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klackey224's review against another edition
Book is way more violent and triggering than the description details. If you have PTSD, have experienced the trauma of gaslighting, or generally just don't do well with crimes against children, it's best to skip it. I was looking forward to reading it as part of Jimmy Fallon's book club, but after 4 chapters (I think?) I was already so anxious I couldn't read anymore. I skipped to the end just to see if there was a sense of justice, but it wasn't enough.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Murder, Pedophilia, Stalking, and Violence
mrsreads1's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Death, Domestic abuse, Blood, Pandemic/Epidemic, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Stalking
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.75
Finished reading: April 16th 2024
“Easier to believe a woman’s lying than that bad things happened on your watch. Easier to believe the simplest thing is always correct. And it’s simple to say a woman is crazy.”
I kept seeing this debut everywhere and the premise sounded delightfully creepy, so of course I ended up giving in and decided to add Nightwatching to my priority TBR. It's true that hyped books can go both ways for me, but I'm SO glad I listened to my intuition here... Because the fact is: I was completely bowled over by this claustrophobic and simply spine-chilling story. WHAT a read! It's funny how part of me absolutely hated my time with Nightwatching, while I was also completely hooked and in awe at the same time. This sounds completely contradictory, but I think that if you have read this story you will probably know what I'm talking about. I absolutely loved the chapters set in the present, which were both intense, daunting and had that perfect ominous atmosphere. The setting itself is simple, as most of the story is set at the house... But in only worked in this story's favor for me. I initally wasn't a fan of the flashbacks at all, but as soon as you start to understand the importance of those same flashbacks all is forgiven. I absolutely loved the writing style, which I admit won't be for everyone... But if you are able to connect with it, it will truly take this debut to the next level for you. The way the plot is built up and how you start questioning everything that you are reading is also extremely cleverly done, and it only made me want to turn those pages even faster. I simply HAD to know what really happened that night! All in all a fantastic debut and I already can't wait to see what Tracy Sierra will come up with next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Abandonment, Body shaming, Alcoholism, Blood, Gun violence, Cancer, Car accident, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, Death, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pedophilia, and Sexism
lmcarr0314's review against another edition
challenging
dark
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
2.0
This book is okay, Parts of it made me angry and constantly want to put the book down. In a sense this book is a good thriller, it is just not for me. I had to force myself to read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, and Stalking
Moderate: Chronic illness, Pedophilia, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Body shaming, Animal death, and Death of parent
katyannreads's review against another edition
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Stalking, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Forced institutionalization
camillessi's review against another edition
Don't misunderstand me marking this book as DNF: I only stopped reading around 60% of the way through because the content became triggering for me, and I felt it was safer to stop. But the book itself is wonderful and I felt I owed it a review for those will not be bothered by what bothered me.
This is the strongest debut I've read in a long, long time. Every sentence was pitch-perfect, the pacing was great, the tension had the perfect balance. For the chunk of the book that I read, the chapters alternated between the real-time home invasion and flashbacks of the main character's life. I held my breath almost the entire time I would read a chapter of the break-in, and then felt just slightly relieved during a flashback. Not that the flashbacks were any happier or more pleasant—but they provided a break from the urgency. I think in a book this intense, the flashbacks were exactly what it needed to keep the pacing steady.
One thing I was not expecting from this book was for it to be, for lack of a better expression, an "issue book." Plenty of topics are addressed here, mainly through the flashbacks: misogyny, sexism, abuse, sexual violence. They were all handled with care, while still being just as blunt yet subtle as it can be in real life.
I've recommended this book to everyone at my library that I can.
Personally, however, I needed to stop reading about 60% of the way through for my mental health. Around that point in the plot, there are elements of forced institutionalization, gaslighting/not believing someone, separation from family, and other things along that line, which unfortunately are incredibly triggering for me. Every once in a while I am able to power through, but this book is written so well and draws out tension so heavily, that it was a little unbearable. This is nothing against the book, however: I believe most people will love it, particularly because of how real it is.
Eventually, I plan to skim till the end to discover how it ends, because although I can't bear it, I do want to find out the truth!
All in all, this is a tense thriller with relevant themes, and I think it will appeal to readers of literary thrillers.
ARC received on NetGalley through the publisher. Thank you!
This is the strongest debut I've read in a long, long time. Every sentence was pitch-perfect, the pacing was great, the tension had the perfect balance. For the chunk of the book that I read, the chapters alternated between the real-time home invasion and flashbacks of the main character's life. I held my breath almost the entire time I would read a chapter of the break-in, and then felt just slightly relieved during a flashback. Not that the flashbacks were any happier or more pleasant—but they provided a break from the urgency. I think in a book this intense, the flashbacks were exactly what it needed to keep the pacing steady.
One thing I was not expecting from this book was for it to be, for lack of a better expression, an "issue book." Plenty of topics are addressed here, mainly through the flashbacks: misogyny, sexism, abuse, sexual violence. They were all handled with care, while still being just as blunt yet subtle as it can be in real life.
I've recommended this book to everyone at my library that I can.
Personally, however, I needed to stop reading about 60% of the way through for my mental health. Around that point in the plot, there are elements of forced institutionalization, gaslighting/not believing someone, separation from family, and other things along that line, which unfortunately are incredibly triggering for me. Every once in a while I am able to power through, but this book is written so well and draws out tension so heavily, that it was a little unbearable. This is nothing against the book, however: I believe most people will love it, particularly because of how real it is.
Eventually, I plan to skim till the end to discover how it ends, because although I can't bear it, I do want to find out the truth!
All in all, this is a tense thriller with relevant themes, and I think it will appeal to readers of literary thrillers.
ARC received on NetGalley through the publisher. Thank you!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Stalking, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Pedophilia
msbarnesela's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
4.0
The real horror in this book isn’t the monster. It’s the patriarchy. At the midpoint of the book, you think you’re dealing with an unreliable narrator (of the delusional variety), but you find out at the end that the only unreliable characters were the police.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexism, Violence, and Misogyny
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