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amishemokid's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Gun violence, Blood, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Mental illness, and Gaslighting
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Blood
depmythmoon's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“The real tragedy, of course, by always looking outward, by focusing so intently on the other persons experience, we lose touch with our own. It’s as if we live out entire life pretending to be ourselves, as imposters impersonating ourselves, rather than feeling this is really me, this is who I am.” (pg. 60)
This book started off pretty slow in my opinion, and I didn’t get invested until around page 50-60. During this time, I was questioning whether I was going to enjoy this book and what the point of all the exposition was, but the thriller aspect started to kick up eventually.
I was also able to understand why the beginning may have started as it did. Despite the narrator mentioning that starting a book with the weather is never the right move, I can see how it serves this book well. The island that the group of characters goes to is known for having terrible storms known as “The Fury,” which, coincidentally, is the namesake of the book. With the storm in mind, I see the boring exposition as the calm before it. Mixed with our unreliable narrator, who slowly begins to open up to the reader as the acts progress, the reader is being allowed a moment of stillness before the real twists start to pop up. I can appreciate it now, but forcing myself to power through at first was tough. It’s partially why I still can’t give it 5 stars no matter how I can appreciate it.
I will say, it did teach me to give a book at least 50 pages before considering a possible DNF. I’m glad I finished it, and the annotation process was enjoyable.
This book seems to have a theme that centers heavily on childhood trauma and how we carry that pain or that child with us as we go through life. The author claims that people who have gone through trauma at that age become the people they needed at that time as they age. There were many moments in the book where I could relate to some of the characters’ backstories. It reminds me of just how much I hate bullying and is a very dramatized telling of the lengths a person would go to protect themselves from their pasts. Being able to relate to something like that added an extra layer of complication that I always enjoy. Give me that wonderful mental challenge of morality, and I eat it up every time.
It was nice to see how the retelling of the events while they were on the island slowly became more clear as the narrator opens up. You are able to see how certain details didn’t quite add up or what changed from one telling to the next. The twist in this story is satisfying, and I like that subtle hints are sprinkled throughout that allow you to gradually piece things together.
I also liked the use of 2nd person throughout the book. It’s one of the least common to see when reading, and I think the author implemented it successfully.
This book started off pretty slow in my opinion, and I didn’t get invested until around page 50-60. During this time, I was questioning whether I was going to enjoy this book and what the point of all the exposition was, but the thriller aspect started to kick up eventually.
I was also able to understand why the beginning may have started as it did. Despite the narrator mentioning that starting a book with the weather is never the right move, I can see how it serves this book well. The island that the group of characters goes to is known for having terrible storms known as “The Fury,” which, coincidentally, is the namesake of the book. With the storm in mind, I see the boring exposition as the calm before it. Mixed with our unreliable narrator, who slowly begins to open up to the reader as the acts progress, the reader is being allowed a moment of stillness before the real twists start to pop up. I can appreciate it now, but forcing myself to power through at first was tough. It’s partially why I still can’t give it 5 stars no matter how I can appreciate it.
I will say, it did teach me to give a book at least 50 pages before considering a possible DNF. I’m glad I finished it, and the annotation process was enjoyable.
This book seems to have a theme that centers heavily on childhood trauma and how we carry that pain or that child with us as we go through life. The author claims that people who have gone through trauma at that age become the people they needed at that time as they age. There were many moments in the book where I could relate to some of the characters’ backstories. It reminds me of just how much I hate bullying and is a very dramatized telling of the lengths a person would go to protect themselves from their pasts. Being able to relate to something like that added an extra layer of complication that I always enjoy. Give me that wonderful mental challenge of morality, and I eat it up every time.
It was nice to see how the retelling of the events while they were on the island slowly became more clear as the narrator opens up. You are able to see how certain details didn’t quite add up or what changed from one telling to the next. The twist in this story is satisfying, and I like that subtle hints are sprinkled throughout that allow you to gradually piece things together.
I also liked the use of 2nd person throughout the book. It’s one of the least common to see when reading, and I think the author implemented it successfully.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Incest, Sexual content, and Suicide
mugsandmanuscripts's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I’m having such a hard time with my emotions about this book: I hated the narrator from the beginning to the end. I think that was the author’s goal, but I just never got to the point where I felt like I was enjoying it.
This is a well-done novel featuring a pretty classic unreliable narrator. A way oversimplified summary: One (cheating) man is loved by two women, andone woman is loved by two men. Characters drink heavily (and occasional use drugs recreationally). Someone is murdered.
I feel like I can’t say much about the end without spoiling it, so instead all I will say is that I had some major whiplash from the last 50 pages. It was definitely clever and unexpected, but ultimately I think this just wasn’t my cup of tea.
This is a well-done novel featuring a pretty classic unreliable narrator. A way oversimplified summary: One (cheating) man is loved by two women, and
I feel like I can’t say much about the end without spoiling it, so instead all I will say is that I had some major whiplash from the last 50 pages. It was definitely clever and unexpected, but ultimately I think this just wasn’t my cup of tea.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Gun violence, and Infidelity
Moderate: Drug abuse
Minor: Child abuse
chlcrc617's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
Unreliable narrator shtick. Felt a bit cheap of an ending
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Murder
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Drug abuse, and Emotional abuse
kelshenka's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Challenging characters (plus unreliable narrator) ricochet off one another, unraveling the story like the threads of a scarf tugged loose by cold fingers of wind.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Blood, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
a_novel_craving's review against another edition
funny
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
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
april_a_q's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Every moment when I thought I had this book figured out, it threw me for yet another twist. Now I am left just utterly baffled, confused, and speechless, but in the best way. Alex Michaelides is slowly becoming an author that I will read anything he has ever published and anything he will ever publish. These characters are downright horrendous but in the best of ways. Even Leo, and I wasn’t thinking about him in that way at first, but even Leo was not innocent in this story. This is psychopathy and obsession at its ugliest and its finest.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, and Alcohol
Minor: Rape and Suicidal thoughts
bookboxbabe's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
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? Yes
3.5
*thank you netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review*
i don’t really know where to begin here.
i enjoyed it…kind of? i love the way this story had an unreliable narrator and how it had different time jumps and twists that made it feel a bit like whiplash. but there were so many little things that annoyed me.
starting off, i didn’t like the ending. endings are what make or break thrillers for me and unfortunately, it’s what broke this for me. the several twists that were thrown it felt like they were cheap and just to throw the reader for a loop but didn’t care enough to actually flesh anything more out. like,oh kate was actually acting, oh this was a ploy, etc. it felt almost as cheap as the “everything was a dream” plot device. made me detached from the characters.
second, elliot annoyed the hell out of me. i get he’s supposed to because he’s the narrator and the bad guy here but like, he just was awful. there was nothing that ever made me root for him even before the plan was revealed. i wanted him to just shut up and get on with it. kate was pretty annoying too, but she was slightly more redeemable
lastly, i just didn’t like how long this was. and it’s not even that long. one of the twists was revealed at like 50% and the last half just felt like there were things there just to pad out a full length book.
the epilogue is also a spoiler for the silent patient (his books always tie back there) so don’t read this yet if you haven’t read the silent patient (which i do recommend, highly)
overall, this was a disappointment as someone that has read and liked alex’s other two books.
i don’t really know where to begin here.
i enjoyed it…kind of? i love the way this story had an unreliable narrator and how it had different time jumps and twists that made it feel a bit like whiplash. but there were so many little things that annoyed me.
starting off, i didn’t like the ending. endings are what make or break thrillers for me and unfortunately, it’s what broke this for me. the several twists that were thrown it felt like they were cheap and just to throw the reader for a loop but didn’t care enough to actually flesh anything more out. like,
second, elliot annoyed the hell out of me. i get he’s supposed to because he’s the narrator and the bad guy here but like, he just was awful. there was nothing that ever made me root for him even before the plan was revealed. i wanted him to just shut up and get on with it. kate was pretty annoying too, but she was slightly more redeemable
lastly, i just didn’t like how long this was. and it’s not even that long. one of the twists was revealed at like 50% and the last half just felt like there were things there just to pad out a full length book.
the epilogue is also a spoiler for the silent patient (his books always tie back there) so don’t read this yet if you haven’t read the silent patient (which i do recommend, highly)
overall, this was a disappointment as someone that has read and liked alex’s other two books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, and Drug abuse
kayceeisbookish's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A bewitching blend of Agatha Christie, Clue, and Knives Out/Glass Onion. This spectacular performance left me on the edge of my seat at curtain call.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail