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melannedavis's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Murder, Physical abuse, Mental illness, and Stalking
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
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I picked this up because it is the Literally Dead Book Club pick for the month of April.
"Nightwatching" follows a mother one blizzarding evening as she is home alone with her two young children. She is awoken to a noise and quickly realizes that they are not alone in the house. Now, she is determined to get herself and her children to safety.
I ran the gambit of emotions during this book. I was scared of the intruder and what might happen to the children, I was angry that the main character was seemingly dismissed by everyone, and I was inspired by her love for her children, no matter what.
The book dragged a little bit for me in the beginning because the author chose to go into a lot of detail about what was happening with the intruder. I think for a lot of people this was probably an appealing aspect because it increases the anxiety of whether or not they will make it out of the house unscathed. However, for me, I just wanted to move on. I wanted to see the fallout of whether they made it out or not. I was very pleased to see the story progress forward.
This book really solidified for me how little I like cops as a general rule. They always seem so quick to dismiss women, and that was definitely the case for the mother in this book. I also HATED her father-in-law. There are a lot of themes of misogyny in this book that fueled the fire.
The mother is not a trained cop or detective, but she did her own investigating in a way that I think anyone would have given the circumstance. It was very believable how she investigated what truly happened, and whether or not the situation was solved.
I will definitely be picking up more from Tracy Sierra, and I highly recommend this book, just read it with the light on.
"Nightwatching" follows a mother one blizzarding evening as she is home alone with her two young children. She is awoken to a noise and quickly realizes that they are not alone in the house. Now, she is determined to get herself and her children to safety.
I ran the gambit of emotions during this book. I was scared of the intruder and what might happen to the children, I was angry that the main character was seemingly dismissed by everyone, and I was inspired by her love for her children, no matter what.
The book dragged a little bit for me in the beginning because the author chose to go into a lot of detail about what was happening with the intruder. I think for a lot of people this was probably an appealing aspect because it increases the anxiety of whether or not they will make it out of the house unscathed. However, for me, I just wanted to move on. I wanted to see the fallout of whether they made it out or not. I was very pleased to see the story progress forward.
This book really solidified for me how little I like cops as a general rule. They always seem so quick to dismiss women, and that was definitely the case for the mother in this book. I also HATED her father-in-law. There are a lot of themes of misogyny in this book that fueled the fire.
The mother is not a trained cop or detective, but she did her own investigating in a way that I think anyone would have given the circumstance. It was very believable how she investigated what truly happened, and whether or not the situation was solved.
I will definitely be picking up more from Tracy Sierra, and I highly recommend this book, just read it with the light on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Stalking, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Misogyny
Moderate: Kidnapping and Gun violence
readergirl_87's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The first half of this book was really interesting, but the second half fell flat. The thoughts in my head, wondering what was happening were way more entertaining than the actual book. Not bad but not good either.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Confinement, Gaslighting, and Cancer
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
kimkowalski's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Definitely not what I expected at all! Very different from other books I’ve read, highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Murder, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Grief, Stalking, Violence, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Kidnapping, Body shaming, and Forced institutionalization
ellievberg's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
HOLY S. One of the best thrillers I have read in years (and I read a LOT of thrillers). So tense throughout. Will tw for mothers - this taps into a mother’s greatest fear, so enter with caution.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Pedophilia, and Murder
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