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penguins_save_lives's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Cursing, Drug abuse, and Terminal illness
katelynprice's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I was really intrigued by this book, but I wanted to like it more than I did. The flashbacks to the past confused me, and I had a hard time keeping all of the names straight. I also had trouble suspending my disbelief. It was fun and twisty, but not as polished as I would like.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Cursing
Minor: Addiction, Cancer, Death, and Death of parent
daydaybookbay's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I rated this book a 7 out of 10. I was pulled into this thriller, and I love the idea of undercover work. Evie shows her cleverness over the years and pulls ahead in work. Some sections felt repetitive, but I liked how everything was revealed for a reason. I wish there had been some character development; the characters themselves were a bit flat.
This story is a quick read, but slow paced (if that makes any sense) game of cat-and-mouse. We watch the back and forth of Evie's work and personal life while she tries to keep it from crumbling.
The major plot of the story is introduced in chapters 1 and 2. We follow Evie in her undercover scheme for the first half of the book. In the second half, we have an altered plot and follow Evie in her con artist scheme. It is a bit basic at times, but the plot keeps pushing forward.
The flashbacks to Evie's previous jobs threw me through a loop a few times. It wasn't always clear why any of those moments were important. Eventually, it all comes full circle, and we understand, but I think they were more randomly distributed rather than strategically placed.
I'1l say it again here: there is next to zero character development. Here's a character at face value, and there is nothing added. I wish there would have been more there (maybe in the flashbacks) where we could understand more about the characters.
This story is a quick read, but slow paced (if that makes any sense) game of cat-and-mouse. We watch the back and forth of Evie's work and personal life while she tries to keep it from crumbling.
The major plot of the story is introduced in chapters 1 and 2. We follow Evie in her undercover scheme for the first half of the book. In the second half, we have an altered plot and follow Evie in her con artist scheme. It is a bit basic at times, but the plot keeps pushing forward.
The flashbacks to Evie's previous jobs threw me through a loop a few times. It wasn't always clear why any of those moments were important. Eventually, it all comes full circle, and we understand, but I think they were more randomly distributed rather than strategically placed.
I'1l say it again here: there is next to zero character development. Here's a character at face value, and there is nothing added. I wish there would have been more there (maybe in the flashbacks) where we could understand more about the characters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Alcohol, Sexual content, and Cursing
Minor: Car accident, Death of parent, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Death, Alcoholism, Addiction, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Cancer
livreads2much's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Cursing, Car accident, and Murder
Minor: Cancer and Trafficking
makennama's review
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing
Moderate: Sexual content
juanat77's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Car accident, Gaslighting, Cancer, Cursing, Death, and Murder
kimveach's review
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I'd wanted to read an excellent thriller, and this is the one. This book had an interesting protagonist, excellent pacing, helpful flashbacks, and a terrific ending. I thoroughly enjoyed this, even if it kept me up late.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Car accident, Outing, Terminal illness, Violence, Murder, Alcohol, Grief, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, and Bullying
itstruly_flower's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Death, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Murder
Minor: Cursing, Addiction, and Alcohol
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
This was an intriguing con artist, small town thriller that pleasantly surprised me! Thank you for PRH Audio for the advanced listening copy <3 I am providing my review on my own accord after listening.
I thought the narrator Saskia Maarleveld did a fantastic job; I always marvel a bit at narrators' abilities to use totally different inflections and tones of voice when switching characters, and Saskia did an excellent job of this!
The rotating chapters between the past and present piqued my interest; I was wondering what the tie-ins would be, and when it finally came together, it did not disappoint! I find that thrillers can delve into the exploitation and harmful fetishization of "mental health" struggles way too predictably and frustratingly, but this book steered clear of that and I appreciate it. It proves that a mystery or heist/con artist thriller can stand on its own, with morally grey characters, rather than villainizing those who are neurodivergent or have schizophrenia etc.
Despite the fact that you know that our main character is deceiving folks from the start, you're still rooting for her. It's so easy to, because she's so clever and takes no shit. Her whirlwind romance with Ryan has all of his close friends guessing, and I found it so delectable that she had them wound up so tightly.
The mystery of the elusive Mr. Smith was a very captivating game of cat and mouse, and while it frustrated me for Evie, I just wanted to know his real identity already and what his endgame was! Let it be known I will never be cut out for heist/con artist/secret identity work hahaha.
Anyway, as thrillers do, a lot of the big action and reveals happen in the last 10% of the book, but it overall felt like a satisfying conclusion and I think others will have lots of fun with this one.
see content warnings below!
This was an intriguing con artist, small town thriller that pleasantly surprised me! Thank you for PRH Audio for the advanced listening copy <3 I am providing my review on my own accord after listening.
I thought the narrator Saskia Maarleveld did a fantastic job; I always marvel a bit at narrators' abilities to use totally different inflections and tones of voice when switching characters, and Saskia did an excellent job of this!
The rotating chapters between the past and present piqued my interest; I was wondering what the tie-ins would be, and when it finally came together, it did not disappoint! I find that thrillers can delve into the exploitation and harmful fetishization of "mental health" struggles way too predictably and frustratingly, but this book steered clear of that and I appreciate it. It proves that a mystery or heist/con artist thriller can stand on its own, with morally grey characters, rather than villainizing those who are neurodivergent or have schizophrenia etc.
Despite the fact that you know that our main character is deceiving folks from the start, you're still rooting for her. It's so easy to, because she's so clever and takes no shit. Her whirlwind romance with Ryan has all of his close friends guessing, and I found it so delectable that she had them wound up so tightly.
The mystery of the elusive Mr. Smith was a very captivating game of cat and mouse, and while it frustrated me for Evie, I just wanted to know his real identity already and what his endgame was! Let it be known I will never be cut out for heist/con artist/secret identity work hahaha.
Anyway, as thrillers do, a lot of the big action and reveals happen in the last 10% of the book, but it overall felt like a satisfying conclusion and I think others will have lots of fun with this one.
see content warnings below!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Stalking, Violence, Death of parent, Cursing, Gaslighting, Car accident, and Death
Minor: Terminal illness and Cancer