miichelles's review
challenging
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
cjsjellybean's review
3.0
This book got confusing fast for me!! At first I thought the short chapters describing similar situations between then and now would make the book super easy to follow. However, I quickly found that I was having to jump back to the beginning of chapters to find out which girl I was reading about. I did enjoy the book and it had an ending I never saw coming, however, the back and forth got old really fast and ultimately made the book kind of a chore to read.
nyxshadow's review against another edition
3.0
http://www.nyx-shadow.com/2017/02/la-fille-davant-jp-delaney.html
Un livre un peu étrange. Tout repose sur le concept de malaise, de manipulations et d'interrogation.
La forme - avec des alternances très rapides avant/maintenant - a eu du mal à me convaincre. Certes cela permet de mettre les deux situations en parallèle et de pis pousser à nous interroger sur les personnages, mais j'ai trouvé ça trop rapide au début.
Il y a un petit mou au milieu du livre ou rien n'avance vraiment puis soudainement des choses se passent. Et la l'auteur en fait je pense un peu trop. C'est tellement gros qu'on cesse d'y croire.
Mais c'était une intrigue originale et j'avais envie de connaître le fin mot de l'histoire.
Un livre un peu étrange. Tout repose sur le concept de malaise, de manipulations et d'interrogation.
La forme - avec des alternances très rapides avant/maintenant - a eu du mal à me convaincre. Certes cela permet de mettre les deux situations en parallèle et de pis pousser à nous interroger sur les personnages, mais j'ai trouvé ça trop rapide au début.
Il y a un petit mou au milieu du livre ou rien n'avance vraiment puis soudainement des choses se passent. Et la l'auteur en fait je pense un peu trop. C'est tellement gros qu'on cesse d'y croire.
Mais c'était une intrigue originale et j'avais envie de connaître le fin mot de l'histoire.
jennieamber's review
3.0
This book wasn't the greatest but it wasn't the worst either. It had a lot of elements of Behind Closed Doors, Gone Girl, and a lot of similar other novels that have surfaced within the last few years.
Pros: The storyline was gripping, it kept me entertained and it was in fact a page turner. The author does know how to keep you guessing and wondering, and I was a bit surprised at the ending. I would say if you like this genre give it a whirl and see what you think.
Cons: The grammar and set up of the book was...strange. For one thing in Emma's chapters nothing had quotation marks to let you know when there was a verbal exchange going on. It took me a bit to figure out what was going on, to tell the difference between conversations and descriptions or thoughts. Maybe, thinking now, the author was making all of Emma's chapters in the form of thoughts, I don't know.
The second con for me was, and I've never seen this in other books, in describing the tone of a sentence, instead of saying "so and so replied" or exclaimed, or asked in surprise.... It was "and he was like" or "and i was like". Which made me cringe. lol Of course people say this in real life, out loud but reading it in the book was just strange on top of the fact that there was no quotations to differentiate.
Also there was some odd...sex? If that's what that was? It reminded me of Big Little Lies where one of the characters is getting abused but she gets angry too and causes marks as well. Very strange, IMO.
Also there's a cat and things happen to said cat, just saying for animal lovers, I don't think that's a spoiler.
And lastly, this is just quibbling on my part, but 3 or 4 times the author describes people "drinking a mouthful of coffee". That got under my skin. Why not say took a sip of coffee? Anyway, that's my two cents.
Pros: The storyline was gripping, it kept me entertained and it was in fact a page turner. The author does know how to keep you guessing and wondering, and I was a bit surprised at the ending. I would say if you like this genre give it a whirl and see what you think.
Cons: The grammar and set up of the book was...strange. For one thing in Emma's chapters nothing had quotation marks to let you know when there was a verbal exchange going on. It took me a bit to figure out what was going on, to tell the difference between conversations and descriptions or thoughts. Maybe, thinking now, the author was making all of Emma's chapters in the form of thoughts, I don't know.
The second con for me was, and I've never seen this in other books, in describing the tone of a sentence, instead of saying "so and so replied" or exclaimed, or asked in surprise.... It was "and he was like" or "and i was like". Which made me cringe. lol Of course people say this in real life, out loud but reading it in the book was just strange on top of the fact that there was no quotations to differentiate.
Also there was some odd...sex? If that's what that was? It reminded me of Big Little Lies where one of the characters is getting abused but she gets angry too and causes marks as well. Very strange, IMO.
Also there's a cat and things happen to said cat, just saying for animal lovers, I don't think that's a spoiler.
And lastly, this is just quibbling on my part, but 3 or 4 times the author describes people "drinking a mouthful of coffee". That got under my skin. Why not say took a sip of coffee? Anyway, that's my two cents.
wingm0m's review
5.0
I took a leap on this one mostly because I stick to my "potential" book list pretty tight. I add things that sound interesting to me for review at a later date depending on what I feel like reading. I saw this in the "new" book shelf at the library and grabbed it.
I am SO happy I did. What a story. I read it a little here and there and then started reading it before bed - 3-1/2 hours later passed out on the sofa I closed it for the night. All I could think about when I woke up was finishing it. It's such a quandary when you don't want it to end, but you want to keep reading because every next page is better than the one before.
J.P. Delaney, you nailed it. Thank you for getting me out of a reading rut that I have been in for far too long. THIS story, THESE characters, the way the book is written from both girls' POV's simultaneously is part of the charm of what sucked me in.
I feel like I need to buy my own copy now to keep on my shelf.
Oddly enough there were moments, few and far between, but enough, to make me relate in certain aspects to what the women were feeling, why they were drawn to the lifestyles and the home....enough to make me consider a minimalist life.
I feel like I could ramble on and on about this book, but it's just one of those "you won't believe it until you read it" kind of stories.
Just read it. Read it and find out about "The Girl Before".
You can thank me later.
I am SO happy I did. What a story. I read it a little here and there and then started reading it before bed - 3-1/2 hours later passed out on the sofa I closed it for the night. All I could think about when I woke up was finishing it. It's such a quandary when you don't want it to end, but you want to keep reading because every next page is better than the one before.
J.P. Delaney, you nailed it. Thank you for getting me out of a reading rut that I have been in for far too long. THIS story, THESE characters, the way the book is written from both girls' POV's simultaneously is part of the charm of what sucked me in.
I feel like I need to buy my own copy now to keep on my shelf.
Oddly enough there were moments, few and far between, but enough, to make me relate in certain aspects to what the women were feeling, why they were drawn to the lifestyles and the home....enough to make me consider a minimalist life.
I feel like I could ramble on and on about this book, but it's just one of those "you won't believe it until you read it" kind of stories.
Just read it. Read it and find out about "The Girl Before".
You can thank me later.
diamondc's review
4.0
The Girl Before took me by surprise. I thought it would be an OK book but it ended up being a great read. Emma and Jane were two different females at different times in the world. Both had a few things in common; Their looks, one Folgate Street and the creator of one Folgate. The events in this book lead to a great plot. Causing The Girl before to be a page turner. The book focused on both Girls, Emma then and Jane now. Emma was my least favorite of the two girls.
If your looking for a great read with Suspense and a twist you won't suspect.... this is the book!
If your looking for a great read with Suspense and a twist you won't suspect.... this is the book!
paperimato's review
3.0
Olisin antanut varmaan 3,5 jos se olisi ollut mahdollista. Kirja piti hyvin otteessaan ja sitä oli mukava lukea, kun kertojana oli kaksi henkilöä, joitten osuudet vaihtelivat tiuhaan. Tosin välillä, varsinkin alussa, menin sekaisin siitä kumpi on kumpi. Oli jännittävä ja nopealukuinen. Mielestäni laatu laski lehmän häntänä loppua kohden.
phdee's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
corbyjane's review
5.0
This book made me want to watch the movie but the action and descriptions were very vivid. Never not once did I have any idea where it was going.