After every divorce, one spouse gets all the friends. What does the other one get? If they’re smart, they get the benefits. Alyssa Macallan is terrified when she’s dumped by her wealthy and powerful husband. With a devastating divorce looming, she begins to suspect her toxic and manipulative soon-to-be-ex is scheming to ruin her—leaving her alone and penniless. And when the FBI shows up at her door, Alyssa knows she really needs a friend.

And then she gets one. A seductive new friend, one who’s running from a dangerous relationship of her own. Alyssa offers Bree Lorrance the safety of her guest house, and the two become confidantes. Then Bree makes a heart-stoppingly tempting offer. Maybe Alyssa and Bree can solve each others’ problems.

But no one is what they seem. And the fates and fortunes of these two women twist and turn until the shocking truth emerges: You can’t always get what you want. But sometimes you get what you deserve.

BOOK REVIEW

This was my first Hank Phillippi Ryan book and I can’t say I’m itching to pick up a second one. THE HOUSE GUEST was described as a “cat-and-mouse thriller” so I expected a lot of back-and-forth suspicion between the two main characters, but there really wasn’t much of a thrill at all and Alyssa was way too trusting the entire book. She was suspicious of her husband (soon-to-be ex) and yet, let a total stranger live with her and became her best friend in a matter of a week. And sure, let’s throw in another stranger who we immediately trust too! Why not!

I didn’t feel thrilled by this at all. Sure, I was suspicious of Bree, but that was me as a reader, not me being involved in this story at all. Aside from blatantly obvious lies about a creepy boyfriend who kept calling her, Alyssa trusted Bree way too much. She ended up having some doubts, but she let her stay at her home unattended, took trips with her, told her secrets… Seems pretty dumb when you don’t trust your husband to be in your house, know he’s done shady things, and could be setting you up in any number of ways. The ended of how all of this unfolded was also stupid, forced, and I just didn’t like it at all.

The worst thing about this book, for me, was that nothing happened for 80% of this book.
– Alyssa fears her husband is gaslighting her (which gaslighting isn’t quite the right word for moving stuff around in her house), and nothing happens
– Bree finds out she has long lost family and a huge inheritance, and nothing happens
– Dez starts hanging around with them and Alyssa treats him like a close friend, finally gets a little suspicious, and nothing happens
– Bill keeps moving things around their house (supposedly), and nothing happens
– There’s a secret compartment in the closet, and nothing happens
– There’s someone who claims to be an FBI agent and threatens Alyssa, and nothing happens

All this time, the characters are just bonding and going to other properties that Bill & Alyssa own. Alyssa talks to her lawyer, blah blah blah. If I hadn’t been 50% through this book already and driving in the car listening to the audiobook, I wouldn’t have finished it, but I pushed forward because I’m not going to play with my phone and change audiobooks while driving on the highway.

Things FINALLY happened in the last 20% and it wasn’t even interesting. It all felt so forced and silly the way it unfolded when things could have been slowly hinted at or even given to us right from the start. I think it would have been MORE interesting to know more things and feel more suspense than save it for a “twist” and feel like we didn’t know enough about what was going on. This book could have gone in a totally different direction (the direction I was hoping) and just didn’t. Different styles for different people, but this was not my style. I was way too bored and there wasn’t enough suspense to keep me interested in this one.

IF YOU LIKED THIS, READ…

They were eleven when they sent a killer to prison . . .
They were heroes . . . but they were liars.

Naomi Shaw used to believe in magic. Twenty-two years ago, she and her two best friends, Cassidy and Olivia, spent the summer roaming the woods, imagining a world of ceremony and wonder. They called it the Goddess Game. The summer ended suddenly when Naomi was attacked. Miraculously, she survived her seventeen stab wounds and lived to identify the man who had hurt her. The girls’ testimony put away a serial killer, wanted for murdering six women. They were heroes.

And they were liars.

For decades, the friends have kept a secret worth killing for. But now Olivia wants to tell, and Naomi sets out to find out what really happened in the woods—no matter how dangerous the truth turns out to be.

BOOK REVIEW

Wow. I absolutely loved this. Firstly, thank you to Flatiron Books / Macmillan Audio for the audiobook review copy! Honestly, I might not have picked this up if it weren’t for the publisher sending me the Netgalley widget so I’m incredibly thankful that they did! I can also credit my friend Megan for being a big Kate Alice Marshall fan because that helped nudge me into picking up a new author since I’m always a little hesitant of new thriller authors.

Okay, now the good stuff! This was my first Kate Alice Marshall book and it certainly won’t be my last. The synopsis of the book really intrigued me but it was the way that everything was handled in the book that really had me enjoying it so much. I don’t give out five stars lightly (or like… barely at all? I gave out two last year), but right from the start of the book, I really connected with the writing style. The dialogue flowed naturally and effortlessly, leading me into the lives of these characters without feeling like they were characters — plus, there was a nice amount of banter that worked perfectly in. The characters just felt REAL. Not overly dramatic, totally believable, and really made me interested in their stories.

The storytelling and writing style really painted a picture for me and I was able to lose myself in the book. Although the plot is dark (three girls were rescued from the woods after an encounter with a serial killer when they were 11 and the story picks up a series of events related to this as they’re adults), it wasn’t overly done. I can be iffy about serial killer stories now with page after page of torture, abuse, and gore, which can be fine but usually it’s overdone. WHAT LIES IN THE WOODS was just the perfect blend of bringing you into this storyline, focusing on the setting an atmosphere instead of having to hit you over the head with violence. It was exactly my vibe and I was here for every minute of it!

And the plotting — hot damn. Kate Alice Marshall knows EXACTLY how to craft a detailed and dangerous web. We get a piece of the puzzle in the beginning of the book which knocks down one domino which knocks down the next, and so and so forth. There’s always something happening in the book to keep the readers engaged so there aren’t lengthy periods of time where the characters are just running around looking for clues. There’s always a thread to follow and Naomi (the main character) keeps pulling on those threads until everything finally unravels. The book really packs some EXTRA punches in the last 25% with twist after twist. There were so many things I didn’t see coming, a few that I pieced together as we were rolling along, and it was the perfect mix of surprise and satisfaction.

For my tastes, I can’t say a single thing I would have changed. I absolutely loved this book from start to finish and I can’t tell you the last time I’ve been so enchanted by a thriller from the very beginning. Thrillers are my main genre but it’s been a long time since I’ve been so satisfied by a thriller book.

Audiobook Feedback: I really loved Karissa Vacker here! She also narrated Stacy Willingham’s thrillers A FLICKER IN THE DARK and ALL THE DANGEROUS THINGS — both of which I enjoyed — as well as ALL GOOD PEOPLE HERE by Ashley Flowers and she’s quickly becoming a new favorite narrator. I think that also really helped me click with the book very quickly! It was a voice and vibe that I really liked and I’ve really loved all of her narration.

IF YOU LIKED THIS, READ…

For Sewanee Chester, being an audiobook narrator is a long way from her old dreams, but the days of being a star on film sets are long behind her. She’s found success and satisfaction from the inside of a sound booth and it allows her to care for her beloved, ailing grandmother. When she arrives in Las Vegas last-minute for a book convention, Sewanee unexpectedly spends a whirlwind night with a charming stranger.

On her return home, Sewanee discovers one of the world’s most beloved romance novelists wanted her to perform her last book—with Brock McNight, the industry’s hottest, most secretive voice. Sewanee doesn’t buy what romance novels are selling—not after her own dreams were tragically cut short—and she stopped narrating them years ago. But her admiration of the late author, and the opportunity to get her grandmother more help, makes her decision for her.

As Sewanee begins work on the book, resurrecting her old romance pseudonym, she and Brock forge a real connection, hidden behind the comfort of anonymity. Soon, she is dreaming again, but secrets are revealed, and the realities of life come crashing down around her once more.

If she can learn to risk everything for desires she has long buried, she will discover a world of intimacy and acceptance she never believed would be hers.

BOOK REVIEW

I’ve been listening to Julia Whelan as an audiobook narrator for a long time but have been putting off reading her books. When my sister read this and loved it, I knew I would enjoy it too!

I did enjoy THANK YOU FOR LISTENING and there was a ton of amazing banter here! Julia Whelan really put together a wonderfully crafted story full of growth, an easy romance to follow, and just the right amount of emotion that wasn’t overly sad/sentimental. It really kind of reminded me of BEACH READ by Emily Henry in that sense. I enjoyed the book from start to finish and was really happy to follow Suwanee on this journey. Her connection with her grandmother was touching and a great driving factor for her to pick up this romance book narration (something that Julia Whelan used from her own personal experiences).

I really enjoyed it but I just didn’t quite love it. The characters had great banter and chemistry but I almost liked the texting sequences more then in-person dialogue. I didn’t quite get the feels from the romance side of the book — maybe because we spent too long not seeing the male lead and I didn’t get to connect with him as much? I REALLY appreciated that there wasn’t a stupid communication error that led to a fight and break up like so many romance books do. I was super happy to do away with the third act break up so that was also a major plus! But I just didn’t quite feel that romance click into place in the second half of the book.

This was a well-developed romance book and — to take from the book’s descriptions — more of a blend of “women’s fiction” and “romance” since there’s more than just a fluffy romcom happening here. It does have a ton of cuteness but it’s not just pure cute, so there’s a deeper connection going on. I appreciated that, but I think I just wanted a touch more on the romance side to really drive all the feelings home. Nevertheless, I’d still definitely recommend this one and I’m really happy I read it! I think fans of BEACH READ would really love it, and it was fantastic being a big audiobook listener to see this profession featured in a novel.

IF YOU LIKED THIS, READ…

Welcome to the Shop Where the Lost Things Go.

If you ever lost a sock, you’ll find it here.
If you ever wondered about favorite toy from childhood... it’s probably sitting on a shelf in the back.
And the headphones that you swore that this time you’d keep safe? You guessed it….

Antoinette has lost her father. Metaphorically. He’s not in the shop, and she’ll never see him again. But when Antsy finds herself lost (literally, this time), she finds that however many doors open for her, leaving the Shop for good might not be as simple as it sounds.

And stepping through those doors exacts a price.

Lost in the Moment and Found tells us that childhood and innocence, once lost, can never be found.

BOOK REVIEW

Thank you to Tor & Netgalley for the audiobook review copy!

1 | Every Heart a Doorway ★★★★☆
2 | Down Among the Sticks and Bones ★★★★☆
3 | Beneath the Sugar Sky ★★★★☆
4 | In an Absent Dream ★★★★☆
5 | Come Tumbling Down ★★★☆☆
6 | Across the Green Grass Fields ★★★★☆
7 | Where the Drowned Girls Go ★★☆☆☆
8 | Lost in the Moment and Found ★★★☆☆

This book felt a little heavier in than the previous books, with an extra content warning from the author in the beginning. I don’t have too much to say about it except that I just don’t feel connected to a lot of these worlds anymore. The last few reads have been disappointing for me, and I think that’s just more of a me thing than anything. The writing is still lovely, beautiful, and whimsical, packed with plenty of metaphors, life lessons, and messages of acceptance. The content and meaning behind the books are always great! I just don’t find myself really being drawn in. It’s entirely possible that since I just really haven’t been in a fantasy mood for the last few years, really, that I’m just not being enticed by the magic of the books and whimsy that these worlds bring. They’re so quick that I’ll likely keep reading them and maybe there will be characters that I’ll connect with more in the future! I forgot that Antoinette was a part of the stories in the beginning (I only remembered because of the reviews) and since the books are so short, it was easy (for me) to forget. Maybe next time I’ll do a quick refresher on who the main character is so I can try to feel some more connection!

IF YOU LIKED THIS, READ…

Author and single mom Finlay Donovan has been in messes before―after all, she's a pro at removing bloodstains for various unexpected reasons―but none quite like this. When Finlay and her nanny/partner-in-crime Vero accidentally destroyed a luxury car that they had "borrowed" in the process of saving the life of Finlay's ex-husband, the Russian mob did her a favor and bought the car for her. And now Finlay owes them.

Mob boss Feliks is still running the show from behind bars, and he has a task for Finlay: find and identify a contract killer before the cops do. The problem is, the killer might be an officer themself.

Luckily, hot cop Nick has just been tasked with starting up a citizen's police academy, and combined pressure from Finlay's looming book deadline and Feliks is enough to convince Finlay and Vero to get involved. Through firearm training and forensic classes (and some hands-on research with a tempting detective), Finlay and Vero use their time in police academy to sleuth out the real contract killer to free themselves from the mob's clutches―all the while dodging spies, confronting Vero's past, and juggling the daily trials of parenthood.

BOOK REVIEW

Thank you to Macmillan/Minotaur Books + Netgalley for the audiobook review copy.

I was so checked out while reading this… I just couldn’t connect with it at all.

I just adored the first book in this series and didn’t love the second book as much, but sadly, I just could not connect with FINLAY DONOVAN JUMPS THE GUN at all. I listened to the audiobook (thank you to Macmillan audio for the Netgalley approval!) and this book just scrolled past my ears. I tried so hard to get into it but I feel like nothing really happened to capture my attention in this one.

I started to lose just a touch of interest in the last book but I feel like FDJTG just really didn’t have much development to really grab me. I felt like it was starting to push into Stephanie Plum territory where there’s just a lot of hijinks, some romance, and very little character or plot development. We’re starting to push into things being silly and funny for the sake of comedy and it’s losing its hold in the real world, causing me to start suspending (even more) disbelief which I wasn’t really ready to do with this series.

The whole thing with the civilian’s police academy was… boring? Forced? Unrealistic? All of the above? No idea if a thing like this really exists but it felt way too forced and I just couldn’t find myself caring about what happened there because it felt like it didn’t matter. I felt like there was not enough going on in some parts and too much going on in others. There were too many characters that meant nothing to the book that I just wasn’t even paying attention when it came to the important ones and the ending was a little chaotic for me.

I was so excited to read this, thinking it would be a nice, cute, easy post-holiday read but instead I just felt knocked around by it. Finlay Donovan fans may still love it! I just didn’t connect with the writing style and choices in this one. Not sure yet if I’ll continue on and read the 4th book. After feeling like this, it may be doubtful. I’m already invested in 29 Stephanie Plum novels and probably don’t need another series like it if it’s going to keep being silly.

IF YOU LIKED THIS, READ…

One year ago, Isabelle Drake's life changed forever: her toddler son, Mason, was taken out of his crib in the middle of the night while she and her husband were asleep in the next room. With little evidence and few leads for the police to chase, the case quickly went cold. However, Isabelle cannot rest until Mason is returned to her—literally.

Except for the occasional catnap or small blackout where she loses track of time, she hasn’t slept in a year.

Isabelle's entire existence now revolves around finding him, but she knows she can’t go on this way forever. In hopes of jarring loose a new witness or buried clue, she agrees to be interviewed by a true-crime podcaster—but his interest in Isabelle's past makes her nervous. His incessant questioning paired with her severe insomnia has brought up uncomfortable memories from her own childhood, making Isabelle start to doubt her recollection of the night of Mason’s disappearance, as well as second-guess who she can trust... including herself. But she is determined to figure out the truth no matter where it leads.

BOOK REVIEW

Thank you to Macmillan/Minotaur Books + Netgalley for the audiobook review copy.

Another slow burn from Stacy Willingham, but I enjoyed it! It’s not always a fast mover but it was interesting with a few different layers.

After the disappearance of her son exactly a year ago, we meet Isabelle, who has not slept since the incident. Immediately, we know we have an unreliable narrator because of her lack of sleep, and the concept itself is also horrifying and fascinating. For someone who falls asleep while watching TV on the couch, I can’t imagine what it’s like to not be able to sleep like that and the confusion, exhaustion, and terror that it brings. We also learn that Isabelle has had sleep problems in the past and that there was an incident that leads to even more doubt that even she could be involved in the disappearance/kidnapping of her son without her even knowing it. It was incredibly interesting just to follow the story and wonder if everything that Isabelle is thinking and discovering is true or if she’s trying to shield herself by looking for other answers and avoiding potential culpability.

ALL THE DANGEROUS THINGS isn’t always exciting and it’s definitely slower paced than some other thrillers out there. It is a slow burn, allowing you to take in the personalities of the different characters and how they may have played a part in the story. The readers can being to put the pieces together from two different past time lines (Isabelle as a child with her sister Margaret and Isabelle’s story of falling in love with her husband a few years ago) to see how some of these characters have shaped this story even from years ago. While there are some plot twists (which I liked!), it’s still a lot of plot and character development rather than action and heart-racing scenes. I’d say this swings more on the suspense side of the mystery/thriller/suspense category, but it does have some thrills too!

I know this book will not be for everyone, for sure. If you’re waiting for wild plot twists and lots of action, this won’t be the book for you, but if you’re interested in something that will slowly creep into your head and get inside there, this could be a good match! While this isn’t my normal thriller read, it definitely had that same kind of feel as A FLICKER IN THE DARK, Stacy Willingham’s debut, and I appreciate it for that.

IF YOU LIKED THIS, READ…

Three couples rent a luxury cabin in the woods for a weekend getaway to die for in this chilling locked-room thriller by New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger.

What could be more restful, more restorative, than a weekend getaway with family and friends? An isolated luxury cabin in the woods, complete with spectacular views, a hot tub and a personal chef. Hannah’s loving and generous tech-mogul brother found the listing online. The reviews are stellar. It’s his birthday gift to Hannah and includes their spouses and another couple. The six friends need this trip with good food, good company and lots of R & R, far from the chatter and pressures of modern life.

But the dreamy weekend is about to turn into a nightmare. A deadly storm is brewing. The rental host seems just a little too present. The personal chef reveals that their beautiful house has a spine-tingling history. And the friends have their own complicated past, with secrets that run blood deep. How well does Hannah know her brother, her own husband? Can she trust her best friend? And who is the new boyfriend, crashing their party? Meanwhile, someone is determined to ruin the weekend, looking to exact a payback for deeds long buried. Who is the stranger among them?

BOOK REVIEW

Thank you to Netgalley & Park Row/HarperCollins for the review copies of this audiobook

This was the second Lisa Unger book that I’ve finished (with one DNF under my belt as well) and while I enjoyed the writing style and setting, I felt like the book was spread a little too thin. There was still a lot I liked about this book with some substantial disappointment in the wrap-up and conclusion.

I love a good locked room thriller and a cabin in the woods cut off from everything is a classic so I knew this book would be right up my alley! That definitely didn’t disappoint. A high end cabin in a storm that cuts the characters off from help and communication is the setting for this book and Lisa Unger did this one well! It’s easy to get sloppy or unbelievable with situations like this but I really took to it and enjoyed the atmosphere here. The characters are thrown together with some potentially dangerous people who aren’t who they say they are, a strange vacation rental host, and tucked away from where other people might be able to get in contact with them. Always a good mix for a thriller!

I also enjoyed getting to know the main characters. I felt like I really got a feel for all of them and with a few different POVs, I didn’t get overwhelmed or confused. They were different enough that I was able to get a read on each one that was telling the story.

I had some things to pick at for the rest of the book. I just felt like everything was spread far too thin and there were so many things that were left undeveloped.
MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD if you want to go in totally blind but they will not reveal any major plot points.
– To add to atmosphere, there’s a spooky ghost story about a murder that happened at the cabin but that doesn’t really go anywhere aside from tossing in a ghost story. I really think that could have been cut because without actually making it a part of someone’s journey here, it really didn’t do anything for the book.
– Henry’s backstory really wasn’t necessary. There was a bit too much going on with that side of the plot and I would have enjoy all of those reveals and details if they had just been left to the main characters and core family who made up the vacation rental party. We find out in the end how everything is connected and having this totally separate POV allows this to maybe stay more secret for a bigger reveal, but I just didn’t feel like it was necessary enough and could have been tied in to someone we already knew.
– There’s also a red herring that was 100% unnecessary and only added shock value that could have been cut. Again, another spot to add more depth to the main plot and characters. I really could have done without it.
– There were a lot of little clues along the way, but that’s exactly what they were… little. I would have liked to spend more time making those feel bigger and more important so the reader can guess or pick up on things. I felt like too much was withheld and while there was some good action to keep readers engaged, I would have liked to be more intellectually connected to the story as well and get my wheels turning some more.

Overall, I was entertained but the reveals at the end ended up letting me down! There were too many things that didn’t connect and many missed opportunities.

IF YOU LIKED THIS, READ…

Amelie has always been a survivor, from losing her parents as a child in Paris to making it on her own in London. As she builds a life for herself, she is swept up into a glamorous lifestyle where she married the handsome billionaire Jed Hawthorne.

But then, Amelie wakes up in a pitch-black room, not knowing where she is. Why has she been taken? Who are her mysterious captors? And why does she soon feel safer here, imprisoned, than she had begun to feel with her husband Jed?

BOOK REVIEW

This was a really disappointing read from B.A. Paris and read like a debut novel that didn’t have enough editing. The writing style was fine, moderately engaging, but the book had zero personality whatsoever. The characters were extremely flat and despite the effort to give them a backstory, they didn’t feel like anything at all. Even with Amelie narrating the whole book, I still feel like I didn’t know much about her aside from some rough outlines.

I was waiting for a major twist to make the book worth it and was going to leave it at three stars but I got to the end and it was just a big letdown. Nothing was developed enough for me to really care and I ended up being more disappointed than I already was. I was really surprised that was the ending, actually. There was too much to tell, tell, tell to readers from the time spent being a prisoner to the big reveal at the end. I didn’t feel involved in the story at all and I’m really bummed at the potential here that never came to be.

IF YOU LIKED THIS, READ…

As kids, Emily and Chess were inseparable. But by their 30s, their bond has been strained by the demands of their adult lives. So when Chess suggests a girls trip to Italy, Emily jumps at the chance to reconnect with her best friend.

Villa Aestas in Orvieto is a high-end holiday home now, but in 1974, it was known as Villa Rosato, and rented for the summer by a notorious rock star, Noel Gordon. In an attempt to reignite his creative spark, Noel invites up-and-coming musician, Pierce Sheldon to join him, as well as Pierce’s girlfriend, Mari, and her stepsister, Lara. But he also sets in motion a chain of events that leads to Mari writing one of the greatest horror novels of all time, Lara composing a platinum album––and ends in Pierce’s brutal murder.

As Emily digs into the villa’s complicated history, she begins to think there might be more to the story of that fateful summer in 1974. That perhaps Pierce’s murder wasn’t just a tale of sex, drugs, and rock & roll gone wrong, but that something more sinister might have occurred––and that there might be clues hidden in the now-iconic works that Mari and Lara left behind.

Yet the closer that Emily gets to the truth, the more tension she feels developing between her and Chess. As secrets from the past come to light, equally dangerous betrayals from the present also emerge––and it begins to look like the villa will claim another victim before the summer ends.

BOOK REVIEW

I have mixed feelings on this one! I enjoyed reading it but I couldn’t have cared less about the backstory POV in the 70s. There were too many characters that we didn’t get to know enough, flowery music & writing drama that I didn’t care about, and too much romantic drama that was annoying. If that hadn’t been in the book and the mystery was pure research by Emily, I would have liked it a LOT better.

I did like the ending but in a sort of toxic best friend way. It reminded me a bit of a favorite movie but is referencing that movie a spoiler because of what happens? Probably. Anyway, loved that part!

I always enjoy the writing style but I just didn’t care about the flashbacks, like at all. I had a hard time paying attention to them until later and meh, it wasn’t worth it. Cut all those and make it more wild between the two friends and I would have been all for it. There were some dark holes to dive down that we didn’t and that could have been awesome.

The titular villa itself also could have been this cool, creepy, gothic character in itself and it just wasn’t…. anything. It was barely described except for a few locations which ended up being important to the plot and there wasn’t much of anything that really gave you good *vibes* to really pull you into the story.

Ultimately, I feel like this was pulled in too many different directions. The setting didn’t get a good description going, the main characters were slightly under-developed, the backstory wasn’t deep enough for me to care, there were random bits of song and podcast but they were exactly that: random. It was a little of this, a little of that. Cut all the “extra” stuff and focus on the core of the story and it could have been really awesome. It just left me underwhelmed in that sense.

IF YOU LIKED THIS, READ…

Meet Hanna.

She’s the sweet-but-silent angel in the adoring eyes of her Daddy. He’s the only person who understands her, and all Hanna wants is to live happily ever after with him. But Mommy stands in her way, and she’ll try any trick she can think of to get rid of her. Ideally for good.

Meet Suzette.

She loves her daughter, really, but after years of expulsions and strained home schooling, her precarious health and sanity are weakening day by day. As Hanna’s tricks become increasingly sophisticated, and Suzette's husband remains blind to the failing family dynamics, Suzette starts to fear that there’s something seriously wrong, and that maybe home isn’t the best place for their baby girl after all.

BOOK REVIEW

This was a weird book, but not weird in a good way. I mean… it could have been, but it took some weird turns where it shouldn’t have and in other places it just didn’t go far enough down the path (to continue with this road metaphor) to develop some plot point well enough. There were portions of it that were creepy good but it suffered in many, many ways. And there will definitely be spoilers the rest of the way!

My first issue with the book is a big one, and that’s Hanna’s POV. I was just so confused by it. Stage chose to go back and forth between Suzette’s POV (the mother) and Hanna’s POV (the child). Hanna was supposed to be seven (give or take? I think seven.) but her narration was trying to sound young and yet it sounded way too adult in too many ways. I cannot imagine 7yos with a thought process or vocabulary like she did and it was very inconsistent between having the logic and reasoning to carry out elaborate revenge tasks and being too young to understand a lot of other things. Then there was the was whole witch possession thing. Was she actually possessed or not…? From Hanna’s POV she made it seem like she summoned the witch that talked to her and helped her do things, and then all of a sudden she was gone. Hanna “made the choice” to get rid of her because she was getting in the way but then she was trying to cast a spell and do magic and that got sent back into the background for a while until she and her “mommy” were competing witches. It was so inconsistent with the witch concept. Is it a thing or is it not? Is she trying to be a witch or is she using it as a metaphor or device to describe what she’s trying to do? It was just messy.

I also had an issue with the POV for a totally different reason. This could have been so much more creepy and suspenseful if we didn’t have Hanna’s insight at all. Suzette already didn’t know what was going on with Hanna and I think the gaslighting and manipulation would have had a much bigger affect if we didn’t know anything about Hanna at all. Skip the internal monologue and let Suzette be the unreliable narrator. That seed was <I>kind of</I>planted by sharing some of the ways she had snapped in the past, her terrible relationship with her mother and how I had assumed that caught up with her as an adult… but that never really went anywhere either. It gave the readers the thought that she may be making things up, maybe Hanna isn’t really responsible and Suzette is setting her up… but with Hanna’s POV, there’s not really much mystery and it just gets muddy with a little too much information and too many concepts taking place all at once.

The next issue I had was with Suzette. Touching on it in the POV issues, but I also just didn’t like her. I assumed part of that was to cast doubt and suspicion, but also, she just really wasn’t a good person, and not even in an interesting “can’t stop reading this thriller” kind of way. I kept hoping something more would happen there and we’d get a good twist, but Suzette is just unlikeable and her selfishness is revealed to be a little gross. I felt for her at first (although I never liked her even from the start), having so much trouble with her child, and things took kind of an odd turn. I can understand wanting relief while also feeling bad about it, but I just never knew how to feel about her.
She was also just plain stupid. If this book was really supposed to take place when it was written (2018), and I can only assume so since there were no references to other time periods and she had a phone with a camera on it and a laptop, then why in the hell didn’t she just set up cameras around her house to capture Hanna’s behavior? Her husband was also the worst and refused to believe her, so she refused to tell him, in a stupid, terrible cycle. Why didn’t she just SHOW him? It would have been so easy.

Basically, everybody in this book sucked. I was expecting a much more explosive ending since there’s still so much buzz about this book but it actually took a slightly logical turn and then… meh. It’s left slightly open to let you think about this family’s future but I think the action should have taken place NOW and let one big thing happen. It was a lot of lead up, there were some moments of fear and action, but it just wasn’t enough to warrant the hype. There was also just some really freaking weird and repulsive choices and that make me probably never want to pick up this author ever again. I almost gave it one star instead of 1.5 after that but I guess it was enough to make me want to finish the book and not just fast forward to be done so I guess that’s all we have.

IF YOU LIKED THIS, READ…