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mkmhb2013's review
4.0
1st half - infuriating.
2nd half - held my breath, edge of my seat, greatness!
2nd half - held my breath, edge of my seat, greatness!
lynguy1's review
4.0
THE WOMAN OUTSIDE MY DOOR is a psychological thriller and the debut novel of Rachel Ryan. From the first page to the dramatic ending, I couldn’t stop reading.
Georgina is the protagonist in this unforgettable story. She and Bren have a seven year old son, Cody. When she finds that Cody has some chocolate, he tells her that New Granny gave it to him. Then she finds him talking on the phone. Is it New Granny or a school mate? Bren thinks it’s just a game where Cody is dealing with the grief of recently losing his grandmother, but Georgina isn’t sure. What is real and what is her imagination? Is New Granny an imaginary friend or is something else happening? Is Cody in danger? Bren starts to question Georgina’s behavior and thinks she is being irrational. Is Georgina being paranoid? Is she having an emotional breakdown?
Georgina was a flawed protagonist, lacking confidence and having trouble communicating with her family. Despite getting aggravated at her several times, I continued to root for her. Her goals were clear and her motivations seemed believable. Her character felt realistic in the sense that she is struggling with work-life balance and wants to protect her child. Many of the secondary characters enhanced the story, but they were not always likeable nor did they have the depth that I would have liked. However, the characters acted or reacted to events in a plausible and believable way.
The internal and external conflicts arose out of characterization and circumstance rather than feeling contrived or forced. The stakes were extremely high and so was the tension, making this a page-turner. There were a couple of plot twists that were believable, but unexpected. Most of the subplots tied together well, but there was one that was not resolved to my satisfaction. The prose flowed well and the emotions of the characters came through vividly. One downside is that the premise did not totally avoid clichés as it related to the relationship between Georgina and Bren. Also, the revelations in the last part of the book would have benefited from a little more development. Themes include child safety, family dynamics, infidelity, secrets, lack of communication, mental health, stress, grief and much more.
Overall, this was a suspenseful, chilling, unsettling and definitely somewhat creepy thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. It had a good pace from scene to scene and had a dramatic ending that caught me by surprise. What an amazing debut novel! I’m looking forward to Ryan’s next novel. If you enjoy psychological thrillers, then I recommend you check out this one.
Thanks to Gallery Books and Rachel Ryan for a digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for January 05, 2021. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
Georgina is the protagonist in this unforgettable story. She and Bren have a seven year old son, Cody. When she finds that Cody has some chocolate, he tells her that New Granny gave it to him. Then she finds him talking on the phone. Is it New Granny or a school mate? Bren thinks it’s just a game where Cody is dealing with the grief of recently losing his grandmother, but Georgina isn’t sure. What is real and what is her imagination? Is New Granny an imaginary friend or is something else happening? Is Cody in danger? Bren starts to question Georgina’s behavior and thinks she is being irrational. Is Georgina being paranoid? Is she having an emotional breakdown?
Georgina was a flawed protagonist, lacking confidence and having trouble communicating with her family. Despite getting aggravated at her several times, I continued to root for her. Her goals were clear and her motivations seemed believable. Her character felt realistic in the sense that she is struggling with work-life balance and wants to protect her child. Many of the secondary characters enhanced the story, but they were not always likeable nor did they have the depth that I would have liked. However, the characters acted or reacted to events in a plausible and believable way.
The internal and external conflicts arose out of characterization and circumstance rather than feeling contrived or forced. The stakes were extremely high and so was the tension, making this a page-turner. There were a couple of plot twists that were believable, but unexpected. Most of the subplots tied together well, but there was one that was not resolved to my satisfaction. The prose flowed well and the emotions of the characters came through vividly. One downside is that the premise did not totally avoid clichés as it related to the relationship between Georgina and Bren. Also, the revelations in the last part of the book would have benefited from a little more development. Themes include child safety, family dynamics, infidelity, secrets, lack of communication, mental health, stress, grief and much more.
Overall, this was a suspenseful, chilling, unsettling and definitely somewhat creepy thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. It had a good pace from scene to scene and had a dramatic ending that caught me by surprise. What an amazing debut novel! I’m looking forward to Ryan’s next novel. If you enjoy psychological thrillers, then I recommend you check out this one.
Thanks to Gallery Books and Rachel Ryan for a digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for January 05, 2021. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
caseyundercovers's review
1.0
If you would like to read a Lifetime movie, this book is for you. Standard and predictable from the get-go, adding nothing new to the "my kid is seeing someone mysterious that I can't see" trope.
bmusselman3's review
5.0
I loved this book!! It had me genuinely scared at times which I was not expecting. It was frightening for me personally because I’ve realized in literature (and horror films) that I find the creepy old woman trope the most terrifying. The relationships are so strong and the writing is riveting and impactful. Due to the relationships being strong, I felt emotionally connected to all of the characters which made the tragedies even more daunting. So many twists and turns - I highly recommend if you like Colleen Hoover or Gillian Flynn.
Critiques: Cody became super obnoxious to me but I also generally find kids in movies and books annoying.
I really did not like how Georgina’s relationship with her father changed so drastically. It didn’t feel authentic to her character, especially because of how much she was cherishing that relationship after her mother’s death. I feel like there should have been a stronger moment between them at the end.
Critiques: Cody became super obnoxious to me but I also generally find kids in movies and books annoying.
I really did not like how Georgina’s relationship with her father changed so drastically. It didn’t feel authentic to her character, especially because of how much she was cherishing that relationship after her mother’s death. I feel like there should have been a stronger moment between them at the end.
tonigeorge's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
yemilhead's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
prettyamy1's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0