The Wayside
Ratings2
Average rating3.5
The Wayside is a haunting, elegantly drawn psychological thriller perfect for fans of The Secret History, Big Little Lies, and The Maidens. When Kate Cleary's son, Jake, dies at his elite liberal arts college, she refuses to believe it was suicide. Something sinister is at play, and Kate becomes determined to retrace Jake's steps during his final days. Descending into a spiral of obsession as she finds herself up against unknown forces at every turn, Kate falls further into a dangerous mystery that brings her closer to a terrifying truth even Jake himself wanted to keep hidden. Combining elements of dark academia and domestic fiction with a modern twist, The Wayside is a sharply observed story of suspense, devotion, and the secrets we keep from those who love us most.
Reviews
Popular Reviews
Reviews with the most likes.
The Wayside - Caroline Wolff
A slow burn academia read with some psychological thrill.
Kate is struggling with the suicide of her son so she steps into his life at his college so she can figure out why it happened but the more she learns, the more she understands she didn't know her son like she thought she did.
It was super slow. I am not a fan of thrillers that move at a snail's pace. It was a lot of Kate's grief driving the book and the things she does while trying to come to terms with her son's death. I don't think this book was bad, I think it is mis-genred. Had it been geared as a literary fiction because it was pretty much character driven and that I could have reconciled myself with. The second you say, thriller, I am expecting a moderate pace.
The storyline was great and had it been faster and less about Kate and more about the actual timeline of her son... I would have been singing its praises. It missed its mark and the ending was bizarre.
3.5 stars
