kmbooky's review
5.0
Um wow is all I can say. Um
I did not see the ending coming at all. There was several turns at the end that I just was not ready for nor did I expect them to happen. Overall it's a great book. I honestly enjoyed reading it and I could not put it down. It's a thriller and mystery and you wonder what is going to happen several times through out the book. I highly recommend reading this if you enjoy thriller and mystery books.
I did not see the ending coming at all. There was several turns at the end that I just was not ready for nor did I expect them to happen. Overall it's a great book. I honestly enjoyed reading it and I could not put it down. It's a thriller and mystery and you wonder what is going to happen several times through out the book. I highly recommend reading this if you enjoy thriller and mystery books.
heidirgorecki's review
2.0
Well that was interesting… disturbing on many levels, though. If a town could have as many psychos in it as possible, this would apparently be it. It felt like a little too far fetched at times and hard to believe, the way it ended up, and not a little like the worst of humanity ended up in the same place. But it had me guessing nonetheless.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of the book. All opinions are mine.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of the book. All opinions are mine.
alisonb's review
5.0
"Sometimes I wish my husband would die".
With twists and turns and a main character that is fascinating and dark, this book had me hooked from the very first line.
Betts is our sort of reliable main character. She lives in the small town of Weeping Pines where she moved with her late husband, and no one really likes her. But, she found a way to be accepted by some people through her unofficial therapy sessions in the basement of her home in the woods. As Betts shares her interactions in the past and present with a handful of other characters, we begin to see a pattern emerge and more questions came to the forefront of my mind. I did not want to put this book down-I wanted to see how everything would unravel and play out, and I was not disappointed!
The chapters are tidy and concise and the book is the perfect length. This made for a fast and thrilling reading experience. I can't share much more because I would be spoiling the rest of the story and I highly recommend going into this story as blind as possible. If you are up for a unique domestic/psychological thriller with a feminist edge, then I highly recommend picking this book up immediately. As for myself, I can't wait to read the next book in this collection!
I read and reviewed an eARC of this book thanks to the HH Tisevich via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
With twists and turns and a main character that is fascinating and dark, this book had me hooked from the very first line.
Betts is our sort of reliable main character. She lives in the small town of Weeping Pines where she moved with her late husband, and no one really likes her. But, she found a way to be accepted by some people through her unofficial therapy sessions in the basement of her home in the woods. As Betts shares her interactions in the past and present with a handful of other characters, we begin to see a pattern emerge and more questions came to the forefront of my mind. I did not want to put this book down-I wanted to see how everything would unravel and play out, and I was not disappointed!
The chapters are tidy and concise and the book is the perfect length. This made for a fast and thrilling reading experience. I can't share much more because I would be spoiling the rest of the story and I highly recommend going into this story as blind as possible. If you are up for a unique domestic/psychological thriller with a feminist edge, then I highly recommend picking this book up immediately. As for myself, I can't wait to read the next book in this collection!
I read and reviewed an eARC of this book thanks to the HH Tisevich via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
madisonmila's review
2.0
This wasn't' a favorite of mine. It felt like there were a lot of different tropes and cliches of murder thrillers that didn't make sense when they all happened in the same novel. It was also way too short to try to accomplish the reveals - there was no room for inference, just twists being explained flat out to you. Really just nothing original happening in the story. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
boba_n_books's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This thriller definitely kept me on my toes. From the get go, readers will know that the narrator is unreliable and that most, if not all, of the characters are unlikable.
I always find dual timelines interesting and appreciated the way this one gave us insight into the present through the past. As you continue reading, you learn more and more about each character’s secrets and what they will do to keep them hidden.
McKinney included so many twists and turns in this novel that it had my head spinning from all the newfound information. The short chapters and overall short novel push the reader to keep going and make the story all the more intense. You’ll be left guessing until the bitter end.
I always find dual timelines interesting and appreciated the way this one gave us insight into the present through the past. As you continue reading, you learn more and more about each character’s secrets and what they will do to keep them hidden.
McKinney included so many twists and turns in this novel that it had my head spinning from all the newfound information. The short chapters and overall short novel push the reader to keep going and make the story all the more intense. You’ll be left guessing until the bitter end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Alcoholism, and Death
Moderate: Self harm, Infertility, and Infidelity
Minor: Miscarriage
marcirenee1974's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book was quite a ride and I did not see that last twist at the end coming! Betty Lou has some issues! I did not even realize it was book 2 in a series, so now I definitely need to go and read the rest of the books!!
#amandamckinney
#NetGalley
#amandamckinney
#NetGalley
harlely's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
heathersereads's review against another edition
2.0
Very quick read. This book honestly went so fast that I don’t barely even remember what I read or how it ended. I felt like it had the potential to be good. Psychological, suspenseful, twisty. I just think novellas are not for me as I am so not used to the low amounts of world building and character development. There was no emotional attachment to anything and I really need that when reading!
It had so much potential, yet so much was really lacking! The ending felt so rushed and like the twist was forced. The protagonist was an unreliable narrator and it ended so quickly that it didn’t feel like the book wrapped up correctly.
The cover was beautiful and the writing was done well. The author really could’ve made this a good read with more edits and a little more length and depth. I personally do not recommend this book. It wasn’t terrible, but it needed a lot of work.
Thank you for this ARC that was generously provided by the publisher and author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
It had so much potential, yet so much was really lacking! The ending felt so rushed and like the twist was forced. The protagonist was an unreliable narrator and it ended so quickly that it didn’t feel like the book wrapped up correctly.
The cover was beautiful and the writing was done well. The author really could’ve made this a good read with more edits and a little more length and depth. I personally do not recommend this book. It wasn’t terrible, but it needed a lot of work.
Thank you for this ARC that was generously provided by the publisher and author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.