elle_loves_reading's review against another edition
4.0
Safe and Sound is a quick easy read with plenty of suspense to keep you interested and turning those pages. With short chapters that once in a while alternate between past and present, this story unfolds in a way I wasn't expecting.
books_plants_hikes's review against another edition
3.0
This book was most definitely a slow burn, for me. It's well written and although slow moving keeps the reader curious. The narrator offers us a window into how up ending, controlling, and crippling anxiety can be especially when unexpected circumstances befall us and we find ourselves more deeply involved.
I adore the ending, so please keep reading all the way through. I think it helps to show us for we can combat and heal from anxiety and its grip on us as well.
Happy page turning!
I adore the ending, so please keep reading all the way through. I think it helps to show us for we can combat and heal from anxiety and its grip on us as well.
Happy page turning!
mel_smells444's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
there’s a good amount of characters that intertwine so make sure you got a notepad
raemelle's review against another edition
4.0
ARC courtesy of HarperCollins and Edelweiss+.
I was definitely drawn into reading this story based on the line saying that the body was undiscovered for ten whole months. It was hard to put down, and overall very well done.
I personally didn't enjoy being teased for the entirety of the book with the reveals, though. I didn't like that you could tell the narrator was holding back information - it felt a bit unnatural. But I think that might be my personal taste coming in to play, not necessarily a remark on the quality.
I was definitely drawn into reading this story based on the line saying that the body was undiscovered for ten whole months. It was hard to put down, and overall very well done.
I personally didn't enjoy being teased for the entirety of the book with the reveals, though. I didn't like that you could tell the narrator was holding back information - it felt a bit unnatural. But I think that might be my personal taste coming in to play, not necessarily a remark on the quality.
emmiloo88's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
melaniesreads's review against another edition
4.0
I love a good mystery and the blurb was an instant hook for me. I had so many questions running through my head before I had even started reading!
This book will pull you in and turn you inside out. With its unreliability you are never quite sure what to believe. Jenn, working in the housing department, who discovers dead tenant Sarah is an anxiety ridden mess who is obsessed with her son Charlie’s wellbeing making her seem too fragile to cope with such a find.
The timelines change as you get the story of a girl called Prin and her family. All the while I was trying to join the dots to make connections. Just like a difficult puzzle you don’t get to see the complete picture until the very last piece is put in its place.
As in reality people’s lives are often not what they lead the world to believe. When fantasy blurs with reality that’s when the problems start. An intriguing immersive read that had my head dizzy from all the spinning.
This book will pull you in and turn you inside out. With its unreliability you are never quite sure what to believe. Jenn, working in the housing department, who discovers dead tenant Sarah is an anxiety ridden mess who is obsessed with her son Charlie’s wellbeing making her seem too fragile to cope with such a find.
The timelines change as you get the story of a girl called Prin and her family. All the while I was trying to join the dots to make connections. Just like a difficult puzzle you don’t get to see the complete picture until the very last piece is put in its place.
As in reality people’s lives are often not what they lead the world to believe. When fantasy blurs with reality that’s when the problems start. An intriguing immersive read that had my head dizzy from all the spinning.
natalier3's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this. It was a well thought out and executed thriller. The characters were likeable, and I was rooting for them throughout.
It took a while for me to understand the importance of the Prin and her cousin subplot, but I definitely didn't predict the twist and I loved it!
I personally would have liked more twists but I think I am a very demanding reader!
With thanks to HQ and NetGalley for an early reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.
It took a while for me to understand the importance of the Prin and her cousin subplot, but I definitely didn't predict the twist and I loved it!
I personally would have liked more twists but I think I am a very demanding reader!
With thanks to HQ and NetGalley for an early reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.
herheadinherbook's review
2.0
At the beginning of Safe and Sound, Jennifer discovers the body of a young woman in a flat she manages. The woman has laid there undiscovered for almost a year and Jennifer soon discovers a lie she told last summer has caused Sarah, the deceased woman, to lay undiscovered for so long. Fuelled by guilt, Jennifer is determined to find out what happened to Sarah.
Safe and sound is a book which draws the reader in immediately as you wonder how a woman so young and popular could go unmissed for almost a year. The story unfolds with two narratives - Jennifer who is trying to find out more about Sarah’s life and then chapters set in the past which feature Prin and Jane, two young girls on their school summer holidays.
In each narrative there is plenty on intrigue to begin with, with hints of secrets and past trauma. These hints are repeatedly given throughout the book but you actually learn very little until you are at the end of the book, which was really frustrating.
Jennifer is not a likeable character. She becomes obsessed with finding all she can about Sarah’s life and the actions she takes are often uncomfortable and cringeworthy reading. Her decline in mental health is written well and means that I suspected both her and every other character in the book in having a hand in Sarah’s death.
Despite the slow pace in the middle and the unreliable, irritating main character, I really wanted to know what happened to Sarah and how the two narratives would be linked, so I read into the early hours to finish the book.
I am afraid to say the ending was not worth the wait. The answers to the mystery seemed far fetched and flimsy and I feel there were unanswered questions about the plot too.
This is less a murder mystery and more about women who are lonely and the impact it has on their health. It’s a great concept for a story but it fell flat for me.
Thank you to the author, Netgalley and HQ publishing for the opportunity to review and advanced copy in exchange for an honest opinion.
Safe and sound is a book which draws the reader in immediately as you wonder how a woman so young and popular could go unmissed for almost a year. The story unfolds with two narratives - Jennifer who is trying to find out more about Sarah’s life and then chapters set in the past which feature Prin and Jane, two young girls on their school summer holidays.
In each narrative there is plenty on intrigue to begin with, with hints of secrets and past trauma. These hints are repeatedly given throughout the book but you actually learn very little until you are at the end of the book, which was really frustrating.
Jennifer is not a likeable character. She becomes obsessed with finding all she can about Sarah’s life and the actions she takes are often uncomfortable and cringeworthy reading. Her decline in mental health is written well and means that I suspected both her and every other character in the book in having a hand in Sarah’s death.
Despite the slow pace in the middle and the unreliable, irritating main character, I really wanted to know what happened to Sarah and how the two narratives would be linked, so I read into the early hours to finish the book.
I am afraid to say the ending was not worth the wait. The answers to the mystery seemed far fetched and flimsy and I feel there were unanswered questions about the plot too.
This is less a murder mystery and more about women who are lonely and the impact it has on their health. It’s a great concept for a story but it fell flat for me.
Thank you to the author, Netgalley and HQ publishing for the opportunity to review and advanced copy in exchange for an honest opinion.
emilyandthewhippet's review
5.0
[eAudiobook kindly provided by Netgallery in return for an honest review]
What a book! I found it impossible to put down for the two days it took me to go through it.
It feels as though this book covers so many topics in it's story, from anxieties to the shock of finding something you never thought you'd see. It's a roller-coaster of a ride and I spent my team both willing the main character to succeed in finding the truth, whilst also willing her to stay well away from the chaos it was clear it would bring!
Unforgettable.
What a book! I found it impossible to put down for the two days it took me to go through it.
It feels as though this book covers so many topics in it's story, from anxieties to the shock of finding something you never thought you'd see. It's a roller-coaster of a ride and I spent my team both willing the main character to succeed in finding the truth, whilst also willing her to stay well away from the chaos it was clear it would bring!
Unforgettable.
ailamuzio's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Murder, Death, and Death of parent