shereadytoread's Reviews (806)

A fun read with an unexpected (if not a little unrealistic) culprit. This is probably the fastest I've finished a printed book in years.

This thriller is not the worst and is actually a pretty quick and surprising read. The initial plot twist did catch me off guard but it is about halfway through the book and then pretty predictable from there. There is a second attempt at a plot twist which works for maybe 1/4 longer of the book but then falls flat.

Unfortunately this book completely relies on some pretty terrible tropes regarding mental illness and the unreliability of domestic violence victims. What could have been a really interesting read devolves into women against each other rather than a dishonest partner.

While this wasn't as great as "One of Us is Lying", it was a solid read. Once again McManus tells a solid teen mystery without constant red herrings. Most of the characters go against the typical archetypes and it ties together well. Something I enjoyed with the previous book and this one is that smaller mysteries come up and are solved before the final reveal and then another small twist after. The last line was great.

The first half of this book was very promising, just creepy enough to make the reader uncomfortable. They set up things well, but make it obvious from the beginning that everything is a set up. About halfway through we get the first "reveal" and it's pretty downhill from there. We are stuck with unreliable narrators, switching of time periods mid chapter and an ending with tons of holes that make no sense. It was enjoyable to read but I dragged through the last 50 pages. The books characters are mostly unlikable as well so there is nothing to hold onto there.

I really enjoyed this memoir. You should absolutely choose the audiobook over the printed. The audiobook is read by the author but also has lots of "guest stars" (with conversations that are not in the printed book) and some audio clips from her TV shows and a live reading. She very frank and gives little "Self-help" anecdotes while talking about her pretty interesting life.

This book is very simple and short but still makes you feel uneasy. The character is easy to sympathize with, as he doubts himself and what he sees.