Steena Holmes is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author with nearly 3 million copies of her titles sold worldwide, including The Patient, The Forgotten Ones, and Sister Under the Stairs.
Named in the Top 20 Women Author to Read by Good Housekeeping, she won the National Indie Excellence Award for her breakout novel Finding Emma and the USA Book News Award for The Word Game. Steena has been featured in various newspapers and magazines, websites such as Goodreads, BookBub, RedBook, Glamour, Coastal Living and Goodhousekeeping.
One of Steena's passions is to travel with her readers, so she created her Sweet Tours, where she shares her love for the sweet life with her readers, whether in Paris, Italy, or exploring Christmas Markets. To learn more about her books and join her on the next Sweet Tour, visit her website at http://www.steenaholmes.com. You can also find Steena on the web at:
This book is mainly about a doomsday cult. I wish the book description had mentioned that, and it definitely needs to. I could have saved myself some time and avoided a topic that I do not enjoy reading. I don't like to read of religious zealots, ritualistic ceremonies, animal sacrifices, and cannibalism. Sorry if that's a spoiler, but I feel people need to know what they are getting themselves into with this book. Cannot recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for this eARC.
The Twin Author : Steena Holmes Publisher: Joffe Books August 29 on KU. Link in bio
This is a gritty, dark and disturbing physiological thriller that will draw you in from the first page. The blurb didn’t really tell me what to expect and I think that was a very good thing in this case.
Ok - here it is - there a cult. Ahhhh!!! I had no idea. Which makes it even better. This is summer binge read that will have you frustrated and angry and - honestly - I was a little claustrophobic- The Family is close - too close The creepy vibes are everywhere.
This was a nice surprise, especially after reading so many disappointing books with repetitive ideas and “shocking” twists.
I was extremely pleased with the writing and storytelling, which gripped my attention from the beginning and I did not want to let the book go. Unfortunately this past long weekend I had too many engagements.
In this book we meet the twins Bryce and Brynn, who are both albinos. They are owners of a very successful funeral home. This to me sounded very original and made me curious about the book.
But the blurb failed to mention that the story is around a doomsday cult.
Anyways, the development of the storyline is very slow, but because I liked the writing and the storytelling, I did not mind the slow burn, hence my ratings.
I really liked the concept and how the author delivered the story. It was very suspenseful and eerie. It wasn’t flawless, but I enjoyed it.
The main character, Brynn, had a strong personality and I totally understood her behaviour. The story is told through hers perspective. I would love to have read an additional pov.
The sordid secret about the cult is only revealed after 76%.
I was glad that the author was able to avoid overly dramatic comments regarding the cult, like trying to feed the reader with believes; also she did not give gory details, (but we get the idea). The reveal was quite shocking and if there was a clue I was completely oblivious or innocent (I didn’t think that having two fridges was a hint).
But I was disappointed with the conclusion. It felt that my edition was missing one or two chapters.
e-book (Kindle - part of Kindle Unlimited): 313 pages (default)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This is one of the creepiest cult stories I've read in a long time. The story centers around Brynn and her twin brother Bryce and the cult-like end of days society their parents help found. I don't want to give anything away, but let's just say this cult is horrifying. The plot kept me glued to my air pods as Christina Traister brought the story to life. I think the audiobook added to the creepy factor which I absolutely loved. If you're a fan of creepy or dark thrillers, you'll enjoy this book!
2.5 stars for me. I think the book itself was interesting but the main character was so annoying. She blindly trusts all these people, goes against the advice of friends, goes against her gut, and gets herself into this situation. So infuriating to listen to her complain and feel bad for herself when she practically put herself there. Ugh.
2.5 STARS This story is set around Bryce and Brynn, albino twins who run their family's funeral home. With sinister vibes, this slow burn story shows the complicated bond between the siblings and their creepy connection to a nefarious group that has long had a hold on the family.
I liked the concept of the story but not the execution. My main issues stem from Brynn's inconsistent behaviours. She ardently hates the cultish group known as The Family but if she hated them so much, why did it only take simple invitations for her to repeatedly visit them? Appeasing her increasingly controlling brother didn't seem like enough of a reason to me. This back-and-forth issue for Brynn was repetitive and became frustrating when I wish time would have been spent adding more to the story.
I am a fan of Holmes' previous work, including The Forgotten Ones, The Perfect Secret and The Patient but while this small-town, dark thriller had good concepts, it relies too heavily on the creepiness to pull readers through a simple story that may have fared better as a short story.
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Joffe Books for the complimentary digital copy of this book which was given in exchange for my honest review.
Brynn and Bryce are albino twins. Special twins with a special destiny, at least that's what the cult their father belonged to believes. When their father dies, Brynn thinks he life will change, but has she just traded one fanatical tyrant for another?
My Thoughts
This book did not grab my attention in the first few chapters. I was bored. But it's an ARC, and I'd already DNFd to many ARCs this year, so I soldiered on.
The author felt like she had the most pedestrian knowledge of cults and cult life. It wasn't well researched or even well written. There is way too much usless page filler. Words and actions that had my eyes rolling. Cliches that are overused and feel rehashed.
Brynn is one of the weakest characters I've read in a long time. She flip flops on every decision she has to make. A people pleaser even when it goes against her beliefs and values. She sees the danger before her and heads its way just to keep the peace.
The "present day" chapters do hint at a better story to come. Those chapters reeled me in and were the reasons I continued reading.
Somewhere around page 200, reading this stop being a chore and started being a desire. I was flowing through it with a reverence I didn't know I could possess for this book.
This book was provided to me as a free download through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This was my first Steena Holmes read. I was drawn to the book without prior exposure for a variety of reasons. 1- Genre: Mystery/Thriller 2- The cover 3- The title 4-It was an immediate download w/o prior request or approval. (Instant gratification)
I read & listened to this book via the Netgalley app. The voice on the app isn't the greatest, but it truly made it convenient for me to be able to multitask when I wasn't able to sit down and lay eyes on it.
This wasn't a new story. A new telling, new names, a few new perspectives, and even surprises.
However, this read was like a mash-up of cult movies and stories I have read and watched before. I was easy to follow and predict what was going to happen.
That being said, I truly enjoyed it. This author has a wonderful writing style that made it tremendously easy for the words to flow as a movie in my mind's eye. She did a great job with character development as well. If you are like me and have "watched" this story played out before, you may find that you know exactly what's coming, but that don't let that detour you. This is a wonderful read.
The main character, Brynn, annoyed the crap out if me at times. One minute, I was seeing such depth to her character, and the next, she was a moron. (sorry) But in reality, people are like that. Even the smartest and most rational ppl make stupid decisions, especially when it comes to self-doubt, family, and friends are concerned.
I will say I HATED the ending. Thank goodness for epilogues. I wish it hadn't been so abrupt. But for all I know, this may be a part of this particular author's style of writing.
There were some mild triggers. I don't want to give too much away, but ... blood and gore... violence... desecration of the dead...
If this sounds like your cup of tea, I recommend giving this book a try.
DNF. The main character, Brynn, has received two warnings that the cult is going to harm her and never let her go. Yet, she continues to entertain her brother’s pleas to give the cult a chance. This book is unbearable. Every step of the way Brynn’s making unbelievably dumb decisions and defying common sense. No one can relate to this. I hate authors who rely on their main characters being morons instead of coming up with less contrived plots. This character deserves whatever ends up happening to her.
Main character was annoying. Everyone knew what was going on except her. Might as well only have half a brain. The “twist” wasn’t twisting. This was a tough read
Bryce and Brinn are twins, their father has recently died and they have taken over the running of the family funeral home. Bryce has also taken over the running of the cult that his father had founded. A psychological thriller with some unbelievable twists and turns. Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to #NetGalley and #JoffeBooks for the book #TheTwin by #SteenaHolmes. This book was full of suspense, secrets and a roller coaster ride of emotions. I read it in one sitting and highly recommend it. Bryce and Bryan are albino twins and are inseparable, well they used to be. Ever since their controlling father died, Bryce has changed. Now, Brynn is being held captive and what comes next will make your jaw drop.
Gave it an extra star because the back to back absurdities made me LOL
Summary:
Main characters are Albino Twins who are associated with a doomsday cult (one of which is a full indoctrinated member with a secret wife and kid in the cult while the other remembers nothing about the cult she grew up in and has no clue her bother is in a cult) and run the family funeral home together. The believer twin happens to be a NYC chef (and also performs autopsy’s, cremations, and embalmings) who cooks their dead fathers organs and secretly feeds them to his twin sister for 6 months before kidnapping her and making her eat the organs of another cult member who was “willingly” murdered (paired with veggies grown in the ashes of other cult members who were “willingly” murdered). Whole plot boils down to the brother believing he needs to kill, cook, and eat his sister to usher is a new world as part of cult prophecy (hinged on them being albino even though no relatives are, sister thinks her mom must have found a good looking albino mailman somewhere). The brother then totally abandons the murder/eat sister plan very suddenly after the cult leader beats his sister up before they kill her. Not sure why a beating is where he drew the line and decided to help her escape when he was planning on killing and eating her all along BUT book gave me a good laugh.
Ps. Cannibal brother is still on the run with his wife and kid so keep your head on a swivel (especially if your albino).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This is the first book that I've read by this author but I knew right from seeing the front cover, that it was going to be my perfect genre.
When twins Brynn and Bryce lose their father, they take over the family business. After years of unfair treatment by her father, Brynn hopes to take more of an active role in the business, but Bryce reveals a secret that has her reeling.
From the start, I really liked the characters and their connection and dynamic. Being twins meant that they had held a special bond, especially whilst growing up. But as the story unfolds, I started to be more wary of Bryce and his behaviour, which was rapidly becoming that of his father - and poor Brynn was back to square one.
The addition of the cult membership really had me on edge. This sort of thing always makes me uneasy and these scenes were super creepy in places.
The writing style was great and built up an appropriate atmosphere that had me racing through the pages and on the edge of my seat - but there were some instances of repetition, which just interrupted the flow for me at times. And some of Brynn's choices had me wanting to jump in and give her a good shake!
Overall, a pretty quick and enjoyable read. I'd love to see more from this author in the future.
DNF. Once the word cult was thrown out and there was a mention of a second fridge I knew what was in it. The heroine was way too meek for me when she just talked so nonchalantly about their family being in a dooms day cult. Her brother was weird, dismissive, and a grade A gaslighter and I just couldn’t get into it. I knew where it was going so I jumped ahead and was not surprised by the ending although the rescue seemed so out of character and abrupt.
From the book description and story premise, I expected a gripping read. Unfortunately, I got one which had me wanting to throw my tablet across the room on multiple occasions, especially in the latter 50%. Honestly, at points I found it so difficult to keep going.
This opening line had me eager for more: ‘Death is a permanent fixture in my life, but I’m not ready to shake hands with that Angel and be welcomed into its embrace.’ Sadly, the rest of the writing let me down badly. While I highlighted lots of sentences and paragraphs which stood out for me, the whole—when put together—failed.
The repetition on basic things is a huge red flag. I don’t need telling the same thing a gazillion times, let alone multiple things. Honestly, it got to the point of eye rolling and saying, ‘Give me a break!’ Then there came the twin link/psychic shares fixation, as though this happens with all twins. As an identical twin I can tell you, definitively, that is so not true. The author needs to rephrase this as ‘some twins’ or ‘between myself and Bryce’ … you get the picture.
The main character had me frustrated and was so inconsistent it was unreal. Why stay once the father died? Especially when things with her brother, who apparently couldn’t hide anything from her ever—due to the ridiculous repetition and focus on the twin link that isn’t a universal trait—managed to completely fool and gaslight her. If he took over controlling her money after dear daddy died, then Brynn had plenty of friends she could have gone to for help, even a police officer. Sad to say, this was yet another big plot point which never got a mention. None of her fluctuating responses made sense, not even when taking into account past suppressed memories.
The ending was a let down too with much left unfinished and open. Normally, I complete a read in a day or two, or sometimes three to four if life’s busy or I’m more unwell than usual. This one took me seven days of struggle. Had I not DNFd a couple of books with this publisher already, I would likely have notified them I couldn’t get through it. Had I known how poor the final 40% would prove to be I would have stopped regardless.
So why two stars and not one, I hear you ask …
I tried my best to give a bare 3 stars but my conscience wouldn’t allow me. This read has come close to destroying my love of books. Sigh. The two stars instead of one are for some of the lines/paragraphs, which deserve merit. However, the majority of the narrative left me in need of time to regroup afterward.
Despite the passive writing, which I ignored, along with the comma splices and split infinitives, as these seem to have become commonplace recently, here are some of the quotes I highlighted …
‘Sometimes, it was best not to hunt the monsters beneath the bed.’
And …
‘That part of my memory was scrubbed away, wiped clean with bleach.’
And …
‘If an eye roll could be heard, mine would have been louder than a cat in heat.’
I didn’t find this storyline full of twists at all, and everything that occurred I saw coming a mile away. It isn’t a thriller or a mystery. It doesn’t even give much information on the cult, which forms the bulk of the plot line.
When a read goes this badly, but also has some gems buried, it leaves me incredibly saddened. I so wanted to love this book and writer. The Twin gets a soft two stars. Believe me, I wish I could give it more, and I’m rooting for the author on any future books she writes. Her latent talent is obvious, and with a thorough revision this would make for a heart rending and gripping read.
***
NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.
5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.
4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.
3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.
2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.
1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book
Albino twins Brynn and Bryce are entwined within a doomsday cult. I love cult documentaries, so was excited to read this book
I enjoyed the audiobook, finding the narrator to have a very soothing voice and feel she complimented the overall vibe
I would suggest this book should be marketed as YA. There’s no cursing, a lot of repetition and there’s very few nasty cult details
Brynn is incredibly naive and although she’s not a child, she makes very childish decisions. She’s adamant she won’t get involved in the cult, yet allows her brother to manipulate her, continuously second guessing herself
Twin brother Bryce keeps so much back. He’s so cryptic, which was nothing but frustrating. He’s forever ‘surprising’ his sister with people and places she professes to hate, but never tells him to eff off (no cursing in this book)
I was eager to hear more about the serial killer that’s mentioned early on, but that’s seemed to go nowhere and for the life of me, I don’t know why it was mentioned - did I miss something?
The final showdown is relayed to Brynn, rather than experiencing it which disappointed me. I always prefer being within the action rather than hearing about it
There’s one really freaky cult reveal which I loved, but mostly it was all extremely repetitive and predictable
Thanks to Netgalley and Brilliance Publishing for access to this audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review
The Twin was a disturbing read! It takes the super popular tropes of "special," chosen people who have albinism and marries it to the doomsday cult trope in a truly explosive and terrifying way. As a twin, I love reading thrillers that are focused on twins, because there's always part of me that really understands both sides of where twins find themselves in conflict. However, this one was rough because Brynn was such a pushover people pleaser who repeatedly puts herself in harm's way to please her brother, and Bryce was a domineering, strange, gullible man, and he willingly put his sister in harm's way. It's a bit difficult to hold him accountable for that though because he's a victim of the cult as well? I wish that more had been done in the way of showing the cult be disassembled and high ranking members held accountable for the atrocities they put members through.
I did like the narrator quite a bit but I really struggled with the voice she adopted for male characters. It just sounded unnatural and took me out of the story a bit every time the narrative switched. However, during the intense, high activity scenes she excelled! Overall, I feel like this was well-written and adds something fresh to this genre.
3.5 ⭐️
Thank you to Brilliance Publishing, Brilliance Audio, and NetGalley for providing an ALC!
What do you do when you spend your life listening to your father treat your twin so much better than you, for a prophecy that you don’t believe… Thinking you are free when your father dies just for your brother to take his place and things have escalated to the point you can’t trust the one person you used to trust with your life.
It was a really weird book but I really loved how twisty and weird it was. Two albino twins, living with the idea that their father believes this crazy prophecy about them but treating them both so differently. Brynn comes to realize that her brother isn’t the person she thought he was and Bryce wants Brynn to give herself over willingly. It was a huge tug-o-war for Brynn and man oh man I got the creeper chills from the whole thing!
I loved the family drama, I loved the lowkey psychological games that were going on and I loved how the book ended. So dang good!!
Bryce and Brynn are twins and are super close. They're albino and because of this unique trait, are the target of everyone's stares. It is also because of this that they're considered the living prophecy of the cult their father was a lead member of. When their father dies, Brynn thinks their connection to The Final Family is over until Bryce admits that he's been part of the cult's leadership for a while now. As Brynn is slowly, and reluctantly, introduced to the Family, she starts to question everything, especially when cult members start to go missing and Brynn begins to learn more about her own mother's death.
This was my first book by author Steena Holmes and proved to truly be a creepy, twisty thriller. I'm all for a cult thriller and this one did provide some great twists, turns, and suspense. However, there was one particular event towards the end that really was not for me and unfortunately one that I had predicted, but really hoped was not actually coming. Please read trigger warnings before picking this one up!
I thought the character development was pretty good and the plot was well-paced for a quick read. I listened to this one on audio and I enjoyed the narrator.
Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for the ALC. My review is honest and voluntary.
This was a decent mystery. I liked the pacing and all the family secrets and drama. The one thing I was annoyed with was how naive Brynn was. I can't believe how trusting she was - I kept thinking "girl what are you doing!", "why are you going there?!". Overall it was a good read.
Thank you Netgalley, Joffe Books and the author for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This immediately grabbed me as I thought this would be right up my street. What is not to get involved in - and it worked well. It was a good afternoon read. The different element with the albino twins and how it flowed through the story was a different take so made it really interesting.
I really enjoyed this! It's one of the most unsettling books I've read in recent memory. If you enjoy disturbing books, I would recommend this! Special Thank You to Steena Holmes, Joffe Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
Page turning suspense from the start and throughout. Intriguing portrayal of cult beliefs and assimilations. Educational information about albinism and genetics, altogether an interesting and different kind of thriller. Disturbing and creepy throughout.
I wanted to love this book. At times. I think I did. But overall? It wasn’t for me.
The premise was super interesting: After the passing of her father, Brynn hopes to begin running her family’s funeral home. She has the education and training and how that her overbearing father is gone, nothing can stop her. Nothing except her twin brother, Bryce. Brynn and Bryce initially set out to run things together, but their father’s secret group (read: cult) demands more and more of Bryce’s attention. As it turns out, the cult, the funeral business, and their lives are linked in ways Brynn cannot begin to imagine.
Good, right?
And it was, except there is so much repetition and so many questions that are never answered.
First the repetition. Brynn wants things to be different. She hated Anthony, her father, and doesn’t want Bryce to be like him. She hates The Family. Over and over. At least once in every chapter, sometimes more. I get it; some of this is necessary exposition. But it started to become tiresome by chapter seven as the repetition continued.
What would have been helpful? Less repetition and more plot advancement. The cult thing is fascinating and I definitely wanted to know more. I was captivated by parts of the middle/end where more information is provided about the cult; however, information is held back to the very end. I don’t understand why Bryce, who supposedly loves his sister so much, doesn’t share information with her. How do they become so estranged? And why does Brynn, who is supposed to be this strong and independent woman, allow Bryce to get away with so much?
I don’t want to give anything away. Let it suffice to say this book has lots of potential; I just found myself too frustrated to really enjoy it.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Tropes - Hidden idenities. Doomsday Cult. Hidden Lives. Lies and Secrets.
Available on Kindle Unlimited - Yes.
Available Formats - Kindle and Paperback.
Publishing Infomation - Published on 29th August 2024 by Joffe Books.
Format in Which i Read - Kindle Ebook.
Where my copy come From - Gifted from ZooLoo's Book Tours
POVs - Just from Brynn POV.
Dual Timeline - Yes, the before the event and during.
1st or 3rd Person - 1st Person.
HEA or Cliffhanger - This is a difficult one to say, its not a HEA, nor is it a cliffhanger but i do feel like there is questions left unanswered.
Series or Standalone - This is a standalone, however it is included in the set series Gripping Pyschologicial thrillers which are interlinked standalones.
Trigger Warnings - This book does have some content that people may find triggering, such as cults, brainwashing, cannablism, unaliving. This is book three.
My Initial Thoughts
The Twin most certainly starts with a bang. "Death is a permanent fixture in my life." The pace, mystery and secrets are set from the prologue and the first couple of chapters. You already have lots of questions waiting to be answered and discovered as you follow Brynn and Bryce.
Plot
"Anthony Kern was a monster in diguise, and i was the only one who dared to peek beneath the mask" The plot for The Twin is immersive and you find yourself stuck between the siblings believing completely different thing about their father's buisness. The pieces all come together slowly as you read on, and the more "now" chapters you read, the more things link together and you find yourself bracing for the worse. "Being an albino isn't a gift, any more than it's a curse. Its DNA, Bryce, that's all"
Characters
The characters in this was for me not very likeable, i mean everyone has flaws but these ones are huge gapping ones. Brynn is a very stubborn 30 year old that i actively was shouting in my mind out. Instincts women! Bryce is just someone who well like father like son i guess, although you do understand him more when his secrets start coming to light.
Recommend
i recommend this to all that a psychological thriller lovers.
Favourite Quotes
"Of course, she had books. Mom loved to read, don't you remember that? She'd always read to us at bedtime, then close the book and say it was her turn to read her 'mommy' stories."
"Death isn't the end of things, it's just a different path someone walks than you."
"There comes a time when you need to stop judging a person for their past mistakes and focus on who they become because of them."
Favourite Chapter/s
No chapter in particular was my favouite.
Summed up in one sentence
A distrubing and gruesome experience.
Overall Wrap up
Overall this was different kind of thriller as it involved cults, it was quite disturbing in some places. I feel like there is still questions that have been left unanswered, also it was going at a leisurely pace and then suddenly it all ramped up towards the end but was over so quickly. It was a great read that i did enjoy, its one that once you pick up you want to carry on reading.
I love reading, so when I struggle with a book, it isn't a good sign. I found this book neither well-written nor researched. Covering topics of twins, albinism, cannibalism and cults, I think the author set out more to shock than deliver a good read. Disappointing 2 stars