Srivatsa
3.5 rounded up to 4
For the most part of this book, I was perplexed. “What's going on? What am I even reading?” But by the halfway mark, the author very cleverly revealed certain aspects of the story. I will say if you can get past the strange first half and multi POV narrative, you may not only guess the twist but also like the book. At the end of it all, I think I liked the way the author handled certain real life issues.
I think what stood out for me with this book was the writing style. It flowed very naturally. Loved the insertion of journal entries. Helped develop the characters a lot more. I will say as I got closer to the halfway point I did have an inkling of what the twist might be. I think if the author had added a few more red herrings without making it too convoluted, it may have had a more ‘woah' impact on me. I wish the ending was a tad bit different as well. A few reveals and developments may have felt unnecessary. But all things aside a good thriller.
2 stars for the final girl trope and the witty chapter names. This book was an utter snooze fest, who needs the Dream King when you can just read this book? What awful characters, predictable ending, and just one of the worst pacing in thrillers. The beginning wasn't anything to rave about but wow that middle section was a nightmare to get through. Skip this one at all costs.
Wow, what a rollercoaster! This book really impressed me on so many levels. Firstly, the writing. The author does an amazing job of keeping the reader on their toes. You are constantly wondering “what's happening? What's about to happen?”. This suspense-ridden feeling lingers till the end. Thematically, the author plays with several aspects of the horror and suspense genres. The premise seems at the outset pretty straightforward: the protagonist is taking a trip with her boyfriend to meet his parents on a cold and windy day. She has been seeing this boy for a few weeks now and she's planning to drop a bomb on him - “I'm thinking of ending things”, but she's conflicted. What ensues forms the rest of the plot. I can't go into too much detail as this would spoil the plot. All I can say is, go into this one with an open mind. You won't be disappointed.
Characters: 4
Plot: 5
Writing: 4
Execution: 5
Overall: 4.5
Promising plot, weak execution
Oh dear, where do I begin? The premise was good, it really had potential but sadly fizzled at the end. My major gripes with this book was the execution. A lot of time was wasted on two central characters who didnt need and quite frankly didn't have a whole lot to flesh out. If attention was given to the plot, particularly given that there are two (maybe three? It's all so confusing honestly) parallel stories, the ending would not have felt so rushed. There were some unanswered story points which begs the question ‘why introduce it?' The twist was rather predictable. Again, just marred by the execution.
Character building: 3
Plot: 3
Writing: 3
Execution: 2
Overall: 2.7
Horrible...Horrible...Horrible...the only thing which was nice in the book was the way the author separated the chapters into “his” and “hers”, apart from that it was quite boring. The characters are so annoying. If this was an english murder mystery Agatha-style, both of them would have been bumped off in the first few chapters. How did this book win awards is beyond me!