My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I've had this chunky book on my TBR pile since last year, but there's a reason why I picked it up now.
Let me start by saying that The Girl With All the Gifts is one of my most favourite books ever. I loved everything about it. But, I DNFd the next three books written by this author. His latest only last week. 😣
So, hubby suggested I give this one a go to see if I ended up in the same place. And I have to admit, I went in expecting to force myself to read a few chapters before giving in to the skimming. But something strange happened: I was hooked right away!
And when a second character's POV started, my interest intensified. I couldn't stop reading. Didn't want to put the book down.
Liz is trying to get on with her own life and enjoy the two kids she loves more than anything. The night her ex-husband attacks her, she fights back. Except, it wasn't her. She's positive someone else temporarily took over her body.
Fran is a teenager who suffered through a traumatic experience when she was a kid, and then lost her mother. She's also prone to hallucinations, when all she wants is to be normal.
Then their worlds collide...
O.M.F.G. Wow. What a book!
This is amazing in so many different ways. Not just because the two main characters are strong women with their own flaws, complications and mental health issues as a result of the scars left by the abusive men in their past. Not just because the concept is intriguing. Not just because the writing is absorbing and the slow burn narrative kept me glued to the page. Nope.
It's all of the above and SO much more.
From the very beginning, the sense of creeping dread and uncertainty clung to every page. It felt like there was a shadow behind every page, waiting to pounce and turn everything upside down. And in a sense, that's exactly what was happening every step of the way. And when the worst thing possible happened, holy hell!
The danger was ramped up to the nth degree. Things started to fall apart and got worse pretty quickly. I couldn't read fast enough because I wanted to find out what was really happening. Yet, at the same time tried to pace myself because I didn't want to miss anything and didn't want to rush the experience.
I need to mention how invested I became in Liz and Fran. Because I liked them so much, everything that happened to them affected me deeply. When Liz's situation falls apart it really upset me. When Fran starts feeling alone all over again, my heart broke for her. I realise that my details are vague and probably won't make sense if you haven't read this book, but that's on purpose because it's the best (and only) way to go into this fantastic story.
The pace isn't that of a fast-paced thriller, yet it's so addictive. This is a psychological thriller with horror and fantastical edges, and it embeds itself so deeply into your brain that you can't get it out of your head.
Seriously, this book is utterly amazing. In every way. I LOVED it to bits. I was hooked until the breathtaking ending. I enjoyed the hell out of this awesome book and it's going on my Most Favourite List, for sure. 😍
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