Reviews

Watching You by Lisa Jewell

theresa7taylor's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-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

3.0

eroof514's review against another edition

4.0

I won a goodreads giveaway and received an advanced copy of this book. This is my third book by this author and I have enjoyed each of them so much. This book follows a cast of characters that all have major problems. Joey (Josephine) is newly married and lives with her brother and sister in law while they are sorting out their lives. She sees a man and is instantly attracted to him. She becomes obsessed with him and waits outside his door just to catch a glimpse of him (Tom). Freddy is Tom's son in high school and he takes pictures of the neighborhood girls out his window. Jenna is one of the girls Freddy watches with a crazy mother and suspects her best friend has been having an affair with her teacher (Tom). Tom works at a school and is in the middle of it all. He works to help the schools performance and reputation once it has gone bad. There is a murder and we are left a few clues to figure it out. This book was complex and we follow all four of these characters perspectives. I knew the killer but I wasn't able to figure out the whole story. When you read a Lisa Jewell book you know something ominous is going to happen. I definitely recommend this one.

jackierobinson's review against another edition

3.0

3.5 because
1. I’m in a reading slump and nothing is interesting to me right now and
2. I absolutely LOVED “The Family Upstairs” and “Then She Was Gone” and this didn’t seem to live up to the expectations of the others.

I really liked some of the characters, yet hated the portrayal of Aspergers in this. Anyone else agree? Like BAM I have autism and suddenly everything is right with the world? It was too tied up with ribbon and I think it played down the effects of Aspergers and living with it.
Overall it was an engaging read but definitely not my fav.

papilooonglegs's review against another edition

mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

starrwad's review against another edition

5.0

I absolutely loved this. It might be a bit of a stretch to call it a thriller because the pacing is maybe a little slow for that. But it was very well done, and I will definitely be checking out the books by Lisa Jewell that I haven't read yet.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a copy of the ARC.

happygolucky90's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

4.0

ijustreadthisbook's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

⚠️ domestic abuse, bullying, suicide
good gawd almighty
*clutches pearls*

mhoffrob's review against another edition

4.0

Set in England, The new Head Teacher at the local school is sent in to turn the school around. He is considered a grand success at such turn arounds, and becomes quite popular in the town and among the students. Meanwhile, his neighbor's sister returns from abroad with a new husband, one of his students' mothers is convinced he is stalking her, and his son is entering puberty with a fascination for spying. The plot is intricately woven among them all, coming to a dramatic and murderous conclusion. My one complaint would be the Afterword which seems to drag on, especially the birthday letter. Still, a good read.

A quick and fast paced read, Watching You by Lisa Jewell will entertain fans of Gillian Flynn, Greer Hendricks, or Mary Kubica.

kelbi's review against another edition

4.0

Lisa Jewell never puts a foot wrong. However convoluted the plot she always manages a convincing end. Her characters are believable. The plotting is fantastic. Great book

mytgreen's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25