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pagesplotsandpints's Reviews (2.1k)
<b>Read Complete 6/25/24 |</b> 4 stars
<b><I>See my updated Riley Sager ranking below my review!</b></I>
I REALLY enjoyed this book and I'm so happy I did! Riley Sager's books can be really hit or miss for me and a bunch of them were just middle of the road reads when everyone else was absolutely loving them. Apparently I tend to have the opposite reactions to a lot of his books because it seemed like not as many people were loving this one, but I really appreciated the vibes! This may also be a different change of pace for Riley Sager fans since there's a male protagonist instead of a female lead.
I loved the quiet little cul-de-sac feeling of this book and I'm always a sucker for a domestic-type thriller where there's suspicion among the neighbors, and it really had a lot of thriller tropes I enjoy: missing person, suspicious neighbors, "is it paranormal or not", and cold cases. I just really liked the whole feeling of the book where it was lightly creepy and chilling so that I was always anxious to see what happened next. There was also a creepy institute in the book that was really giving me Hawkins Lab vibes, even though it was not at all like Hawkins Labs. I liked that it was some creepy entity that no one really knew anything about and especially with a group of younger kids, I really picked up on a Stranger Things feel, so I loved it!
I was worried about the ending as I was working my way through the book and with some of the reveals about 70% in, I was worried that the final reveal was going to be a little bit cheesy and take a turn into the weird, but those doubts went away and we came back to a solid thriller finale. There were a couple more twists, one of my BIG theories finally being revealed and I was so excited to be right about it, and a satisfying ending that I didn't see coming.
I can definitely see why not everyone will like this one, but this checked a lot of the boxes that I like in a thriller! I really clicked with this atmosphere and the overall feel of the story, but it is a little different than some of his usual reads... but that's also why it worked for me! Super happy with my read here and I'm so glad I liked it.
AUDIOBOOK THOUGHTS: I listened to this as an audiobook, borrowed from my local library. Santino Fontana is the narrator (you may have also heard him narrating Caroline Kepnes' YOU books, singing as Hans in FROZEN, or seen him acting in CRAZY EX GIRLFRIEND). I really, really love Santino Fontana's voice, so much. Buuuut I also didn't love his voicing choice for a lot of the characters here. I was really happy to listen to him as this narrator but if I didn't have a bias, I might not have loved it as much. Some of the voices he chose for the characters were a little weird (does he get direction how to do them or does he make the choice?) and some of the narration was a little funky. But hey, I enjoyed it anyway.
<B>UPDATED RILEY SAGER RANKING: </B>
1. HOME BEFORE DARK (2020) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨| 4.5 stars
2. MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT (2024) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 4 stars
3. THE ONLY ONE LEFT (2023) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 4 stars
4. LOCK EVERY DOOR (2019) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ | 3.5 stars
5. FINAL GIRLS (2017) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ | 3.5 stars
6. THE LAST TIME I LIED (2018) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ | 3.5 stars
7. SURVIVE THE NIGHT (2021) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 3 stars
8. THE HOUSE ACROSS THE LAKE (2022) | ⭐️⭐️✨ | 2.5 stars
<b><I>See my updated Riley Sager ranking below my review!</b></I>
I REALLY enjoyed this book and I'm so happy I did! Riley Sager's books can be really hit or miss for me and a bunch of them were just middle of the road reads when everyone else was absolutely loving them. Apparently I tend to have the opposite reactions to a lot of his books because it seemed like not as many people were loving this one, but I really appreciated the vibes! This may also be a different change of pace for Riley Sager fans since there's a male protagonist instead of a female lead.
I loved the quiet little cul-de-sac feeling of this book and I'm always a sucker for a domestic-type thriller where there's suspicion among the neighbors, and it really had a lot of thriller tropes I enjoy: missing person, suspicious neighbors, "is it paranormal or not", and cold cases. I just really liked the whole feeling of the book where it was lightly creepy and chilling so that I was always anxious to see what happened next. There was also a creepy institute in the book that was really giving me Hawkins Lab vibes, even though it was not at all like Hawkins Labs. I liked that it was some creepy entity that no one really knew anything about and especially with a group of younger kids, I really picked up on a Stranger Things feel, so I loved it!
I was worried about the ending as I was working my way through the book and with some of the reveals about 70% in, I was worried that the final reveal was going to be a little bit cheesy and take a turn into the weird, but those doubts went away and we came back to a solid thriller finale. There were a couple more twists, one of my BIG theories finally being revealed and I was so excited to be right about it, and a satisfying ending that I didn't see coming.
I can definitely see why not everyone will like this one, but this checked a lot of the boxes that I like in a thriller! I really clicked with this atmosphere and the overall feel of the story, but it is a little different than some of his usual reads... but that's also why it worked for me! Super happy with my read here and I'm so glad I liked it.
AUDIOBOOK THOUGHTS: I listened to this as an audiobook, borrowed from my local library. Santino Fontana is the narrator (you may have also heard him narrating Caroline Kepnes' YOU books, singing as Hans in FROZEN, or seen him acting in CRAZY EX GIRLFRIEND). I really, really love Santino Fontana's voice, so much. Buuuut I also didn't love his voicing choice for a lot of the characters here. I was really happy to listen to him as this narrator but if I didn't have a bias, I might not have loved it as much. Some of the voices he chose for the characters were a little weird (does he get direction how to do them or does he make the choice?) and some of the narration was a little funky. But hey, I enjoyed it anyway.
<B>UPDATED RILEY SAGER RANKING: </B>
1. HOME BEFORE DARK (2020) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨| 4.5 stars
2. MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT (2024) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 4 stars
3. THE ONLY ONE LEFT (2023) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 4 stars
4. LOCK EVERY DOOR (2019) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ | 3.5 stars
5. FINAL GIRLS (2017) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ | 3.5 stars
6. THE LAST TIME I LIED (2018) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ | 3.5 stars
7. SURVIVE THE NIGHT (2021) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 3 stars
8. THE HOUSE ACROSS THE LAKE (2022) | ⭐️⭐️✨ | 2.5 stars
<b>Read Completed 6/23/24 |</b> 4 stars
<b>Do I need to read THE LAST MRS. PARRISH first?</b> Yes! This is actually a direct continuation of the previous book, not just a companion. It would be pretty crucial to understand everything that's going on. I'd also recommend reading THE FIRST SHOT, which is a novella / short explaining Amber's situation before she came to the Parrishes. It's not required, but there is a ton of crossover and while explained in THE NEXT MRS. PARRISH, I think it's a good idea!
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This was a fun read! I wasn't sure what to expect and where we would pick up after the way THE LAST MRS. PARRISH ended, and while I felt there was potential, I wasn't sure if we really needed a sequel. Now I'm glad we got it because thrillers are so often stand alones and we don't get to continue the stories, or the stories just don't warrant a sequel. We still had more to tell here and wanted to see Amber pay her consequences as well.
The book has a little bit different of a feel since in the first book, we were so shocked by the twist mid-way. THE NEXT MRS. PARRISH doesn't have that one giant twist to be wildly shocking, but there are some really fun little twists and turns along the way. The ending was satisfying and also even leaves room for a third book, should the authors want to pursue it, but not in a way that's a huge cliffhanger.
I also really liked the addition of Daisy Ann, who we met in THE FIRST SHOT, and I was so happy to see that Daphne still had Meredith in her corner. It was a sigh of relief to have Meredith there, helping her, and believing her story. THE LAST MRS. PARRISH was so tense and miserable at times because Daphne was so alone. I liked that she got a support system here. I also really liked seeing Daphne even stronger and more determined. This book continued to grow her character and while she still has to deal with the Jackson / Amber nightmare, she knows what she's in for and has some back-up plans to her other plans.
I really liked this read! It really made the story necessary to tell because life wasn't over after the ending of the last book. I thought it was a good way to continue on and spend more time with these characters.
<b>Do I need to read THE LAST MRS. PARRISH first?</b> Yes! This is actually a direct continuation of the previous book, not just a companion. It would be pretty crucial to understand everything that's going on. I'd also recommend reading THE FIRST SHOT, which is a novella / short explaining Amber's situation before she came to the Parrishes. It's not required, but there is a ton of crossover and while explained in THE NEXT MRS. PARRISH, I think it's a good idea!
----
This was a fun read! I wasn't sure what to expect and where we would pick up after the way THE LAST MRS. PARRISH ended, and while I felt there was potential, I wasn't sure if we really needed a sequel. Now I'm glad we got it because thrillers are so often stand alones and we don't get to continue the stories, or the stories just don't warrant a sequel. We still had more to tell here and wanted to see Amber pay her consequences as well.
The book has a little bit different of a feel since in the first book, we were so shocked by the twist mid-way. THE NEXT MRS. PARRISH doesn't have that one giant twist to be wildly shocking, but there are some really fun little twists and turns along the way. The ending was satisfying and also even leaves room for a third book, should the authors want to pursue it, but not in a way that's a huge cliffhanger.
I also really liked the addition of Daisy Ann, who we met in THE FIRST SHOT, and I was so happy to see that Daphne still had Meredith in her corner. It was a sigh of relief to have Meredith there, helping her, and believing her story. THE LAST MRS. PARRISH was so tense and miserable at times because Daphne was so alone. I liked that she got a support system here. I also really liked seeing Daphne even stronger and more determined. This book continued to grow her character and while she still has to deal with the Jackson / Amber nightmare, she knows what she's in for and has some back-up plans to her other plans.
I really liked this read! It really made the story necessary to tell because life wasn't over after the ending of the last book. I thought it was a good way to continue on and spend more time with these characters.
<b>Read Completed 6/21/24 |</b> 3 stars
This was an interesting little read but didn't provide as much as I had hoped. It provided more background on Amber and to show how conniving she really was the entire time, even a shocking little turn of events to really prove her character. I liked this short novella but didn't love it. Sometimes being inside of Amber's head is a bit irritating because she is an unlikeable character, but this also makes a nice connection to THE NEXT MRS. PARRISH, so I'm glad I read it first.
This was an interesting little read but didn't provide as much as I had hoped. It provided more background on Amber and to show how conniving she really was the entire time, even a shocking little turn of events to really prove her character. I liked this short novella but didn't love it. Sometimes being inside of Amber's head is a bit irritating because she is an unlikeable character, but this also makes a nice connection to THE NEXT MRS. PARRISH, so I'm glad I read it first.
<b>Read Complete 6/18/24 |</b> 3.5 stars
<b><I>Do I need to read Books 1 & 2 before reading this book?</b> </I>Technically, no. The characters of Lily and Henry do appear and have some increasingly larger roles in the book as it progresses, but you can read this first if you want as the plot is independent. If you plan on read THE KIND WORTH KILLING, then this may spoil parts of that book. You may also feel a little lost being thrown into these two characters without the context and history to back it up, but the plot stands alone.
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I actually really liked the beginning of this book and was quite interested in it. I wasn't really keen on another Lily Kintner/Henry Kimball book, so I was pleasantly surprised when Lily was involved but just on the peripheral. She did have her own POV, but the story was really about an old friend Martha and her husband who she thought might be a serial killer.
The first half of the book was really interesting and I really liked the story! I was really connecting with it for a while, and I actually really liked the twist that took us into the second half of the book, but it lost me from there.
The second half of the book lost its momentum and this is where Lily and Henry really pick up the story. I was pretty irritated by it because I honestly don't care about them anymore and was enjoying Martha's story and everything that she was discovering. I would have rather had Lily & Henry make smaller appearances or not be in it at all and this could be a stand alone. It just really killed the pacing for me and the ending was all a little too easy in some ways. I did like how at the *very* end, things did circle back and everything was wrapped up well.
I did enjoy the read but honestly, Lily & Henry being big parts of it made it worse instead of better for me. Mixed feelings on this one.
<b><I>Do I need to read Books 1 & 2 before reading this book?</b> </I>Technically, no. The characters of Lily and Henry do appear and have some increasingly larger roles in the book as it progresses, but you can read this first if you want as the plot is independent. If you plan on read THE KIND WORTH KILLING, then this may spoil parts of that book. You may also feel a little lost being thrown into these two characters without the context and history to back it up, but the plot stands alone.
----
I actually really liked the beginning of this book and was quite interested in it. I wasn't really keen on another Lily Kintner/Henry Kimball book, so I was pleasantly surprised when Lily was involved but just on the peripheral. She did have her own POV, but the story was really about an old friend Martha and her husband who she thought might be a serial killer.
The first half of the book was really interesting and I really liked the story! I was really connecting with it for a while, and I actually really liked the twist that took us into the second half of the book, but it lost me from there.
The second half of the book lost its momentum and this is where Lily and Henry really pick up the story. I was pretty irritated by it because I honestly don't care about them anymore and was enjoying Martha's story and everything that she was discovering. I would have rather had Lily & Henry make smaller appearances or not be in it at all and this could be a stand alone. It just really killed the pacing for me and the ending was all a little too easy in some ways. I did like how at the *very* end, things did circle back and everything was wrapped up well.
I did enjoy the read but honestly, Lily & Henry being big parts of it made it worse instead of better for me. Mixed feelings on this one.
<b>Read Completed 6/16/24 |</b> 3.5 - 3.75 stars
This was an enjoyable read and I appreciated that there were a few layers to the story. I liked the pacing and the style, and this was really easy to read! It was thrilling and not too over-the-top.
I did have some suspicions that I thought were going to be incorrect but actually turned out to be true! I do wish I could have spent more time with the characters as Rachel figured everything out, though, because I thought it ended a little quickly. I would have liked even a couple more paragraphs rather than it ending right there. I get the dramatic impact but eh, I'd like to actually experience it. I also wish Rachel's fear of water was either connected more or explained more. There's some trauma in her past and it's teased at for a long time but it was a little lost on me being held back from the reader the whole time.
I'd likely pick up another Sue Watson book somewhere down the road. This was easy for me to read and I was definitely engaged the whole time.
This was an enjoyable read and I appreciated that there were a few layers to the story. I liked the pacing and the style, and this was really easy to read! It was thrilling and not too over-the-top.
I did have some suspicions that I thought were going to be incorrect but actually turned out to be true! I do wish I could have spent more time with the characters as Rachel figured everything out, though, because I thought it ended a little quickly. I would have liked even a couple more paragraphs rather than it ending right there. I get the dramatic impact but eh, I'd like to actually experience it. I also wish Rachel's fear of water was either connected more or explained more. There's some trauma in her past and it's teased at for a long time but it was a little lost on me being held back from the reader the whole time.
I'd likely pick up another Sue Watson book somewhere down the road. This was easy for me to read and I was definitely engaged the whole time.
<b>Read Completed 6/15/24 |</b> 3 stars
This sounded like a really unique read and it really ended up falling into a serious thriller trope.
I really liked that this took place in a unique location and had an interesting concept! I figured this would be like a locked room thriller sort of a vibe from the synopsis that had a good twist. It describes Felicity working on a remote Antarctic island trying to escape someone from her past who has now gotten out of prison and came to find her. I was expecting that to be the basis of the book where we have a high octane, heart-pounding thriller as Felicity is chased. I assumed she also had something to hide, etc etc.
Then Part 2 of the book comes in and we spend the majority of the time back in Cambridge before all of this started. Part 3 of the book follows, still in Cambridge, and then we wrap back up in present day. I was pretty disappointed to flash back in huge chunks and not be in the setting that the synopsis promised. The writing and the story were still fine, things were getting interesting, but I felt like I was tricked. It was also an adjustment to follow a few of these different characters and I didn't get how some of them connected for a while, nor did I care.
I didn't really like any of the characters. Felicity is an unreliable narrator with gaps in her memory and sometime's she's hard to root for. Joe is her psychologist and a terrible one at that. He was unethical, unprofessional, and he was supposed to be a good guy trying to help Felicity but I really didn't like him either.
Where the book really lost me was where the twist came in...Felicity has DID (dissociative identity disorder) and they suspect her "alters" are who are killing the homeless. There's also a history of abuse in her family and I hated that they included rape of her mother AND HER AT THREE YEARS OLD. Now was that really necessary. I hate reading about child abuse and more so, I absolutely hate reading about sexual abuse of a child. Rape at three years old was for shock value and it was disgusting. That wasn't necessary for the story and I hated it.
I really didn't like the ending but I did enjoy some of the read and I liked how Sharon Bolton had me interested in all of the confusing things that were going on. I would have rated this lower if I hadn't liked the writing style and vibe, because some of the choices here were things I really, really didn't like. I like her writing style better than a lot of other thriller authors but because of her choices in plot here and a couple of her character decisions, I don't know if I'll pick up another book from her.
This sounded like a really unique read and it really ended up falling into a serious thriller trope.
I really liked that this took place in a unique location and had an interesting concept! I figured this would be like a locked room thriller sort of a vibe from the synopsis that had a good twist. It describes Felicity working on a remote Antarctic island trying to escape someone from her past who has now gotten out of prison and came to find her. I was expecting that to be the basis of the book where we have a high octane, heart-pounding thriller as Felicity is chased. I assumed she also had something to hide, etc etc.
Then Part 2 of the book comes in and we spend the majority of the time back in Cambridge before all of this started. Part 3 of the book follows, still in Cambridge, and then we wrap back up in present day. I was pretty disappointed to flash back in huge chunks and not be in the setting that the synopsis promised. The writing and the story were still fine, things were getting interesting, but I felt like I was tricked. It was also an adjustment to follow a few of these different characters and I didn't get how some of them connected for a while, nor did I care.
I didn't really like any of the characters. Felicity is an unreliable narrator with gaps in her memory and sometime's she's hard to root for. Joe is her psychologist and a terrible one at that. He was unethical, unprofessional, and he was supposed to be a good guy trying to help Felicity but I really didn't like him either.
Where the book really lost me was where the twist came in...
I really didn't like the ending but I did enjoy some of the read and I liked how Sharon Bolton had me interested in all of the confusing things that were going on. I would have rated this lower if I hadn't liked the writing style and vibe, because some of the choices here were things I really, really didn't like. I like her writing style better than a lot of other thriller authors but because of her choices in plot here and a couple of her character decisions, I don't know if I'll pick up another book from her.
<b>Read Completed 6/13/24 |</b> 3.75 stars, rounded up
I really appreciated this thriller and how it was written! There was great suspense and it wasn't an over-the-top popcorn thriller, which I can't seem to get away from now. I really loved the reality of this book and this topic, and what can potentially happen to a young social media influencer. There were so many darker topics explored here and I really loved how the author wove each one of them into the story.
It was on a very good path and I really liked the whole journey. I didn't quite love the ending, not because of the topic but just because I was hoping for something maybe a bit darker? It wasn't a happy ending per se, but a part of it just felt a little rushed. I did like one final jab at the end for readers to think about after the book is over, but I also wish I could have dwelled on that a bit more during the story.
I really appreciated this thriller and how it was written! There was great suspense and it wasn't an over-the-top popcorn thriller, which I can't seem to get away from now. I really loved the reality of this book and this topic, and what can potentially happen to a young social media influencer. There were so many darker topics explored here and I really loved how the author wove each one of them into the story.
It was on a very good path and I really liked the whole journey. I didn't quite love the ending, not because of the topic but just because I was hoping for something maybe a bit darker? It wasn't a happy ending per se, but a part of it just felt a little rushed. I did like one final jab at the end for readers to think about after the book is over, but I also wish I could have dwelled on that a bit more during the story.
<b>Read Completed 6/12/24 |</b> 3 stars
This was okay! I love the cute little romance supernatural / sci-fi /fantasy concepts where it's just light enough to have a fun twist to make the romance unique. In SKIP TO THE END, Amy has a premonition of how the relationship will end when she kisses someone new. After kissing three different guys at her friend's wedding, she finds one of them was her true love but she doesn't remember which.
So firstly, the concept of her not remembering which guy is her true love because she was black out drunk.... not a good look. I didn't re-read the synopsis before I read it and just quick-added it to my TBR for the concept alone and good reviews from family/friends. It really kind of bothered me that she kissed three guys and couldn't remember anything because she was so drunk. That's not cute and it's pretty embarrassing. Any time I've gotten that drunk, I didn't want to speak to anyone I saw there ever again because I was embarrassed that happened, so that just wasn't a good match for me, personally. I'm not sure how else to have her not remember something like that, but it could have been a little more romantic another way.
I also had a big issue with how long this book took to get going. The wedding took place for over 20% of the book and there was so much getting ready for it, things that literally didn't matter or have a part in the story at all... Things finally got going at 25% and it was way too late for my tastes. I was annoyed that we already weren't making connections with the true love and having an adorable meet cute. In a romance, I want to already feel *something* by that point.
The romance part was just okay. Because Amy doesn't know which guy it is, she has to go back and figure first who the potential people are and then essentially date them to see if she has connections with any of them. The dating part was kind of cute and I liked seeing how the relationships did or didn't develop, but it also didn't leave us a lot of time with Mr. Right.
It was obvious who Mr. Right was to me, and I didn't mind knowing the whole time, but it does get a little frustrating sometimes when the main character is SO oblivious. I did like Amy as a character, for the most part though. She was a little bland and there wasn't anything that stood out, really, but she was definitely and easy character to follow through this romance quest.
This was okay! I love the cute little romance supernatural / sci-fi /fantasy concepts where it's just light enough to have a fun twist to make the romance unique. In SKIP TO THE END, Amy has a premonition of how the relationship will end when she kisses someone new. After kissing three different guys at her friend's wedding, she finds one of them was her true love but she doesn't remember which.
So firstly, the concept of her not remembering which guy is her true love because she was black out drunk.... not a good look. I didn't re-read the synopsis before I read it and just quick-added it to my TBR for the concept alone and good reviews from family/friends. It really kind of bothered me that she kissed three guys and couldn't remember anything because she was so drunk. That's not cute and it's pretty embarrassing. Any time I've gotten that drunk, I didn't want to speak to anyone I saw there ever again because I was embarrassed that happened, so that just wasn't a good match for me, personally. I'm not sure how else to have her not remember something like that, but it could have been a little more romantic another way.
I also had a big issue with how long this book took to get going. The wedding took place for over 20% of the book and there was so much getting ready for it, things that literally didn't matter or have a part in the story at all... Things finally got going at 25% and it was way too late for my tastes. I was annoyed that we already weren't making connections with the true love and having an adorable meet cute. In a romance, I want to already feel *something* by that point.
The romance part was just okay. Because Amy doesn't know which guy it is, she has to go back and figure first who the potential people are and then essentially date them to see if she has connections with any of them. The dating part was kind of cute and I liked seeing how the relationships did or didn't develop, but it also didn't leave us a lot of time with Mr. Right.
It was obvious who Mr. Right was to me, and I didn't mind knowing the whole time, but it does get a little frustrating sometimes when the main character is SO oblivious. I did like Amy as a character, for the most part though. She was a little bland and there wasn't anything that stood out, really, but she was definitely and easy character to follow through this romance quest.
<b>Read Completed 6/11/24 | </b> 3.5 stars
This was an interested sci-fi read broken up into many different pieces with a dystopian/post-apocalyptic feel as a new pandemic starts sweeping the world that affects people's organs by turning them into different organs. Each perspective gives a little slice of life during the evolution of the pandemic from beginning to end, each one being their own interconnected short story. This definitely had some SEA OF TRANQUILITY vibes for fans of Emily St. John Mandel as well as a Black Mirror feel.
I enjoyed my read a lot in the beginning! The stories that led this off were interesting and definitely had the hook to bring me into the story. The curiosity of such an odd disease, how it came into being, and the unique ways the world handled everything was definitely something I couldn't look away from. I loved what all of these pieces added to the story and seeing characters or objects that connected them together.
My one hang-up with stories written like this is that some perspectives I'll like more than others, and the ending -- aside from the one major point that brought it all together -- had a few too many that I wasn't enjoying. They didn't really bring as much to the plot or purpose and they were the weaker ones, I felt, so it was hard to enjoy the book as it was wrapping up. I am very thankful that we got an answer of what the pandemic was and where it came from, which was actually a question I didn't even know I had. It added more of an overall sci-fi vibe to the book and gave it an awe-inspiring feel.
I really liked the human aspect of this book. The author focuses on a character-driven story where we appreciate family, relationships, culture, perspective, and what people cling to or give up in the face of doom or death.
This was an interested sci-fi read broken up into many different pieces with a dystopian/post-apocalyptic feel as a new pandemic starts sweeping the world that affects people's organs by turning them into different organs. Each perspective gives a little slice of life during the evolution of the pandemic from beginning to end, each one being their own interconnected short story. This definitely had some SEA OF TRANQUILITY vibes for fans of Emily St. John Mandel as well as a Black Mirror feel.
I enjoyed my read a lot in the beginning! The stories that led this off were interesting and definitely had the hook to bring me into the story. The curiosity of such an odd disease, how it came into being, and the unique ways the world handled everything was definitely something I couldn't look away from. I loved what all of these pieces added to the story and seeing characters or objects that connected them together.
My one hang-up with stories written like this is that some perspectives I'll like more than others, and the ending -- aside from the one major point that brought it all together -- had a few too many that I wasn't enjoying. They didn't really bring as much to the plot or purpose and they were the weaker ones, I felt, so it was hard to enjoy the book as it was wrapping up. I am very thankful that we got an answer of what the pandemic was and where it came from, which was actually a question I didn't even know I had. It added more of an overall sci-fi vibe to the book and gave it an awe-inspiring feel.
I really liked the human aspect of this book. The author focuses on a character-driven story where we appreciate family, relationships, culture, perspective, and what people cling to or give up in the face of doom or death.
<b>Read Completed 6/9/24 |</b> 2 stars
I contemplated rating this higher but the ending was far too messy, far-fetched, and poorly written in that I couldn't give it 3 stars.
KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE was actually entertaining enough and I was interested to see how the whole story was going to play out, but ultimately, nothing really made any sense. All of these weird things kept happening to Mia and then she suspects the people closest to her of sabotaging her.... but once we get the reveal of what it is and why... the why is just stupid.
Mia finds out that her roommate and best friend has been sabotaging her for the past 9 months, making her think that she killed her boyfriend Marco but SURPRISE Marco is actually alive, actually in love with Carrie, and working with her to gaslight Mia. They drugged her with all sorts of illegal drugs to make her freak out and hallucinate, all to steal her money. Ummm, okay? But Carrie has been LIVING WITH HER and pretending to be her BEST FRIEND for FOURTEEN YEARS to pull off this plan. No no no, this thing happened where she shoots Marco and that's what spurs this on? What were you doing for the past 13 years then? Plotting this until something good popped up? No way someone is that close to someone who they hate for that long, loaning out their boyfriend to a serious relationship. Furthermore, how was Marco still alive? We really never touched on that one. Was he not hit seriously? Was he wearing a bullet proof vest? There was definitely blood. They planned on Mia shooting him? It was all so stupid. And she just randomly has these connections where she can make all this go away. Yeah, not buying it. And the only reason Carrie did this all was because she doesn't like that Mia is rich. Ooookay. So are a lot of people?
Then in the end, Carrie and Marco turn up dead because ANOTHER TWIST -- Mia had them killed by hiring a hit man. See, she has experience with the dark web. Ha, okay. But Carrie stole her money before she died. Cool, so you're paying a hit man with money from your bank account? None of this was well thought-out. Good bones, good concept, huge plot holes. I was actually interested in this, which is why I'm giving it two stars, but it was way too poorly tied together.
I contemplated rating this higher but the ending was far too messy, far-fetched, and poorly written in that I couldn't give it 3 stars.
KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE was actually entertaining enough and I was interested to see how the whole story was going to play out, but ultimately, nothing really made any sense. All of these weird things kept happening to Mia and then she suspects the people closest to her of sabotaging her.... but once we get the reveal of what it is and why... the why is just stupid.
Then in the end, Carrie and Marco turn up dead because ANOTHER TWIST -- Mia had them killed by hiring a hit man. See, she has experience with the dark web. Ha, okay. But Carrie stole her money before she died. Cool, so you're paying a hit man with money from your bank account? None of this was well thought-out. Good bones, good concept, huge plot holes. I was actually interested in this, which is why I'm giving it two stars, but it was way too poorly tied together.