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tifftiff4's review
4.0
I recently reread this book for the third time, so I thought I should probably review it. I remember when I first discovered this little gem it kept me guessing throughout, and the ending definitely came as a surprise. So when I put it down for the first time, I actually picked it back up again, to see what it's like reading as someone who knows what will happen and if it was consistent or not, and see if I missed anything because I am a perceptive reader and as a kid I could always accurately tell you in the first two minutes who was the baddy in Scooby Doo.
I tend to like reading psychological thrillers, stories but you really have to be in a good frame of mind when reading ones that have some dark content. The characterisation was good, I don't remember reading any cliches that made me groan. There was some romance in this book, but it wasn't overly done. It had a nice balance and it was sweet, and went well with the other content in this book, basically it was the perfect recipe for a good book.
Sticking this as one of my favs, everyone should read if you like a dark psychological mystery with a bit of romance in it.
I tend to like reading psychological thrillers, stories but you really have to be in a good frame of mind when reading ones that have some dark content. The characterisation was good, I don't remember reading any cliches that made me groan. There was some romance in this book, but it wasn't overly done. It had a nice balance and it was sweet, and went well with the other content in this book, basically it was the perfect recipe for a good book.
Sticking this as one of my favs, everyone should read if you like a dark psychological mystery with a bit of romance in it.
krista_billings's review
4.0
Too much gratuitous sex for me, but well written ones I guess, if that's your thing. i was pretty sure I knew what was going on... but there was enough of a chance I could be wrong to keep me interested until the end.
keeahruhhh's review against another edition
5.0
I downloaded the sample and had to buy it as soon as it was over. I gotta say, I definitely did not see any of this coming. Unravel captured me from the start and I loved every second of it.
devansbooklife's review
4.0
My only complaint with this complex, thrilling, mind f*ck is that I figured it out too soon. I ruin things for myself. What I can say is that this book is written with incredible talent and passion. This book is intense and terrifying. I cannot imagine being in Naomi ' s place. Beautifully done. A mind twisting, heart breaking story.
yellauraya's review
4.0
Date read: January 24-January 25, 2020
Actual Rating: 4.00 STARS
I started reading this while expecting that this would blow my mind, especially at the ending. I've read and watched enough reviews of this to expect that much. And while spending my time absorbing every bit of the story, I was actually waiting for that twist to present itself. I've thought of every possible scenarios. While being highly expectant was really not a good thing for a reader, I still found myself expecting.
And oh my god!
Though it's not a really perfect story, the writing will just keep you right on the edge of your sit. It will definitely put you in the dark with the main character Naomi and together, you will craved for the truth about why she was admitted to a psychiatric ward and what really happened. It was really a fast read because you just wanted to get to the bottom of it. And for me personally, I wanted to find out the real revelation at the end. Oh boy, I was stunned. The thought about the truth actually blew my mind, as I was hoping I would. With every possible scenarios that came across my mind, nothing has come near the real twist that awaited me. I know that there would be something, but it still shocked me.
My only problem, the reason why I dropped off a star from my rate, was the execution of the revelation. I thought it was not executed properly as I had a lot of questions left in my mind. Reading through the twist, it was definitely shocking, but after I thought about it and looked back to the previous parts of the book to see how I would perceive it after knowing the truth, it can make you confused. Because I did get confused. Those months before Naomi got admitted, I can't clearly imagine the actual set up of the reality. I can't insert the truth through the stories she told without having discrepancies. Maybe because there are still more to tell in the next book? Maybe.
Regardless of that issue, I still enjoyed it a lot and it still blew my mind.
PS: I loved Lachlan so damn much I can only I wish a have a man like him in my life through ups and downs
Actual Rating: 4.00 STARS
I started reading this while expecting that this would blow my mind, especially at the ending. I've read and watched enough reviews of this to expect that much. And while spending my time absorbing every bit of the story, I was actually waiting for that twist to present itself. I've thought of every possible scenarios. While being highly expectant was really not a good thing for a reader, I still found myself expecting.
And oh my god!
Though it's not a really perfect story, the writing will just keep you right on the edge of your sit. It will definitely put you in the dark with the main character Naomi and together, you will craved for the truth about why she was admitted to a psychiatric ward and what really happened. It was really a fast read because you just wanted to get to the bottom of it. And for me personally, I wanted to find out the real revelation at the end. Oh boy, I was stunned. The thought about the truth actually blew my mind, as I was hoping I would. With every possible scenarios that came across my mind, nothing has come near the real twist that awaited me. I know that there would be something, but it still shocked me.
My only problem, the reason why I dropped off a star from my rate, was the execution of the revelation. I thought it was not executed properly as I had a lot of questions left in my mind. Reading through the twist, it was definitely shocking, but after I thought about it and looked back to the previous parts of the book to see how I would perceive it after knowing the truth, it can make you confused. Because I did get confused. Those months before Naomi got admitted, I can't clearly imagine the actual set up of the reality. I can't insert the truth through the stories she told without having discrepancies. Maybe because there are still more to tell in the next book? Maybe.
Regardless of that issue, I still enjoyed it a lot and it still blew my mind.
PS: I loved Lachlan so damn much I can only I wish a have a man like him in my life through ups and downs
lorenabelle's review
5.0
This is going to be a short review. This book is too good to risk giving away anything that would spoil the twist for you. Everything about this book was extremely well done, it could have very easily fallen into the far-fetched an unbelievable, especially after the twist was revealed but everything made perfect sense—which is important for a book like this.
“Just remember that even the purest of souls have darkness in them. It might be hard to spot. Perhaps they've perfected the art of covering it from the world. Or maybe it's hidden in a dark corner of their mind. But it's there. No one in this world is scar free.”
This book surprised me, I thought I was delving into another New Adult Romance but instead, ended up reading a book psychological thriller with a little romance. I usually don’t like books where the entire plot revolves around deciding if the main character is mentally disturbed/unreliable or not (I’m looking at you Girl on a Train). Usually, when I read a book like that the main character is so unlikeable I really don’t care either way if he/she is or isn’t—I just want the book to end so I can get away from him/her. The likability of the main characters is a necessity for me if I am going to enjoy a book. I found the main character here very likable and sympathetic—along with most of the supporting cast.
"I can dream. I can imagine and hope, but it will never change a thing. And the most terrifying thing is that I know, I know there’s more to the story. There’s another train coming straight at me, at full speed. Yet I can’t see it. I can only hear the ground slightly tremble. The tracks rattling beneath my feet. I can hear the sound of a whistle blaring. But I can’t move. All I can do is hope that when it does hit, I die in seconds."
Unfortunately, I guessed the twist—but that’s only because I happened to read another book with the same twist right before this one; otherwise, I never would have seen it coming. I did reread parts of the book when it was over to make sure that the twist held up/made sense, and it did. Having guessed the twist didn’t diminish the story for me—like I said, it was extremely well done. The story was compelling, the romance believable, and the mystery unique enough to keep me engaged until the end. If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers and/or darker NA/romance than this I recommend you give this one a shot. I’ll definitely be reading more from this very talented author.
“When a person is lucky enough to live inside a story, to live inside an imaginary world, the pains of this world disappear. For as long as the story goes on, reality no longer exists.”
Trigger Warning: This book contains a graphic rape scene that some readers will want to avoid.
“Just remember that even the purest of souls have darkness in them. It might be hard to spot. Perhaps they've perfected the art of covering it from the world. Or maybe it's hidden in a dark corner of their mind. But it's there. No one in this world is scar free.”
This book surprised me, I thought I was delving into another New Adult Romance but instead, ended up reading a book psychological thriller with a little romance. I usually don’t like books where the entire plot revolves around deciding if the main character is mentally disturbed/unreliable or not (I’m looking at you Girl on a Train). Usually, when I read a book like that the main character is so unlikeable I really don’t care either way if he/she is or isn’t—I just want the book to end so I can get away from him/her. The likability of the main characters is a necessity for me if I am going to enjoy a book. I found the main character here very likable and sympathetic—along with most of the supporting cast.
"I can dream. I can imagine and hope, but it will never change a thing. And the most terrifying thing is that I know, I know there’s more to the story. There’s another train coming straight at me, at full speed. Yet I can’t see it. I can only hear the ground slightly tremble. The tracks rattling beneath my feet. I can hear the sound of a whistle blaring. But I can’t move. All I can do is hope that when it does hit, I die in seconds."
Unfortunately, I guessed the twist—but that’s only because I happened to read another book with the same twist right before this one; otherwise, I never would have seen it coming. I did reread parts of the book when it was over to make sure that the twist held up/made sense, and it did. Having guessed the twist didn’t diminish the story for me—like I said, it was extremely well done. The story was compelling, the romance believable, and the mystery unique enough to keep me engaged until the end. If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers and/or darker NA/romance than this I recommend you give this one a shot. I’ll definitely be reading more from this very talented author.
“When a person is lucky enough to live inside a story, to live inside an imaginary world, the pains of this world disappear. For as long as the story goes on, reality no longer exists.”
Trigger Warning: This book contains a graphic rape scene that some readers will want to avoid.
innodavid's review
4.0
4 STARS
Wow. Just wow.
I have no words to describe how much in awe I am. I thought it was just going to be a romantic-suspense with a love triangle. But no, I was so so wrong. And I'm glad I was wrong, because if it went in the direction I thought it would, it would've been mediocre. I was actually quite bored in the beginning. But the twist. THE TWIST.
Oh, I love it. At this point, I'm just gushing because I don't how to review this without spoiling anything. I'm still processing everything I've read. The only book I could compare this to is [b:I'm Thinking of Ending Things|40605223|I'm Thinking of Ending Things|Iain Reid|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1625603942l/40605223._SY75_.jpg|47328175], which I also loved. Perhaps these kinds of books really do work for me. Where you go into it expecting other things then getting something completely different, but in a way that doesn't leave you disappointed.
Both of those books explores important themes and topics, and deliver them in a way that's thought provoking, engaging, and unique. It is a heavy read and some scenes are difficult to get through because of the content, but I think everyone should at least try this once in their life. I'm actually baffled this isn't getting enough attention as it deserves.
“I'll accept that in order to unravel my story, I need to be destroyed first.”
Wow. Just wow.
I have no words to describe how much in awe I am. I thought it was just going to be a romantic-suspense with a love triangle. But no, I was so so wrong. And I'm glad I was wrong, because if it went in the direction I thought it would, it would've been mediocre. I was actually quite bored in the beginning. But the twist. THE TWIST.
Oh, I love it. At this point, I'm just gushing because I don't how to review this without spoiling anything. I'm still processing everything I've read. The only book I could compare this to is [b:I'm Thinking of Ending Things|40605223|I'm Thinking of Ending Things|Iain Reid|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1625603942l/40605223._SY75_.jpg|47328175], which I also loved. Perhaps these kinds of books really do work for me. Where you go into it expecting other things then getting something completely different, but in a way that doesn't leave you disappointed.
Both of those books explores important themes and topics, and deliver them in a way that's thought provoking, engaging, and unique. It is a heavy read and some scenes are difficult to get through because of the content, but I think everyone should at least try this once in their life. I'm actually baffled this isn't getting enough attention as it deserves.
nicolemhewitt's review against another edition
4.0
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
What fed my addiction:
Unreliable narrator.
You cannot trust the main character in this book! But the trick is figuring out what you can trust and which things are a result of mental illness. You will find yourself deciding what’s true and then changing your mind, and then you’ll change your mind again. And, most likely, you’ll find out in the end that you had absolutely no fricking idea what was going on. And you’ll love it! I did.
Unraveling the past.
(Believe it or not I didn’t mean for that to be punny when I wrote it.) As this book goes on, we slowly discover how Naomi ended up in Fairfax mental institution and what happened in her past to bring her to her breaking point. The story seems straightforward at first, but it gets convoluted – and the relationships between the characters are very complicated. As Naomi tells her story to her doctor, we learn her past – both how she grew up and fell in love with Lachlan and the summer that changed her life forever (when she also happened to meet Max). I loved slowly unraveling Naomi’s past and guessing at what was going to happen to her and the people closest to her!
That ending!
Be prepared to be absolutely blown away by the ending to this book! Seriously. Blown away!
What left me wanting more:
Max.
I actually wasn’t a huge fan of the relationship between Max and Naomi, especially at first. I was really rooting for Naomi and Lachlan since they seemed to have a much deeper, stronger connection. Max and Naomi’s relationship started out being completely physical and I actually didn’t care that much about their sex scenes, even though they were definitely hot. I just found myself wanting to get back to the confusing and incredibly intriguing elements of the plot instead. This last thing I want to say is a slight spoiler – or at least a hint, so head to my blog if you want to see it.
I highly recommend both books in this series! Pick them up at your own peril – you’ll be in for a wild ride! I give this book 4/5 stars.
What fed my addiction:
Unreliable narrator.
You cannot trust the main character in this book! But the trick is figuring out what you can trust and which things are a result of mental illness. You will find yourself deciding what’s true and then changing your mind, and then you’ll change your mind again. And, most likely, you’ll find out in the end that you had absolutely no fricking idea what was going on. And you’ll love it! I did.
Unraveling the past.
(Believe it or not I didn’t mean for that to be punny when I wrote it.) As this book goes on, we slowly discover how Naomi ended up in Fairfax mental institution and what happened in her past to bring her to her breaking point. The story seems straightforward at first, but it gets convoluted – and the relationships between the characters are very complicated. As Naomi tells her story to her doctor, we learn her past – both how she grew up and fell in love with Lachlan and the summer that changed her life forever (when she also happened to meet Max). I loved slowly unraveling Naomi’s past and guessing at what was going to happen to her and the people closest to her!
That ending!
Be prepared to be absolutely blown away by the ending to this book! Seriously. Blown away!
What left me wanting more:
Max.
I actually wasn’t a huge fan of the relationship between Max and Naomi, especially at first. I was really rooting for Naomi and Lachlan since they seemed to have a much deeper, stronger connection. Max and Naomi’s relationship started out being completely physical and I actually didn’t care that much about their sex scenes, even though they were definitely hot. I just found myself wanting to get back to the confusing and incredibly intriguing elements of the plot instead. This last thing I want to say is a slight spoiler – or at least a hint, so head to my blog if you want to see it.
I highly recommend both books in this series! Pick them up at your own peril – you’ll be in for a wild ride! I give this book 4/5 stars.
ashcash04's review
3.0
TRIGGER WARNING: RAPE
Want to read a brilliant book? Go read Gone Girl and just ignore this book. The ending definitely bumped it up a star just for creativity points, but the rest of the book just didn't flow well. When I read the description I thought "this sounds great! Why is it not more popular? Why have I never seen it on booktube?!"
Well I'll tell you why. For the first time I understand what people mean when they say, "it was a great idea, but poorly executed." I thought the whole idea of not being sure if he was crazy or not was great. It was a quick read, but it seemed to be a lot of writing going no where. There could have been so much more depth to the story than there was.
What I wasn't prepared for was the sex scenes. I had NO IDEA that was going to be in the book, so I'm warning you now.
Generally, if I like the book, I'll skim over those parts because I really don't want to know all the fictional details; there's a reason I avoided 50 Shades of Gray (Grey? Idk). However, these scenes were like a train wreck I couldn't look away from. I was seriously LAUGHING through them. I even told my husband a couple parts because it was so hysterical, just the way she described things. The book would have been MUCH better without all that non sense. It just didn't add anything to the story.
*SPOILER ABOUT THE ENDING*
If you don't want to know how this ends... Just stop because you will seriously ruin the entire book if you plan on reading it (which I don't recommend anyways).
Now this ending, I should have been absolutely blown away by it. It really was a great twist; the only problem was, I didn't buy it. I didn't buy that she and Lana were the same person the whole time. I could see the points the overlapped and matched up, like the horses and the fact she couldn't ever stay the night with Max, but honestly it just seemed too unbelievable.
Also, I'm still confused about Max. Was he actually Lachlan the whole time? Or was he literally just a figment of her imagination? I think he was Lachlan? Idk.
Want to read a brilliant book? Go read Gone Girl and just ignore this book. The ending definitely bumped it up a star just for creativity points, but the rest of the book just didn't flow well. When I read the description I thought "this sounds great! Why is it not more popular? Why have I never seen it on booktube?!"
Well I'll tell you why. For the first time I understand what people mean when they say, "it was a great idea, but poorly executed." I thought the whole idea of not being sure if he was crazy or not was great. It was a quick read, but it seemed to be a lot of writing going no where. There could have been so much more depth to the story than there was.
What I wasn't prepared for was the sex scenes. I had NO IDEA that was going to be in the book, so I'm warning you now.
Generally, if I like the book, I'll skim over those parts because I really don't want to know all the fictional details; there's a reason I avoided 50 Shades of Gray (Grey? Idk). However, these scenes were like a train wreck I couldn't look away from. I was seriously LAUGHING through them. I even told my husband a couple parts because it was so hysterical, just the way she described things. The book would have been MUCH better without all that non sense. It just didn't add anything to the story.
*SPOILER ABOUT THE ENDING*
If you don't want to know how this ends... Just stop because you will seriously ruin the entire book if you plan on reading it (which I don't recommend anyways).
Now this ending, I should have been absolutely blown away by it. It really was a great twist; the only problem was, I didn't buy it. I didn't buy that she and Lana were the same person the whole time. I could see the points the overlapped and matched up, like the horses and the fact she couldn't ever stay the night with Max, but honestly it just seemed too unbelievable.
Also, I'm still confused about Max. Was he actually Lachlan the whole time? Or was he literally just a figment of her imagination? I think he was Lachlan? Idk.