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A review by es_the_book_hoarder
The Lucky One by Jessica Payne
5.0
This is the second novel from Jessica Payne. I haven't read the first, but if "The Lucky One" is anything to go by, I'll be remedying that quickly enough.
I was hooked from the prologue, and I fell into the writing style as if I'd been reading this author for years. From the outset, the atmosphere of this tale is palpable, and I could feel it as the words played out in the screen of my mind, all the way to the end of the book - and what a thrilling tale it is!
I'm going to try to avoid spoilers (although hopefully I'll be writing a spoiler filled review once I get my blog up and running) but I'll start by saying if you're a fan of strong plot, high-paced, strong female led novels; twists, turns, red herrings and ocassionally screaming at characters (as well as maybe, possibly shouting "no, no, no!" a lot) then it's more than likely that you'll love this book!
The first person-protagonist point of view is the reason this book works so well, given that the time frame switches between now and ten years ago, but it's the ease of flow between the two time frames that really highlights the talent of the author, as well as pacing and plot.
We are pulled into the life of Norah, her circle of friends and enemies, instantly, and they all feel real - Norah, Janie, August, Chloe, Esme (and yes, I did think "ooh cool, that's my name!" and yes, I know that's nerdy) Owen, Rob, Guy and Elaine , and even Detective Cron (who reminded me a lot of a horrible female prison guard from Cell Block H back in the day - if you know, you know) are all memorable - Payne totally nailed the characterisations by showing, not telling. And I loved every single one of them, even the ones I hated. Now, you may read that list and think that's a lot of characters, and it is, and I'm all too aware that sometimes a lot of characters can distract or overwhelm, but the plot is woven around and between them all so intricately that instead of spoiling the read, they enhance it.
And the plot! Oh the plot! Yes, a fair few readers will probably see what's coming - I didn't until way after I should have done - probably because I was swept along in the fierce pace and totally engrossed, but regardless, it was executed wonderfully and did not take away anything from the story or from the enjoyment of the story. For me that's a big nod to the author - even though I guessed, I was still on the edge of my seat, still living the events, still watching it play out and still loving every word. The ending was very satisfying too, which is also a bonus.
Overall (though I'm sure you noticed) I fully enjoyed this gem of a book - I read it in one sitting (around 5/6 hours) and it flew! As far as psychological thrillers go, "this," as they say, "is a doozy."
Star Rating: 5
CAWPILE Rating: 9.5/10
Characters: 10/10
Atmosphere: 9/10
Writing: 10/10
Plot: 9/10
Intrigue: 9/10
Logic: 8/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Many thanks to the author, Bookouture publishers and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Edited to add: The Lucky One is due to publish on the 14th September (which is my birthday!) and I will be buying a copy.
I was hooked from the prologue, and I fell into the writing style as if I'd been reading this author for years. From the outset, the atmosphere of this tale is palpable, and I could feel it as the words played out in the screen of my mind, all the way to the end of the book - and what a thrilling tale it is!
I'm going to try to avoid spoilers (although hopefully I'll be writing a spoiler filled review once I get my blog up and running) but I'll start by saying if you're a fan of strong plot, high-paced, strong female led novels; twists, turns, red herrings and ocassionally screaming at characters (as well as maybe, possibly shouting "no, no, no!" a lot) then it's more than likely that you'll love this book!
The first person-protagonist point of view is the reason this book works so well, given that the time frame switches between now and ten years ago, but it's the ease of flow between the two time frames that really highlights the talent of the author, as well as pacing and plot.
We are pulled into the life of Norah, her circle of friends and enemies, instantly, and they all feel real - Norah, Janie, August, Chloe, Esme (and yes, I did think "ooh cool, that's my name!" and yes, I know that's nerdy) Owen, Rob, Guy and Elaine , and even Detective Cron (who reminded me a lot of a horrible female prison guard from Cell Block H back in the day - if you know, you know) are all memorable - Payne totally nailed the characterisations by showing, not telling. And I loved every single one of them, even the ones I hated. Now, you may read that list and think that's a lot of characters, and it is, and I'm all too aware that sometimes a lot of characters can distract or overwhelm, but the plot is woven around and between them all so intricately that instead of spoiling the read, they enhance it.
And the plot! Oh the plot! Yes, a fair few readers will probably see what's coming - I didn't until way after I should have done - probably because I was swept along in the fierce pace and totally engrossed, but regardless, it was executed wonderfully and did not take away anything from the story or from the enjoyment of the story. For me that's a big nod to the author - even though I guessed, I was still on the edge of my seat, still living the events, still watching it play out and still loving every word. The ending was very satisfying too, which is also a bonus.
Overall (though I'm sure you noticed) I fully enjoyed this gem of a book - I read it in one sitting (around 5/6 hours) and it flew! As far as psychological thrillers go, "this," as they say, "is a doozy."
Star Rating: 5
CAWPILE Rating: 9.5/10
Characters: 10/10
Atmosphere: 9/10
Writing: 10/10
Plot: 9/10
Intrigue: 9/10
Logic: 8/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Many thanks to the author, Bookouture publishers and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Edited to add: The Lucky One is due to publish on the 14th September (which is my birthday!) and I will be buying a copy.