Lauren Thoman

Missing people, mysterious sounds in a house at night. However, the plot took too long to get going and I was confused a few times with the POV and who was who.

I had zero problem with the politics or pronouns in this story - it's not that hard. However, I didn't find the story drawing me in or keeping me hooked. I did like the excerpts at the start of each chapter of social media posts. I did like the mystery once it got going. I found the villain a little too over-the-top and the ending unrealistic.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.… (more)

I have mixed feelings about this story. On the one hand, it's a wonderful story, interesting with unexpected twists. On the other, the characters, while well developed, are irritating. Mostly irritating for the insecurity and anxiety issues. It is tedious and annoying to spend so much time reading and being immersed in that mindset, and with multiple characters. Maybe it is intended to be relatable, and the author notes in their end comments that this mindset comes from their own experience, and still, it needs to be toned way down or redirected to be a more enjoyable story to read. Characters that are more directed to problem solving and having quirks, rather than being in extended, annoying and pointless worrying and self deprecating, are interesting. I am glad I read this story. I'm not interested in reading more by this author unless I know the characters are functionging in a better place.
— Rebecca… (more)