incompetent lawyering and borderline bumbling police officers.
I'll touch on more detailed complaints in the spoilers. But to summarize...if you like thrillers like those written by [a:Gillian Flynn|2383|Gillian Flynn|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1232123231p2/2383.jpg], you'll like this one. And if you don't...well, you won't.
Spoiler
The whole chain of misunderstandings and nefarious behavior that keeps this story going was annoying. But the main complaint I have with this book is how Kelly ends up married to her half-brother. Which I feel like, if you're going to go that route, go that route. Instead the author goes out of the way to add more "layers" to explain why the two use separate bedrooms. It feels like the author is trying to shy-away from or downplay the incest. "They just did it a few times once like fifteen years ago..." And now they don't. But if you're going to have incest in your book...embrace it! Or better yet, don't have it in the first place. Instead the reader gets this disturbing "sort of but not actually that bad" subplot. Whatever.Also, I didn't like who Rocky III was or the ending with the husband.
natashaw's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting idea - the story focuses on Kelly in two timelines... the build up to 17 year old Kelly shooting director John McFadden at a party 30 years ago and now present time when Kellys father-in-law gets shot in the same way. The question is did Kelly shoot him... and what exactly did happen 30 years ago.
I did like this book and events did move quickly enough to keep me reading. There were quite a few surprises along the way which I didnt see coming.
However, the story did seem to drag in too many places and then the last part of the book seemed crammed and rushed. Also I just couldnt warm to the characters...
I did like this book and events did move quickly enough to keep me reading. There were quite a few surprises along the way which I didnt see coming.
However, the story did seem to drag in too many places and then the last part of the book seemed crammed and rushed. Also I just couldnt warm to the characters...
amothersmusings1's review against another edition
5.0
"People don't need to know you're a murderer. They just need to think you could be....."
Not until you finish this highly captivating and atmospheric book that you realise the true meaning to that blurb sentence.
"What Remains Of Me" by Alison Gaylin is a highly entertaining and absorbing thriller that keeps you on your toes to the very last page! I thoroughly enjoyed this and once started could not put it down.
There are two timelines running through the story, flashbacks to Kelly in 1980 and the more recent 2010, 5 years after her release from prison for the murder of a famous movie director. I love dual timelines and I was addicted to the 1980 timeline reading about Kelly's younger years and the build up to the murder she is accused of. It's not until the very end of the book that we learn all the true facts relating to the murder but on the way - oh my! - the twists and turns are unbelievable, first sending you one way then sending you the other!
I'm the same age as Kelly is in 2010 and personally loved all the references to the music in 1980 bringing back memories from that time. I also enjoyed the newspaper articles and interviews interspersed throughout, very much reminiscent of Minette Walters books that I so enjoy.
It is a complex storyline that does require the readers attention and although the characters aren't really likeable you still have empathy for them, and I was particularly moved by one of the characters at the end. There is a slight dip in pace in the middle of the book but maybe it was just the calm before the stormy twists!
I would happily read more by this author, I like her style of writing, and if you like good solid thrillers with plenty of twists then you will certainly enjoy and appreciate "What Remains Of Me"
I won this book in the Goodreads Giveaways.
Not until you finish this highly captivating and atmospheric book that you realise the true meaning to that blurb sentence.
"What Remains Of Me" by Alison Gaylin is a highly entertaining and absorbing thriller that keeps you on your toes to the very last page! I thoroughly enjoyed this and once started could not put it down.
There are two timelines running through the story, flashbacks to Kelly in 1980 and the more recent 2010, 5 years after her release from prison for the murder of a famous movie director. I love dual timelines and I was addicted to the 1980 timeline reading about Kelly's younger years and the build up to the murder she is accused of. It's not until the very end of the book that we learn all the true facts relating to the murder but on the way - oh my! - the twists and turns are unbelievable, first sending you one way then sending you the other!
I'm the same age as Kelly is in 2010 and personally loved all the references to the music in 1980 bringing back memories from that time. I also enjoyed the newspaper articles and interviews interspersed throughout, very much reminiscent of Minette Walters books that I so enjoy.
It is a complex storyline that does require the readers attention and although the characters aren't really likeable you still have empathy for them, and I was particularly moved by one of the characters at the end. There is a slight dip in pace in the middle of the book but maybe it was just the calm before the stormy twists!
I would happily read more by this author, I like her style of writing, and if you like good solid thrillers with plenty of twists then you will certainly enjoy and appreciate "What Remains Of Me"
I won this book in the Goodreads Giveaways.
lindzy's review against another edition
3.0
Original Review Here
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
It’s been a long time since I read a book in a day. What Remains of Me grabbed me hook, line and sinker and wouldn’t let go until I knew what happened.
What Remains of Me takes a different approach to thrillers I have read this year. One murder has already happened and Kelly has served time for it. But now another has occurred, and the evidence points to Kelly being guilty.
Then the story twists and turns, with family, love, loyalty and innocent being called into question throughout.
Kelly’s character is engaging – both looking back at her teenage years and how she is now. Kelly never acts as if she was falsely accused or innocent of either crime. This lack of remorse is justified as her back story is revealed and the reader’s perception of all the characters’ change.
Barry – the typical young cop trying to prove himself – is competent enough that his character feels realistic. Bellamy was the definition of a complicated character – both past and present – and Shane (Kelly’s husband) was the typical secondary character needed to connect events but not doing anything more than that.
The story is split between the “present” day and the investigation taking place and looking back at Kelly’s childhood, revealing events that led to her being convicted the first time. Despite being young, all the characters are given depth. Kelly has a troubled past but a good heart and I empathised with her the whole way through.
The pacing was fast throughout, especially beginning with Kelly as a convicted murderer rather than the whole innocent/guilt question that features in most thrillers these days. I remained gripped throughout – hence staying up until gone midnight just to find out the conclusion.
What Remains of Me is an engaging novel that questions what love and loyalty can do – and how far they can be stretched until they break. The characters are clearly defined and the mystery clings to the plot throughout – I never would have predicted the twists this story took. If you’re after something to keep you on edge despite not taking long to read, What Remains of Me is the one for you!
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
It’s been a long time since I read a book in a day. What Remains of Me grabbed me hook, line and sinker and wouldn’t let go until I knew what happened.
What Remains of Me takes a different approach to thrillers I have read this year. One murder has already happened and Kelly has served time for it. But now another has occurred, and the evidence points to Kelly being guilty.
Then the story twists and turns, with family, love, loyalty and innocent being called into question throughout.
Kelly’s character is engaging – both looking back at her teenage years and how she is now. Kelly never acts as if she was falsely accused or innocent of either crime. This lack of remorse is justified as her back story is revealed and the reader’s perception of all the characters’ change.
Barry – the typical young cop trying to prove himself – is competent enough that his character feels realistic. Bellamy was the definition of a complicated character – both past and present – and Shane (Kelly’s husband) was the typical secondary character needed to connect events but not doing anything more than that.
The story is split between the “present” day and the investigation taking place and looking back at Kelly’s childhood, revealing events that led to her being convicted the first time. Despite being young, all the characters are given depth. Kelly has a troubled past but a good heart and I empathised with her the whole way through.
The pacing was fast throughout, especially beginning with Kelly as a convicted murderer rather than the whole innocent/guilt question that features in most thrillers these days. I remained gripped throughout – hence staying up until gone midnight just to find out the conclusion.
What Remains of Me is an engaging novel that questions what love and loyalty can do – and how far they can be stretched until they break. The characters are clearly defined and the mystery clings to the plot throughout – I never would have predicted the twists this story took. If you’re after something to keep you on edge despite not taking long to read, What Remains of Me is the one for you!
raven88's review against another edition
5.0
Being a fan of contemporary American crime fiction, and particularly those featuring ‘damaged’ female protagonists, such as Jax Miller’s Freedom’s Child and Emma Cline’s The Girls , I’m incredibly pleased to report that the trinity is now complete with this truly compelling novel from A.L. Gaylin, What Remains of Me.
Front and centre of this tale of redemption, revenge and murder, is the figure of Kelly Lund, convicted of murder at a young age, but now having served 25 years for the crime, still battling with her readjustment to life on the outside. Lund is a powerfully constructed and multi-faceted character who gets under your skin, and toys with your empathy as the tale unfolds. Her naivety as a seventeen year old girl, finding herself enveloped in the starry world of Hollywood and its nefarious temptations, is beautifully balanced with our view of her post-incarceration, and the damage this has wreaked on her emotional make-up. The barren emotion and dark shadows of her marriage is set against the frail and tentative emotional connection she makes with her neighbour Rocky, as she struggles with her past actions coming to impact on her new life. I found the lines drawn between the teenage and adult Lund with those connected to her past and present lives, with some particularly nasty skeletons emerging from the closet, were never less than utterly believable, and emotionally engaging throughout. The frailty and imperfections of Lund, as she seeks to make sense of the deeds attributed to her, drive the plot on, and her surrounding cast of characters, and their own failings both in their actions towards her, and their own pernicious acts are constantly surprising, and sometimes deeply disturbing. Gaylin’s fearless and uncompromising eye on the world of celebrity, and those that grow up in its shadow with their attendant emotional problems, is crucial to the playing out of this twisted tale, and grips the reader as our alliances to the main players shifts and changes.
What I liked most about this book is the control of pace and reveal that Gaylin uses, echoing the central theme of the seedy underbelly of the Hollywood crowd, who lie at the centre of the book. There is a real sense of zoom and focal adjustment, as Gaylin seems to anticipate perfectly how closely to bring the reveals into focus, and when to leave the reader hanging slightly by pulling away from certain story strands at exactly the right time. and then bam, another twist socks you right in the kisser.
Equally, Gaylin’s description of location, offsetting the glamourous Hollywood world of Lund’s teenage cohorts, against her new existence in the barren desert flats is beautifully realised, and providing another surreptitious reference to the morally bankrupt excesses of the movie fraternity, against the cleaner moral life of frugality, and engagement with the natural world. There is also a wonderfully dispassionate style to Gaylin’s writing, so it feels that the moments of revelation and emotional intensity are slightly dampened down, to add to the overarching feeling of sadness that permeates the story. In this way, the book exhibits the twin attributes of a nod to the best of hardboiled noir, fused with the emotional sparseness and literary prowess of contemporary American fiction.
So with its blend of strong characterisation, assured plotting, attention to location, and moral ambiguity, What Remains of Me, ticked every single box for this reader. It loitered in my head for some while after finishing it, and that for me is further testament to how good it was. No hesitation in the Raven’s mind that this is one highly recommended read. Excellent.
Front and centre of this tale of redemption, revenge and murder, is the figure of Kelly Lund, convicted of murder at a young age, but now having served 25 years for the crime, still battling with her readjustment to life on the outside. Lund is a powerfully constructed and multi-faceted character who gets under your skin, and toys with your empathy as the tale unfolds. Her naivety as a seventeen year old girl, finding herself enveloped in the starry world of Hollywood and its nefarious temptations, is beautifully balanced with our view of her post-incarceration, and the damage this has wreaked on her emotional make-up. The barren emotion and dark shadows of her marriage is set against the frail and tentative emotional connection she makes with her neighbour Rocky, as she struggles with her past actions coming to impact on her new life. I found the lines drawn between the teenage and adult Lund with those connected to her past and present lives, with some particularly nasty skeletons emerging from the closet, were never less than utterly believable, and emotionally engaging throughout. The frailty and imperfections of Lund, as she seeks to make sense of the deeds attributed to her, drive the plot on, and her surrounding cast of characters, and their own failings both in their actions towards her, and their own pernicious acts are constantly surprising, and sometimes deeply disturbing. Gaylin’s fearless and uncompromising eye on the world of celebrity, and those that grow up in its shadow with their attendant emotional problems, is crucial to the playing out of this twisted tale, and grips the reader as our alliances to the main players shifts and changes.
What I liked most about this book is the control of pace and reveal that Gaylin uses, echoing the central theme of the seedy underbelly of the Hollywood crowd, who lie at the centre of the book. There is a real sense of zoom and focal adjustment, as Gaylin seems to anticipate perfectly how closely to bring the reveals into focus, and when to leave the reader hanging slightly by pulling away from certain story strands at exactly the right time. and then bam, another twist socks you right in the kisser.
Equally, Gaylin’s description of location, offsetting the glamourous Hollywood world of Lund’s teenage cohorts, against her new existence in the barren desert flats is beautifully realised, and providing another surreptitious reference to the morally bankrupt excesses of the movie fraternity, against the cleaner moral life of frugality, and engagement with the natural world. There is also a wonderfully dispassionate style to Gaylin’s writing, so it feels that the moments of revelation and emotional intensity are slightly dampened down, to add to the overarching feeling of sadness that permeates the story. In this way, the book exhibits the twin attributes of a nod to the best of hardboiled noir, fused with the emotional sparseness and literary prowess of contemporary American fiction.
So with its blend of strong characterisation, assured plotting, attention to location, and moral ambiguity, What Remains of Me, ticked every single box for this reader. It loitered in my head for some while after finishing it, and that for me is further testament to how good it was. No hesitation in the Raven’s mind that this is one highly recommended read. Excellent.