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jowclark's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
missylate's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
3.25
corvusdeam's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
clues_and_courtship's review against another edition
5.0
I love that this book was the sort of mystery that I couldn’t solve until the answer was revealed! I found it intellectually stimulating and refreshing. I’ll definitely be trying to find similar books now!!
rondie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
smiffy1303's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
literarianrose's review against another edition
2.5
This book was a discovery that I do not like listening to male narrators for audiobooks. The more you know.
sashapasha's review against another edition
5.0
Easily the most fascinating mystery/thriller I’ve read in a long time. A highly original concept, the narrator lives the same day eight times in eight different bodies and during that period he must solve a murder before any unknown rivals do otherwise he’ll be trapped in the loop indefinitely.
It reminded me a lot of the insanity of the time turner from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, except multiplied by ten. The narrator’s hosts all occupy the same timespan but the ones further along in the loop know much more than the earlier ones and they must all work together while being careful to not undo anything or incorrectly influence each other. Running around with past and future selves in different bodies made for some glorious madness, and to make matters even more interesting, the narrator isn’t entirely the same person in each body — he inherits some of the host’s personality and characteristics and must grapple with the advantages and disadvantages each offers. Huge props to the author for the plotting — the parallelization easily made the complexity level an order of magnitude greater than that of a linear mystery novel. There were definitely times when I felt like I could benefit from a chart mapping out what each host was doing when.
The setting is excellent — a Gosford Park-esque house party, haunting, gothic and rife with secrets. Each house guest is somehow connected to a murder that happened two decades earlier, everyone seems to have something to hide, and the narrator is being hunted. Someone is trying to kill his hosts before he has a chance to solve the murder, because, as it becomes more and more clear, everyone is trapped and only one person can escape.
It’s rare for me to enjoy a mystery/thriller so much, they’re not usually my cup of tea, but everything about this book, from the concept to the characters to the plot, was brilliantly executed. I think part of why I liked it so much is because the mystery is so layered — there’s the current murder to solve, the murder from the past, and the greater mystery of what’s going on with the time loop, who the narrator is and why he’s there. This is one of very few books that made me feel awed while reading it, and it's going on my shortlist of books I'll recommend to almost everyone.
It reminded me a lot of the insanity of the time turner from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, except multiplied by ten. The narrator’s hosts all occupy the same timespan but the ones further along in the loop know much more than the earlier ones and they must all work together while being careful to not undo anything or incorrectly influence each other. Running around with past and future selves in different bodies made for some glorious madness, and to make matters even more interesting, the narrator isn’t entirely the same person in each body — he inherits some of the host’s personality and characteristics and must grapple with the advantages and disadvantages each offers. Huge props to the author for the plotting — the parallelization easily made the complexity level an order of magnitude greater than that of a linear mystery novel. There were definitely times when I felt like I could benefit from a chart mapping out what each host was doing when.
The setting is excellent — a Gosford Park-esque house party, haunting, gothic and rife with secrets. Each house guest is somehow connected to a murder that happened two decades earlier, everyone seems to have something to hide, and the narrator is being hunted. Someone is trying to kill his hosts before he has a chance to solve the murder, because, as it becomes more and more clear, everyone is trapped and only one person can escape.
It’s rare for me to enjoy a mystery/thriller so much, they’re not usually my cup of tea, but everything about this book, from the concept to the characters to the plot, was brilliantly executed. I think part of why I liked it so much is because the mystery is so layered — there’s the current murder to solve, the murder from the past, and the greater mystery of what’s going on with the time loop, who the narrator is and why he’s there. This is one of very few books that made me feel awed while reading it, and it's going on my shortlist of books I'll recommend to almost everyone.
shay455's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
zepeng's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
Dear Mr. Turton, considering the fact that this is your debut novel, I'm both awed and scared that you crafted this book. To put this book in simpler terms, mindfuck at its best.
1. Books that revolves around identity loss is the coolest shit ever. There's not a lot of books under this theme (as far as I have read), and most of them are only okay-ish in my reading experience. This book has the theme coupled with body switch ups. How cool is that! Throw in a murder mystery case, you have yourself a concoction of mystery thriller + murder + adventure.
2. I think the part that really got me invested is the characterization. I myself am personally intrigued by Aiden's personality. I wouldn't say he is a perfect character, in fact he has many flaws that steers the plot in frustrating situations. However, there are flashes of his identity that make me reflect myself. Hence although I am frustrated at him at some instances, I find him an intriguing character and am eager to see how the plot thickens.
3. The eight personas are different and provide different characteristics. I do agree that some of the description and characteristics are not upsetting (i.e. fat shaming, rape). Nevertheless, I found the clash of identity more entertaining as I cannot predict their next move. It definitely spice things up because you have a different blend of personality in each day.
Overall, I found myself really enjoying this book. Though a little long, I enjoy all the moments and can't wait to read more from this author.
Dear Mr. Turton, considering the fact that this is your debut novel, I'm both awed and scared that you crafted this book. To put this book in simpler terms, mindfuck at its best.
1. Books that revolves around identity loss is the coolest shit ever. There's not a lot of books under this theme (as far as I have read), and most of them are only okay-ish in my reading experience. This book has the theme coupled with body switch ups. How cool is that! Throw in a murder mystery case, you have yourself a concoction of mystery thriller + murder + adventure.
2. I think the part that really got me invested is the characterization. I myself am personally intrigued by Aiden's personality. I wouldn't say he is a perfect character, in fact he has many flaws that steers the plot in frustrating situations. However, there are flashes of his identity that make me reflect myself. Hence although I am frustrated at him at some instances, I find him an intriguing character and am eager to see how the plot thickens.
3. The eight personas are different and provide different characteristics. I do agree that some of the description and characteristics are not upsetting (i.e. fat shaming, rape). Nevertheless, I found the clash of identity more entertaining as I cannot predict their next move. It definitely spice things up because you have a different blend of personality in each day.
Overall, I found myself really enjoying this book. Though a little long, I enjoy all the moments and can't wait to read more from this author.