mermi's review against another edition
3.0
Good book, definitely enjoyed it but just not as good as her other novel “The Couple Nexf Door.”
melughkneee's review against another edition
2.0
I finished this book in two days because I wanted to see if it really was as predictable as I was thinking. I feel like this book was so amateur and did not follow a writer who wrote such a good book as the couple next-door. Big let down. I can’t believe it was the same author.
ectoplasmeg's review against another edition
4.0
Honestly, on the lower side of 3.5 stars BUT Tavia Gilbert's narration of the audiobook was fantastic and made it more immersive than it likely would have been otherwise.
kenziejboothe's review against another edition
5.0
This book was SO good. It is one of those books that keeps you turning page after page because you can’t stop reading. It is suspenseful, but not as much as people rave about. Overall, great book! I recommend
melissafish76's review against another edition
3.0
I'd suggest you check this book out from the library or borrow it. I'd be pissed if I bought it because at $26 I want to have a whole long (at least a week) experience. Read it start to finish in a couple of hours. 3.5 stars. It obviously kept me hooked, it was entertaining, I sort of knew the direction it was going so the ending wasn't jarring. I was kind of like-yeah that's what I thought....But it was good! It's what you read thrillers for. A murder, a mystery, the plot thickens, you guess who did it, plot twist and end. It did all of these things.
oddly's review against another edition
2.0
full review here: http://www.shelfstalker.net/blog/the-couple-next-door-and-a-stranger-in-the-house-by-shari-lapena
A Stranger in the House follows Karen, who, while driving erratically in a bad part of town, causes a car accident that gives her amnesia. When it turns out that her car is connected to a grisly murder scene nearby, all the lies connected with her past and present start to come uncovered. And perhaps she's not the only one with a few secrets.
I fell into the story of this one a lot more naturally, though the writing definitely had not improved (see my review of [b:The Couple Next Door|28815474|The Couple Next Door|Shari Lapena|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1471502242s/28815474.jpg|48284103]). There are a lot of similar elements to her first book: a husband and wife at odds over a criminal situation they are involved in, neighbors who know more than they let on, and a familiar homicide detective makes an appearance.
But I just don't think a somewhat interesting plot can make up for tedious and uninspired writing. Aren't we here for the writing? Or does that not matter anymore? I guess I'm honestly interested to know what people consider "good."
For example, in this book, even as it switches between the different character's perspectives, there is no differentiation in the writing. It feels as though the only reason for the change is because that specific character knew something we needed to know, so they got the floor. It is so stilted.
And as far as the plot of A Stranger in the House goes, I have three words: gunshot residue test. That's all I'm saying.
If you are looking for a fast, brainless, twisty, whodunnit sort of read, one where you don't have to do a lot of thinking or puzzling, this will totally be your jam. If you have higher aspirations for crime books, we'll have to keep looking.
My thanks to Pamela Dorman Books/Viking for my copy of this book.
A Stranger in the House follows Karen, who, while driving erratically in a bad part of town, causes a car accident that gives her amnesia. When it turns out that her car is connected to a grisly murder scene nearby, all the lies connected with her past and present start to come uncovered. And perhaps she's not the only one with a few secrets.
I fell into the story of this one a lot more naturally, though the writing definitely had not improved (see my review of [b:The Couple Next Door|28815474|The Couple Next Door|Shari Lapena|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1471502242s/28815474.jpg|48284103]). There are a lot of similar elements to her first book: a husband and wife at odds over a criminal situation they are involved in, neighbors who know more than they let on, and a familiar homicide detective makes an appearance.
But I just don't think a somewhat interesting plot can make up for tedious and uninspired writing. Aren't we here for the writing? Or does that not matter anymore? I guess I'm honestly interested to know what people consider "good."
For example, in this book, even as it switches between the different character's perspectives, there is no differentiation in the writing. It feels as though the only reason for the change is because that specific character knew something we needed to know, so they got the floor. It is so stilted.
And as far as the plot of A Stranger in the House goes, I have three words: gunshot residue test. That's all I'm saying.
If you are looking for a fast, brainless, twisty, whodunnit sort of read, one where you don't have to do a lot of thinking or puzzling, this will totally be your jam. If you have higher aspirations for crime books, we'll have to keep looking.
My thanks to Pamela Dorman Books/Viking for my copy of this book.
jenibus's review against another edition
1.0
A twisty turny thriller like this is built upon the final reveal, the final twist really makes or breaks the book as a whole. Good twists make the reader go OMG HOW DID I NOT SEE THAT COMING whereas bad twists make you annoyed. This is unfortunately the latter. I feel like my time was wasted reading this book because the twist is just... pointless. It doesn't make me re-evaluate previous events, it doesn't make me feel that the story was smart or well-thought out. It is lazy and just tries to pull the rug out of the reader's feet without putting in the work initially.
However, even excluding the final twist, I struggle to look back on this book and appreciate it in spite of its ending. The characters, who initially were interesting and semi-complex, became flat, one-note caricatures of tropes. A character at one point just literally goes insane. Another character is so measly and weak willed that it boggles the mind. The final twist destroys anything we knew about another character. I did appreciate the detective character being a fairly normal human being but GOOD GOD were the rest of these characters frustrating and blatantly unrealistic.
I initially had this at 2 stars because I wasn't enraged by the ending of the book or hate the entire journey. I got through most of this book fairly quickly and without malice, just frustration at the characters. But when you combine the frustrating characters with the horrible ending and the fact I would never recommend this book to someone unless I want to watch them undergo the same reading journey I went through, I'm dropping it down to 1 star. It's probably 1.5 because the set up and initial portions of the story are compelling, but if the rest destroys that build up, what is the point?
However, even excluding the final twist, I struggle to look back on this book and appreciate it in spite of its ending. The characters, who initially were interesting and semi-complex, became flat, one-note caricatures of tropes. A character at one point just literally goes insane. Another character is so measly and weak willed that it boggles the mind. The final twist destroys anything we knew about another character. I did appreciate the detective character being a fairly normal human being but GOOD GOD were the rest of these characters frustrating and blatantly unrealistic.
I initially had this at 2 stars because I wasn't enraged by the ending of the book or hate the entire journey. I got through most of this book fairly quickly and without malice, just frustration at the characters. But when you combine the frustrating characters with the horrible ending and the fact I would never recommend this book to someone unless I want to watch them undergo the same reading journey I went through, I'm dropping it down to 1 star. It's probably 1.5 because the set up and initial portions of the story are compelling, but if the rest destroys that build up, what is the point?
amanda1620's review against another edition
3.0
While reading this book, somehow I've already figured out the plot of this book at the back of my mind when reading the first few pages of the book. Despite that, it's still enjoyable to read this book because I want to see how the whole thing would be unraveled.
sherylcat's review against another edition
4.0
Another great thriller. This is my year of the thriller. Hope I don't run out Lol. Sometimes your friends or you spouse aren't quite who you think. Pretty much everyone's a "stranger" in this book.
jazsever's review against another edition
3.0
Me gusto, estuve super enganchada al punto de no poder dejar de leer. Pero la verdad es que me esperaba algún giro de tuerca más, el misterio se quedó muy simple para mi gusto.
De todos modos lo disfruté.
De todos modos lo disfruté.