I really wanted to love this one. I have been in a non-stop mood for thrillers this past year, so I was looking forward to what seemed to be a unique, psychological thrill ride. I was sadly disappointed, as there was not much that jumped out at me from this one besides the jarring fact that the author had to bring the pandemic in to the storyline (which I absolutely hate because fiction is supposed to allow you to escape from reality).
The "twist" to the plot was utterly predictable, and not very well laid out, in my opinion. And, I really felt like the author did not do adequate research on mental illnesses, nor did they put in enough effort to be sensitive to mental health. The characters were unlovable, unrelatable, and totally fake feeling. Especially Alexa's psychiatrist, Dr. Greer.
I finished this one because I wanted to see it through, and I wanted to prove to myself that I had predicted everything (which I did), so it's safe to say that it wasn't a complete waste of time, but it wasn't the "twisting, smart, and wickedly dark thriller," I was promised. I would have liked to see the author NOT mention the pandemic, because I don't believe we need to keep being reminded of it in things that are supposed to be helping us escape reality. The book should have been way longer, thus allowing both the plot, and the awful characters, to be fully fleshed out, and more care could have been taken to accurately portray the mental health issues shaping the story.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with this free copy in exchange for my honest review.
The "twist" to the plot was utterly predictable, and not very well laid out, in my opinion. And, I really felt like the author did not do adequate research on mental illnesses, nor did they put in enough effort to be sensitive to mental health. The characters were unlovable, unrelatable, and totally fake feeling. Especially Alexa's psychiatrist, Dr. Greer.
I finished this one because I wanted to see it through, and I wanted to prove to myself that I had predicted everything (which I did), so it's safe to say that it wasn't a complete waste of time, but it wasn't the "twisting, smart, and wickedly dark thriller," I was promised. I would have liked to see the author NOT mention the pandemic, because I don't believe we need to keep being reminded of it in things that are supposed to be helping us escape reality. The book should have been way longer, thus allowing both the plot, and the awful characters, to be fully fleshed out, and more care could have been taken to accurately portray the mental health issues shaping the story.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with this free copy in exchange for my honest review.