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ninetalevixen 's review for:
Lying in Wait
by Liz Nugent
I received an ARC of this book from Gallery Books through a Goodreads giveaway. This does not affect my rating or opinions.
1.5 stars.
I should maybe stop trying to read thrillers. Especially the kind that involve mental health storylines, because wow this was a hotbed of privilege, classism, ableism, fatphobia, and some really, really unhealthy relationships. I'm not saying that the author believes or condones any of these, but when the narrators spout off a lot of ignorant remarks (and I've never been a fan of the "product of their times" justification; the author lives in the 21st century) it's really not fun to read — especially when it has little, if any, bearing on the plot. There's prescription drug abuse, domestic violence, and seriously unhealthy relationships galore, and I'm genuinely starting to worry that I'm becoming desensitized to these and other issues.
Honestly, I didn't like any of the characters, and I had the distinct impression that we weren't meant to, with the possible exception of Karen. But (as I've often found is the case with thrillers) I didn't relate to any of them or sympathize with the holes they dug themselves into. Lack of communication as a source of conflict/tension is really starting to annoy me, andAlso, every time a narrator implies "Girl, you don't know you're beautiful" I roll my eyes because the 1D song is about to be stuck in my head for hours.
There are a handful of quotable moments and scenes that did hit home, which is probably why I finished the book and didn't hate it. I will say that the plot feels well-paced, if not revolutionary or unpredictable; I wasn't on the edge of my seat, but I wasn't falling asleep either.
As thrillers go, this is kind of in the middle of the pile [that I've read]. It's probably a combination of "not for me" and objectively objectionable content, though I don't imagine people read thrillers because they're looking for a happy ending so that just might go back again to "not for me."
content warnings:
1.5 stars.
I should maybe stop trying to read thrillers. Especially the kind that involve mental health storylines, because wow this was a hotbed of privilege, classism, ableism, fatphobia, and some really, really unhealthy relationships. I'm not saying that the author believes or condones any of these, but when the narrators spout off a lot of ignorant remarks (and I've never been a fan of the "product of their times" justification; the author lives in the 21st century) it's really not fun to read — especially when it has little, if any, bearing on the plot. There's prescription drug abuse, domestic violence, and seriously unhealthy relationships galore, and I'm genuinely starting to worry that I'm becoming desensitized to these and other issues.
Beauty is an international passport to acceptance.
Honestly, I didn't like any of the characters, and I had the distinct impression that we weren't meant to, with the possible exception of Karen. But (as I've often found is the case with thrillers) I didn't relate to any of them or sympathize with the holes they dug themselves into. Lack of communication as a source of conflict/tension is really starting to annoy me, and
I knew what it felt like to be ignored, but I wasn't sure what it felt like not to be noticed. I imagine they are very different experiences.
There are a handful of quotable moments and scenes that did hit home, which is probably why I finished the book and didn't hate it. I will say that the plot feels well-paced, if not revolutionary or unpredictable; I wasn't on the edge of my seat, but I wasn't falling asleep either.
We can't let these tragedies stop us living. We'll never forget our loved ones, but they would want us to be happy, darling.
As thrillers go, this is kind of in the middle of the pile [that I've read]. It's probably a combination of "not for me" and objectively objectionable content, though I don't imagine people read thrillers because they're looking for a happy ending so that just might go back again to "not for me."
content warnings: