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crystylstorm's review against another edition
5.0
Definitely one of my favorite reads this year. It had me guessing all the way up till the end. I kept going back and forth, about whether Hannah had done it or not. When her daughter went missing I was on the edge of my seat. I absolutely hated her dead husband. I highly recommend this book.
wolfc21's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
bookandsnake's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
litwithleigh's review against another edition
4.0
Book outlet read #4 (see other reviews at bottom! I know ya wanna)
Writing: 4/5 | Plot: 4/5 | Ending: 2/5
THE PLOT
Hannah doesn't remember anything from the night her husband Graham died, but when Conviction, a popular true crime podcast, takes a deep dive into the case, Hannah's life is turned upside down.
MY (UNPOPULAR) OPINION
I recently made an Instagram reel (shameless plug) on books I loved that others didn't... and this book def joins that group.
I can totally see why others didn't enjoy it. I think this book was slotted into the wrong genre. This isn't really a thriller—it's a contemporary fiction with a contrived thriller-esque ending. If you're expects thrillz with a Z, this isn't the book for you. I enjoyed this because I didn't read it with my "thriller goggles" (aka expecting certain markers of the genre) but with my "contemporary goggles" instead. If I was wearing thriller goggles, my rating would've been lower for shizzle.
Possession explores abusive relationships (btw appreciate the "resources" at the end of the book), gaslighting, PTSD, and eating disorders. The writing is strong enough to tackle these subjects by taking you inside the mind of an intelligent women riddled with self-doubt and all-around confusion due to a traumatic upbringing and abusive relationship.
I also enjoyed seeing "the other side" of true crime podcasts. I don't listen to podcasts, although I've seen my fair share of true crime docs, but I (selfishly/naively) have never considered how it impacts those involved. I think there's a fine line between exposing innocence and then pointing a finger at another suspect for clicks. You can overturn a conviction without a new suspect, so drawing negative attention toward someone else is unnecessary, and in a world where anyone can say anything (as Katie Lowe deftly shows) this is dangerous.
ANYWAYZZZ BEING TOO SERIOUS GUYS so let's talk about that double pack of ass ending. I felt like this was an attempt to fit the book into the thriller genre. Out of nowhere we've got twists coming out the wazoo that make no sense. Contrasted against a serious and introspective novel, it felt cheap and random. The ending was some The Golden Couple shit. Sad face :(
All in all, I (controversially) enjoyed this book and the insights it provided... until that boo boo ending.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: great writing, well-paced with bite-sized chapters, introspective look at difficult topics and being on the receiving end of negative national attention
Cons: TERRIBLE, forced, cliche thriller ending that clashed with the vibez of the book, I wanna fight Sarah and Graham and Darren and... well EVERYONE but Hannah and Evie.
Book outlet reads
#1 - The Reunion
#2 - One Step Behind
#3 - The Scholar
Writing: 4/5 | Plot: 4/5 | Ending: 2/5
THE PLOT
Hannah doesn't remember anything from the night her husband Graham died, but when Conviction, a popular true crime podcast, takes a deep dive into the case, Hannah's life is turned upside down.
MY (UNPOPULAR) OPINION
I recently made an Instagram reel (shameless plug) on books I loved that others didn't... and this book def joins that group.
I can totally see why others didn't enjoy it. I think this book was slotted into the wrong genre. This isn't really a thriller—it's a contemporary fiction with a contrived thriller-esque ending. If you're expects thrillz with a Z, this isn't the book for you. I enjoyed this because I didn't read it with my "thriller goggles" (aka expecting certain markers of the genre) but with my "contemporary goggles" instead. If I was wearing thriller goggles, my rating would've been lower for shizzle.
Possession explores abusive relationships (btw appreciate the "resources" at the end of the book), gaslighting, PTSD, and eating disorders. The writing is strong enough to tackle these subjects by taking you inside the mind of an intelligent women riddled with self-doubt and all-around confusion due to a traumatic upbringing and abusive relationship.
I also enjoyed seeing "the other side" of true crime podcasts. I don't listen to podcasts, although I've seen my fair share of true crime docs, but I (selfishly/naively) have never considered how it impacts those involved. I think there's a fine line between exposing innocence and then pointing a finger at another suspect for clicks. You can overturn a conviction without a new suspect, so drawing negative attention toward someone else is unnecessary, and in a world where anyone can say anything (as Katie Lowe deftly shows) this is dangerous.
ANYWAYZZZ BEING TOO SERIOUS GUYS so let's talk about that double pack of ass ending. I felt like this was an attempt to fit the book into the thriller genre. Out of nowhere we've got twists coming out the wazoo that make no sense. Contrasted against a serious and introspective novel, it felt cheap and random. The ending was some The Golden Couple shit. Sad face :(
All in all, I (controversially) enjoyed this book and the insights it provided... until that boo boo ending.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: great writing, well-paced with bite-sized chapters, introspective look at difficult topics and being on the receiving end of negative national attention
Cons: TERRIBLE, forced, cliche thriller ending that clashed with the vibez of the book, I wanna fight Sarah and Graham and Darren and... well EVERYONE but Hannah and Evie.
Book outlet reads
#1 - The Reunion
#2 - One Step Behind
#3 - The Scholar
bookish_withsky's review against another edition
3.0
I didn’t really like the characters, but I did really enjoy the podcast element. I made the mistake of listening to multiple somewhat similar thrillers back to back, so they all kind of ran together. I still had a good time, though. Got me through work.
wishknots's review
3.0
3.25 stars because I knew who the culprit was the minute they appeared and knew the motive as soon as it was mentioned. It was also a bit too dramatic and the main character was irritating. Her actions made no sense, even taking her stress into account. Other than that, it was enjoyable.
babs_reviews's review against another edition
4.0
A story that keeps you guessing, twists and turns until the very end, and even leaves you with a few questions.
Our heroine is unreliable, what we/she thinks she knows, we don't know that she knows it or if it's real or what to believe as the story unfolds.
This type of narrative is hard to nail because you have to balance uncovering the truth but in more than one way. Where the truth is both accurate and yet not because of the state of mind of the character. This author pulled this off very well!
I was always eager to pick the book back up and read more because I was so intrigued and caught up in the case. I was trying to uncover clues and determine what happened but I was truly taken in by the ending! I was surprised for sure.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an eARC.
Our heroine is unreliable, what we/she thinks she knows, we don't know that she knows it or if it's real or what to believe as the story unfolds.
This type of narrative is hard to nail because you have to balance uncovering the truth but in more than one way. Where the truth is both accurate and yet not because of the state of mind of the character. This author pulled this off very well!
I was always eager to pick the book back up and read more because I was so intrigued and caught up in the case. I was trying to uncover clues and determine what happened but I was truly taken in by the ending! I was surprised for sure.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an eARC.
the_empty_bookself's review
4.0
I like to give it a day or two before I write my reviews to let it sink in.
Reflecting back on this, there was a lot of build up for the last ten percent of the book which, was a speedy reveal of multiple twists and turns which had me re-reading paragraphs to keep up. There were lots of different story lines, which, do come together at the end and were not predictable. Chapters skipped between the past and present to give a full view of the scenario.
Hannah’s husband was brutally murdered ten years ago, the murderer was caught and is jail. Hannah has moved on with her daughter and is in a loving relationship. But a tv show called conviction is bringing up new evidence which points to Hannah being the murderer.
In a twist of tales and suspense can Hannah find out the truth and protect her daughter from the historic threats from her past?
Reflecting back on this, there was a lot of build up for the last ten percent of the book which, was a speedy reveal of multiple twists and turns which had me re-reading paragraphs to keep up. There were lots of different story lines, which, do come together at the end and were not predictable. Chapters skipped between the past and present to give a full view of the scenario.
Hannah’s husband was brutally murdered ten years ago, the murderer was caught and is jail. Hannah has moved on with her daughter and is in a loving relationship. But a tv show called conviction is bringing up new evidence which points to Hannah being the murderer.
In a twist of tales and suspense can Hannah find out the truth and protect her daughter from the historic threats from her past?
theboldbookworm's review against another edition
4.0
This was a very good thriller with a podcast element. It was told in episodes, but the podcast wasn't a huge part of it, and it wasn't in transcripts. It was told as if the narrator was listening. The narrator is Hannah, who doesn't remember the night her husband was killed. Now, the man put in prison for the crime is being re-examined due to a podcast about the crime. This is a very fast-paced book with some great twists that I didn't see coming.