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You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone
No Forgiveness
Andrea Boyle moved to Seattle to give her seventeen-year-old nephew, Spencer, a fresh start after the death of his parents. Andrea has found her own new beginning with Luke, a successful playwright and father of a teenage son, Damon. The boys appear to have little in common, but in truth they share a private torment…
No Remorse
When a tragedy befalls Damon, it's just the beginning of a nightmare that unfolds. But the worst is yet to come once a dark secret from Spencer's past is exposed. And when Luke is brutally attacked, both of their futures are at stake.
No Second Chance
Now it's up to Andrea to prove Spencer's innocence to the police--and to herself. Because for reasons she has revealed to no one, even Andrea can't help questioning the truth--and fearing that she may be next to pay the ultimate price…
Praise for Kevin O'Brien's Tell Me You're Sorry
"If you want darkness, if you crave chills, this is the tale for you!" --Suspense Magazine
"Terrifying." --Mystery Scene
Andrea Boyle moved to Seattle to give her seventeen-year-old nephew, Spencer, a fresh start after the death of his parents. Andrea has found her own new beginning with Luke, a successful playwright and father of a teenage son, Damon. The boys appear to have little in common, but in truth they share a private torment…
No Remorse
When a tragedy befalls Damon, it's just the beginning of a nightmare that unfolds. But the worst is yet to come once a dark secret from Spencer's past is exposed. And when Luke is brutally attacked, both of their futures are at stake.
No Second Chance
Now it's up to Andrea to prove Spencer's innocence to the police--and to herself. Because for reasons she has revealed to no one, even Andrea can't help questioning the truth--and fearing that she may be next to pay the ultimate price…
Praise for Kevin O'Brien's Tell Me You're Sorry
"If you want darkness, if you crave chills, this is the tale for you!" --Suspense Magazine
"Terrifying." --Mystery Scene
544 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
89 people are currently reading
1638 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 157 reviews
February 13, 2017
This is the second thriller I've read by Kevin O'Brien. I was interested in his books because the stories take place in Seattle and there are places I know and have been to in them. But besides that, he is simply an excellent author and this book is quite a page turner.
Spencer and his aunt Andrea, have moved to Seattle to start a new life after a family tragedy. But they find they cannot escape the past. I don't want to give anything away so I'll just encourage lovers of mysteries to pick up this book! There are lots of twists and turns and I was surprised by the ending, which is always a good thing!
My favorite lines are at the end -
"Some people had scars on the outside, and others carried them around inside. They would always be there. He figured the trick was learning to live with them."
That is so true! I highly recommend this book.
Spencer and his aunt Andrea, have moved to Seattle to start a new life after a family tragedy. But they find they cannot escape the past. I don't want to give anything away so I'll just encourage lovers of mysteries to pick up this book! There are lots of twists and turns and I was surprised by the ending, which is always a good thing!
My favorite lines are at the end -
"Some people had scars on the outside, and others carried them around inside. They would always be there. He figured the trick was learning to live with them."
That is so true! I highly recommend this book.
July 11, 2017
Andrea Boyle and her nephew, Spencer Murray, move to Seattle to start over--a fresh start. Andrea begins dating Luke Shuler. They are doing so well in their relationship that Andrea and Spencer move in with Luke. They've been together for four months and she still hasn't told Luke their secret.
Luke brings to the relationship his son Damon. Spencer and Damon do not get along because Spencer is a witness to Damon being bullied at school. When Damon reaches his limit, he broadcast on podcast his suicide, taking his mother's life with him, in a car explosion. During the podcast Damon names his tormentors.
Mysteriously, the people Damon named are being killed and all the evidence points to Spencer as the murderer. Soon Spencer's secret becomes known to Luke, to his school, and to the public. Andrea and Spencer's past has caught up with them.
Andrea is one of two persons who believes Spencer's innocence, but even she has moments of doubt. Is Spencer the murderer? Will Luke and Andrea's relationship survive the secret? Will she and Spencer have to make another fresh start in a new state?
You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone is a suspense thriller that keeps the reader turning the pages. Andrea and Spencer are characters one comes to care about. Damon being bullied is felt by narrative, dialogue and description. You can feel his fear. The plot and subplots keep the reader guessing the ending. Though I figured out the murderer two-thirds through the book, the story was still suspenseful. Maybe I'm just getting better at picking up on the clues. This is my first novel by Kevin O'Brien. It will not be my last.
Luke brings to the relationship his son Damon. Spencer and Damon do not get along because Spencer is a witness to Damon being bullied at school. When Damon reaches his limit, he broadcast on podcast his suicide, taking his mother's life with him, in a car explosion. During the podcast Damon names his tormentors.
Mysteriously, the people Damon named are being killed and all the evidence points to Spencer as the murderer. Soon Spencer's secret becomes known to Luke, to his school, and to the public. Andrea and Spencer's past has caught up with them.
Andrea is one of two persons who believes Spencer's innocence, but even she has moments of doubt. Is Spencer the murderer? Will Luke and Andrea's relationship survive the secret? Will she and Spencer have to make another fresh start in a new state?
You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone is a suspense thriller that keeps the reader turning the pages. Andrea and Spencer are characters one comes to care about. Damon being bullied is felt by narrative, dialogue and description. You can feel his fear. The plot and subplots keep the reader guessing the ending. Though I figured out the murderer two-thirds through the book, the story was still suspenseful. Maybe I'm just getting better at picking up on the clues. This is my first novel by Kevin O'Brien. It will not be my last.
June 29, 2016
Andrea Boyle moved from Washington, D.C. to Seattle with her seventeen-year-old nephew Spencer to escape their past. Spencer committed a horrific crime when he was 11 years old and was starting afresh in a new school. Andrea falls in love and moves in with Luke, a successful playwright, who has a troubled son Damon. Damon and Spencer both in the same high school are bullied mercilessly. When Damon reaches his breaking point he decides to end his life promising revenge to his tormentors after he commits suicide on a live podcast. True to his word after his death the same people who harassed Damon start receiving death threats. When Spencer’s past is exposed by an anonymous text, nobody believes his innocence and the bodies keep piling up and all the evidence pointing towards Spencer. With just his aunt in his corner will Spencer be able to prove his innocence or will the past catch up with him again?
The book though lengthy is a fast read and by midpoint of this book you realize what is going on. The bullying scenes did make me cringe and you could feel Damon’s fear and desperation come through. There are a lot of characters in the book some of them absolutely despicable but the author manages to pull the plot together even though it’s not a new concept. Despite the fact you can anticipate the end it makes for an interesting read and kept me up late at night.
Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest and fair review.
The book though lengthy is a fast read and by midpoint of this book you realize what is going on. The bullying scenes did make me cringe and you could feel Damon’s fear and desperation come through. There are a lot of characters in the book some of them absolutely despicable but the author manages to pull the plot together even though it’s not a new concept. Despite the fact you can anticipate the end it makes for an interesting read and kept me up late at night.
Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest and fair review.
September 13, 2024
Andrea Boyle has moved to Seattle with her nephew, Spencer, to get a fresh start after the death of Spencer's parents. Andrea is also starting over with a new relationship with Playwright Luke Schuler. Luke's teenage son, Damon is the same age as Spencer, but they really haven't hit it off the way Andrea hoped they would. Damon is being bullied at school. When he tells the teachers and principal, they are no help. Damon sets off on a plan to get even with his tormentors; one that causes a nightmare for both Andrea and Spencer.
This is my first book by Kevin O'Brien, but it won't be my last. This book starts off with a bang and never lets up. There are some good twists in this story. I guessed one part of it correctly; but had no idea about other things that were revealed as the story unfolded. My rating: 4 Stars.
This is my first book by Kevin O'Brien, but it won't be my last. This book starts off with a bang and never lets up. There are some good twists in this story. I guessed one part of it correctly; but had no idea about other things that were revealed as the story unfolded. My rating: 4 Stars.
July 17, 2016
Andrea Boyle moved to Seattle with her nephew to start a new life. Andrea meets and falls in love with Luke, a playwright, who has his own son. Both boys are bullied in school and but Luke’s son Damon vows he will get revenge on those who had been his tormentors when he ends his life during a live podcast. After his death the bullies start receiving death threats and when Andrea’s nephew, Spencer’s past comes out they begin to suspect him. Will Andrea and Spencer be able to prove his innocence and who is killing the bullies. I would like to thank the Publisher and Net Galley for the chance to read this ARC.
August 26, 2017
A rare 5 stars from me.
As a first time reader of this author, I will henceforth be reading a lot more of his work. This book was outstanding from page one to the last page. I cannot praise the plot, the characters and the plot twists (there are many). If I were to offer up my normal review, I would have to give away to many plot points and spoilers; this story is THAT good. Let me say this much: if the other books written by this author are as two-thirds as good as this one, they will be still worth reading. And as I stated above, I do not give a book review 5 stars that often since I have reformed my rating system.
This is truly a book that I highly recommend and enjoyed the hell out of reading. It really held my interest throughout the entire 536 worthwhile pages. Take a chance on this wonderfully crafty and imaginative author...I do not think you will be sorry.
As a first time reader of this author, I will henceforth be reading a lot more of his work. This book was outstanding from page one to the last page. I cannot praise the plot, the characters and the plot twists (there are many). If I were to offer up my normal review, I would have to give away to many plot points and spoilers; this story is THAT good. Let me say this much: if the other books written by this author are as two-thirds as good as this one, they will be still worth reading. And as I stated above, I do not give a book review 5 stars that often since I have reformed my rating system.
This is truly a book that I highly recommend and enjoyed the hell out of reading. It really held my interest throughout the entire 536 worthwhile pages. Take a chance on this wonderfully crafty and imaginative author...I do not think you will be sorry.
July 30, 2016
I received this book free from net galley and the publisher (Kensington) in exchange for an honest review.
Score another one for Kevin O'Brien. I am always delighted to know another book by this author is being released and even more delighted when I receive a copy to review.
Andrea has moved with her nephew Spencer and changed his last name so he wouldn't be linked to the tragedy that put him away for six years in a mental institution. They live their lives without the blemish of the past; Andrea is involved with Luke who knows nothing and while their relationship has its struggles with his troublemaking ex wife Evelyn and Luke's son, Damon, who is not happy with the arrangement, things are going pretty well for them.
Until the day Damon makes a live broadcast and blows up the car with dynamite killing himself and his mother with the haunting message "you'll miss me when I'm gone".
Almost instantly there's a bigger body count as one after another of the bullies Damon named in his podcast end up dead. As there are more and more dead bodies, it's unmistakably looking like spencer is responsible. Or is he? He enlists the help of Damon's only friend Tanya and another girl Bonnie in trying to figure out this mess.
While I was totally on to the one aspect that I found a little predictable, I had so many loose ends that I kept trying to grasp at one scenario or another. I was definitely left guessing and my mind kept thinking of one solution or another trying to figure it all out.
This one hit me a little differently than Other books I have read by Mr O'Brien. They all definitely have the creep and thriller factor as did this one but I don't think I have emphasized with the characters so much as I did with this one. I was so heartbroken at Damon, the little lost boy that no one seemed to really care about and felt so much sadness for him as each day of bullying was torture and he had no safe haven to go to. Not I am not by any means condoning anything Damon did but we got a glimpse of what life is like for those people who lose control and take numerous lives. I also felt for Spencer, who was too young when tragedy and violence took hold of him. It was such a strange emotion thinking about him; Andrea's forgiveness was astronomical. I asked myself many times while reading this "would I be able to forgive? We may think we know people but when they do the unthinkable, what are we supposed to feel? And how do we know what they will do in the future? Can we ever really trust our emotions?
Mr O'Brien's reads are delicious scares. Reading them, especially late at night, I can visualize the scenarios and there's that little part of me that just wants to take a peak under my bed.
Thank you net galley, Kensington and Kevin O'brien for allowing me to read and review this book. I give it a solid 4 1/2.
Score another one for Kevin O'Brien. I am always delighted to know another book by this author is being released and even more delighted when I receive a copy to review.
Andrea has moved with her nephew Spencer and changed his last name so he wouldn't be linked to the tragedy that put him away for six years in a mental institution. They live their lives without the blemish of the past; Andrea is involved with Luke who knows nothing and while their relationship has its struggles with his troublemaking ex wife Evelyn and Luke's son, Damon, who is not happy with the arrangement, things are going pretty well for them.
Until the day Damon makes a live broadcast and blows up the car with dynamite killing himself and his mother with the haunting message "you'll miss me when I'm gone".
Almost instantly there's a bigger body count as one after another of the bullies Damon named in his podcast end up dead. As there are more and more dead bodies, it's unmistakably looking like spencer is responsible. Or is he? He enlists the help of Damon's only friend Tanya and another girl Bonnie in trying to figure out this mess.
While I was totally on to the one aspect that I found a little predictable, I had so many loose ends that I kept trying to grasp at one scenario or another. I was definitely left guessing and my mind kept thinking of one solution or another trying to figure it all out.
This one hit me a little differently than Other books I have read by Mr O'Brien. They all definitely have the creep and thriller factor as did this one but I don't think I have emphasized with the characters so much as I did with this one. I was so heartbroken at Damon, the little lost boy that no one seemed to really care about and felt so much sadness for him as each day of bullying was torture and he had no safe haven to go to. Not I am not by any means condoning anything Damon did but we got a glimpse of what life is like for those people who lose control and take numerous lives. I also felt for Spencer, who was too young when tragedy and violence took hold of him. It was such a strange emotion thinking about him; Andrea's forgiveness was astronomical. I asked myself many times while reading this "would I be able to forgive? We may think we know people but when they do the unthinkable, what are we supposed to feel? And how do we know what they will do in the future? Can we ever really trust our emotions?
Mr O'Brien's reads are delicious scares. Reading them, especially late at night, I can visualize the scenarios and there's that little part of me that just wants to take a peak under my bed.
Thank you net galley, Kensington and Kevin O'brien for allowing me to read and review this book. I give it a solid 4 1/2.
August 3, 2016
YOU'LL MISS ME WHEN I'M GONE
Written by Keven O'Brien
July 26, 2016; 544 Pages
Pinnacle, Kensington
Genre: suspense, thriller, mystery, bullying, young adults
(I received an ARC from the NETGALLEY in exchange for an honest review.)
★★★1/2
After the death of Andrea's sister and brother-in-law, she moves her nephew, Spencer to Seattle to start anew. She meets Luke, a successful playwrite, and a few months later Andrea and Spencer move into his home. Luke is newly divorced and brings with him his own baggage - a clingy wealthy ex-wife and a teenage son, Damon.
Damon is being bullied at school and is getting no help from the adults. His only friend, Tanya, seems to purposely attracting the wrong attention which gives him a harder time. When Damon cannot take it anymore he sets up an elaborate plan to get back at those who have wronged him, even if that means going down with them.
Things start to get worse for everyone close to Damon and Spencer is now the target of bullying. Instead of blending in to forget his past, it is all unraveling and his secret may just be the tip of the iceberg for both Spencer and Andrea.
While I found this novel a bit long and elaborate, I also enjoyed the suspense and how it all unraveled. It was a bit different and some of the turns had me readjusting some of my own conclusions. The book opens with Andrea but soon it shifts more towards Spencer and other teens. This is definitely a good beach read!
Written by Keven O'Brien
July 26, 2016; 544 Pages
Pinnacle, Kensington
Genre: suspense, thriller, mystery, bullying, young adults
(I received an ARC from the NETGALLEY in exchange for an honest review.)
★★★1/2
After the death of Andrea's sister and brother-in-law, she moves her nephew, Spencer to Seattle to start anew. She meets Luke, a successful playwrite, and a few months later Andrea and Spencer move into his home. Luke is newly divorced and brings with him his own baggage - a clingy wealthy ex-wife and a teenage son, Damon.
Damon is being bullied at school and is getting no help from the adults. His only friend, Tanya, seems to purposely attracting the wrong attention which gives him a harder time. When Damon cannot take it anymore he sets up an elaborate plan to get back at those who have wronged him, even if that means going down with them.
Things start to get worse for everyone close to Damon and Spencer is now the target of bullying. Instead of blending in to forget his past, it is all unraveling and his secret may just be the tip of the iceberg for both Spencer and Andrea.
While I found this novel a bit long and elaborate, I also enjoyed the suspense and how it all unraveled. It was a bit different and some of the turns had me readjusting some of my own conclusions. The book opens with Andrea but soon it shifts more towards Spencer and other teens. This is definitely a good beach read!
July 22, 2016
A special thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Kevin O’Brien returns following No One Needs to Know (2015) with YOU'LL MISS ME WHEN I'M GONE another complex multi-layered mystery, with a highly-charged topic of bullying combined with family secrets, and now murder—keeping readers glued to the pages of this gripping thriller, to the final ending.
Andrea Boyle, age thirty-six years old, (she looked much younger)-- moved from Washington, DC with her seventeen-year-old nephew Spencer. Andrea, was a copywriter, and polished manuscripts for authors before they sent their work off to publishers—from textbooks to thrillers. She could work from anywhere, and met Luke at a party of her one and only Seattle client, a true crime writer.
She had relocated with the hope that she and Spencer could start fresh, where no one knew them. Andrea had her nephew's last name legally changed. He was now Spencer Murray. Everyone thought he was her younger brother. She told people his parents died in an automobile accident when he was eleven and she had been taking care of him since.
No one in Seattle knew the real story, including her dear handsome Luke. She needed to tell him the truth. Would he forgive her? She had been dating him for four months. She and Spencer had moved in with Luke three weeks earlier.
Playwright Luke and Andrea are a couple attempting to start a new life together. Luke has a troubled son named Damon and a soon-to-be-ex-wife who is inappropriately obsessive about Luke, their son, and, increasingly, Andrea. When Luke and Andrea decide to move in together, kids in tow, things get unexpectedly complicated. Damon is bullied at school, with Spencer as witness, and in the aftermath of a bullied teen’s suicide, some of the bullies start to die.
Damon, was his son and spent alternate weekends with them. Damon had a bit of OCD and washed his hands about forty times a day. Damon and Spencer both had been harassed by a few bullies. Evelyn was the ex-wife.
When Damon recorded his own murder suicide on a podcast and outed all of the students and teachers that bullied him- strange things began happening. The people he named started turning up dead. Not only did it seem that someone was murdering these people for his benefit but whoever was behind it seemed determined to frame Spencer in the process. Damon was saying he would be more famous than his dad and his plays.
When Spencer’s dark secret is exposed and Luke learns the truth-- things get complicated. What happened when Spencer was eleven? Who is out to get him now? What is his dark secrets?
Andrea has to prove her nephew’s innocence. Does she believe in his innocence? Who is killing all the bullies? Is Spencer innocent or guilty? Everyone close to him is in danger. What if Damon is not really dead?
A fast-paced complex suspense thriller, with loads of characters, and most, not too nice. Have read many books by O’Brien over the years, and he never disappoints! Pack this one for your summer beach reading! Entertaining.
JDCMustReadBooks
Kevin O’Brien returns following No One Needs to Know (2015) with YOU'LL MISS ME WHEN I'M GONE another complex multi-layered mystery, with a highly-charged topic of bullying combined with family secrets, and now murder—keeping readers glued to the pages of this gripping thriller, to the final ending.
Andrea Boyle, age thirty-six years old, (she looked much younger)-- moved from Washington, DC with her seventeen-year-old nephew Spencer. Andrea, was a copywriter, and polished manuscripts for authors before they sent their work off to publishers—from textbooks to thrillers. She could work from anywhere, and met Luke at a party of her one and only Seattle client, a true crime writer.
She had relocated with the hope that she and Spencer could start fresh, where no one knew them. Andrea had her nephew's last name legally changed. He was now Spencer Murray. Everyone thought he was her younger brother. She told people his parents died in an automobile accident when he was eleven and she had been taking care of him since.
No one in Seattle knew the real story, including her dear handsome Luke. She needed to tell him the truth. Would he forgive her? She had been dating him for four months. She and Spencer had moved in with Luke three weeks earlier.
Playwright Luke and Andrea are a couple attempting to start a new life together. Luke has a troubled son named Damon and a soon-to-be-ex-wife who is inappropriately obsessive about Luke, their son, and, increasingly, Andrea. When Luke and Andrea decide to move in together, kids in tow, things get unexpectedly complicated. Damon is bullied at school, with Spencer as witness, and in the aftermath of a bullied teen’s suicide, some of the bullies start to die.
Damon, was his son and spent alternate weekends with them. Damon had a bit of OCD and washed his hands about forty times a day. Damon and Spencer both had been harassed by a few bullies. Evelyn was the ex-wife.
When Damon recorded his own murder suicide on a podcast and outed all of the students and teachers that bullied him- strange things began happening. The people he named started turning up dead. Not only did it seem that someone was murdering these people for his benefit but whoever was behind it seemed determined to frame Spencer in the process. Damon was saying he would be more famous than his dad and his plays.
When Spencer’s dark secret is exposed and Luke learns the truth-- things get complicated. What happened when Spencer was eleven? Who is out to get him now? What is his dark secrets?
Andrea has to prove her nephew’s innocence. Does she believe in his innocence? Who is killing all the bullies? Is Spencer innocent or guilty? Everyone close to him is in danger. What if Damon is not really dead?
A fast-paced complex suspense thriller, with loads of characters, and most, not too nice. Have read many books by O’Brien over the years, and he never disappoints! Pack this one for your summer beach reading! Entertaining.
JDCMustReadBooks
August 7, 2016
Bullying, teens, revenge, and murder filled the pages of this suspenseful thriller. I enjoyed the who done it aspect of the story. I did find myself bored, at times, with some of the behavior of the characters and was unhappy that the author did not allow the "school" to consider the crimes that were committed serious enough which in turn seemed unbelievable.
August 26, 2024
Bullying, teens, revenge, and murder fill the pages of this suspenseful thriller.
I did not enjoy the behavior of the characters too much and I hope that the description was not too accurate. A lot of brutal things happen nearly unnoticed and nearly always unpunished.
And of course we do have the obligatory psychopath as well. This does make the action a wee bit predictable. And Kevin O'Brien's books are always easy to read and end with the nice feeling of "yes, I noticed that right at the beginning!"
Only read once.
I did not enjoy the behavior of the characters too much and I hope that the description was not too accurate. A lot of brutal things happen nearly unnoticed and nearly always unpunished.
And of course we do have the obligatory psychopath as well. This does make the action a wee bit predictable. And Kevin O'Brien's books are always easy to read and end with the nice feeling of "yes, I noticed that right at the beginning!"
Only read once.
July 20, 2016
Original review can be found at http://kristineandterri.blogspot.ca/2...
** I received an advanced readers copy from Kensington via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank You!**
I don't even know where to begin with this book. Lets just say that there were numerous layers, more twists and turns than a roller coaster and an ever growing body count!
Andrea and her teenage nephew moved to Seattle looking for a fresh start after the unthinkable happened when Spencer was only eleven years old. They changed Spencer's last name and kept his past a secret from everyone including her boyfriend Luke. Strange things began happening at their home and Luke had the two of them move in with him and his son Damon, who shared his time between living with him and his mother. When Damon recorded his own murder/suicide on a pod cast and outed all of the students and teachers that bullied him strange things started happening. The people he named started turning up dead. Not only did it seem that someone was murdering these people for his benefit but whoever was behind it seemed determined to frame Spencer in the process.
As I stated above, there were many layers in this book. Spencer's past alone was enough to fill the pages of a book. Then there was the bullying of Damon which was more than enough to fill another book. At first I wasn't sure if it was going to work. I feared that it might be too busy and complicated for the story to be enjoyable. As I made my way through the pages I realised that it wasn't the case. It wasn't complicated but it was complex and I was quickly sucked in. Who was behind the string of murders? Why were they framing Spencer? I wanted answers and that is a strong indication that I am really enjoying a book.
There were multiple sub plots within the plot as well as multiple different points of view. I am a fan of multiple points of view and I thought that it worked particularly well in this book. It created a high level of suspense and added to the "creepy" factor. In fact, I could visualise what this book would look like on a big screen. It would be the type of movie that would have me ducking my head under the blanket every few minutes.
I pride myself in being able to figure out the Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How? before the end and I do have to admit that I had it partially figured out very early on. I say partially because the entire thing was so complex and there was an aspect of it that took me till close to the end to figure out. I applaud the author for this and keeping me guessing longer than I usually like to.
I really enjoyed this book and although it was the first book by this author for me, you can be sure that it won't be the last.
** I received an advanced readers copy from Kensington via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank You!**
I don't even know where to begin with this book. Lets just say that there were numerous layers, more twists and turns than a roller coaster and an ever growing body count!
Andrea and her teenage nephew moved to Seattle looking for a fresh start after the unthinkable happened when Spencer was only eleven years old. They changed Spencer's last name and kept his past a secret from everyone including her boyfriend Luke. Strange things began happening at their home and Luke had the two of them move in with him and his son Damon, who shared his time between living with him and his mother. When Damon recorded his own murder/suicide on a pod cast and outed all of the students and teachers that bullied him strange things started happening. The people he named started turning up dead. Not only did it seem that someone was murdering these people for his benefit but whoever was behind it seemed determined to frame Spencer in the process.
As I stated above, there were many layers in this book. Spencer's past alone was enough to fill the pages of a book. Then there was the bullying of Damon which was more than enough to fill another book. At first I wasn't sure if it was going to work. I feared that it might be too busy and complicated for the story to be enjoyable. As I made my way through the pages I realised that it wasn't the case. It wasn't complicated but it was complex and I was quickly sucked in. Who was behind the string of murders? Why were they framing Spencer? I wanted answers and that is a strong indication that I am really enjoying a book.
There were multiple sub plots within the plot as well as multiple different points of view. I am a fan of multiple points of view and I thought that it worked particularly well in this book. It created a high level of suspense and added to the "creepy" factor. In fact, I could visualise what this book would look like on a big screen. It would be the type of movie that would have me ducking my head under the blanket every few minutes.
I pride myself in being able to figure out the Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How? before the end and I do have to admit that I had it partially figured out very early on. I say partially because the entire thing was so complex and there was an aspect of it that took me till close to the end to figure out. I applaud the author for this and keeping me guessing longer than I usually like to.
I really enjoyed this book and although it was the first book by this author for me, you can be sure that it won't be the last.
August 10, 2016
I usually love the work of Kevin O'Brien, but this one was a bit of a miss for me. I'm trying to figure out why and I think it might be because of the characters, which O'Brien usually does so well. In this outing, they're pretty one-dimensional and I had a hard time really caring about them. His villain, easily seen from far off, is extremely one-note--practically a "mustache twirler." The most compelling villains to me, are the ones that have shades of gray within them and not so much just black. Also, parts of the book seem curiously dated, making me wonder if this is an older, dusted-off trunk book just now published. For example, text messages in the book are all written in this hard-to-read shorthand that we USED to see before the advent of smart phones. The characters in this book are all (for the most part) affluent enough to own one, so I'm scratching my head over this element.
March 6, 2017
Meh. That about sums up what I thought of the book. The plot is so far-fetched, I couldn't buy into any of it. The influence of one character on another seemed completely unrealistic, considering the second character's personality and moral system, and unfortunately two faked deaths in one book was just too much for me.
The writing was average, and the characters flat and very much one-dimensional. There were pages of scenes that could've been cut without affecting the story line, and I found the narrator incapable of imitating young male characters without being completely grating.
A miss for me.
The writing was average, and the characters flat and very much one-dimensional. There were pages of scenes that could've been cut without affecting the story line, and I found the narrator incapable of imitating young male characters without being completely grating.
A miss for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 12, 2018
Kevin O'Brien's books sure keep you on the edge and especially this one, what a roller coaster of a ride!!! There is so many Twist and Turns in this book, if I could I would rate it higher... 10* Absolutely Awesome!!!
November 1, 2016
Oh My God!
Get your popcorn ready and be prepared to say ‘Oh my God!’ every couple of chapters or so. The twists and turns in You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone are simply relentless – and the body count is high.
I’ll tell you that the book’s description gives absolutely no clue of what you’re about to experience as O’Brien starts pounding the suspense, terror, and heartbreak in this incredibly fast-paced book.
Sure, at times you’ll find yourself shaking your head in disbelief - it is outrageous – and you’ll likely find that you figured out the ‘who’ before the big reveal. But it doesn’t matter. You’ll want to read this until you finally get to the end. Then you’ll take a deep breath and realize that you ate the entire bowl of popcorn without realizing it.
So much fun!
*ARC Provided by Net Galley
Get your popcorn ready and be prepared to say ‘Oh my God!’ every couple of chapters or so. The twists and turns in You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone are simply relentless – and the body count is high.
I’ll tell you that the book’s description gives absolutely no clue of what you’re about to experience as O’Brien starts pounding the suspense, terror, and heartbreak in this incredibly fast-paced book.
Sure, at times you’ll find yourself shaking your head in disbelief - it is outrageous – and you’ll likely find that you figured out the ‘who’ before the big reveal. But it doesn’t matter. You’ll want to read this until you finally get to the end. Then you’ll take a deep breath and realize that you ate the entire bowl of popcorn without realizing it.
So much fun!
*ARC Provided by Net Galley
April 28, 2017
The "twist" is not hard to guess in this one. The characters aren't well-developed. High school kids aren't capable of the criminal brilliance shown in this book. Also I don't think the author has any grasp on how people send text messages. And he thinks caller ID from a cell lists first name and last name. It all stunk.
June 29, 2016
I won this book as a good reads giveaway. It is a advanced readers copy of the book. I enjoyed reading it. It had a good story to it. I hope to read more books by this author.
October 10, 2022
I liked this book a lot more than I initially thought I would. There were enough twists and turns to justify the length, and I had no problem with the suspension of disbelief that some scenarios required. Some people might think the level of bullying and lack of empathy from the bullies is far-fetched, but I spend 8+ hours a day with teenagers and you would be amazed how little empathy they possess for those around them.
July 21, 2016
rounded to 4.5/5----4 for my enjoyment, 4.5 for writing skills
thank you to the publisher for an e-arc through Netgalley
I've read all the O'Brien books, every single one. He is a master of the craft of creepy story-telling, always set in and around Seattle, his own home base. I even got my eldest daughter hooked on his tales. However, the past few books have amped up the "creepiness-factor" for me, and I think it's a sign of the times that perhaps the violence bothers me more today than say, five years ago. Between getting older and what I see in the news I am not as enthralled with this type of story as I used to be. I'm changing, not his writing skills.
However--big "but" here-- for lovers of high-octane suspense mysteries and thrillers, I am hard-pressed to come up with a popular, present-day author list without adding Kevin O'Brien's name to it. He delivers what he promises, and yes, there will be a high body count, but wow, he also delivers some "Hitchcockian" moments of thrills without any violence needed.
This one deals with teen bullying in high school and then expands on that theme. Are all the prank calls during the night, the spamming threats on social media, the keying of cars and leaving dead critters on steps, the work of just a horrible case of teenaged vigilante justice gone wrong... or something more... as it turns into murder and involves the family and friends of the bullies?
Well-done suspense for which you will need to keep that light on late at night-- don't read this one alone!
thank you to the publisher for an e-arc through Netgalley
I've read all the O'Brien books, every single one. He is a master of the craft of creepy story-telling, always set in and around Seattle, his own home base. I even got my eldest daughter hooked on his tales. However, the past few books have amped up the "creepiness-factor" for me, and I think it's a sign of the times that perhaps the violence bothers me more today than say, five years ago. Between getting older and what I see in the news I am not as enthralled with this type of story as I used to be. I'm changing, not his writing skills.
However--big "but" here-- for lovers of high-octane suspense mysteries and thrillers, I am hard-pressed to come up with a popular, present-day author list without adding Kevin O'Brien's name to it. He delivers what he promises, and yes, there will be a high body count, but wow, he also delivers some "Hitchcockian" moments of thrills without any violence needed.
This one deals with teen bullying in high school and then expands on that theme. Are all the prank calls during the night, the spamming threats on social media, the keying of cars and leaving dead critters on steps, the work of just a horrible case of teenaged vigilante justice gone wrong... or something more... as it turns into murder and involves the family and friends of the bullies?
Well-done suspense for which you will need to keep that light on late at night-- don't read this one alone!
July 22, 2016
After the death of his parents, Spencer and his aunt, Andrea, move to Seattle for a fresh start. Andrea is dating a successful playwright, Luke, who has a son, Damon. Both boys go to the same school, they're not friends and have nothing in common except they are both being bullied and dealing with their own demons.
During a live podcast Damon names his tormentors and vows to get revenge before taking his own life. Bodies start piling up and things go drastically downhill for Spencer, as all the evidence points to him being the murderer.
One of the things I really enjoyed about this book was it's fast-paced nature. As the action unfolds, you just keep reading and you don't even realised you have just read 500+ pages! Even though I figured out a few of the twists, the author had created such a suspenseful atmosphere, it didn't spoil the read at all.
This book is categorised as a psychological thriller but has elements of horror. These elements reminded me of the film 'Scream', the students not really taking the threats seriously at first, getting picked off one by one by a killer, and the style in which the killings occurred. This book has powerful themes of bullying, power and control, however, due to it reminding me of 'Scream', a film I detest, I wasn't able to get in to it the way I would have liked. This is through no fault of the author, but once I made that comparison, this book lost all its depth.
Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the digital advanced reading copy of this book.
During a live podcast Damon names his tormentors and vows to get revenge before taking his own life. Bodies start piling up and things go drastically downhill for Spencer, as all the evidence points to him being the murderer.
One of the things I really enjoyed about this book was it's fast-paced nature. As the action unfolds, you just keep reading and you don't even realised you have just read 500+ pages! Even though I figured out a few of the twists, the author had created such a suspenseful atmosphere, it didn't spoil the read at all.
This book is categorised as a psychological thriller but has elements of horror. These elements reminded me of the film 'Scream', the students not really taking the threats seriously at first, getting picked off one by one by a killer, and the style in which the killings occurred. This book has powerful themes of bullying, power and control, however, due to it reminding me of 'Scream', a film I detest, I wasn't able to get in to it the way I would have liked. This is through no fault of the author, but once I made that comparison, this book lost all its depth.
Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the digital advanced reading copy of this book.
October 27, 2016
I really don't know why I don't read more thrillers.
To be honest, looking at this objectively, this was sort of mediocre. The writing was clunky at times and nobody texts like that, I'm sorry, O'Brien, but dear God that would be a lot of work, that's a Homestuck typing quirk, not a texting style. But it had that thriller-y quality that made you keep going and keep going and keep going-
And even though I did guess what was going to happen at the end - to be honest - it was fun to see how it got there and to see if and how I was right.
Also, Kirk sounded like he would've been a fun character, from the descriptions. . He's the reason for 'of-course-kurt-cobain' up there, if that tells you anything.
But I really liked Spencer, and even though everyone other than Tanya kind of didn't have a personality, it was alright. I liked it anyway.
So this was fun. I need to read more thrillers; more of this guy's books especially. It touched on bullying and also it was just a ton of fun.
To be honest, looking at this objectively, this was sort of mediocre. The writing was clunky at times and nobody texts like that, I'm sorry, O'Brien, but dear God that would be a lot of work, that's a Homestuck typing quirk, not a texting style. But it had that thriller-y quality that made you keep going and keep going and keep going-
And even though I did guess what was going to happen at the end - to be honest - it was fun to see how it got there and to see if and how I was right.
Also, Kirk sounded like he would've been a fun character, from the descriptions. . He's the reason for 'of-course-kurt-cobain' up there, if that tells you anything.
But I really liked Spencer, and even though everyone other than Tanya kind of didn't have a personality, it was alright. I liked it anyway.
So this was fun. I need to read more thrillers; more of this guy's books especially. It touched on bullying and also it was just a ton of fun.
November 21, 2016
Depraved. Disgusting. Base. I guess in its genre as far as idea goes it falls well within the bounds of a thriller, but the story is just downright terrible to read. You have eleven and thirteen year old kids making decisions and choices that are well beyond normal. This same kid is able to manipulate others. I just don't believe there are so many people willing to give up all their morals and values at the drop of a (pants) to commit such horrific acts.
It's a kid and his aunt trying to escape his past and being found by it still. There were several times I couldn't help but to think, that's not really what someone would do.
It's a kid and his aunt trying to escape his past and being found by it still. There were several times I couldn't help but to think, that's not really what someone would do.
July 27, 2020
This was so badly written. It was completely obvious (although utterly far-fetched) from the very beginning. There were no twists or shocks (the only reason I kept reading was in hopes that there would be). I have no idea who rated this so high.
It reads like a YA novel written by someone who has no knowledge of teens in the past 20 years. The language used is not that of today's teens nor is details like the kids' Facebook pages. (Is there anyone on Facebook under the age of 40?!?)
I like to read a good "trash" book to get my mind off of the harsh realities of the day, but this was certainly a waste of time.
It reads like a YA novel written by someone who has no knowledge of teens in the past 20 years. The language used is not that of today's teens nor is details like the kids' Facebook pages. (Is there anyone on Facebook under the age of 40?!?)
I like to read a good "trash" book to get my mind off of the harsh realities of the day, but this was certainly a waste of time.
March 9, 2023
I loved everything about this book. The plotting, scheming, past, present; it all tied in so well and made an immaculate storyline! The suspense, head-scratching mystery was perfect, but that ending...oh my damn!! I was sad that Luke got hurt so badly, he was such a beautiful and forgiving man, but so glad he pulled through. The secrets kept everything interesting and I wanted to neglect all responsibilities just so I could get to the end and was sad when it ended. Spencer's quick thinking about the video gave me life, but his stalking skills need improvement😂 IYKYK!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2017
Could not put this book down! I did figure out what was going on right away but still enjoyed very much.
May 6, 2017
I didn't like this book as much as Kevin's other books. The story was good, but I knew who "did it" very early on, and I'd rather be surprised at the end. This is about a teen boy who was charged with killing his parents when he was 11 years old. He was put away, then release to his aunt, his only relative. When people start to die, everyone thinks he did it. If you're a fan of Kevin's you should read it.
September 1, 2017
Having just read Hide Your Fear by Kevin O' Brien , I went out and got more of his books.
You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone is a terrific read, a roller coaster of a ride, so many twists and turns!!
The characters were not all likeable that's for sure. Some you just couldn't quite decide about them and others like Spencer , his aunt Andrea and her boyfriend Luke you are either cheering them on or saying look out !!
Great book, great story
You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone is a terrific read, a roller coaster of a ride, so many twists and turns!!
The characters were not all likeable that's for sure. Some you just couldn't quite decide about them and others like Spencer , his aunt Andrea and her boyfriend Luke you are either cheering them on or saying look out !!
Great book, great story
May 21, 2017
I feel like this was the longest book by this author that I have read and it did add to the experience. Generally I can't predict what will happen in his books, but I felt that this one was a bit more obvious. I did like that he went a different way and added in parts about bullying, but wish he had gone a different way with it.
August 12, 2017
I would have given this a higher rating if it wasn't so long and rambling. I found some of the content was a filler to fill too many pages with unnecessary detail, and even to the point that some was a bit unbelievable. I will read this author again. He writes well enough and I like the murder mystery aspect, but I do hope his books are not all so filled with unnecessary length.
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