Book Review: Sometimes I Lie (Alice Feeney) @alicewriterland @Flatironbooks

Sometimes I Lie, the debut novel by Alice Feeney, was a book that I was virtually bombarded with last year when it was released in the UK. I watched in jealousy as all my book blogger friends abroad devoured this psychological thriller and I patiently waited for the North American release. Now that it is here, I am pleased to report that Sometimes I Lie was worth the wait!

The novel opens with the introduction of Amber who is in a coma and unable to communicate with the world around her. All she knows for sure is that she is, indeed, in a coma, her husband does not love her anymore and that sometimes she lies. From the first pages, I was pretty much hooked. I appreciated Fenney’s slow release of information and I was eagerly awaiting more clues so I could try and figure out the wrongful parties. How did Amber end up in a coma? Was her husband involved? Maybe her sister? Perhaps her co-worker nemesis?   I loved how Feeney kept me on edge and slowly drew me in.

Told mainly through the perspective of Amber, partially in the present as Amber listens to those around her in the hospital and in the past, in the events leading up to the “incident” that put her in a coma, I enjoyed that Feeney was able to keep things fairly chronological and that I didn’t have to do a lot of guesswork to when things happened or read past pages to reorient myself. Her writing style is pretty straightforward and to the point. Aside from a few diary entries from Amber’s youth, I appreciated that it took place all in the present. This was a change from the past few psychological thrillers I have read in which we go further into the past and then shoot back to the present continuously.  I also love myself a good, ol’ unreliable narrator.

I have read a few reviews that claim the story is filled with too many of the classic thriller clichés but I personally did not mind this. Was there a lot going on? Sure. Did it work for me? Absolutely. I liked having a little bit of everything thrown in! And I loved the final twist.

Overall, I was impressed with this debut and I will absolutely read more from this author!!

5/5 stars.

Thanks to Flatiron Books, the author (Alice Feeney) and Netgalley for a copy of this novel; it was my pleasure to provide an honest review.

Want to see what the rest of #cjsreads felt while reading Sometimes I Lie?  Keep reading to see what Chandra and Jessica thought!

Book Review: Unraveling Oliver (Liz Nugent) @SimonSchusterCA

As I have mentioned before on Clues and Reviews, I struggle with serious cases of FOMO! As soon as I see other bloggers reading (and loving!) a particular book, I make sure that I arrange my schedule so I can add that book to the top of my TBR pile and dive in! This was the case with Unraveling Oliver by Liz Nugent.

When this one published last year, I was oozing with jealousy as I read reviews from other bloggers comparing it to some of my favourite books (You by Caroline Kepnes and Perfect Days by Rapheal Montes). However, this one released in Canada much later, so, when I was finally able to dive into this book, I was ecstatic and filled with anticipation. Was this a well-written book? Absolutely! Was it entertaining? Completely. A solid debut? For sure! Was it everything I thought it would be? Not exactly…

The novel follows Oliver Ryan, a handsome and charismatic writer who also happens to be a sociopath. After beating his wife, Alice, into a coma, Oliver reflects on his violent acts and, in the aftermath, his neighbours, acquaintances and friends of the couple try to understand what happened and what forced this man to unravel.

First and foremost, I did love the many differing perspectives and found that Nugent did an amazing job at ensuring that the plethora of characters did not become confusing. Her narrative voice remained fluid and even though there were multiple characters, it never felt disjointed. I loved the fact that all types of characters were given a narrative voice that represented all stages of Oliver’s life. I found this refreshing and a well-rounded and intimate way to discover a character. I truly did feel, by the end of the novel, that I knew Oliver inside and out.

The multiple characters were one of my favourite features and, at the same time, it was kind of where Unraveling Oliver lost me. I felt like this novel, unlike You or Perfect Days, was more of a character study. In the other novels, I was able to get a first hand, continuous look at how the protagonist/antagonist was feeling due to the singular, first-person point of view. I was able to get into the mind of a psychopath. In this novel, I was able to understand the character but it lacked the gritty and unsettling details. I also felt like halfway through, I started losing interest. I realized he was a sociopath, he was clearly a messed up guy but I just felt like it went on too long with the multiple perspectives.

Don’t get me wrong, I felt like this was a spectacular debut, it just wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. If you like a dark character study, then you will absolutely enjoy this novel. However, if you prefer something a little more unsettling, this may leave you wanting more.

4/5 stars.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for a digital copy of this novel; it was my pleasure to provide an honest review.

Book Review: Good Me Bad Me (Ali Land) @byAliLand @Flatironbooks

I am all about living in Canada, the true North strong and free and all that, but I really struggle when I see a book on my wishlist that comes out so much later here than in the UK!  One of these books was Good Me, Bad Me by Ali Land.  After reading a plethora of positive reviews and hype during the time of the UK release (which was in January), I waited with baited breath until I could get my hands on a copy!  Now that I have read one of my most anticipated September titles, I am feeling a little bit mixed about my feelings.

The novel opens with the introduction of Milly (aka Annie) who is new to the foster care system after turning in her mother, a serial killer, to the authorities.  Milly is awaiting her mother’s trial in which she is the star witness.   However, Milly has some secrets too; wrestling with her guilt and dealing with her troubling past, Milly is forced to face her most internal desires and question whether or not she will be good or bad.  After all, she is her mother’s daughter.

One of the first things that struck me about this novel was the characterization.  Kids are creepy.  Kids as a narrator are creepy.  This was clearly represented within the pages of this story.   Milly is such a complex character and she was really interesting to watch develop.   She seems to be quite the mess, and for good reason, and I felt like I was able to get into her headspace through my reading.  Land does a brilliant job at creating a memorable character here.  However, one of my main issues with the text came from the disjointed narrative style.  I realize that this was probably intentional due to the unreliable nature and psychological state of our protagonist but I found this style a little hard to follow.   I think I would have gotten much more from the text if it had been more of a third person narration instead of first person.  I did end up getting used to it in the end and I did find that by the end of the text, I was following it easier.

I loved the little vignettes that were placed throughout the text that gave insight to the atrocities that Milly witnessed while living in her mother’s house of horrors.  I thought this gave such an eerie and ominous tone to the text and legitimately creeped me out.

Now, my mixed feelings do not come from a hatred of the text or from a lack of entertainment because, don’t get me wrong, this novel was binge read worthy and I finished it very quickly, it was just completely different from what I was expecting.  I was thinking this would be full of twists and turns but I knew exactly where the plot was going.  I thought this would be a fast paced thriller and instead, it was a slow burning character study.  I feel like maybe I became a bit of a victim of the hype on this one, but I still really enjoyed the story for what it was.

If you are looking for a fast paced thriller with mind-blowing twists, then this one probably will not be for you.  However, if you into a character that will look deep into the psyche of a character and bring an eerie feeling to your bones, then this will be up your alley!

4/5 stars from me.

Thanks to the author and the publisher for a copy of this book; it was my pleasure to provide an honest review.

Want to know what my other #cjsreads members thought about this one?  Keep reading to see what Jessica and Chandra had to say about Good Me Bad Me.

Book Review: Our Little Secret (Roz Nay) @roznay1 @SimonSchusterCA

Our Little Secret by Roz Nay was not a hard book to completely become absorbed in.  The narrative style, the content, the pace and the general menacing tone had me completely captivated from the first pages.   I loved this novel. And, at 228 pages, it made the perfect binge read!

The novel opens with a woman, Angela, sitting in an interrogation room. She is the suspect in a disappearance. Her ex-boyfriend’s wife has gone missing and all signs point to Angela. As Angela is interrogated she begins to weave a story of a distorted love triangle and a tangled web of betrayals.

I found this one to be a nice breather from the typical flash forward/flashback type of narration that is so common in psychological thrillers lately.   We do move back and forth through time in Angela’s story telling but this character is so manipulative, calculating and so intent on wasting the police time, it does not come off as overdone. Instead, Nay brilliantly captures an unreliable narrator as she plays her game of cat and mouse; she gives a little, takes a little and leaves the reader wanting more.   The character development of Angela was my favourite part of the plot; the juxtaposition of scorned lover meets insecure woman made me unsure of who or what to believe. This one kept me guessing until the end.

In terms of psychological thrillers, this is one of the best that I have read lately.   If you like psychological thrillers, this is a must read. 5/5 stars.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada and the author for the copy of this novel; it was my pleasure to provide an honest review.

Book Review: Obsession (Amanda Robson) @AvonBooksUK

How often have you been in a relationship and asked your significant other, “Do you think she’s pretty? Are you attracted to anyone else?”   A simple question, a little game and in Obsession by Amanda Robson, this is the question that destroys many lives.    The novel surrounds two married couples. Rob and Carly share a happy life with their close friends Jenni and Craig; however, nothing is so simple. Can a woman’s husband ever be just friends with someone else’s wife? Pure friends? With no ulterior motives?  This novel calls into question the simplest blocks of relationships.

 

Book Review: Phantom Limb (Lucinda Berry)

Identical twins, Emily and Elizabeth, grew up with an adoptive family after suffering serious abuse as children. Now, as adults, Elizabeth finds herself constantly caring for her twin. Emily participates in self-harm and Elizabeth finds Emily on the floor of their bathroom, dead. Waking up strapped down, unable to move or speak, Elizabeth finds herself in a hospital where everyone is saying Emily died two years prior. As Elizabeth delves deeper into her past to uncover what happened to Emily, she is also forced to remember all the things from her past that she has worked so hard to forget….

Phantom Limb is my second novel I have read by Lucinda Berry and, let me tell you, these novels keep getting better and better. Phantom Limb, a character-driven thriller, was completely addicting.   I couldn’t put this novel down. Fast-paced, dark, and filled with twists, it isn’t easy to lose track of time within the pages.

Book Review: Her Husband’s Lover (Julia Crouch) @thatjuliacrouch @headlinepg

What a wild ride!

Her Husband’s Lover, the newest release by Julia Crouch, had me confused, on edge and baffled. By the time the plot was unravelled and all the secrets were exposed, I was left in awe of Crouch’s writing ability.   This was a seriously twisted domestic thriller.

Perfect Days (Raphael Montes)

Whoa. Whoa. Whoa.

This book was INTENSE! And is also going to be extremely hard to review, because if you haven’t read this one yet YOU HAVE TO and I don’t want to give anything away!

I had heard numerous things about Perfect Days by Raphael Montes and had it constantly recommended to me when I was facing a book slump; however, I promised my book blogging pal (Janel) that I would wait and read it in April with the Criminally Good Book Club…so that’s what I did.I cannot believe I waited this long to read this book because it was absolutely unputdownable.  Dark, fast-paced and completely messed up, Perfect Days was a one sitting read that left me thinking to myself “WTF did I just read?!?”

Book Review: Appetite for Innocence (Lucinda Berry)

A serial rapist, John, is kidnapping teenage girls, but he isn’t interested in all teenage girls. He targets virgins. By following their social media accounts, he bides his time and waits for the perfect opportunity. Locked away in a soundproof cellar, they are groomed until they are ready. However, when Ella arrives in the cellar, Sarah knows she is different from the others.   Sarah has been in the basement the longest and knows how things work. Nobody escapes alive.   Or maybe they do….

Appetite for Innocence by Lucinda Berry was my first experience with this author and I am pleased to say it will not be my last! From the first moments of the book, I was hooked.   Fast paced and full of tension, I could not tear my eyes away from the pages as I became consumed by the story of the girl’s captivity.