Never Have I Ever
Ratings35
Average rating3.5
I almost didn't finish because there were some MAJOR eating disorder triggers, but I'm glad that I pushed through because it was well worth the uncomfortable moments. (I skipped through the eating disorder bits for my own mental health.)
This book has so many twists and turns that I genuinely did not see coming. I don't know if I was just off my game because of the triggers, if I was in a weird funk, or if she is genuinely that good of a writer.
I almost didn't finish because there were some MAJOR eating disorder triggers, but I'm glad that I pushed through because it was well worth the uncomfortable moments. (I skipped through the eating disorder bits for my own mental health.)
This book has so many twists and turns that I genuinely did not see coming. I don't know if I was just off my game because of the triggers, if I was in a weird funk, or if she is genuinely that good of a writer.
Not a fan of this one, I was bored through most of it and I didn't like the twist at all.
This was VERY good. I'm very glad this is my first book of the year. It's dark, but it's very well done. Would definitely recommend.
My one sentence review: Never Have I Ever read such a boring book. ::everyone drinks::
I've read a couple of Jackson's previous novels but this one takes her in a different direction into psychological suspense and it's a winner. Pitting two strong-willed female characters against each other in a high-stakes cat-and-mouse game that leads to fireworks, secrets hidden and then revealed, blackmail, and betrayal. As always, Jackson's characters are finely-crafted and her writing flows, but this time it's wrapped arond a fast-paced ever-changing plot that had me reading well into the wee hours.
I have been a huge Joshilyn Jackson fan since I read [b:The Girl Who Stopped Swimming 1266297 The Girl Who Stopped Swimming Joshilyn Jackson https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1328655335s/1266297.jpg 546698] more than 10 years ago. She has never failed to deliver a memorable story about women at the crossroads who discover things they didn't know about themselves and/or their loved ones as their lives change in significant ways. In my review of her most recent book [b:The Almost Sisters 32600726 The Almost Sisters Joshilyn Jackson https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1487958944s/32600726.jpg 53181435] I lamented, “Why Joshilyn Jackson isn't more respected as one of the most notable authors of the past 10 years is one of the best examples I know of Why The World Isn't Fair.”So it pains me to say that I really disliked this book. It wasn't poorly written or plotted, but I hated the fact that Jackson has followed so many of her fellow authors and turned to writing thrillers (another of my favorites, Emilie Richards, also fell prey to the lure of this genre in her new book [b:A Family of Strangers 41821074 A Family of Strangers Emilie Richards https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1553879189s/41821074.jpg 65267104]). Apparently Women's Fiction is out and thrillers are in. That saddens me greatly. I don't want to read about women who are out to get each other and bad situations getting worse. It made me feel cold and small, and that's not what I want from my reading experience. Although many of the heroines in Jackson's previous novels had troubled relationships with family members, they weren't pitted against each other as Roux and Amy are in this book. Amy does have strong relationships with other females in her life, most notably her stepdaughter who lovingly refers to her as “Monster,” but the book's central relationship is between Roux and Amy, and it's ugly. I'm not giving the book a lower rating because Jackson is such a strong writer and storyteller, and Amy's passion for scuba diving off the Florida coast allows for several beautiful scenes of aquatic life. Judging by Jackson's acknowledgements, it was her idea to write something different, so I'm afraid Women's Fiction may have lost her for good. I'll be heartbroken if that's the case, but I guess I can always re-read some of my favorites from her backlist. ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for honest review.
