kylieeason's review against another edition
5.0
Duh, of course this book was incredible!
This is technically the third book in the Strangers series, but Jennifer does a fab job of filling you in so you're never confused! It's been a long time since I've read the first two, and it all came rushing back pretty quick.
This twisted tale of twin sisters is different than the first two, but just as incredible. You develop feeling towards the characters pretty quick, both good and bad.
Throughout the story you get snippets of multiple characters POV, and normally that can be overwhelming and make the book tough to read- but it was done seamlessly in 'Don't Say a Word'.
I was left with a few unanswered questions at the end, BUT they can easily be answered in the next book or a novella :)
Jennifer has to be one of my absolute favorite thriller authors, as her books ALWAYS get my heart racin', and I'm usually wrong about the 'who dunnit'. (Which is so rare for me!
Jennifer is wonderful, and this book is absolutely worth the read! Get it on your TBR, and keep your eyes out in May for the release!
This is technically the third book in the Strangers series, but Jennifer does a fab job of filling you in so you're never confused! It's been a long time since I've read the first two, and it all came rushing back pretty quick.
This twisted tale of twin sisters is different than the first two, but just as incredible. You develop feeling towards the characters pretty quick, both good and bad.
Throughout the story you get snippets of multiple characters POV, and normally that can be overwhelming and make the book tough to read- but it was done seamlessly in 'Don't Say a Word'.
I was left with a few unanswered questions at the end, BUT they can easily be answered in the next book or a novella :)
Jennifer has to be one of my absolute favorite thriller authors, as her books ALWAYS get my heart racin', and I'm usually wrong about the 'who dunnit'. (Which is so rare for me!
Jennifer is wonderful, and this book is absolutely worth the read! Get it on your TBR, and keep your eyes out in May for the release!
jreason's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent series. Set 6 years from the ending if the previous book (I think or around that) you see a grown up Allie living with Bittie with a range of new characters introduced. The author successfully created the image of Allie having grown up in this time and growing up even more throughout the story. I have to admit I didn't really like her as a character in the previous stories (and that severely effected my star rating), however she really becomes someone I like in this one.
Having had little, if anything to do with mental illnesses I can't say with any certainty about how accurately they are portrayed in this story. But they seem to be made to be fairly truthful from the little I know of them.
Even though this entire series is not something I'd normally read I really enjoy it. The writing style and themes have changed ever so slightly between books, but if asked how I couldn't quite put my finger on it.
Having had little, if anything to do with mental illnesses I can't say with any certainty about how accurately they are portrayed in this story. But they seem to be made to be fairly truthful from the little I know of them.
Even though this entire series is not something I'd normally read I really enjoy it. The writing style and themes have changed ever so slightly between books, but if asked how I couldn't quite put my finger on it.
dawnesap2525's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
skyfox24kd's review against another edition
4.0
Two twins, one dark and one light ., found alive in the house with their murdered parents. They are fostered by previous characters in a very caring and warm environment. So much happens, will the girls get through what happened ? Will the police figure it out? Sometimes the truth is as disturbing as it can get. This was a good read and I loved being with Allie, Bitty, and meeting the new characters.
This was one of my favorite Jennifer Jaynes books so far.
This was one of my favorite Jennifer Jaynes books so far.
charmainelim's review against another edition
4.5
Jennifer has done it again, drawing me in with a wonderful book that I basically read in a day. I couldn't put it down once I started reading it and found myself thinking about it during dinner.
Full review - https://charmainelimen.wordpress.com/2016/04/22/review-dont-say-a-word-by-jennifer-jaynes/
I feel like Jennifer can do no wrong when it comes to her mysteries, as I am always so engaged in her stories and writing. The only reason I didn't rate it as a full 5 stars is because I did have some trouble telling a couple of the voices apart. Aside from that, I loved everything else about the book.
I'm already looking forward to her next work, which I'm sure will be fantastic as well.
Full review - https://charmainelimen.wordpress.com/2016/04/22/review-dont-say-a-word-by-jennifer-jaynes/
I feel like Jennifer can do no wrong when it comes to her mysteries, as I am always so engaged in her stories and writing. The only reason I didn't rate it as a full 5 stars is because I did have some trouble telling a couple of the voices apart. Aside from that, I loved everything else about the book.
I'm already looking forward to her next work, which I'm sure will be fantastic as well.
cmaze's review
5.0
I was lucky to receive an ARC of this book for an honest review. This was a no brainer for me since I read the first two books in this series and still think about the characters. Allie lives with Bitty, her foster mother and now has a young son. She has turned her life around from her very tragic past which you MUST read about in the previous book in this series. Bitty is a foster parent and takes in children who need her love. Bitty takes in twin girls who lost their parents. What happens after this, is just unbelievable. It's twisty, creepy and a psychological thriller at its best. My mouth literally dropped open and I couldn't even read on due to the shock of what I just read. It would benefit you to read the entire series so you can put all of the intricate pieces together to weave a tale like no other. Do not miss this series. You will not be disappointed. I read it so fast, Just like the first two books, that I want to reread the series just to savour it. Wow!! Just wow! Thank you Jennifer Jaynes for this amazing ride!
smakk1337's review against another edition
4.0
Can I just say WOW. Jennifer just grabs you from the very beginning, with the death of Zoe and Carrie's parents. The story starts out from the girls point of view. However quickly shifts to Allie's and is mostly told though her eyes. We occasionally switch back and forth between the girls and Allie's little boy Sammy.
While this thriller is not as action packed or heart pumping as I normally like. It does keep you on your toes and weaves the tale quite elegantly.
I have not read any other books by Jennifer Jaynes and I know this book is #3 in a series but it absolutely can be read independently. I do plan to go back and read her other works because as I said before just WOW.
The characters are well developed and everything gets wrapped up nice and neat at the end of the book, which I personally tend to like.
I highly recommend this book.
wulfwyn's review against another edition
5.0
In reading this series I have become so fond of Allie. I am hoping another book follows this one. There is so much that I want to know, one thing that I want Allie to know.
I eagerly awaited this books arrival. I had read the first two books in the series back to back. At the same time I was apprehensive about its arrival. I have read many series by many authors. Invariably, somewhere, a book in the series will let me down, (occasionally the entire series goes down at that point). With the author being fairly new, I just wasn't certain about anything. I can honestly say that, so far, each book has been better than I expected. I had pretty much figured things out toward the end of this book. Some things you could see coming. I was debating between a couple of options and was right...but also wrong. Yes! That is correct. The author managed to toss in a little extra surprise I didn't count on. I absolutely love when that occurs!
I wouldn't recommend this series to a sensitive reader or a young one. Due to the subjects covered I would definitely put this in the adult category. I would, though, highly recommend it to those who like psychological thrillers. There is violence in them. There are mental disturbances. There is also writing that will keep you reading long after you should have gone to bed. This was definitely a book I couldn't put down.
I think you could read it alone and enjoy it. To fully understand it, though, I would read all three books in order.
I eagerly awaited this books arrival. I had read the first two books in the series back to back. At the same time I was apprehensive about its arrival. I have read many series by many authors. Invariably, somewhere, a book in the series will let me down, (occasionally the entire series goes down at that point). With the author being fairly new, I just wasn't certain about anything. I can honestly say that, so far, each book has been better than I expected. I had pretty much figured things out toward the end of this book. Some things you could see coming. I was debating between a couple of options and was right...but also wrong. Yes! That is correct. The author managed to toss in a little extra surprise I didn't count on. I absolutely love when that occurs!
I wouldn't recommend this series to a sensitive reader or a young one. Due to the subjects covered I would definitely put this in the adult category. I would, though, highly recommend it to those who like psychological thrillers. There is violence in them. There are mental disturbances. There is also writing that will keep you reading long after you should have gone to bed. This was definitely a book I couldn't put down.
I think you could read it alone and enjoy it. To fully understand it, though, I would read all three books in order.
errantdreams's review against another edition
4.0
The characterizations are decent. Allie, Bitty, and Sammy are the most fleshed-out of the characters. Even though Zoe gets a lot more page-space than Cassie, I felt as though Cassie had the more nuanced and interesting personality. Watching Johnny and Allie as Allie realizes he isn’t good for her is an interesting glimpse into a fairly normal failing relationship where one person grows up faster than the other. The author didn’t feel the need to get melodramatic with it, and that’s nice.
Zoe very quickly outs herself as a manipulative, conniving narcissist who sees everything as being about her. There are thus few surprises on her side of things. I say few, not none, because there are one or two details that come out that make everything much more interesting. (Sorry for being vague; I want to let one of the few surprises remain a surprise.)
The writing is very smooth, and I point this out because several books I’ve read recently have felt awkward, clumsy, and/or stilted. Jaynes has a nice, clear authorial voice.
There aren’t all that many surprises in here, but the writing is smooth and the characters are interesting. It’s a relatively short novel that’s perfect for a bus ride or plane trip.
NOTE: Book provided free by publisher for review
Original review on my site: http://www.errantdreams.com/2016/05/review-dont-say-a-word-jennifer-jayes/
Zoe very quickly outs herself as a manipulative, conniving narcissist who sees everything as being about her. There are thus few surprises on her side of things. I say few, not none, because there are one or two details that come out that make everything much more interesting. (Sorry for being vague; I want to let one of the few surprises remain a surprise.)
The writing is very smooth, and I point this out because several books I’ve read recently have felt awkward, clumsy, and/or stilted. Jaynes has a nice, clear authorial voice.
There aren’t all that many surprises in here, but the writing is smooth and the characters are interesting. It’s a relatively short novel that’s perfect for a bus ride or plane trip.
NOTE: Book provided free by publisher for review
Original review on my site: http://www.errantdreams.com/2016/05/review-dont-say-a-word-jennifer-jayes/
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