A review by nickoliver
For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing

mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The first 100 pages or so left me skeptical, I didn't particularly enjoy them. (To be fair, that was partly because I really didn't enjoy the character that seemed to be at the centre of it, and he wasn't supposed to be likeable, so that was a problem I pretty much knew was going to happen.) However, it got a lot better after a certain time!

I think part of it had to do with the fact that the aforementioned character, Teddy, wasn't the only perspective I read from. The story was told from a whole cast of characters and even changed within one chapter several times, which kept things interesting. And while no one was extremely likeable, not all of them were narcissistic psychopaths, and most of them did feel very real and authentic. 

Plus, there were so many twists and turns! I was actually surprised by how hooked I was, because I thought going into it that it was going to be very clear-cut. And while yes, the murderer was who you thought he was the entire time, there were still some directions Downing took that made the story intriguing and not boring and entirely predictable. I definitely enjoyed this a lot more than "My Lovely Wife"!
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