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beckywilles's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
thegeekybibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
Jane Campbell's perfect life is turned upside down when her husband is viciously attacked in front of their young children. With her husband in a coma, the responsibility of caring for the family (and everything else) falls on Jane. She is terrified the attacker might come after her and the children, but she needs to find out who hurt her husband, and why. As she searches for answers, Jane comes to realize her life wasn't as perfect as she thought...
Open Your Eyes is a psychological thriller worthy of the genre. A brutal crime committed in broad daylight, in the presence of children, after the wife goes inside the house for a couple of minutes. She comes back out, and her entire world is changed. How terrifying is that?!
It's not a stretch of the imagination at all to picture something like this actually happening, so I was immediately drawn in. I was just as shocked as Jane was as she began to discover things her husband kept hidden from her, and with each clue that surfaced, I began to suspect more than one person of the crime. Leon's recovery provided few answers, and I was just as frustrated as Jane with his lack of memory.
The reveal of the culprit, and why they did it, was a complete surprise. I thought I had it all figured out, but I was completely wrong (per usual). Jane's ingenuity in trapping the guilty party into a confession was brilliant, and I enjoyed every moment of it.
The writing was very well done, and while this is the first novel I've read by Paula Daly, but it certainly won't be the last.
I received an advance reading copy of this book courtesy of Grove Press via Netgalley.
Open Your Eyes is a psychological thriller worthy of the genre. A brutal crime committed in broad daylight, in the presence of children, after the wife goes inside the house for a couple of minutes. She comes back out, and her entire world is changed. How terrifying is that?!
It's not a stretch of the imagination at all to picture something like this actually happening, so I was immediately drawn in. I was just as shocked as Jane was as she began to discover things her husband kept hidden from her, and with each clue that surfaced, I began to suspect more than one person of the crime. Leon's recovery provided few answers, and I was just as frustrated as Jane with his lack of memory.
The reveal of the culprit, and why they did it, was a complete surprise. I thought I had it all figured out, but I was completely wrong (per usual). Jane's ingenuity in trapping the guilty party into a confession was brilliant, and I enjoyed every moment of it.
The writing was very well done, and while this is the first novel I've read by Paula Daly, but it certainly won't be the last.
I received an advance reading copy of this book courtesy of Grove Press via Netgalley.
kbranfield's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars.
Open Your Eyes by Paula Daly is a clever, twist-filled domestic mystery.
Jane Campbell and her husband Leon are happily married with two young children. As they are leaving to celebrate Leon's birthday, Jane runs into the house to grab something and when she returns, she notices something is not quite right with her husband. After he crashes their car into a neighbor's brick wall, Jane learns the stunning truth-Leon has been brutally attacked. As Leon is placed into a medically induced coma, Jane learns some unsettling information that leads her to question everything she thinks she knows about her husband. When Detective Inspector Hazel Ledecky suspects Jane might be responsible for Leon's injuries, Jane begins conducting her own investigation to find out who wanted to kill her husband. Will she uncover the truth before it is too late?
Jane is a fairly passive woman who avoids confrontation. After giving birth to their children, she also turned over all financial responsibility to Leon. Jane has struggled for years to publish her manuscripts and Leon is quite supportive of her efforts. She teaches creative writing and after her husband's attack, she realizes that Leon has been keeping several secrets from her. She also finds some troubling files on his computer, but she is having trouble making sense of what her discoveries mean.
Leon is a moderately successful author of a gritty detective series. He has a bit of a short fuse but Jane has no reason to fear for her safety. Leon can be a bit dismissive of other writers and he has had a few run-ins with another author. But as far as Jane can tell, no one would have any reason to want to harm her husband.
After Leon emerges from his coma, Jane is shocked by the changes in her husband. His traumatic brain injury is quite serious and his recovery will be long. Although Jane is ill-prepared to care for him, Leon is quickly released from the hospital and sent home. His memory issues are severe and he is prone to angry outbursts. Jane is surprisingly firm with him when she needs to be but she continually questions whether she is up to the task of caring for him.
The police investigation into Leon's attack soon stalls due to a lack of evidence, motive and suspects. Jane has reason to fear for her family's safety and she quietly continues trying to figure out who is responsible. When Jane stumbles onto the startling truth, will DI Ledecky believe her?
Open Your Eyes is an absolutely riveting mystery that is quite engaging. Jane is a sympathetic and likable protagonist who discovers hidden strengths when faced with adversity. The storyline is tautly plotted and moves at a brisk pace. Paula Daly's meticulous research into traumatic brain injuries adds authenticity to the plot. Readers will be genuinely surprised when Jane uncovers the perpetrator's identity and motive for Leon's attack. I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend this suspenseful mystery to fans of the genre.
Open Your Eyes by Paula Daly is a clever, twist-filled domestic mystery.
Jane Campbell and her husband Leon are happily married with two young children. As they are leaving to celebrate Leon's birthday, Jane runs into the house to grab something and when she returns, she notices something is not quite right with her husband. After he crashes their car into a neighbor's brick wall, Jane learns the stunning truth-Leon has been brutally attacked. As Leon is placed into a medically induced coma, Jane learns some unsettling information that leads her to question everything she thinks she knows about her husband. When Detective Inspector Hazel Ledecky suspects Jane might be responsible for Leon's injuries, Jane begins conducting her own investigation to find out who wanted to kill her husband. Will she uncover the truth before it is too late?
Jane is a fairly passive woman who avoids confrontation. After giving birth to their children, she also turned over all financial responsibility to Leon. Jane has struggled for years to publish her manuscripts and Leon is quite supportive of her efforts. She teaches creative writing and after her husband's attack, she realizes that Leon has been keeping several secrets from her. She also finds some troubling files on his computer, but she is having trouble making sense of what her discoveries mean.
Leon is a moderately successful author of a gritty detective series. He has a bit of a short fuse but Jane has no reason to fear for her safety. Leon can be a bit dismissive of other writers and he has had a few run-ins with another author. But as far as Jane can tell, no one would have any reason to want to harm her husband.
After Leon emerges from his coma, Jane is shocked by the changes in her husband. His traumatic brain injury is quite serious and his recovery will be long. Although Jane is ill-prepared to care for him, Leon is quickly released from the hospital and sent home. His memory issues are severe and he is prone to angry outbursts. Jane is surprisingly firm with him when she needs to be but she continually questions whether she is up to the task of caring for him.
The police investigation into Leon's attack soon stalls due to a lack of evidence, motive and suspects. Jane has reason to fear for her family's safety and she quietly continues trying to figure out who is responsible. When Jane stumbles onto the startling truth, will DI Ledecky believe her?
Open Your Eyes is an absolutely riveting mystery that is quite engaging. Jane is a sympathetic and likable protagonist who discovers hidden strengths when faced with adversity. The storyline is tautly plotted and moves at a brisk pace. Paula Daly's meticulous research into traumatic brain injuries adds authenticity to the plot. Readers will be genuinely surprised when Jane uncovers the perpetrator's identity and motive for Leon's attack. I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend this suspenseful mystery to fans of the genre.
noveldeelights's review against another edition
4.0
What starts as a normal day soon ends in disaster. Leon and Jane are off to visit his mother whoâs throwing Leon a birthday party. Thereâs a bit of an argument, nothing serious, and a neighbour with a grievance. Having forgotten to pick up beer, Jane is glad when she can go back into the house and step away from the confrontation for a while. But when she returns to the car, things are not quite the way she left them.
From that moment onwards, life for Jane and her family changes forever. Not only is there a âwho and whyâ mystery to solve, but the family dynamics and circumstances are incredibly hard to deal with on a daily basis. I couldnât at all imagine what it would be like but the unsettling vibe throughout the story was done brilliantly as behaviours and attitudes become increasingly unpredictable and erratic.
Leon and Jane are both authors and through them, we get a glimpse into the literary world which I thoroughly enjoyed. While Leon has been quite successful, Jane has been struggling to get anything published, which is seriously affecting her confidence. Yet she must somehow find it within herself to protect her family and get them through this dark period, all the while trying to come to grips with this ânewâ husband and maybe realising she didnât know him as well as she thought she did before all this happened.
I find it hard to explain why I enjoyed this book as much as I did. There was just something about it that captivated me so much that I couldnât put it down. I found myself caring less about trying to figure out who the culprit was, but more about the characters themselves and the way they were adapting to this massive change.
This is one gripping read full of suspense and red herrings that left me suspecting just about everyone. I couldnât figure things out at all but I must say, that was one satisfying conclusion! Open Your Eyes is a psychological thriller with a difference and really stands out from the crowd. It has the thrills you expect, it has the twists but it also has quite the heartbreaking premise and it all makes for an intense and compelling story.
From that moment onwards, life for Jane and her family changes forever. Not only is there a âwho and whyâ mystery to solve, but the family dynamics and circumstances are incredibly hard to deal with on a daily basis. I couldnât at all imagine what it would be like but the unsettling vibe throughout the story was done brilliantly as behaviours and attitudes become increasingly unpredictable and erratic.
Leon and Jane are both authors and through them, we get a glimpse into the literary world which I thoroughly enjoyed. While Leon has been quite successful, Jane has been struggling to get anything published, which is seriously affecting her confidence. Yet she must somehow find it within herself to protect her family and get them through this dark period, all the while trying to come to grips with this ânewâ husband and maybe realising she didnât know him as well as she thought she did before all this happened.
I find it hard to explain why I enjoyed this book as much as I did. There was just something about it that captivated me so much that I couldnât put it down. I found myself caring less about trying to figure out who the culprit was, but more about the characters themselves and the way they were adapting to this massive change.
This is one gripping read full of suspense and red herrings that left me suspecting just about everyone. I couldnât figure things out at all but I must say, that was one satisfying conclusion! Open Your Eyes is a psychological thriller with a difference and really stands out from the crowd. It has the thrills you expect, it has the twists but it also has quite the heartbreaking premise and it all makes for an intense and compelling story.
chrissireads's review against another edition
4.0
As you can see by my previously reviewed section above, Iâm quite a fan of Paula Dalyâs books. I read her debut novel as an ARC and since then Iâve been a fan. I love Paulaâs writing style and I always know Iâm in for a decent read when I pick up one of Paulaâs books. Fangirling aside, I genuinely did enjoy this book. It didnât take me long to read at all and it was definitely worth the wait! (Lots of books got in the way of me reading what I wanted to read!)
Open Your Eyes is a real page turner. It starts with Jane and Leon having a bit of an argument after Leon doesnât want to visit his parents for his birthday. Leon, a semi-famous author, is violently attacked with a nail gun. He suffers a brain injury. Jane, an aspiring writer, has to pick up the pieces and is left wondering who on earth would have something against her husband. It might seem like this plot has been done before, but it did take some twists and turns along the way.
I found myself questioning quite a few characters along the way. I did manage to work out who had done it by the end, but Paula Daly did throw some curveballs along the way which I absolutely love. She really does have such an engaging writing style. It always pulls me in and takes me on quite the ride. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
Open Your Eyes is a real page turner. It starts with Jane and Leon having a bit of an argument after Leon doesnât want to visit his parents for his birthday. Leon, a semi-famous author, is violently attacked with a nail gun. He suffers a brain injury. Jane, an aspiring writer, has to pick up the pieces and is left wondering who on earth would have something against her husband. It might seem like this plot has been done before, but it did take some twists and turns along the way.
I found myself questioning quite a few characters along the way. I did manage to work out who had done it by the end, but Paula Daly did throw some curveballs along the way which I absolutely love. She really does have such an engaging writing style. It always pulls me in and takes me on quite the ride. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
leona_omahony's review against another edition
3.0
I have read a few books by Paula Daly and have really enjoyed them all. So I was really looking forward to reading âOpen your eyesâ. The blurb sounded great . Whilst this was a genre I really enjoy this book just fell a bit flat for me. I guessed quite early on who the culprit was and I just read through the book to get to the end.