I'm usually the first one to complain about books with too many POVs. This one has at least eight--eight!--and yet each one was distinct and contributI'm usually the first one to complain about books with too many POVs. This one has at least eight--eight!--and yet each one was distinct and contributed its own shading to the story, as well as revealing things to us that even the other characters don't know.
It touches on and seems to be inspired by timely subjects like how imagery plays into why we care about certain crimes, the weaponization of social media to obscure facts, the parental involvement in the Gabby Petito case, and many others, all done skillfully and thoughtfully and integrated well. It gave me what I found wanting in various other missing person thrillers with similar subjects, including another 2024 release, Such a Bad Influence. It's really because of the various POVs--done well--that we get complexity and compulsion.
A really nice surprise. I'm definitely looking into the author's other books.
Audio Notes: Multiple voice actors, all handling their roles well. Jenna Lamia has a smaller role than most of the others, but makes the most of her chapter(s?)--she's been a favorite of mine since Nest, and she makes you feel so much for the young, vulnerable girls she voices....more
Ugh, could we please just rig hard copies of this book to automatically play What Was I Made For when you open the cover?Ugh, could we please just rig hard copies of this book to automatically play What Was I Made For when you open the cover?...more
My absolute favorite thing is when writers make you believe things you didn't think were possible.
In this case, it's less about believing the twists My absolute favorite thing is when writers make you believe things you didn't think were possible.
In this case, it's less about believing the twists of the story, because pretty much all the reveals were fairly easy to guess. But that doesn't detract from the book at all, because the author spends so much time crafting each POV with such purpose and care that I absolutely believed that the characters could make the choices that they did. Some of the greatest human tragedies are rooted in the lengths people will go to seek security and love, and we see that theme play out with every character here.
Yes, it's a convoluted plot (with perhaps one far-fetched subplot too many), but I didn't really mind this because the writing carries it through. If I'm going to quibble about anything, I'd say the primary villain needed a bit more back story and nuance--not much, just a little more to make us more fully understand the choices that were made. But I love the fact that every single character is flawed and that each one had moments of painful self-reflection. The lines of the plot may be ones I anticipated, but the layered character work and unexpected poignancy were not.
(view spoiler)[The sullen, resentful teenager and his complicated feelings towards his bigamist stepmother were so well done, as were the husbands' POVs. I was most particularly touched by Daan's clear-eyed certainty of Kylie's motives, as well as his commitment to carry on what he knows would be her desire to keep the boys safe. (hide spoiler)] That bone-deep knowledge of another person doesn't always exist, nor the desire to help/be fair to someone who has betrayed you--but that kind of innate conscientiousness is very real.
I look forward to going back to book one to find out more about why these characters ended up in this position. There is real emotional truth in these character sketches, particularly the portrayal of fierce, unshakeable motherly instinct.
4.5 stars Rounded up because I liked it so much. Really excellent thriller—not the literary kind, mind, despite high marks for the writing—but the thoroughly-entertaining-keeps-you-turning-pages kind.
Audio Notes: I've listened to other books narrated by Kristin Atherton before, but she really gets a chance to shine here with all the different POVs. I appreciated the obvious skill in the various male/female/teen/child/authority figure dialogue, but also the shading in how she subtly changes her voices and manner of speech even when she's reading the narrative portions for each character. To do all that, and to give the text urgency and emotion and hope as needed--well, suffice to say she's a a narrator I'll be paying attention to in the future.
I didn't realize this was book two in a series when I requested the audiobook, but knowing what I know, I actually like that I read this one first. It totally works without the background of the first book and perhaps even adds to the suspense. The detective work is a solid presence, but really takes a back seat to the messy characters who are central to the crime--unusual choice, but I really liked it....more
So much fun! Started out sort of typically, but then my ears perked up at a particular spot and it got better and better as it went along.
Acid-sharp So much fun! Started out sort of typically, but then my ears perked up at a particular spot and it got better and better as it went along.
Acid-sharp writing and shrewd, ego-centric characters playing cat and mouse. It's interesting that Sutanto wields her canny pen with such knowing insights into publishing, marketing, and the complex love-admiration-hate relationships with which so many authors seem to circle each other. She also believably portrays neurodiversity, narcissism, female friendships, and sociopathy with assured style and humor. I also appreciated one character's re-examination of everything she thought she knew about herself and her relationships, which was approached with just the right touch--though I'm curious what the end means for the character in that respect! It's fun to speculate.
Similar themes as the excellent Death of a Bookseller, but with more thriller elements and wider scope. I very much enjoyed this and am excited to read the author's other books.
Audio Notes: This is a case where I borrowed this book because I saw that Saskia Maarleveld voices one of the characters, so a happy find indeed. All the audio performances are terrific, perfectly shading the words of each character with fixed intensity, careless arrogance, and manipulative charm. A very nice marriage of text and interpretation....more
I just can't believe that someone as suspicious as Tess wouldn't have even thought of the possibility of half of the central mystery. The other half..I just can't believe that someone as suspicious as Tess wouldn't have even thought of the possibility of half of the central mystery. The other half...well, I'm not sure enough was done to lay the foundation for it.
I do find characters like Tess interesting, though. A lot of readers seem to dislike her tremendously, but part of me understands her behavior perfectly. Haven't you ever been tempted to snoop where you shouldn't? Have you ever succumbed to your weakness, your vanity, your insecurities against your better judgment? Have you felt yourself spiraling or speaking a little too shrilly or acting too impulsively or even stupidly? Tess has, and even when I cringed or rolled my eyes at her behavior, there was never a time when I didn't understand why she was acting that way....more
So freaking good, with some of the best character writing I’ve read in years. Messy heroines, dark humor, and an utterly engrossing examinati4.5 stars
So freaking good, with some of the best character writing I’ve read in years. Messy heroines, dark humor, and an utterly engrossing examination of how feelings of kinship can lead to obsession, and so easily cross the line. As a former bookseller of many years, the bookstore setting is so familiar, too. An incredible debut.
Audio Notes: Both narrators were superb, especially Roach. Her performance, paired with the masterful writing that reveals things to the audience the character herself isn’t even aware of, strikes exactly the right tone. You feel impatience and sympathy and revulsion and a weird affection for this ticking time bomb all at once—and slowly, you start to realize that the pleasant, professional bookseller she desperately wants to befriend isn’t perfect, either....more
This is more of what I wanted out of The Quiet Tenant but that one never really got there. It comes close to the same anxious, helpJust...devastating.
This is more of what I wanted out of The Quiet Tenant but that one never really got there. It comes close to the same anxious, helpless feelings that Mo Hayder’s Jack Caffery series gave me. More thoughts when I can think about this a little more rationally.
But please, if the synopsis intrigues you at all, pick this one up. I'll just be huddled under a blanket whimpering quietly in the meantime.
4.5 stars
Audio Notes: The audio version is EXCELLENT. Highly recommended. ...more
Precision plotting and tension lead up to a shocking revelation. All throughout, we know Sara has been kidnappStunningly, unbelievably prescient. Wow.
Precision plotting and tension lead up to a shocking revelation. All throughout, we know Sara has been kidnapped along with a CDC officer and they are being held by a loony cult that is planning something big. (view spoiler)[Towards the end, we discover that a large group of men--many of them white supremacists and ex-military--are storming the Georgia Capitol. The Last Widow was published in 2019, which means Slaughter wrote this a minimum of three years before the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. (hide spoiler)] There are so many direct parallels between the lead up to the two events, and when I first realized what was happening, I literally got chills and screamed a little in my bed.
Re-reading in 2023, I appreciate the masterful character work, incredible action, and emotion even more. To be more than two decades into a series (and I do count Grant County + Will Trent as one big series, so please don't @ me) and still deliver so many surprises, revelations, and thrills is an unbelievable feat. Probably my favorite Slaughter book after Triptych....more
3.5 stars If you didn't like The Girl on the Train, you certainly won't like this. If you're interested in characters over plot, however, this is anot3.5 stars If you didn't like The Girl on the Train, you certainly won't like this. If you're interested in characters over plot, however, this is another solid entry into a excellent year for psychological thrillers.
Eileen is one of the most pitiable and despicable characters I've ever read; she is not only neurotically self-absorbed and insecure and suffering from severe sexual and emotional repression, but she's also prone to feverishly obsessive behavior. She lewdly fixates on a muscular guard who works at the prison where she's employed, she casually wonders how much time someone would serve to be with a young boy who's incarcerated, and she is all too eager to succumb to the charms of a beautiful new female counselor who is intent upon befriending her. It's uncomfortable and often disgusting being in Eileen's head, but it's absolutely riveting as well.
I think it's so interesting to read these portrayals of unlikeable and loathsome women; we come in all shapes and colors and personalities, and while there are a lot of anti-heroes or men behaving badly who are the main characters in books as television and film, it's much rarer to see the focus on a non-sympathetic woman, particularly ones like Eileen or Rachel who aren't glamorous, seductive creatures. The Amy Dunnes of the world are the secondary characters in these books, and while this seems unpalatable to some readers, these types of characters are much more nuanced and realistic to me.
Anyway--as a mystery, this one's pretty straightforward, and I wish the ending was stronger. But as a character study, this book is completely absorbing and fascinating. ...more
4.5 stars Everyone in this book is absolutely terrible, and as a result, this book is a masterpiece in character study and development. It's also a we4.5 stars Everyone in this book is absolutely terrible, and as a result, this book is a masterpiece in character study and development. It's also a well-written, precisely plotted psychological thriller, and deftly sketches one unreliable narrator after another. I guessed the culprit not too far into the book, but that didn't spoil my reading experience at all, particularly because the author drops so many diverting and convincing red herrings into the story.
I think it's also interesting that the central character, Rachel, challenges readers to think about how much we assume about--and pre-judge--other people based on our limited knowledge of them. To feel pity, disgust, frustration, compassion, and so much more for one character is a rare thing.
3.5 stars Wasn't as strong a finish as I'd hoped, but great writing, great character studies, and absorbing plot. A little bit Imaginary Girls crossed3.5 stars Wasn't as strong a finish as I'd hoped, but great writing, great character studies, and absorbing plot. A little bit Imaginary Girls crossed with surreal thriller tinged with dark humor. ...more
This is, by far, the most well-written romance I've read to date in the dubious "new adult" category--not to mention one of the best in the indie presThis is, by far, the most well-written romance I've read to date in the dubious "new adult" category--not to mention one of the best in the indie press one. There are a handful of other NAs that I've liked, among them Faking It, Double Clutch, and Easy, but this one's much closer to the mature YA/NA writing of The Sea of Tranquility. Albeit with characters and problems that are a lot more fucked up.
This story is basically a much better version of Slammed, which has gotten a lot of attention but I didn't find all that compelling, particularly in the too-honorable-to-be-true teacher. Unteachable is honest about how the fantasy of the older man/forbidden relationship plays into Maise's intense relationship with her teacher Evan, as well as mostly honest in Evan's fixation on her. It's filled with the kind of lust and sweat and regret that you rarely get in New Adult titles, maybe because so many of them are too busy trying to appeal to YA readers that they aren't pushing the envelope enough, or maybe just don't have that much insight to share.
I think one of the most bold things about this book is that as messed up as the idea of this relationship is, it's interesting to see how honestly Maise is portrayed. She's not an innocent ripe for seduction, and her awareness of her own femininity and sexual power is shown in a way you don't ever see in contemporary romances--I mean, why is it that you mostly only get that in urban fantasy? Most women who are 18 are aware of the potency of their attractiveness and youthfulness on some level, even if they aren't mature enough to fully understand the consequences of their actions--or the lack of responsibility, and what that implies, in his. But the situation is put into the right context later on. I do think that a little more time could have been spent on (view spoiler)[Evan/Eric's past relationship, and more proof that this wasn't just a predilection for teenage girls. Because honestly, to me, that's how the situation still feels, and I don't know if Maise's just fooling herself. It's pretty creepy, but you knew that going into this story. (hide spoiler)], and the story might wrap up a little too neatly in some ways. But I'm okay with it, because there is a lot of attention paid to things that are also important, and the story and writing exceeded my expectations in most ways. I also like that the book gives you just enough back story for Maise being the way she is, and gives her enough self-awareness to be sarcastic/realistic about it, without becoming a cliched sobfest.
Incidentally, while the sex is extremely well-written and fairly graphic (and there's a good amount of it, so beware, readers who like clean romances), this isn't just sexed-up YA, as it's not just about an obsessive romance; there's real emotional connection between these two, as well as between all the well-drawn secondary characters. (view spoiler)[Whether Evan's attraction to her stays as she gets older, I'm not sure. But it's an escapist fantasy romance book, so it's not going to get into that. (hide spoiler)]Unteachable is also rounded out with worries about parents, career, identity, college, friendships--you know, all those things that NA is purportedly about but rarely is.
I hope this author is working on another book, because she's clearly got things to say. And I'd be interested in hearing them.
*** This makes such an interesting bookend to Tampa, by the way. I still haven't reviewed that book, but there is so much room for discussion there....more
3.5 stars I really liked this one, although once the big reveal happens things get a little messy and more like a typical thriller. Strong voice, engr3.5 stars I really liked this one, although once the big reveal happens things get a little messy and more like a typical thriller. Strong voice, engrossing writing, but the must-must-read quality diminished after the climax. Would love to read more books by this author, though....more
One of my favorite things about this one upon re-read is this brief, telling moment during Will’s POV. He’s thinking about how he doesn’t want to relyOne of my favorite things about this one upon re-read is this brief, telling moment during Will’s POV. He’s thinking about how he doesn’t want to rely upon his partner for paperwork, because Faith is pregnant and will probably out for at least a week when the baby comes. It’s so funny in its cluelessness about men in general and Will in particular, especially because it’s just a throwaway line. But one that illustrates how well Slaughter writes her characters.
I also appreciate how she takes her time with Sara’s reappearance, and allows her—and us—to grieve with her, as well as to open the door to moving on....more
Will Trent is amazing, but fuck this tv show. The trailer is awful, and shows it is going with basically Will’s job and the LEAST interesting things aWill Trent is amazing, but fuck this tv show. The trailer is awful, and shows it is going with basically Will’s job and the LEAST interesting things about him, including the yappy little dog. He doesn’t look like Will (I don’t mean his changed ethnicity), he doesn’t act like Will, and I would bet he doesn’t deal with crimes like Will.
While I am happy for the authors’ success, I will never understand why studios option these amazing thriller books and then proceed to never use the best things about them: the characters, the stories, the writing, the research. Lowest common denominator cookie cutter jokey case of the week series are a dime a dozen, how often do we get source material that’s BETTER than/has as much potential as a SILENCE OF THE LAMBS? First Rizzoli and Isles, then Reacher, and now this. Ugh.
*ALSO. Karin Slaughter had two series, the Grant County series with medical examiner/pediatrician Sara Linton and her police chief husband + this one, the Will Trent series. Eventually those two series merged into one storyline, which for awhile was referred to as the “Georgia” series, I believe, but then they started being referred to as “Will Trent” overall. Why, when Sara has always been one of the two primary characters in both series and drives much of the action? This has bugged me for years. I hate this retconning of something that seems perfectly understandable, if publishers would just clearly lay out the order and explain.
My original BLINDSIGHTED review explains the order of the earlier ones. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... I still think they should be read the way they were originally published/the way I listed them there. There are important back stories for both sets of characters that help you fully appreciate the significance of things that happen later on. Slaughter is the MASTER of the long game when it comes to trusting her readers to follow and letting the stories and character arcs develop gradually. I honestly have only read one other author who has had the patience to let things simmer for so long and so rewardingly—and KS still comes out on top in the way the stories are executed.
Reread 9/2023 and bumping up my rating. This time I was able to further appreciate how superbly crafted this book was—so tightly wound, so perfectly executed. Incredible character work (especially, with context offered by time and seeing how this was placed after Grant County and before Sara comes back on scene) and so much heartbreak and tension, even though I knew where the story was going. Just so much awe over Slaughter’s writing....more
Wendy Darling
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