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shmadsie's review against another edition
4.0
3.5. There were aspects of this that I really enjoyed and aspects of this that I really did not.
I love a story bolstered by snippets - newspaper clippings, true crime podcasts, emails, unfinished drafts, paragraphs from books, song lyrics, etc. All these different sources thrown in to tell a single story, it's something I enjoy so much. I liked the complicated love of Emily and Chess (and how annoyed Emily is that Jessica is now 'Chess') and the writing itself.
But I am really starting to despise alternating timelines and especially here when we have Mary's writing in the present about what happened back then and the anecdotal evidence we have in the form of the different media about that time. We didn't need it and it feels lame to go with something so hackneyed when it could've just as easily not. Also, I'm vacillating between loving the ending and hating it. On the one hand, I want something jazzy, something worthy of the mystique surrounding it, and on the other, it is a bunch of early twenty-somethings or younger doing a bunch of drugs and drinking and generally being reckless and something reckless happened and that's as interesting as it gets. Which is bold and I love it, but also boring and I hate it, haha. Either way, I understand it and that's probably what bumps this up to me using four-stars instead of three for my three-point-five rating.
I love a story bolstered by snippets - newspaper clippings, true crime podcasts, emails, unfinished drafts, paragraphs from books, song lyrics, etc. All these different sources thrown in to tell a single story, it's something I enjoy so much. I liked the complicated love of Emily and Chess (and how annoyed Emily is that Jessica is now 'Chess') and the writing itself.
But I am really starting to despise alternating timelines and especially here when we have Mary's writing in the present about what happened back then and the anecdotal evidence we have in the form of the different media about that time. We didn't need it and it feels lame to go with something so hackneyed when it could've just as easily not. Also, I'm vacillating between loving the ending and hating it. On the one hand, I want something jazzy, something worthy of the mystique surrounding it, and on the other, it is a bunch of early twenty-somethings or younger doing a bunch of drugs and drinking and generally being reckless and something reckless happened and that's as interesting as it gets. Which is bold and I love it, but also boring and I hate it, haha. Either way, I understand it and that's probably what bumps this up to me using four-stars instead of three for my three-point-five rating.
carmenwillis's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
Hmmm interesting read. Not quite sure who would forgive their best friend for sleeping with their husband but hey shoutout to the main character for being so forgiving!
elissalynn's review against another edition
3.0
3.25 stars
An easy, quick read! I think this would have been rated a little higher but the last quarter fell short for me-it felt rushed and unsatisfying. The twist (predictable as it may be) with Chess felt incomplete…I kept waiting for something else to be revealed.
Also the explanation for Emily’s sickness…?! I don’t know…
I did like the idea that female friendships and relationships are complicated and challenging and I thought the author did a nice job with the friendship between chess and Emily…the end result was surprising for sure after revelations chess makes.
Overall a quick read and I think this author does a great job with a fast thriller! I think my biggest issues is that there was nothing creepy about the villa, there were no supernatural or devil elements…and I was kind of waiting for that to come into play.
An easy, quick read! I think this would have been rated a little higher but the last quarter fell short for me-it felt rushed and unsatisfying. The twist (predictable as it may be) with Chess felt incomplete…I kept waiting for something else to be revealed.
Also the explanation for Emily’s sickness…?! I don’t know…
I did like the idea that female friendships and relationships are complicated and challenging and I thought the author did a nice job with the friendship between chess and Emily…the end result was surprising for sure after revelations chess makes.
Overall a quick read and I think this author does a great job with a fast thriller! I think my biggest issues is that there was nothing creepy about the villa, there were no supernatural or devil elements…and I was kind of waiting for that to come into play.
bmtdaisy's review against another edition
4.0
Overall I enjoyed the journey. It felt a little bit like CoHo’s Verity at the end there. The first 50% felt like back story which wasn’t my fave, I think this book could have been just as good with about 25% fewer pages. Is it the best mystery, no. Is it the worst mystery, also no.
childawg's review against another edition
3.0
hard to like Emily and Chess at first - Mari's side of the story was most interesting all throughout - but the book picked up about halfway through, and I enjoyed the vibe of this book because it felt like a unique story
gabrieyell's review against another edition
dark
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.0
mrs_bright_side's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
Very intriguing story - lots going on and lots to process.
I had a hard time keeping up with the 3 rotating stories at times. I didn’t like how the ending worked out for the current main character - I was rooting for Em to have it all, all by her self!
This book was comprised of many questions, mysteries, and thoughts to unpack. Really not many likable characters.. some very obvious plot lines, but you still will have some elements a surprise by the end.
The Villa was a place I was hoping would be perfect for me, but turned out just okay and not a place I would likely return myself..
Very intriguing story - lots going on and lots to process.
I had a hard time keeping up with the 3 rotating stories at times. I didn’t like how the ending worked out for the current main character - I was rooting for Em to have it all, all by her self!
This book was comprised of many questions, mysteries, and thoughts to unpack. Really not many likable characters.. some very obvious plot lines, but you still will have some elements a surprise by the end.
The Villa was a place I was hoping would be perfect for me, but turned out just okay and not a place I would likely return myself..
eap157's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
I felt like the author had 2 interesting storylines going and then made both of them WAY less interesting? Chess was extremely unlikeable from her first appearance and that was a big part of what tanked the book for me.