leoniesreadingcrisis's review against another edition
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
2.25
sleepy_kitty's review
4.0
Twists and turns every where, but I hated the ending.
It kept me guessing until the finally, but, man, hated the ending.
It was written very well. The prose was powerful and added to the plot. Also, the book is very British, which I loved.
It kept me guessing until the finally, but, man, hated the ending.
It was written very well. The prose was powerful and added to the plot. Also, the book is very British, which I loved.
mandylovestoread's review
5.0
The Assistant by SK Tremayne is a realistic and creepy story. Whilst reading this I was thinking about how easy it would be these days - everything is run on technology and we rely on it so heavily. Set in the worst winter that London has seen for years this book is sinister and dark and will get under your skin. Who or what can you trust? They are always watching, and listening.
Jo is a recently divorced journalist who is struggling to make ends meet in London. So when her best friend Tabitha offers her spare room to her for next to nothing she jumps at the chance. It is a modern, luxury apartment in the trendy Camden Town. The place is controlled by the home assistant Electra so does everything from answer questions to turning the lights on and off. And all is going well until one night when the assistants tell Jo "I Know What You Did" . Because Jo does have an awful secret that only 2 other people know about. How does the technology know? Things escalate quickly from there and Jo is in the fight for her life to prove that she is not going mad and that her life is in danger. How is this happening?? And can she stop it before it is too late?
Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins Australia for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.
Jo is a recently divorced journalist who is struggling to make ends meet in London. So when her best friend Tabitha offers her spare room to her for next to nothing she jumps at the chance. It is a modern, luxury apartment in the trendy Camden Town. The place is controlled by the home assistant Electra so does everything from answer questions to turning the lights on and off. And all is going well until one night when the assistants tell Jo "I Know What You Did" . Because Jo does have an awful secret that only 2 other people know about. How does the technology know? Things escalate quickly from there and Jo is in the fight for her life to prove that she is not going mad and that her life is in danger. How is this happening?? And can she stop it before it is too late?
Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins Australia for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.
yvo_about_books's review
4.0
Finished reading: November 19th 2019
"I do not understand the extent of the hatred and the violence of the damage done to me. Why and how do I deserve this? What is the point?"
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
Spoiler
I've read and enjoyed S.K. Tremayne's books in the past, so when I was invited to read his newest title The Assistant a while back I basically accepted without even reading the blurb first. I did so afterwards, and definitely liked what I found. A psychological thriller with the promise of a dark secret and a technology angle? Yes please! I admit I had since forgotten what this story was about, so I was definitely pleasantly surprised and simply delighted by the plot I found once I started reading The Assistant. Such an original and bloodchilling premise!
There is a lot to love in The Assistant, but I think the thing that stands out most is the originality of the plot and the big role technology plays in this story. We live in a time where technology slowly takes over almost every aspect of our lives, and The Assistant shows us what the terrifying consequences might be if this technology starts working less than perfect. I personally couldn't imagine having so many gadgets in my own home, especially having my very own Electra controlling so many aspects of my daily life... And I'm not sure if I even want to try getting used to one after reading this story. I think anyone who read this story themselves would understand why! That said, this aspect of The Assistant is developed brilliantly and incorporated into what is already a very interesting plot.
Then we have the writing, which is just as good as I've become used to after reading The Ice Twins and The Fire Child. It managed to draw me right in from the very first chapter and it was very easy to keep flying through those pages. Combine that with a solid pace and a healthy dose of suspense and plot twists to keep you intrigued and you will find yourself reaching that final page at record speed. Part of the success of this story is in the fact that you are never completely sure what is happening. Is Jo the typical unreliable main character? Do mental health issues play a role in the events described? What is going on with the technology? And what about those secrets about the past? It was interesting to see everything slowly evolve and I just loved how many times The Assistant was able to mislead me and simply put me on the wrong track.
Last but not least the characters. I'm not sure if they are exactly likeable, but they sure make for an interesting cast of characters and they are perfect for that unreliable narrator feel that this story has. I also loved that Electra was developed to be almost like yet another character of this story, and this definitely gives The Assistant an unique touch. The premise of this story is so original though! I've been keeping my rambles pretty general to avoid spoilers, but if you like twisty and unique psychogical thrillers you will be in for an absolute treat with The Assistant.
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
hera90's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
clotalksbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Wow. I wasn't expecting that. I got this book in a surprise box from ABoS, and hadn't heard of the author or book.
Every time you thought you had worked something out, it threw another curve ball at you. So well written, revealing things at just the right speed to make you keep turning those pages. This is very dark, and not for someone who is fearful of technology!
Although things get "wrapped up", I was left feeling dissatisfied. Not a fault of the story or writing, as I fear it is very realistic. I guess I want rainbows and unicorns, but this world isn't going to give us that. A very good book though.
Every time you thought you had worked something out, it threw another curve ball at you. So well written, revealing things at just the right speed to make you keep turning those pages. This is very dark, and not for someone who is fearful of technology!
Although things get "wrapped up", I was left feeling dissatisfied. Not a fault of the story or writing, as I fear it is very realistic. I guess I want rainbows and unicorns, but this world isn't going to give us that. A very good book though.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse
Minor: Child abuse and Rape
monerl's review against another edition
5.0
Ein richtig spannendes Buch mit unerwarteter Auflösung und Ende!
booknieszka's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
4.25
illustrated_insomniac's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
toofondofbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I’ve previously read The Ice Twins by this author and that book really unnerved me but still I couldn’t resist grabbing a copy of The Assistant as the premise sounded so unique and so prescient. I’m so pleased to say that I loved this book!
The Assistant is all about Jo. She’s a freelance journalist and struggling to manage financially. She’s renting a room in a luxury apartment in London owned by her best friend Tabitha, the whole place is controlled by a Home Assistant called Electra. Tabitha spends a lot of time at her boyfriend’s house so Jo is often on her own in the apartment for large spans of time. One day Electra suddenly says ‘I know what you did’ and Jo’s life begins to spiral!
As someone who has voice controlled gadgets through my home this book was terrifying! It made me want to rip them all out and throw them away!! Jo is really unnerved but she wonders if she imagined it, or if she’s over tired but Electra doesn’t let it go. It becomes clear that Electra knows about Jo’s past and it seems determined that she’s going to pay.
I was engrossed in this book from start to finish, I read it in just two sittings because I simply had to know what was going on. We find out what happened to Jo in her past but you’re then wondering who would want to drag it all up now all these years later. There are people in Jo’s life that I was suspicious of all the way through the novel but I could never put my finger on who exactly could be behind the horror. Alongside this Jo is over-reliant on sleeping pills and she’s not always careful of the dose she takes so there is an element of wondering if what is happening is some kind of hallucination. I love that this book kept me guessing right the way to the end.
This is the first novel I’ve read where home assistant technology is a large part of the plot and I loved it. It was so different and terrifying because we all have technology in our homes that potentially could be used against us. I found this such a good read and I definitely recommend it!
This review was originally posted on my blog https://rathertoofondofbooks.com
The Assistant is all about Jo. She’s a freelance journalist and struggling to manage financially. She’s renting a room in a luxury apartment in London owned by her best friend Tabitha, the whole place is controlled by a Home Assistant called Electra. Tabitha spends a lot of time at her boyfriend’s house so Jo is often on her own in the apartment for large spans of time. One day Electra suddenly says ‘I know what you did’ and Jo’s life begins to spiral!
As someone who has voice controlled gadgets through my home this book was terrifying! It made me want to rip them all out and throw them away!! Jo is really unnerved but she wonders if she imagined it, or if she’s over tired but Electra doesn’t let it go. It becomes clear that Electra knows about Jo’s past and it seems determined that she’s going to pay.
I was engrossed in this book from start to finish, I read it in just two sittings because I simply had to know what was going on. We find out what happened to Jo in her past but you’re then wondering who would want to drag it all up now all these years later. There are people in Jo’s life that I was suspicious of all the way through the novel but I could never put my finger on who exactly could be behind the horror. Alongside this Jo is over-reliant on sleeping pills and she’s not always careful of the dose she takes so there is an element of wondering if what is happening is some kind of hallucination. I love that this book kept me guessing right the way to the end.
This is the first novel I’ve read where home assistant technology is a large part of the plot and I loved it. It was so different and terrifying because we all have technology in our homes that potentially could be used against us. I found this such a good read and I definitely recommend it!
This review was originally posted on my blog https://rathertoofondofbooks.com