A review by minimicropup
The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Unsettling, pragmatic, well-rounded.ย
We are following our MC who works in childcare. They find the opportunity of their lifetime in a posting for a live-in nanny for three young girls. But why has this seemingly normal family had such a revolving door of past nannies...๐ค
๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ Set in an isolated Scottish Victorian house renovated into a smart house by architects.ย
๐ง Ruth Ware + Imogen Church = Perfection. The intonation, expressiveness, and emotion is conveyed so well, it's like actually being read a story. Imogen Church manages such on point voicing of males, females, teens, and children. ๐
Growls, Howls, and Tail Wags ๐บ๐:ย
-๐ I have enjoyed all of Ruth Ware's books to date, but they do tend to be on the long side with too much thought-monolog sometimes. THIS one was justified in length. It felt fast-paced once it got going and I didn't want to put it down.
-๐คทโโ๏ธ There are no chapter numbers, so it's hard to sync audio to text if you are reading both
-๐ There are no chapter numbers because the entire novel is technically a letter to a lawyer written by our MC. I didn't mind because if someone has that much time on their hands, I can imagine writing a letter that evolves into an entire novel!ย
-๐๐คฏ Did not predict the double-twists! Lots of realistic red herrings but not annoyingly so, and the clues are all there for the reader to piece together if especially astute.
-๐๐ฐ I am not a kid person so the suspense was especially relatable to me. To be trapped alone with kids...having to always keep mental space for their needs, the unpredictability and uncontrollability of every thing they do and say...shudder. Like, even though the intentions may be different, most kids behave exactly like little sociopaths. These kids are creepy in that way all kids are, with the roller coaster of heartwarming and aggravating moments to go with it.ย
-๐๐ I love tech and have a "smart" home ...if you have ever had to sleep with your lights on because "computer says no"....very relatable struggles here!ย
Mood Reading Match Up:ย
-Creepy, isolated, Victorian settingsย
-Realistic locked-room mysteries with red herrings consisting of people, tech, and the paranormal
-Realistic annoying "creepy" kids and suspense from being responsible for three of them + one teenager (nope nope nope)ย
-Settings as characters: both the house and the tech are relatable characters in the story
Content Heads-Up: Parental rejection. Child death. Infidelity. Sexual harassment.ย
Format: Paperback and Audible
We are following our MC who works in childcare. They find the opportunity of their lifetime in a posting for a live-in nanny for three young girls. But why has this seemingly normal family had such a revolving door of past nannies...๐ค
๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ Set in an isolated Scottish Victorian house renovated into a smart house by architects.ย
๐ง Ruth Ware + Imogen Church = Perfection. The intonation, expressiveness, and emotion is conveyed so well, it's like actually being read a story. Imogen Church manages such on point voicing of males, females, teens, and children. ๐
Growls, Howls, and Tail Wags ๐บ๐:ย
-๐ I have enjoyed all of Ruth Ware's books to date, but they do tend to be on the long side with too much thought-monolog sometimes. THIS one was justified in length. It felt fast-paced once it got going and I didn't want to put it down.
-๐คทโโ๏ธ There are no chapter numbers, so it's hard to sync audio to text if you are reading both
-๐ There are no chapter numbers because the entire novel is technically a letter to a lawyer written by our MC. I didn't mind because if someone has that much time on their hands, I can imagine writing a letter that evolves into an entire novel!ย
-๐๐คฏ Did not predict the double-twists! Lots of realistic red herrings but not annoyingly so, and the clues are all there for the reader to piece together if especially astute.
-๐๐ฐ I am not a kid person so the suspense was especially relatable to me. To be trapped alone with kids...having to always keep mental space for their needs, the unpredictability and uncontrollability of every thing they do and say...shudder. Like, even though the intentions may be different, most kids behave exactly like little sociopaths. These kids are creepy in that way all kids are, with the roller coaster of heartwarming and aggravating moments to go with it.ย
-๐๐ I love tech and have a "smart" home ...if you have ever had to sleep with your lights on because "computer says no"....very relatable struggles here!ย
Mood Reading Match Up:ย
-Creepy, isolated, Victorian settingsย
-Realistic locked-room mysteries with red herrings consisting of people, tech, and the paranormal
-Realistic annoying "creepy" kids and suspense from being responsible for three of them + one teenager (nope nope nope)ย
-Settings as characters: both the house and the tech are relatable characters in the story
Content Heads-Up: Parental rejection. Child death. Infidelity. Sexual harassment.ย
Format: Paperback and Audible
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Child death
Minor: Sexual content