mandylovestoread's review against another edition
2.0
Really did not enjoy this one. The characters were awful and it just got weird... disappointed
loubelou27's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
melaniesreads's review against another edition
4.0
We are thrown into the action right from the start with Ben hitting Adam with his car on the motorway. Adam ends up in hospital in a critical condition and on life support. While Ben ends up answering questions and being breathalysed by the police. What then follows is told from both Alice Adam’s wife perspective and Ben’s.
You get to read about the impact the accident has on both sides, watch Ben slowly become more and more obsessive and anxiety take hold of him.
I liked Alice as a character, she deals with death in a very blunt manner and I relate to that. Death happens and you either sink in grief or learn to swim and keep your head above water. She also has their seven year old son Max to think about. Ben although I felt sorry for him gave me the chills. I found him creepy and as things escalated I found I was shouting at a book.
This is not just a thriller it’s also touches on many difficult subjects and to make the men the weaker characters was a refreshing change. Men suffer depression and anxiety, men commit suicide, men can struggle with dealing with emotions and need a healthy outlet.
The plot was very tight and the pacing was good but the ending wow. I really didn’t see that coming and being a debut novel this makes that even more impressive. I feel totally hoodwinked.
You get to read about the impact the accident has on both sides, watch Ben slowly become more and more obsessive and anxiety take hold of him.
I liked Alice as a character, she deals with death in a very blunt manner and I relate to that. Death happens and you either sink in grief or learn to swim and keep your head above water. She also has their seven year old son Max to think about. Ben although I felt sorry for him gave me the chills. I found him creepy and as things escalated I found I was shouting at a book.
This is not just a thriller it’s also touches on many difficult subjects and to make the men the weaker characters was a refreshing change. Men suffer depression and anxiety, men commit suicide, men can struggle with dealing with emotions and need a healthy outlet.
The plot was very tight and the pacing was good but the ending wow. I really didn’t see that coming and being a debut novel this makes that even more impressive. I feel totally hoodwinked.
the_preston_leigh's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
We read Robin Morgan-Bentley's newest book, The Guest House, in the book club I am in. Pretty much everyone loved that one and loved the twist in that. A member of the book club said his first book, this book, was better. I am going to disagree. This book didn't really have the twists and turns that The Guest House had. I big reveal kind of fell flat for me. When it happened I just thought, "OK. Makes sense." I wasn't really surprised or shocked.
Our book club was able to get the author to come on and do a Zoom meeting with us. With that meeting we learned that he does like to throw a little something at the end as a twist or surprise at you. He did kind of do that with one of the characters but we didn't really dive into that character's past, so I guess it is what it is.
Am I saying skip this book? No. Will I keep it on my bookshelf? Not sure. I'm mad that I read it. I'm not as thrilled as I have been with the past few books I have read.
Our book club was able to get the author to come on and do a Zoom meeting with us. With that meeting we learned that he does like to throw a little something at the end as a twist or surprise at you. He did kind of do that with one of the characters but we didn't really dive into that character's past, so I guess it is what it is.
Am I saying skip this book? No. Will I keep it on my bookshelf? Not sure. I'm mad that I read it. I'm not as thrilled as I have been with the past few books I have read.
shayneyj's review against another edition
2.0
*I received a free Uncorrected Proof Copy of this book from Amazon Vine in exchange for a free and honest review*
This book just wasn’t for me. It had so much potential from the outset, enticing me with the first few chapters, but it just never lived up to its potential. There was a time where I wanted to give up and mark it down as DNF, however I had to give it a review and I personally can’t do a review without finishing the book.
The Wreckage is described as a Thriller, but that was sadly not what I got. It didn’t have the best of writing, especially certain dialogue between characters. I didn’t like Alice as a character and never once felt bad for her. She didn’t treat her son very well, thinking him more of an inconvenience, plus she had a way of manipulating Ben when she knew he liked her. The book was a little Fat Shaming, point out every over weight character or by passer in the book, which just felt uncomfortable to read. I felt sorry for Max throughout it all and actually found myself agreeing with Ben a lot.
The best part of the book would have to be the last fifty pages as I didn’t see it coming. That ending made this book go from a one star up to a two star.
This book just wasn’t for me. It had so much potential from the outset, enticing me with the first few chapters, but it just never lived up to its potential. There was a time where I wanted to give up and mark it down as DNF, however I had to give it a review and I personally can’t do a review without finishing the book.
The Wreckage is described as a Thriller, but that was sadly not what I got. It didn’t have the best of writing, especially certain dialogue between characters. I didn’t like Alice as a character and never once felt bad for her. She didn’t treat her son very well, thinking him more of an inconvenience, plus she had a way of manipulating Ben when she knew he liked her. The book was a little Fat Shaming, point out every over weight character or by passer in the book, which just felt uncomfortable to read. I felt sorry for Max throughout it all and actually found myself agreeing with Ben a lot.
The best part of the book would have to be the last fifty pages as I didn’t see it coming. That ending made this book go from a one star up to a two star.
estherb's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Domestic abuse
immy1212's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
thebookendreviews's review
3.0
I was thoroughly looking forward to this book, the blurb sounded great and I was keen to get stuck in. After the initial incident, I found that whilst there were a few twists, that I wasn't as invested as I had hoped.
The twist at the end was something I hadn't expected, but I felt it didn't make up for the lack of action throughout.
I found Ben to be a discomforting character. I couldn't quite gel with him, nor with Alice if I'm totally honest. However, I did like the fact the book highlighted male mental health, something I don't often see in books.
This was a change from my usual action-packed thrillers and this could be one of the reasons I didn't find myself fully immersed in the book. The short chapters did make for a quick read, even if it didn't quite hit the mark for me unfortuantely.
The twist at the end was something I hadn't expected, but I felt it didn't make up for the lack of action throughout.
I found Ben to be a discomforting character. I couldn't quite gel with him, nor with Alice if I'm totally honest. However, I did like the fact the book highlighted male mental health, something I don't often see in books.
This was a change from my usual action-packed thrillers and this could be one of the reasons I didn't find myself fully immersed in the book. The short chapters did make for a quick read, even if it didn't quite hit the mark for me unfortuantely.
missredreads20's review
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia
Moderate: Domestic abuse
impossiblegirl12's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0