What an excellent debut, Stacy! When girls start going missing in Baton Rouge, Chloe notices some similarities to a spate of abductions that terroriseWhat an excellent debut, Stacy! When girls start going missing in Baton Rouge, Chloe notices some similarities to a spate of abductions that terrorised her childhood town over a decade ago. However, it can't be the same killer because that man is her father and he is currently in prison. Some good red herrings in here and nice wee twists. I liked how Chloe was fragile and on edge as this created tension and made some of her actions questionable. The result was a growing sense of unease for readers and a degree of uncertainty about which characters were trustworthy. A great murder mystery and I look forward to reading this author's next novel. ...more
I honestly had to dig deep to get through this predictable mystery. I don't know why I held on until the end because I detested the main character, JeI honestly had to dig deep to get through this predictable mystery. I don't know why I held on until the end because I detested the main character, Jessica, with a passion. I wasn't invested in who killed Heather because we didn't really get to know her at all. There was an angsty teen drama vibe despite the dual timeline between them as university students and then adults. I did enjoy how things unfolded in the last 1/4 but overall this was just okay for me....more
I love TJR but this wasn't as captivating as some of her other novels. I liked that through flashbacks we saw the relati2.5 generously rounded up to 3
I love TJR but this wasn't as captivating as some of her other novels. I liked that through flashbacks we saw the relationship between Elsie and Ben develop. However, I really wished the primary focus of the story was on the aftermath of Ben's tragic death and in particular the relationship between Elsie and Ben's mother. It was in there, but I wanted more depth. I think that this would have struck more of an emotional chord for me but sadly I didn't get the feels I was expecting.
I almost DNF'd this one a couple of times during the first half as it felt like there were too many strings for me to pull together. The story wove inI almost DNF'd this one a couple of times during the first half as it felt like there were too many strings for me to pull together. The story wove in and out of people's lives and back and forth in time. I am beyond thrilled that I hung on as it turned out to be such a magnificent story of strength, love, and the power of choosing to do the right thing. The story grew more and more compelling with every page, right until the tear inducing final moments. It is largely a dark story but I never felt weighed down with despair because as the story progressed Anthony gave me a glimmer of hope that I clung to for dear life. A wonderful intricately plotted story.
I dropped Science as soon as I could in High School. Nothing to do with the teachers (I believe one is a police detective now). It just felt really haI dropped Science as soon as I could in High School. Nothing to do with the teachers (I believe one is a police detective now). It just felt really hard to understand. So by all accounts I should have disliked this book. I did not. I loved it. Deeply.
At the risk of embarrassing myself, I don't 100% know what parts of the science were real or fiction or hypothetically true (aside from what felt glaringly obvious...well I sincerely hope the parts that I thought were fiction actually are fiction or we are munted). In the end it didn't matter because I completely understood the Science as it was presented in this book. Oddly, I also enjoyed and understood the mathsy type stuff as well. Anyone who has watched me count knows I still use my fingers...
It was such an entertaining story and I thought the two main characters were absolutely brilliant.
In and among the science there was humour. Exactly my type of humour.
"I penetrated the outer cell membrane with a nano syringe." "You poked it with a stick?" "No!" I said. "Well. Yes. But it was a scientific poke with a very scientific stick”
The audiobook was amazing and it was so well narrated. The 17 hours flew by!
This superb book is a must for science fiction lovers!
I admire the way Lisa used dual timelines and multi POVS to weave together a well paced and suspenseful read.
The audiobook narration was superb and heI admire the way Lisa used dual timelines and multi POVS to weave together a well paced and suspenseful read.
The audiobook narration was superb and helped to immerse me in this gripping mystery. Lisa writes completely believable characters, whether it be tired single parents, naive teenagers, or sinister and controlling psychopaths. I love the growing sense of unease I feel in her books as I start to piece together what is happening. Thoroughly engaging novel.
CW: (view spoiler)[drugs, death of loved ones (heart attack and drowning), stabbing, memory loss from trauma, sexual assault (hide spoiler)]...more
I mean, who could possibly ignore a sign on a fence that says...."DIG HERE"....?
Another intriguing mystery from the talented Lisa Jewell. Thi3.5 Stars
I mean, who could possibly ignore a sign on a fence that says...."DIG HERE"....?
Another intriguing mystery from the talented Lisa Jewell. This was a gripping slow burn. I did manage to pick quite early on what had happened but I enjoyed the way everything unfolded. I love Lisa's attention to detail and the way she weaves in little hints and red herrings seamlessly. This isn't a thriller but it is certainly very engaging.
Captain Churchill is, most of the time, a totally despicable person. The current day town worships thWell I think this needed a more critical editor.
Captain Churchill is, most of the time, a totally despicable person. The current day town worships this mysterious historical figure that they know virtually nothing about and I have no idea why. None of that story line made any sense to me. Why did Leta fall in love with him? He was a real jerk to her yet she was still obsessed with him. She even knew she was in love with a figment of her imagination yet she yearned for the bits of love he threw at her feet every now and then.
The shame is that the rest of the characters and story lines were good. I really liked the idea of two female poets across time looking to have their work appreciated. I thought the modern day relationships were more believable and quite cute at times, with some great friendship dynamics in there too. I don't recommend this for animal lovers as there are a couple of descriptions of whale hunting that are quite upsetting. Leta finds the whale hunting abhorrent yet she falls in love with the man behind the slaughters because you know, he's so damned desirable in his aloof, cruel and cold manner......more
Well it dragged a bit before coming to it's predictable endCW: (view spoiler)[sexual content, death of loved one in accident, cheating (hide spoiler)]
Well it dragged a bit before coming to it's predictable ending.
That being said I did want to know what was going to happen, so Kit did a great job of building intrigue. I thought the sense of instability in the friendship group was done incredibly well and found myself feeling a bit anxious for the characters at times. The dynamics between young women can be fraught with difficulty when they are focused on their perceived pecking order to determine how they relate to each other and function as a group. It made for some tense moments as I was reading. I liked the dual timeline although as I mentioned it did drag out a little. I was coiled like a spring wanting to know what was going to happen and then it kept going and going. There is only so long you can be on the edge of your seat before you take a breath and sink back in annoyance. Overall though, a good YA mystery that looks at themes of lies and betrayal....more
CW: (view spoiler)[marriage break-up of parents, mention of inappropriate staff student relationship, emotUPDATE: 01/07/2021 - Reread and review added
CW: (view spoiler)[marriage break-up of parents, mention of inappropriate staff student relationship, emotional cheating, bullying (hide spoiler)]
3.5 Stars rounded up to 4
Well I may have teared up a little at the end!
What a fabulously painful story looking at the slow demise of a friendship.
Some parts were so brutal I actually gasped out loud as this once solid pair were torn apart by jealousy, resentment, and revenge. I loved that it was told in a dual timeline from Cleo's perspective. We move back and forth between 'Then' and 'Now' and slowly learn about the events that started the downward spiral. The pacing is a bit slow at times and a good edit to reduce some of the less engaging parts would have made this a more enjoyable read for me. The end had me a bit emotional because sometimes, as in this story, (view spoiler)[the damage and hurt are too great for a friendship to recover from. (hide spoiler)] I listened to this as an audiobook which was fabulously read. It is filled with high school teen drama but underneath it all is a story I think most people can relate to. _________________________ 3.5 RTC This is my third review to come. Going back to work in the real world is ruining my Goodreads life ...more
CW: (view spoiler)[sexual content, domestic violence, underage sex, cheating, drunk driving, abortion, drugs, alcohol, homomi4.5 Stars rounded up to 5
CW: (view spoiler)[sexual content, domestic violence, underage sex, cheating, drunk driving, abortion, drugs, alcohol, homomisia, bimisia, lesbomisia, suicide, loss of loved ones in car accident and illness, misogyny (hide spoiler)]
Well that was an absolutely amazing reading experience!
I could not stop listening to this incredibly well narrated, beautifully written, and engaging story until I got through to the emotional and lovely last line. It felt like I was listening to a yarn. A smoothly told tale of an actress fighting to establish herself in an industry that saw women as pretty baubles. The writing was wonderful and it seemed to just flow and sweep me into this world of glamorous facades. I loved every moment of it. ...more
This was narrated from multiple points of view which suited this plot quite well. Shari did a great job of weaving lots of threads together and the result was a story filled with tension. I would have liked a bit more variety in the pacing and telling of the story as we didn't have enough time to sit and ponder new pieces of information before we were hurried on to the next bombshell. Overall an enjoyable read. ...more
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