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mandylovestoread's review
5.0
Shalini Boland has done it again.. absolutely loved this, easily ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️from me for this book that shocked me right up to the last page!
Kirstie is a new mum to baby Daisy. One day whilst at home on maternity leave she hears a man on the baby monitor saying "let's take the baby and go". Running up to Daisy's room she finds her fast asleep and safe, nobody else is in the house. The police are called and check with all the neighbours but Daisy is the only baby in the street. This begins weeks of anxiety of the new mum and nobody believes her, even her husband thinks she has gone mad. What is happening and who can she trust?
A great, fast read that you will not want to put down. Real characters that have you pulling for them. Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book to read and enjoy in exchange for my honest opinions
Kirstie is a new mum to baby Daisy. One day whilst at home on maternity leave she hears a man on the baby monitor saying "let's take the baby and go". Running up to Daisy's room she finds her fast asleep and safe, nobody else is in the house. The police are called and check with all the neighbours but Daisy is the only baby in the street. This begins weeks of anxiety of the new mum and nobody believes her, even her husband thinks she has gone mad. What is happening and who can she trust?
A great, fast read that you will not want to put down. Real characters that have you pulling for them. Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book to read and enjoy in exchange for my honest opinions
yvo_about_books's review
4.5
Finished reading: March 12th 2018
"My stomach gives a sudden lurch, and I have the sensation that something has irrevocably shifted. That nothing in our lives will ever be quite the same again."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
I've been a big fan of Shalini Boland's psychological thrillers ever since she first reached out to me with the question if I wanted to read The Girl From The Sea back in 2016, and these feelings haven't changed after reading her next three psychological thrillers. The Child Next Door is already book number five and was yet again very much another winner. There is just something about the writing style that has you hooked from the very first page and literally doesn't let you go... I finished The Child Next Door in less than a day! This psychological thriller starts with a bang and every mother's worst nightmare, setting the tone for the rest of the story. Who were those voices Kirstie heard? Are they after her little girl? Oh yes, you are starting to feel paranoid yourself as well as you keep reading and things start to happen to Kirstie. The characters are well developed and feel realistic in general and it was interesting to see them react to the different situations, although I'm not sure they are completely likeable. The pace is perfect for a good psychological thriller and the amount of plot twists and false leads is just right as well. There are a lot of different angles included in this story, making for a rich plot and a wide pool of suspects and possibilities. I did feel the general ending came a bit as an anticlimax after all that was being build up, but it was definitely not something that I saw coming and shocking as well. And that final statement!!! I SO need a sequel or something to know more... I was left staring open-mouthed at the last page because I just couldn't believe what I just read. If you enjoy reading psychological thrillers, I can highly recommend both The Child Next Door and any of her other books. They are excellent!
The Child Next Door is psychological thriller at its best. Just the right amount of tension, a rich plot and a healthy dose of twists and false leads, but also well rounded characters and a pace that is just right. To top things off, the writing style will make you want to keep on reading and you will have a hard time letting go. I didn't see the ending coming at all, as it kind of came out of nowhere, but it was shocking as well. And like I said before, that final reveal left me both speechless and wanting for more. Recommended!
midnightstory's review
2.0
[ 2.75 ★’s ]
honestly, it felt as though nothing actually happened for a good 60-70% of this book. Just a lot of back and forth conspiracy theories. it’s a shame because this actually had the makings of a great novel but it just fell completely flat. not only did the main character seem pathetic and weak all the time but the lack of action led to an incredibly boring read. as for the twist at the end, well... it wasn’t very well planned and executed, was it? i mean, it seemed so out of the blue!
overall, i’m really disappointed with this one. i had such high expectations and this didn’t hit the mark. it’s probably saying something when the epilogue is better than all the previous 40 chapters combined.
honestly, it felt as though nothing actually happened for a good 60-70% of this book. Just a lot of back and forth conspiracy theories. it’s a shame because this actually had the makings of a great novel but it just fell completely flat. not only did the main character seem pathetic and weak all the time but the lack of action led to an incredibly boring read. as for the twist at the end, well... it wasn’t very well planned and executed, was it? i mean, it seemed so out of the blue!
overall, i’m really disappointed with this one. i had such high expectations and this didn’t hit the mark. it’s probably saying something when the epilogue is better than all the previous 40 chapters combined.
lydiahephzibah's review
3.0
3.5. Shalini Boland books are relatively reliable reads: short domestic thrillers that always have a great set up and enough tension to keep me reading, and then slightly disappointing endings. This was really good, until it became so obvious what was going on, and the final "tying up the loose ends" chapter was superfluous, as those often are.
laura_reads_stuff's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. I've been getting into reading mystery/thriller novels quite a bit lately. This novel was a great example. I read this when I should've been sleeping, but I couldn't stop reading because I was so hooked.
I really felt like I got in Kirstie's head. I was so worried with her (Boland did a brilliant job of conveying the feelings of anxiety). When she kept investigating further I wanted to shout at her "don't!" I was so angry that nobody believed her. I just got so absorbed into this story...and that ending was great.
I really felt like I got in Kirstie's head. I was so worried with her (Boland did a brilliant job of conveying the feelings of anxiety). When she kept investigating further I wanted to shout at her "don't!" I was so angry that nobody believed her. I just got so absorbed into this story...and that ending was great.
the_novel_reader's review
4.0
I quite enjoyed this book. It was well written and the characters were well developed and thought out. Ms. Boland seems to have found her niche, she writes psychological thrillers with such ease and brilliance. I was captivated by this story, I could not put it down! Every time I felt like I knew what was going on, Ms. Boland threw a curve ball. This book was suspenseful and full of intrigue. At times, I felt the internal dialogue of Kirstie was a bit much, it felt bogged down. I found myself skipping quite a few of her “rants”. Overal, I thought this book was well executed and I look forward to reading more of her works.
jsparks08's review
2.0
I tried reading this book, I got 20% of the way in and couldn’t read any further. I hate giving up on books but this book just didn’t feel like it was going anywhere. She is too worried about her doors and windows without much else going on. Just seems sort of flat in my book.
hainyh's review
5.0
Kirstie is awoken one night by the sound of a voice over her newborn baby's monitor, saying: "Let's take the child - and go". From that point in time, a whole series of events unfolds which leads Kirstie to believe that baby Daisy is at risk. To Kirstie, everyone is under suspicious and she will not rest until she gets to the bottom of what is going on. What follows is a book laced with suspense and unanswered questions, resulting in a twist I really did not see coming. As is often the case with psychological thrillers such as these, we are lead to believe that the main protagonist is 'crazy' due to all of the scenarios she's conjured up out of her own fear, and we - the readers - have to decide whether we can believe or rely on what Kirstie is saying.
I enjoyed this book hugely, as I loved Boland's writing style, the pace was fast-moving, and there were plenty of characters whose stories seemed to intermingle to create endless questions, encouraging suspicions about all of the neighbours.
From the top ten bestselling author of The Secret Mother, this completely gripping psychological thriller will make you wonder what really goes on behind closed doors. And will keep you guessing from the first page until the final shocking twist. Quite often the plot twist(s) in a psychological thriller / mystery novel will be largely predictable when it finally comes, but I certainly didn't see this one coming, and for that it's a definite 5-star read for me.
I enjoyed this book hugely, as I loved Boland's writing style, the pace was fast-moving, and there were plenty of characters whose stories seemed to intermingle to create endless questions, encouraging suspicions about all of the neighbours.
From the top ten bestselling author of The Secret Mother, this completely gripping psychological thriller will make you wonder what really goes on behind closed doors. And will keep you guessing from the first page until the final shocking twist. Quite often the plot twist(s) in a psychological thriller / mystery novel will be largely predictable when it finally comes, but I certainly didn't see this one coming, and for that it's a definite 5-star read for me.
kat020410's review
5.0
Found it a bit harder to get in to than the others but loved it once it got going
happilyfluffy's review
5.0
This book was a page turner. I almost gave up in the middle, but I'm so glad I stuck it out. I really enjoyed it.