novelesque_life's review against another edition
3.0
Rating: 2.5 STARS
2017; Mira/Harlequin
Before Nick and his daughter, Maisie return home from ballet class, they stop off to get Chinese food. Clara waits at home with their infant son, Felix. Instead of returning home, Nick has been killed in a car accident (Maisie survives without a scratch). The police rule it as an accident, with Nick at fault. Clara is devastated. She cannot tell her daughter that Nick is dead and soon starts to suspect maybe his death is more than accident.
This is my second novel by Kubica, and the second time she goes back and forth between before and after an incident. In this case there is before Nick dies and that is told through Nick's point of view. Then there is after he dies, that is Clara's point of view. I liked the first half of the novel, then it started to get a bit weird. I found the ending not satisfying at all. I get the allure of taking the story that way, but it just left me feeling disappointed. Again it was hard to connect with the characters, but at least this time they were fleshed out a bit more. I think I am going to pass on Kubica for now...or maybe try an audio version and see if that can bring the characters come to life.
***I received an eARC from NETGALLEY***
My Novelesque Blog
2017; Mira/Harlequin
Before Nick and his daughter, Maisie return home from ballet class, they stop off to get Chinese food. Clara waits at home with their infant son, Felix. Instead of returning home, Nick has been killed in a car accident (Maisie survives without a scratch). The police rule it as an accident, with Nick at fault. Clara is devastated. She cannot tell her daughter that Nick is dead and soon starts to suspect maybe his death is more than accident.
This is my second novel by Kubica, and the second time she goes back and forth between before and after an incident. In this case there is before Nick dies and that is told through Nick's point of view. Then there is after he dies, that is Clara's point of view. I liked the first half of the novel, then it started to get a bit weird. I found the ending not satisfying at all. I get the allure of taking the story that way, but it just left me feeling disappointed. Again it was hard to connect with the characters, but at least this time they were fleshed out a bit more. I think I am going to pass on Kubica for now...or maybe try an audio version and see if that can bring the characters come to life.
***I received an eARC from NETGALLEY***
My Novelesque Blog
kmzajac's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
nglofile's review against another edition
2.0
This book will do very well and will be exactly what a great many readers want. I am one of the exceptions. That doesn’t speak to the quality of the book but simply to its fit with me.
So, fair warning: I’m going to expound on why this wasn’t my favorite. If you are a fan, and there will be lots, please feel free to move on.
There are two main areas of disconnect. First, the narrative choices. I applauded how multiple narrators and multiple timeframes danced to effect in The Good Girl. Techniques such as this can ratchet up the tension and keep the reader off-balance. However, here it didn’t work as well. If anything, it put me off. Learning in detail just how stupid Nick could be lessened any sympathy for him. I would have cared more and offered more benefit of the doubt had we been limited to what Clara discovered. Although...
I can’t help but wonder when we’ll reach the saturation point on the multiple-POV novel. Absolutely it can be done brilliantly; this is not in dispute. However, nearly every domestic thriller goes to this well, and it has long since felt like lazy storytelling. It may take more ingenuity to reveal character and events without regular narrator switching, but it also reaps real reward.
The other bugaboo? Please don’t have a marital partner repeatedly claim s/he doesn’t believe in keeping secrets from a spouse even as more and more pile up. Again, a simple conversation will head off wrong conclusions and, more importantly, would allow for joint problem-solving. Remember, sometimes it isn’t the ‘crime’; it’s the cover-up. I know. I know. That wouldn’t make for a good story. [Also, what did I expect from this title and premise?] Personally, I can suspend disbelief, but I need to see the character’s choices as believable, even if they are destructive.
So, fair warning: I’m going to expound on why this wasn’t my favorite. If you are a fan, and there will be lots, please feel free to move on.
There are two main areas of disconnect. First, the narrative choices. I applauded how multiple narrators and multiple timeframes danced to effect in The Good Girl. Techniques such as this can ratchet up the tension and keep the reader off-balance. However, here it didn’t work as well. If anything, it put me off. Learning in detail just how stupid Nick could be lessened any sympathy for him. I would have cared more and offered more benefit of the doubt had we been limited to what Clara discovered. Although...
Spoiler
the end comprised mostly of “and Clara had multiple conversations in which her wrong conclusions – which had been worked out at length in earlier chapters – were corrected” seemed designed to insult the reader.I can’t help but wonder when we’ll reach the saturation point on the multiple-POV novel. Absolutely it can be done brilliantly; this is not in dispute. However, nearly every domestic thriller goes to this well, and it has long since felt like lazy storytelling. It may take more ingenuity to reveal character and events without regular narrator switching, but it also reaps real reward.
The other bugaboo? Please don’t have a marital partner repeatedly claim s/he doesn’t believe in keeping secrets from a spouse even as more and more pile up. Again, a simple conversation will head off wrong conclusions and, more importantly, would allow for joint problem-solving. Remember, sometimes it isn’t the ‘crime’; it’s the cover-up. I know. I know. That wouldn’t make for a good story. [Also, what did I expect from this title and premise?] Personally, I can suspend disbelief, but I need to see the character’s choices as believable, even if they are destructive.
ronimac74's review against another edition
4.0
When I picked up this book I thought I had an idea of what the story may be about. I was wrong. The author does such a great job of making you second guess and she throws in these twists you don't see coming. I good story, a good read. This is my second book that I have read from this author, she has not disappointed either time.
korinekm's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I did not like the ending. Having read Mary Kubica before, I was expecting a bigger plot twist at the end.
karas00's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book wrecked me emotionally. If you want a bipolar book, this is the one!!
erinarkin20's review against another edition
3.0
Every Last Lie is Mary Kubica’s new book and I was pretty excited to get my hands on this one. I loved Mary’s first book and thought this story would have a similar feel. Admittedly I tend to stick with YA but there are a few authors who convince me to visit adult fiction every now and then and Kubica is one of them.
As I started this book, I was immediately pulled into Clara’s story. It alternates between after (present time) from Clara’s perspective and before (the accident) from Nick’s perspective. It was an interesting way to read the story but I’m not sure it really clicked for me. Sometimes I am an impatient reader and the back and forth was taking too long to get me to what had really happened and how Clara moves forward.
Clara was an interesting character for me. There were times where I was amazed that she had no clue what was going on with Nick. As close as they appeared to be, I couldn’t get behind him keeping such huge secrets from her. I get that he was trying to push through and come up with a way to solve the issues without burdening Clara but they were married and those were some BIG secrets.
Overall I found the story interesting and it was a pretty quick read. If you’re looking for an adult mystery that has a solid story and characters that will have you questioning their every move, consider checking this one out.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.
As I started this book, I was immediately pulled into Clara’s story. It alternates between after (present time) from Clara’s perspective and before (the accident) from Nick’s perspective. It was an interesting way to read the story but I’m not sure it really clicked for me. Sometimes I am an impatient reader and the back and forth was taking too long to get me to what had really happened and how Clara moves forward.
Clara was an interesting character for me. There were times where I was amazed that she had no clue what was going on with Nick. As close as they appeared to be, I couldn’t get behind him keeping such huge secrets from her. I get that he was trying to push through and come up with a way to solve the issues without burdening Clara but they were married and those were some BIG secrets.
Overall I found the story interesting and it was a pretty quick read. If you’re looking for an adult mystery that has a solid story and characters that will have you questioning their every move, consider checking this one out.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.
happy_reading_heather's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
lindajo's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
3.0
Good book ... finished in 24 hours. Kept me guessing til the end.
logantea's review against another edition
1.0
Maybe the worst book I've ever read. It bills itself as psychological suspense, but there isn't a whole lot of suspense involved when all the conclusions the main character jumps are the most outlandish and illogical conclusions on earth. This book is basically just an unbearable trainwreck of grief and delusion. Unfortunately it only dawned on me that there was going to be absolutely zero payoff in this book two thirds of the way in, and by that point I figured I may as well finish it.