Lock Every Door

This book took me almost 2 weeks to read which that in itself is a bad sign. The middle dragged and I didn't care about any of the tenants and what was going on. It didn't even feel suspenseful. Not a fan.

Almost a DNF but wanting to read the ending kept me going. The twist wasn't exactly what I expected but it didn't blow me out of the water. Characters were very flat, even the main character — her only personality trait was trauma. Glad the ending wrapped everything up though.

Entretenida y amena lectura, muy buena historia.

A little predictable and requires quite a bit of suspension of disbelief. I found my mind wandering at points when things got a bit boring.

3.5 and rounding up

Really good! I was very surprised by the direction this one took. Some of the conclusions of the MC felt a little forced but I still enjoyed it very much.

A good fun read, but would never say “hey you should read this book” so.. 3 stars feels right?

I won't spoil anything, but 100% creepy AF. My heart broke for Jules. I wish I couldn't fathom this kind of thing happening today.... Well done Riley Sager. Audiobook narrator was great.

Woah, I am on a roll reading one terrific thriller after another! I thought I couldn't love another of Riley Sager's books more than I loved Home Before Dark but I gotta say, I think I loved this one a bit more. Everything about this novel kept me glued and hanging on each and every word. I know I've used the word addictive when describing a novel before but it probably stands even more true in this instance because I dove head first into this book and didn't come out until I was completely done with it. I seriously think it's safe to say that Riley Sager is my favorite author currently because I've read almost all of his novels at this point and I've loved each and every one. Maybe I'm not as tough of a critic as some other people but I just can't get enough of all his twists and turns and intricately unique plots.

Lock Every Door is about a woman, named Jules, who has fallen pretty low in life and is struggling to make ends meet, when she sees an ad in the paper looking for a house sitter for three months at a prominent building called The Bartholomew and she ends up jumping at the chance to get her life back on track. She soon realizes that the job might be a lot more than she ever could have imagined. The plot was unlike any I've read before and I thought it was very well done and executed. There were a lot of layers to the story and I immensely enjoyed peeling it all back, layer after layer. I didn't think it was a slow burn because the twists and turns kept coming all throughout the book and just as I thought I had it all figured out, I realized there was a whole other level to the plot that I could never have even imagined.

Further on, the characterization was great. I loved the main character Jules and even the secondary characters because we really got to see what drove them to do the things that they did in the novel and I was never confused as to why a character is acting the way that they did. I love that we get to see into the main character's psyche and I found her very relatable as a struggling young girl trying to make it in life and still in the process of discovering who she is in the world.

Thirdly, the writing style was phenomenal as always. The chapters flowed and I loved how we kept jumping back from what was happening in the present moment with Jules and how she got to be where is she presently and her beginning at the Bartholomew. I find that way makes it even more exciting for me to read, especially when it's done right and Riley Sager did not disappoint. There is no doubt in my mind that I will be preordering and reading all of RIley Sager's novels that he releases in the future.

In conclusion, I loved this book and sped through it, unable to put it down. It was twisted and dark and it spiked my anxiety levels high in some parts. I would recommend this novel to all lovers of dark thrillers or even anyone who wants an exciting, albeit somewhat messed up read. Glad I finally got around to reading it!

It would have been a great movie - and of course it's far-fetched as one. The main character in the book is almost unbelievable, because honestly she doesn't sound as smart or strong or strong-willed to do everything she does - and in a movie that could have been portrayed by the choice of the actress. Same with the background, because it seems like an effort to explain that her stubbornness comes from the fact she had lost her family, but I could see that happening in a screen.
Basically, as a book, as crazy as it sounds, it was just ok. So unbelievable I had to keep reading, but at the same time, nothing remarkable about it. But it has some Hollywood trait that jumps from the pages.

I chose this book as one of my BOTM selections and I borrowed the audiobook from my library with Libby. The audiobook was narrated well. The book was very entertaining and the ending is so shocking! I never expected half of it. Perhaps that is due to how far-fetched it was - in a good way. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys themselves a good thriller or horror.

... WOAH

I was kind of disappointed with this book. I enjoyed Final Girls a lot, but this one just didn't hit the same.

I saw every thing coming! Okay maybe not the finale but it still didn't shock me. I never found myself on the edge of my seat and my heartbeat never increased, which is something I like in a thriller.

Lock Every Door just felt very lack luster and predictable. I had guessed who the bad guy was from the beginning. There was one scene that I really liked and felt kind of scared during, but overall this book just didn't do it for me.

This book had me going all over the place! I was constantly guessing where the story was leading and that was enjoyable in and of itself. I Was into the original route it was taking and the one I thought, but where it ended up going was great too. Although I thought the original twist would've been more interesting and darker, I can't complain. I still very much enjoyed the turn it took. I was reading nonstop because I had to know what was going to happen!

4.5

I wanted to give this zero stars or one. I hated how whiny and self pitting the protagonist was all the way through the book. Also it was way too predictable. Nonetheless the end (the last 2-3 hours of reading) still earned a star for actually being somewhat thrilling.

wow.........

I really couldn't love this book all that much. Somehow the story itself felt like some half-baked urban legend you could read on Facebook, shared by people who don't think stuff through before deciding it's absolutely true. To explain why I think that, I will hide a lot of this review behind a spoiler tag. I am sure that makes my review a lot less valuable to people who have not read this yet, but I think that's absolutely necessary to really explain why I gave it such a low rating.
Before that, some non-spoiler things, though.

One of the big, defining characteristics of the protagonist, Jules is the fact she is alone. She has nobody and she kind has to rely on only herself. That's a fact, she is used to it and still, somehow relationships with his new neighbours and even some characters outside the building just come to her. She has very personal conversations with people about traumatic events and their big life problems without knowing each other.
I find it unrealistic. Sure, some people in some situations can overshare. Happens. But to have that happen so many times with so many different people just feels like kind of lazy storytelling. The story plays out in a few days and I guess that was the author's self-imposed hardship, because to me it made a lot of conversations so damn unrealistic.

But now, for the mystery and why it just doesn't work for me .
Rich people have this big apartment building where they go when sick. Unsuspecting poor people are employed to occupy empty units, but in reality their organs are stolen to give to the sick, rich people. This is a big, posh operation, right? Well, why would they only have a handful of "donors" at a time? Why would they only use a few organs? If I was running such a thing, I would find a fuckton of rich people and use up every single organ of every single "donor". Dylan's heart was given away... but not the rest? Why? They are willing to do this, but they also throw away two kidneys, a liver, corneas, pancreas, lungs, a whole lot of things that can earn good money for the operators. Why would it matter if Jules cut her throat? They have a whole hospital to keep her organs until they can quickly plop them into the people already lined up. Why do the rich people have to live in the building? It's not like they can't just go to some private luxury property to discretely heal. How do they know if someone will be a good donor? Poor people are generally not super up on their regular health checkups (hell, even non-poor people aren't, because humans) and I'm pretty sure organ donors need a bit more than your yearly "how are we feeling?" type stuff. What if I move in and it turns out I have a hidden health condition or I don't match any of the people there?

All in all, I feel the story wasn't nearly as smart and well-thought-out as it tried to be and that kind of killed it for me. Especially because not even the pressure was that much. It just wasn't scary and I don't feel the mood was as built up as it should have been. Really, I just didn't like this one very much. Easy read, though, so there is that, but I would not bring this up as a recommendation.

I came to this book immediately after having read [a:Sager's 15263414 Riley Sager https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1555890121p2/15263414.jpg] “[b:Home Before Dark 50833559 Home Before Dark Riley Sager https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1571683410l/50833559.SX50_SY75.jpg 73695354]” which I devoured breathlessly. Sadly, “Lock Every Door” didn't live up to my expectations.It starts out interesting enough: Jules, 25, has lost her parents some years ago, now she has just lost her job and left her boyfriend because he cheated. While she tries to put her life back together, she sleeps on a friend's couch. This is when she gets a job as an apartment sitter in the “Bartholomew”, a posh apartment building in New York City. Apart from a few weird rules (“no visitors at all”, “every night must be spent at the apartment”) everything seems fine until Jules meets another, rather peculiar, apartment sitter who then proceeds to disappear...The setting is perfect, the ideas are good but this is a book of missed opportunities because the characters and the building itself are fairly interesting but Sager doesn't really use that: The apartment sitter who vanishes, Ingrid? Jules just met her three times and immediately believes pretty much everything Ingrid tells her. Nick, the nice and hot surgeon next door? He's potentially an interesting character but he doesn't get enough focus by far.Or the residents, or Charlie, the doorman - they all remain flat and shallow. Whereas I'd have liked to get to know them a bit, they're treated as accessories.The building features gargoyles - what a chance for an author to evoke even more of a Gothic atmosphere but Sager misses that opportunity as well. Jules even names the gargoyle next to her bedroom “George” but apart from a dream or two, he just sits there on his ledge.While “Lock Every Door” is still a page turner, it never reaches the quality of “[b:The Last Time I Lied 36626748 The Last Time I Lied Riley Sager https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1511141004l/36626748.SY75.jpg 57845636]” or “[b:Home Before Dark 50833559 Home Before Dark Riley Sager https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1571683410l/50833559.SX50_SY75.jpg 73695354]”. Building up suspense and a latent atmosphere of threat - which I expect from a good thriller - takes time but everything in this book feels rushed. We hardly met Ingrid and gone she is. Dylan, another apartment sitter? Gone before he could take shape. The aging one-hit-wonder author? We hear a bit about her but then she's (mostly) whisked away.And then there's the ending... The mystery behind what happens in the Batholomew is outlandish, absurd and unbelievable. It feels rushed as well - just as if Sager felt he was running out of ideas and had to come to a conclusion. Any conclusion. No, this, sadly, was very disappointing compared to Riley Sager's other works and, thus, I can only award a still-generous three stars. Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram

This is the third book I read by Sager, and idk about y'all, but having a protagonist whose main personality trait is having TrAuMa! and a almost love interest turn out to be (or a suspect of being) the Bad Guy didn't work the first time, or the second time, nor the third time!

I also think that the possibilities of what's going on are ultimately always more frightening to me than the actual twists and reveals.

What felt like a very clear Rosemarys Baby rip off (even in the dedication) quickly turned into something familiar but also engaging. The story moved flawlessly and quickly. With a satisfying ending and epilogue.

There are some loose ends with characters that I wish were more tied up but that's my only complaint. Another engrossing read from Riley Sager.

EAT THE RICH

Lonely broke orphan girl just lost her job and her awful boyfriend. Desperate and mostly alone, except for her best friend, she accepts a job as a temporary tenant at a famously posh and exclusive apartment building. Then people go missing, people act sinister, Satan is a red herring, and evil doctors happen.

I appreciate the down with the 1% message, but like most thrillers, things get silly. That being said, I enjoyed this mote than most thrillers because it has a fun, more PG-rated “Eyes Wide Shut” rich-people-are-evil vibe. It could honestly have been more shocking though. I was actually disappointed the twist was as mundane add it was. I expected more. But then, I do horror, and–whilst this has some commonalities with horror–it IS a thriller. That being said, this was also more fun than I thought it would be.

Also...if a Sager heroine bones someone, that someone is the main villain.

Pretty good thriller with some fun turns in the back half. I don't think it'll really stick with me but I had a good time.

This was an interesting read. I was not expecting the twist at the end. Oh my goodness. It was a really quick read and if I hadn't read it interrupted, it probably would've only taken me 5-6 hours? So if you're looking for something small to dive into, I'd definitely give this one a go. Some of the narrative was repetitive with certain background pieces being repeated over and over throughout the book (e.g. the MC mentioning how much she needs the money and how broke she is). Overall though, it was a good read and I'd recommend it to someone who likes mystery/thrillers with light suspense.