The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! π
akarwoski's review against another edition
3.0
Listened to this as an audiobook. This is probably my least favorite Peter Swanson book so far. Not at all bad - he is a terrific writer. It was just slower-building than my usual liking of a fast-paced thriller plot.
saltycorpse's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoy Swanson's re-imagining of Hitchcock-esque murder stories, and this is no exception, for the most part. It was a fun book to read and a page-turner, but it could have been much darker than it was. I suppose that could have been an editing decision in order to keep it more of a bestseller, but I'm not sure. It's unfortunate because it hints at a lot more that is never quite delivered.
For example, Henry & Corbin's relationship is rife with homoeroticism, and reading it honestly seems like any time they were actually described as being in a sexual/romantic relationship or infatuation with one another was simply stripped out of the book - which is unfortunate because I think that a lot of their individual motivations and why they were so close to one another suffered because it lacked that explicit level of devotion. It wasn't really even a 'read between the lines' subtlety, it felt like it was there but had simply been edited out.
I also wasn't a huge fan of the "happy" ending of the novel, especially since The Kind Worth Killing had such a strong axe-about-to-fall ending that delighted me. Still, it wasn't a bad ending, but it would have been nice to have that last paragraph or even line or two hint at something darker to come.
Overall I am super into Swanson's novels and can't wait to read more. They're easy to read, wildly entertaining page-turners, in the Gillian Flynn/Paula Hawkins modern thriller, inspired by Highsmith and Hitchcock; but they have substance rather than the crowd-pleasing 'empty calories' often typical of bestsellers.
For example, Henry & Corbin's relationship is rife with homoeroticism, and reading it honestly seems like any time they were actually described as being in a sexual/romantic relationship or infatuation with one another was simply stripped out of the book - which is unfortunate because I think that a lot of their individual motivations and why they were so close to one another suffered because it lacked that explicit level of devotion. It wasn't really even a 'read between the lines' subtlety, it felt like it was there but had simply been edited out.
I also wasn't a huge fan of the "happy" ending of the novel, especially since The Kind Worth Killing had such a strong axe-about-to-fall ending that delighted me. Still, it wasn't a bad ending, but it would have been nice to have that last paragraph or even line or two hint at something darker to come.
Overall I am super into Swanson's novels and can't wait to read more. They're easy to read, wildly entertaining page-turners, in the Gillian Flynn/Paula Hawkins modern thriller, inspired by Highsmith and Hitchcock; but they have substance rather than the crowd-pleasing 'empty calories' often typical of bestsellers.
sashreads's review against another edition
4.0
I never thought I would read another Peter Swanson after finishing AGWACFAH but I am glad I did. I really enjoyed Her Every Fear.
missmonograph_creative's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
lori_reads_a_latte's review against another edition
3.0
This is the second book I have read by this author. While I did not enjoy this one as well as βThe Kind Worth Killing β. It was still an enjoyable read. Kate and Corbin are cousins and they decide to swap apartment for 6 mos. Soo. After Kate arrives at her new apartment she discovers that a murder has occurred in her new apartment building. Evidence points toward Corbin. But is someone setting him up?
claudia578's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
omccloskey's review against another edition
3.0
At about 30% of the way through the book, I was convinced that I had all of the twists and turns nailed down and the final solution figured out. I was very, very wrong. And I continued to fall into this trap several more times while reading. For whatever reason, Swanson's writing style makes it all too easy to fall into the mindset that you've solved the mystery and your explanation is perfectly plausible given the information that has been revealed up until that point. Swanson then proceeds to yank the rug out from under you and reveal an entirely different, yet equally plausible, sequence of events. Consequently, I predicted very few of the twists in advance and found them shocking but not completely out of left field. The plot points that were revealed were eery and gruesome, sending chills down my spine and making me eager to keep reading. The building level of suspense and uncertainty that arose as a result of this setup are becoming increasingly scarce in the thrillers that I've picked up recently. As a result, the unpredictability of this book skyrocketed my rating and kept me on the edge of my seat until the final several chapters.
Swanson took a unique approach to the narration of Her Every Fear, shifting among several different perspectives and recounting the same series of events from different characters' points of view. This was disorienting and jarring at times, particularly toward the beginning of the book, but it aided in building suspense and concealing important details until the last possible second, so as not to give away the upcoming twists and turns. These changing perspectives provided additional insight into the thoughts, motivations, and pasts of a handful of the characters, which heavily contributed to this thriller being primarily character-driven. Without these glimpses into characters' mindsets and thought processes, I'm not sure that I would have felt the same connection to the protagonist or fully understood the rationales of some of the individuals portrayed.
One of the book's largest downfalls was its excessive repetition. I'd like to think that I can keep the major plot points and characters straight in a 355 page book, but Swanson apparently didn't have the same faith in my mental capabilities. Much of the regurgitation of facts and events appeared to be a product of the constantly changing perspective, which led to an uncomfortable number of instances in which readers are forced to relive the same period of time through the eyes of several different characters. The amount of new information that was presented in each of these accounts was marginal and surely could have been presented via some other avenue.
The ending also felt drawn out, superficial, and a little lackluster, serving as a disappointing conclusion for an otherwise decent novel. I can think of several more satisfying and more believable alternatives that could have been pursued. I was also hoping for an ending riddled with ambiguity and uncertainty regarding some of the characters and their outcomes. Unfortunately, Swanson instead opted to tie everything up with a neat little bow, leave nothing to the imagination, and throw any chances of a chilling, thought-provoking conclusion out the window. Everything seemed a bit too easy, coincidental, and unrealistic, which solidified my three star rating for a thriller that otherwise may have earned four or five stars.
Swanson took a unique approach to the narration of Her Every Fear, shifting among several different perspectives and recounting the same series of events from different characters' points of view. This was disorienting and jarring at times, particularly toward the beginning of the book, but it aided in building suspense and concealing important details until the last possible second, so as not to give away the upcoming twists and turns. These changing perspectives provided additional insight into the thoughts, motivations, and pasts of a handful of the characters, which heavily contributed to this thriller being primarily character-driven. Without these glimpses into characters' mindsets and thought processes, I'm not sure that I would have felt the same connection to the protagonist or fully understood the rationales of some of the individuals portrayed.
One of the book's largest downfalls was its excessive repetition. I'd like to think that I can keep the major plot points and characters straight in a 355 page book, but Swanson apparently didn't have the same faith in my mental capabilities. Much of the regurgitation of facts and events appeared to be a product of the constantly changing perspective, which led to an uncomfortable number of instances in which readers are forced to relive the same period of time through the eyes of several different characters. The amount of new information that was presented in each of these accounts was marginal and surely could have been presented via some other avenue.
The ending also felt drawn out, superficial, and a little lackluster, serving as a disappointing conclusion for an otherwise decent novel. I can think of several more satisfying and more believable alternatives that could have been pursued. I was also hoping for an ending riddled with ambiguity and uncertainty regarding some of the characters and their outcomes. Unfortunately, Swanson instead opted to tie everything up with a neat little bow, leave nothing to the imagination, and throw any chances of a chilling, thought-provoking conclusion out the window. Everything seemed a bit too easy, coincidental, and unrealistic, which solidified my three star rating for a thriller that otherwise may have earned four or five stars.
brittany_tellefsen's review against another edition
3.0
After being offered an opportunity to home-swap with her second-cousin in Boston, Kate Priddy decides to leave the safety of her London flat and venture to America. After a tragic event in her past nearly caused her death at the hands of her ex-boyfriend, Kate has been less than adventerous so the decision to leave is monumental.
Much to Kate's dismay, as soon as she arrives to Corbin's apartment, it is uncovered that his next door neighbor, Audrey, has been murdered and it doesn't take long to tie Audrey to Corbin and for him to become a suspect in her death. Kate finds herself unwillinginly drawn into this mystery, attempting to determine who she can trust and who killed Audrey, all the while fearing for her safety in the apartment of a suspected killer.
After reading the synopsis for this book, I was hopeful that this would be a fast-paced, intense read. Sadly, this book fell painfully short of my expectations. Overall, it felt rather slow going and repetitive. I swear Kate was sleeping through 25% of this book. And the way that Swanson randomly swapped between character perspectives with no real rhythm (two chapters might be Kate, then three would be Corbin, then one would be another character and so on), it took away from timing of the story.
Also, the characters themselves had no real personality and were not particularly likeable. You learn a great deal about their past and their mindsets and motivtations which helps in their character development, but they don't feel very humanized at all so I did not particularly care or connected with any of them.
Furthermore, Corbin's perspective took away from the suspense and thrill of the story in my opinion. From the way the story was presented, I was under the impression we would follow Kate as she tried to solve the mystery of Audrey's death. But instead, we also see from Corbins point-of-view and are essentially told who the murderer is half-way through the book which makes the ending mediocre and fairly anti-climatic.
Much to Kate's dismay, as soon as she arrives to Corbin's apartment, it is uncovered that his next door neighbor, Audrey, has been murdered and it doesn't take long to tie Audrey to Corbin and for him to become a suspect in her death. Kate finds herself unwillinginly drawn into this mystery, attempting to determine who she can trust and who killed Audrey, all the while fearing for her safety in the apartment of a suspected killer.
After reading the synopsis for this book, I was hopeful that this would be a fast-paced, intense read. Sadly, this book fell painfully short of my expectations. Overall, it felt rather slow going and repetitive. I swear Kate was sleeping through 25% of this book. And the way that Swanson randomly swapped between character perspectives with no real rhythm (two chapters might be Kate, then three would be Corbin, then one would be another character and so on), it took away from timing of the story.
Also, the characters themselves had no real personality and were not particularly likeable. You learn a great deal about their past and their mindsets and motivtations which helps in their character development, but they don't feel very humanized at all so I did not particularly care or connected with any of them.
Furthermore, Corbin's perspective took away from the suspense and thrill of the story in my opinion. From the way the story was presented, I was under the impression we would follow Kate as she tried to solve the mystery of Audrey's death. But instead, we also see from Corbins point-of-view and are essentially told who the murderer is half-way through the book which makes the ending mediocre and fairly anti-climatic.