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The Perfect Family
Relentlessly twisting, Samantha King's debut novel is a dark and brilliant slice of psychological suspense in which even the happiest family can awake to a nightmare . . .
Maddie Castle is broken. Ever since the tragedy that struck on her twins' tenth birthday, she's been trying to fit the pieces together, to get back to the life she led before. Maddie, her husband, Dom, and their children, Aidan and Annabel, lived in a comfortable home on a quiet street in a London suburb. Life was busy and satisfying. They were happy. Weren't they?
Now, a disoriented and grieving Maddie floats like a ghost through each day, hardly sleeping, eating, or speaking. It's easier to stay locked in her own head than to torment herself by reliving what happened. And yet, the harder Maddie tries to pin down her memories, the more they slip out of reach. Is her guilt and remorse justified? Is it Maddie's fault that everything was ripped apart?
Or could it be that the real terror is still to come?
"A beautifully written, chilling psychological thriller. Taut, tense and very clever with twists I didn't see coming." --Claire Douglas, Sunday Times bestselling author
"A completely gripping psychological suspense that had me glued to the pages and rushing through to the end. It's an edge-of-your-seat kind of read that you can't put down until it's done."
--Jenny Oliver
Maddie Castle is broken. Ever since the tragedy that struck on her twins' tenth birthday, she's been trying to fit the pieces together, to get back to the life she led before. Maddie, her husband, Dom, and their children, Aidan and Annabel, lived in a comfortable home on a quiet street in a London suburb. Life was busy and satisfying. They were happy. Weren't they?
Now, a disoriented and grieving Maddie floats like a ghost through each day, hardly sleeping, eating, or speaking. It's easier to stay locked in her own head than to torment herself by reliving what happened. And yet, the harder Maddie tries to pin down her memories, the more they slip out of reach. Is her guilt and remorse justified? Is it Maddie's fault that everything was ripped apart?
Or could it be that the real terror is still to come?
"A beautifully written, chilling psychological thriller. Taut, tense and very clever with twists I didn't see coming." --Claire Douglas, Sunday Times bestselling author
"A completely gripping psychological suspense that had me glued to the pages and rushing through to the end. It's an edge-of-your-seat kind of read that you can't put down until it's done."
--Jenny Oliver
306 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2018
75 people are currently reading
2018 people want to read
About the author
Samantha King
5 books81 followersSamantha King writes psychological suspense novels and lives in west London with her husband and two young children.
As an English graduate and lifelong bookworm, becoming an author was always Samantha’s dream. This passion for storytelling led her first to a career in publishing, managing a commercial fiction imprint for a global publisher. After fifteen years, she abandoned office life in favour of working from home as a freelance editor for various publishers and literary agents.
Samantha has always loved books that explore the hidden depths of the heart and mind, and she decided to satisfy her growing interest in human psychology by qualifying as a psychotherapist. This deepened her fascination with the hopes and fears that make people tick, which again reawakened her writing ambitions. Working around – and inspired by – a busy family life, she finally sat down and wrote her debut novel, THE PERFECT FAMILY.
Samantha writes in a hut at the end of her garden with a very affectionate Cavachon dog for company, but she keeps in touch with the world through:
Twitter: @SamKingBooks
Facebook: @SamanthaKingBooks
As an English graduate and lifelong bookworm, becoming an author was always Samantha’s dream. This passion for storytelling led her first to a career in publishing, managing a commercial fiction imprint for a global publisher. After fifteen years, she abandoned office life in favour of working from home as a freelance editor for various publishers and literary agents.
Samantha has always loved books that explore the hidden depths of the heart and mind, and she decided to satisfy her growing interest in human psychology by qualifying as a psychotherapist. This deepened her fascination with the hopes and fears that make people tick, which again reawakened her writing ambitions. Working around – and inspired by – a busy family life, she finally sat down and wrote her debut novel, THE PERFECT FAMILY.
Samantha writes in a hut at the end of her garden with a very affectionate Cavachon dog for company, but she keeps in touch with the world through:
Twitter: @SamKingBooks
Facebook: @SamanthaKingBooks
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
June 14, 2018
I really did this book a disservice by reading two books nearly back to back with close to the same plot line. While the other book blew my mind this one just barely made a spark. If I hadn't read that other book first I wonder if I would of enjoyed this one more. I'll never know.
As the story goes we have Domenic and Maddie Castle, a happily married couple of two precious twins, Aidan & Annabelle. On the morning of the twins' 10th birthday party Maddie is busy getting all the last minutes to-do's done for the big day when suddenly there is a knock on the door. The children are excited and hope that it's the postman delivering presents so they hurry to the door with Maddie hot on their tail. Opening that door was the biggest mistake they ever made.
This book was interesting enough and it was well written but it suffered from being really repetitive in places which made me skim through chapters. The story is laid out in 4 parts. The first part was a slow burn but I was still intrigued enough to continue. After that each part opens with a twist to the story which I enjoyed even though some were more predictable than others. I don't know how enamored seasoned psychological thriller readers will find this one but I do think someone new to this genre will more than likely be riveted to the pages. A solid effort for sure and I'd love to see what she can come up with next. 3 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley & Kensington Books for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
As the story goes we have Domenic and Maddie Castle, a happily married couple of two precious twins, Aidan & Annabelle. On the morning of the twins' 10th birthday party Maddie is busy getting all the last minutes to-do's done for the big day when suddenly there is a knock on the door. The children are excited and hope that it's the postman delivering presents so they hurry to the door with Maddie hot on their tail. Opening that door was the biggest mistake they ever made.
This book was interesting enough and it was well written but it suffered from being really repetitive in places which made me skim through chapters. The story is laid out in 4 parts. The first part was a slow burn but I was still intrigued enough to continue. After that each part opens with a twist to the story which I enjoyed even though some were more predictable than others. I don't know how enamored seasoned psychological thriller readers will find this one but I do think someone new to this genre will more than likely be riveted to the pages. A solid effort for sure and I'd love to see what she can come up with next. 3 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley & Kensington Books for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
June 13, 2018
From the outside Maddie Castle had the perfect family. Married to her husband for just over ten years she has two beautiful children, twins, a boy and a girl. But life for Maddie hasn’t always been roses with her husband but she had gotten careful at hiding their problems.
On the twins tenth birthday though the unthinkable happened to Maddie and her babies. Just about to celebrate the doorbell rings and as they go to open the door a masked man grabs the twins and holds a gun to them screaming for Maddie to choose which one lives. What is a mother supposed to do in that situation??
Now Maddie is living in the aftermath of that horrible day with her husband and her son. Maddie’s daughter became a victim of the violence and Maddie doesn’t know how to live with herself after what happened. Will the family ever be able to pick up the pieces and move on?
The Perfect Family by Samantha King is a psychological thriller that started off with a horrifying choice for a mother that certainly grabs one’s attention. As the story went along there are definitely some twists and turns along the way, some of which I didn’t expect giving it a very strong beginning but eventually the book seemed to sort of mellow out to me and become a bit too obvious in where it was going. I was getting a bit frustrated with the MC going back to certain things repeatedly too. In the end I’d rate this one at 3.5 stars as it was certainly a good read but I’d hope for a few more twists at the end.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more review please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
On the twins tenth birthday though the unthinkable happened to Maddie and her babies. Just about to celebrate the doorbell rings and as they go to open the door a masked man grabs the twins and holds a gun to them screaming for Maddie to choose which one lives. What is a mother supposed to do in that situation??
Now Maddie is living in the aftermath of that horrible day with her husband and her son. Maddie’s daughter became a victim of the violence and Maddie doesn’t know how to live with herself after what happened. Will the family ever be able to pick up the pieces and move on?
The Perfect Family by Samantha King is a psychological thriller that started off with a horrifying choice for a mother that certainly grabs one’s attention. As the story went along there are definitely some twists and turns along the way, some of which I didn’t expect giving it a very strong beginning but eventually the book seemed to sort of mellow out to me and become a bit too obvious in where it was going. I was getting a bit frustrated with the MC going back to certain things repeatedly too. In the end I’d rate this one at 3.5 stars as it was certainly a good read but I’d hope for a few more twists at the end.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more review please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
February 4, 2019
3 ½ stars
Maddie Castle had a perfect family ,married to her college sweetheart and has two beautiful children, twins, a boy and a girl.On the twins tenth birthday just as Maddie was about to celebrate the doorbell rings. As they go to open the door a masked man grabs the twins and holds a gun to them screaming for Maddie to choose which one lives. Now Maddie has to live with the consequence of that horrible day with her husband and her son. Will she or her family ever be able to forgive her and move on with their lives?
The Perfect Family by Samantha King is a psychological thriller that started off with a the most horrifying choice that any parent can make. A little slow in the middle it picks up pace later and with a few twists and turns along the way, some of which I wasn’t expecting.
I would like to thank Kensington Books & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
Maddie Castle had a perfect family ,married to her college sweetheart and has two beautiful children, twins, a boy and a girl.On the twins tenth birthday just as Maddie was about to celebrate the doorbell rings. As they go to open the door a masked man grabs the twins and holds a gun to them screaming for Maddie to choose which one lives. Now Maddie has to live with the consequence of that horrible day with her husband and her son. Will she or her family ever be able to forgive her and move on with their lives?
The Perfect Family by Samantha King is a psychological thriller that started off with a the most horrifying choice that any parent can make. A little slow in the middle it picks up pace later and with a few twists and turns along the way, some of which I wasn’t expecting.
I would like to thank Kensington Books & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
January 17, 2019
This book was certainly hit and miss with me. Part 1 was horrendous and I was very close to giving up and reading another book as none of it made any sense and I didn’t have a clue about what was going on. The story did get better in the other parts and it turned into a decent book. There were some good twists and some that confused me. Overall it was an ok read but definitely not one of the best stories.
May 30, 2018
3.5..rounding up to 4 stars.
I really had a love/hate thing going on with this book. The beginning was slow and I really had a hard time getting into it. Not that it wasn't well written, but just I wasn't forming any attachment to the story.
I am so glad I stuck with it though because by Part 2, the author through in a major TWIST and my god did she pack a punch with that one. Double whammy. OUT OF THE PARK. Part 3 was also crazy pyscho twisty turny.
The story continued with twists and turns and all in all, it was enjoyable read. I admit I skimmed through a few pages that were somewhat slower than others.
Overall, the idea of the story was pretty cool and it definitely had moments of panic. The author painted such an intense picture of Madelaine's pain and frustrations that I sometimes had to take a break because it was some pretty deep thoughts and emotions on the pages.
Thank you #NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my free ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I really had a love/hate thing going on with this book. The beginning was slow and I really had a hard time getting into it. Not that it wasn't well written, but just I wasn't forming any attachment to the story.
I am so glad I stuck with it though because by Part 2, the author through in a major TWIST and my god did she pack a punch with that one. Double whammy. OUT OF THE PARK. Part 3 was also crazy pyscho twisty turny.
The story continued with twists and turns and all in all, it was enjoyable read. I admit I skimmed through a few pages that were somewhat slower than others.
Overall, the idea of the story was pretty cool and it definitely had moments of panic. The author painted such an intense picture of Madelaine's pain and frustrations that I sometimes had to take a break because it was some pretty deep thoughts and emotions on the pages.
Thank you #NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my free ARC in exchange for my honest review.
July 6, 2018
Honestly, I gave this book such a low rating because I skimmed through chapters straight through until about 56% in because the beginning is that weird and irritating. I did want to find out what really happened and by whom but the story is very overdrawn, hence the skimming. I thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
July 1, 2018
Review coming soon.
July 29, 2018
Samantha King’s latest thriller is a pulse-pounding domestic thriller. On the morning of her twins’ birthday, Maddie Castle is terrified to find a gun-wielding, camouflaged man at her front door who tells her that she must make a mother’s absolutely unthinkable choice: which one of her children should she choose to live. From there the book moves at a frenetic pace with Maddie trying to wrap her head around what actually went down that day and who in her life is to blame as she battles amnesia.
King captured the frantic pace of this perfectly and it was a definite page-turner. Every time I thought that a question was answered, another equally perplexing question popped up, right up to the end. The only negatives I have to say were that at times I found Maddie’s character to be a little naive and annoying. Though she was portrayed as a sympathetic character, I did not always like where her mind was taking her. I won’t go into specifics because I don’t want to spoil the plot.
There was also one question which seemed to remain unresolved at the end, which I found very displeasing because it was a major part of the plot. Again, I won’t go into specifics, but I’m sure you’ll know what I mean after you’ve read the book.
Despite these couple of flaws, the Perfect Family was an enjoyable, fast-paced psychological thriller that I would recommend to all.
Many thanks to Netgalley, Kensington Books and Samamtha King for providing me with a complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review.
King captured the frantic pace of this perfectly and it was a definite page-turner. Every time I thought that a question was answered, another equally perplexing question popped up, right up to the end. The only negatives I have to say were that at times I found Maddie’s character to be a little naive and annoying. Though she was portrayed as a sympathetic character, I did not always like where her mind was taking her. I won’t go into specifics because I don’t want to spoil the plot.
There was also one question which seemed to remain unresolved at the end, which I found very displeasing because it was a major part of the plot. Again, I won’t go into specifics, but I’m sure you’ll know what I mean after you’ve read the book.
Despite these couple of flaws, the Perfect Family was an enjoyable, fast-paced psychological thriller that I would recommend to all.
Many thanks to Netgalley, Kensington Books and Samamtha King for providing me with a complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 14, 2018
This just wasn't the book for me. I ended up skimming through it as the plot just dragged on. I wasn't interested in any of the characters. The twist was not really a twist for me. I think a lot of readers would guess what happened within the first quarter or a third of the way through the book. I love unreliable narrators but this one just fell flat for me. There was a lot of repetitiveness and I felt the book was over written.
Want to read
May 30, 2018Super excited I won an advanced copy of this book!
June 12, 2018
I have mixed feelings about this book. The first half of the book just felt “off” to me, and like another reviewer mentioned, I also got a Sixth Sense vibe, which I thought was kind of cool – however I was also thinking “wrap it up, already!”. The first half was interesting enough, the writing was good, but for me, it dragged. Maddie’s point of view was mildly irritating to me at some points, thought it was nice to hear the back story between Maddie & husband Dom.
The twist in the middle was a big surprise to me, however! The second half of the book is where it really started to fall apart for me, though. I started to feel even more annoyance towards Maddie because of her decision-making, both past & present.
Additionally, the reasoning behind why characters chose to do certain things was there in a way, but it didn’t have a reasonable or realistic feel to it. I think that there were just too many farfetched elements for me to really lose myself in the story. I rolled my eyes a few times, but the suspense was there so I read on, anxious to see what would happen.
Whereas the beginning was a buildup to what was really going on & the middle was really driving towards what was going to happen, the ending felt so strange to me. There were a couple of decent twist moments, but I also found myself looking at Maddie multiple times going “really??” – and then the very end just felt obvious.
This is NOT a negative review – I did enjoy the book and it kept me engaged. There was just so much that felt disjointed and not quite believable, that I had a hard time loving it. I still finished it in a day and a half as I was invested! I encourage you to read it and decide for yourself.
Thank you to the author & publisher who provided an advance copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Check out this review & more, here - https://numinousgirl663212829.wordpre...
The twist in the middle was a big surprise to me, however! The second half of the book is where it really started to fall apart for me, though. I started to feel even more annoyance towards Maddie because of her decision-making, both past & present.
Additionally, the reasoning behind why characters chose to do certain things was there in a way, but it didn’t have a reasonable or realistic feel to it. I think that there were just too many farfetched elements for me to really lose myself in the story. I rolled my eyes a few times, but the suspense was there so I read on, anxious to see what would happen.
Whereas the beginning was a buildup to what was really going on & the middle was really driving towards what was going to happen, the ending felt so strange to me. There were a couple of decent twist moments, but I also found myself looking at Maddie multiple times going “really??” – and then the very end just felt obvious.
This is NOT a negative review – I did enjoy the book and it kept me engaged. There was just so much that felt disjointed and not quite believable, that I had a hard time loving it. I still finished it in a day and a half as I was invested! I encourage you to read it and decide for yourself.
Thank you to the author & publisher who provided an advance copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Check out this review & more, here - https://numinousgirl663212829.wordpre...
May 17, 2018
Thank you to NetGalley.com for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
This book reminded me of a little roller coaster. The first section is like the very slow, very high ascent up the hill. To be honest, I thought for that section it was kind of a Sixth Sense thing going on and I had patted myself on the back for thinking I had figured it out so quickly. Part Two and Three were terrific – definitely the meat of the roller coaster ride as you rise and free fall, twist and turn. The fourth part…instead of being the true climatic end it was more like the part after ride is over and you’re going back on flat land back to the station to get off of the ride – it was pretty obvious what was going to happen at that point.
What I loved: It definitely had some great plot twists and unexpected revelations in parts two and three that really defined the entire story.
What I didn’t love: The whole thing with Annabel and the reasons for everything happening seemed convoluted and not completely thought through. I think I understand what the author was trying to do but its still rather creepy.
What I learned: Still know so little about the human brain…
Overall Grade: B-
www.FluffSmutandMurder.com
This book reminded me of a little roller coaster. The first section is like the very slow, very high ascent up the hill. To be honest, I thought for that section it was kind of a Sixth Sense thing going on and I had patted myself on the back for thinking I had figured it out so quickly. Part Two and Three were terrific – definitely the meat of the roller coaster ride as you rise and free fall, twist and turn. The fourth part…instead of being the true climatic end it was more like the part after ride is over and you’re going back on flat land back to the station to get off of the ride – it was pretty obvious what was going to happen at that point.
What I loved: It definitely had some great plot twists and unexpected revelations in parts two and three that really defined the entire story.
What I didn’t love: The whole thing with Annabel and the reasons for everything happening seemed convoluted and not completely thought through. I think I understand what the author was trying to do but its still rather creepy.
What I learned: Still know so little about the human brain…
Overall Grade: B-
www.FluffSmutandMurder.com
June 21, 2018
This psychological suspense novel is all about the consequences of choices. Maddie found herself at the end of a gun and told to choose which of her children should be shot. You can imagine the aftermath of that. There are some confusing aspects to this twisty book but it more or less resolves by the end. You'll find yourself questioning what is real. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
June 24, 2018
A mind-blowing exploration of what happens when your brain tries to shield you from the unimaginable. It’s a suspenseful and twisty ride through a minefield of emotions. I could not put this down. A brilliant debut novel from a formidable talent. #NetGalley
March 7, 2019
Great Thriller
A great example of an unreliable narrator. Enough detail that it's not obvious immediately what the ending is going to be.
A great example of an unreliable narrator. Enough detail that it's not obvious immediately what the ending is going to be.
December 23, 2025
Maddie marries Dom and at first it is the perfect marriage they have twins and are living the first few years of their life happy, until Dom becomes abusive not only physically but mentally as well. Maddie gets tired of the abuse and decides to run away, on the twins 10th birthday she has everything planned. Max is Dom’s brother and Dom hates his brother because be grew up seeing that Max has always been his parents favorite. Max spends all his time with Maddie and the kids, practically taking Dom’s spot as a father figure since Dom spends all his time working. On the day Maddie was planning on leaving Max tells Dom lies saying him and Maddie had been sexual and that the twins where not his. Dom decides to head to his house dress in military clothing and shoots his wife, Max arrives at that moment and Dom shots him too and he plants the gun on Max making cops believe Max killed Maddie and then shot himself, but Maddie doesn’t die. Maddie gets in a coma for 3 months when she wakes up Dom supposedly is taking her home from the hospital but she kidnaps her and tortures her because of what he believes she did with his brother, turns out his brother lied nothing was going on between them and he just let anger get to him. Maddie gets saved because cops get suspicious since after leaving the hospital she never goes to any appointment she needed to go to check up . Cops come barring into the house Dom had her in and Dom kills himself because he knows it is all over. Maddie reunites with her kids and will start clean living the happy life she always wanted. Good read
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2024
Maddie Castle had a perfect family, married to her college sweetheart and has two beautiful children, twins, a boy and a girl. On the twins tenth birthday just as Maddie was about to celebrate the doorbell rings. As they go to open the door a masked man grabs the twins and holds a gun to them screaming for Maddie to choose which one lives. Now Maddie has to live with the consequence of that horrible day with her husband and her son. Will she or her family ever be able to forgive her and move on with their lives?
The Perfect Family by Samantha King is a psychological thriller that started off with a the most horrifying choice that any parent can make. A little slow in the middle it picks up pace later and with a few twists and turns along the way, some of which I wasn't expecting.
The Perfect Family by Samantha King is a psychological thriller that started off with a the most horrifying choice that any parent can make. A little slow in the middle it picks up pace later and with a few twists and turns along the way, some of which I wasn't expecting.
May 30, 2023
Maddie Castle is a broken women. Ever since the tragedy on the twins tenth birthday. When a stranger came to the door and made her chose between her children. Which one will live? Now she goes through her days in a fog. The harder she tries to remember the memories seem to slip further away. Was it her fault there lives were ripped apart on that faithful day? Or is there worse yet to come ! A well written psychological thriller.
June 14, 2023
An ok book the plot lines were only partially finished. What about the man from Annabel diary? Need more explanation and why were both brothers so mentally impaired? need some finishing with childhood . And really how could she be so far off figuring who was the father. ? Threads needed to be tied together.
October 14, 2024
This was almost a DNF. I hate not finishing a book no matter how terrible it is. I listened to this through audible so it was easier to get through.
This book started out like it was going to be good. In the end there just ended up having too much going on.
This book started out like it was going to be good. In the end there just ended up having too much going on.
August 26, 2023
Confusing
March 8, 2024
The narrator is not only unreliable but also extremely suggestible.
November 20, 2024
This was unexpected ending and a great read that just kept you turning pages!
June 29, 2025
meh..not that good
May 26, 2018
Thank you to Net Galley and Kensington Books for an advance read of this title in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley.com for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I'll admit this started a bit flow for me, and I wasn't quite understanding what was happening. It all felt unreal to me. That was resolved later in the book, and once it got going, there were great plot twists, enough suspense to keep my reading, and wondering what would happen next.
There were some disjointed chapters, and I didn't love the ending; however, I think the disjointed parts might have been intentional (not to say anything that will create a spoiler.) And, once I thought about it, life isn't always a clean wrap up. I'd give this book a B- (I'm going to start rating in this way, because many times the stars have me between two different ones.)
This book reminded me of a little roller coaster. The first section is like the very slow, very high ascent up the hill. To be honest, I thought for that section it was kind of a Sixth Sense thing going on and I had patted myself on the back for thinking I had figured it out so quickly. Part Two and Three were terrific – definitely the meat of the roller coaster ride as you rise and free fall, twist and turn. The fourth part…instead of being the true climatic end it was more like the part after ride is over and you’re going back on flat land back to the station to get off of the ride – it was pretty obvious what was going to happen at that point.
What I loved: It definitely had some great plot twists and unexpected revelations in parts two and three that really defined the entire story.
What I didn’t love: The whole thing with Annabel and the reasons for everything happening seemed convoluted and not completely thought through. I think I understand what the author was trying to do but its still rather creepy.
I'll admit this started a bit flow for me, and I wasn't quite understanding what was happening. It all felt unreal to me. That was resolved later in the book, and once it got going, there were great plot twists, enough suspense to keep my reading, and wondering what would happen next.
There were some disjointed chapters, and I didn't love the ending; however, I think the disjointed parts might have been intentional (not to say anything that will create a spoiler.) And, once I thought about it, life isn't always a clean wrap up. I'd give this book a B- (I'm going to start rating in this way, because many times the stars have me between two different ones.)
This book reminded me of a little roller coaster. The first section is like the very slow, very high ascent up the hill. To be honest, I thought for that section it was kind of a Sixth Sense thing going on and I had patted myself on the back for thinking I had figured it out so quickly. Part Two and Three were terrific – definitely the meat of the roller coaster ride as you rise and free fall, twist and turn. The fourth part…instead of being the true climatic end it was more like the part after ride is over and you’re going back on flat land back to the station to get off of the ride – it was pretty obvious what was going to happen at that point.
What I loved: It definitely had some great plot twists and unexpected revelations in parts two and three that really defined the entire story.
What I didn’t love: The whole thing with Annabel and the reasons for everything happening seemed convoluted and not completely thought through. I think I understand what the author was trying to do but its still rather creepy.
July 5, 2018
The perfect family grabs you during the first pages. A man arrives at a house and tells the mom of twins "choose one, bitch!" Before she blacks out she chooses her daughter to be shot. Maddie (the mom) met her husband, Dom in college, becoming pregnant just a few weeks after they met. He proposes to her and lets her know he wants a "stay-at-home" wife. She knows that she will eventually complete her teaching degree, anyway. After giving birth to twins, Maddie is told that she cannot have any more children. As time goes on, Maddie lives in a strange world; thinking that her husband may be having an affair with her best friend, Lucy, her husband abusive and controlling, agoraphobia, Maddie begins to forget things or remembering them wrongly. Her brother-in-law, Max, visits often much to the chagrin of Dom. One day, after being slapped around by Dom, Maddie blacks out. When she wakes up, she finds out that she has been in a coma for 3 months! DI Watkins visits Maddie and tells her that the shooting case is closed - Max was the perp. Dom only visits Maddie once in the hospital; she doesn't remember much but she does remember the slap, and then buying three train tickets. Dom reminds her that she was "seeing" Max. Really? She actually tells Max that she wants HIM to give her a second chance. Is she that gullible or is she desperate? Once Dom has her released from the hospital...the REAL truth comes out. You find yourself asking:
-who really shot Maddie, and who did she really "choose"?
-Annabel has a telling diary
-What was Max's role in everything?
- Were Dom and Lucy lovers?
And that is just the beginning of the conclusion that promises to be as exciting as the beginning. This book is a true page turner. Six stars!!! Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGallery for giving me the chance to uncover this gem!!!
-who really shot Maddie, and who did she really "choose"?
-Annabel has a telling diary
-What was Max's role in everything?
- Were Dom and Lucy lovers?
And that is just the beginning of the conclusion that promises to be as exciting as the beginning. This book is a true page turner. Six stars!!! Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGallery for giving me the chance to uncover this gem!!!
December 16, 2018
Synopsis:
On the surface, Maddie Castle has a charmed life. A handsome husband, two wonderful children, and a lovely home; Maddie's life isn't what it seems. One day, a masked intruder breaks into her home with a gun and forces Maddie to do the unthinkable: pick a child to die.
Review:
The book quickly deviates from the story described on the jacket within the first 60 pages. It honestly is not at all about the synopsis provided. Without giving away too much, I will say that the first 1/3 of the book had me completely enraptured, but the last 2/3 were incredibly difficult to get through. Maddie is an unreliable narrator, a trope which I normally love. However, it was very clear quickly on in the story who the villain was and how the tale would end. This would not have been so frustrating if the writing wasn't overly euphemistic and metaphoric. Furthermore, King frequently spent pages describing the ethereal and otherworldly beauty of the 6 year old daughter, Annabelle. Her frequent writing of how gorgeous and enticing the child was, quite frankly, creeped me out and seemed obsessive. It gave me a Lolita vibe that I was personally incredible uncomfortable receiving.
I did feel that Maddie grew somewhat as a character by the story's end, but there was very little growth overall. To begin with, we aren't given much about her to identify with. Her entire identity is that of a doting housewife and loving mother, which may have been intentional by the author. Still, I would have loved to know even a couple things about her outside of those roles. She felt more like a prototype than a character in a novel, let alone the heroine of a story.
On the surface, Maddie Castle has a charmed life. A handsome husband, two wonderful children, and a lovely home; Maddie's life isn't what it seems. One day, a masked intruder breaks into her home with a gun and forces Maddie to do the unthinkable: pick a child to die.
Review:
The book quickly deviates from the story described on the jacket within the first 60 pages. It honestly is not at all about the synopsis provided. Without giving away too much, I will say that the first 1/3 of the book had me completely enraptured, but the last 2/3 were incredibly difficult to get through. Maddie is an unreliable narrator, a trope which I normally love. However, it was very clear quickly on in the story who the villain was and how the tale would end. This would not have been so frustrating if the writing wasn't overly euphemistic and metaphoric. Furthermore, King frequently spent pages describing the ethereal and otherworldly beauty of the 6 year old daughter, Annabelle. Her frequent writing of how gorgeous and enticing the child was, quite frankly, creeped me out and seemed obsessive. It gave me a Lolita vibe that I was personally incredible uncomfortable receiving.
I did feel that Maddie grew somewhat as a character by the story's end, but there was very little growth overall. To begin with, we aren't given much about her to identify with. Her entire identity is that of a doting housewife and loving mother, which may have been intentional by the author. Still, I would have loved to know even a couple things about her outside of those roles. She felt more like a prototype than a character in a novel, let alone the heroine of a story.
July 1, 2018
Dom and Maddie had met at university, quickly falling in love, with Maddie just as quickly getting pregnant. They each had lost their parents years earlier. Maddie is an only child and Dom has a brother, Max, but doesn’t have a good relationship with him.
After a difficult birth of fraternal twins, Annabel and Aiden, Maddie is a busy mum totally centered on the twins. Maddie has been stressed with the twins and even has feelings that something may happen to them.
Today is Annabel and Aiden’s tenth birthday. As Maddie is making their birthday cake, the doorbell rings and a masked man with a gun drags both children to the backyard, and asks Maddie which one he should shoot. Maddie thinks she said Annabel and believes the child is now dead. She then blanks out.
Maddie sees herself as invisible to Dom and Aiden and seems to float through the days in grief not knowing what is real and what is not.
This is a review where I cannot add too much without revealing spoilers. The story goes back and forth in time as the reader learns more about Dom and Maddie and their relationship. While I felt like there was too much repetitive verbiage in the book, I think the author wanted to ensure the reader understood the ending. This book is shocking and one that I think readers will enjoy up to the last page. I must add that I think the book wrapped up too quickly leaving some unanswered questions. All in all, this is a good read.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
After a difficult birth of fraternal twins, Annabel and Aiden, Maddie is a busy mum totally centered on the twins. Maddie has been stressed with the twins and even has feelings that something may happen to them.
Today is Annabel and Aiden’s tenth birthday. As Maddie is making their birthday cake, the doorbell rings and a masked man with a gun drags both children to the backyard, and asks Maddie which one he should shoot. Maddie thinks she said Annabel and believes the child is now dead. She then blanks out.
Maddie sees herself as invisible to Dom and Aiden and seems to float through the days in grief not knowing what is real and what is not.
This is a review where I cannot add too much without revealing spoilers. The story goes back and forth in time as the reader learns more about Dom and Maddie and their relationship. While I felt like there was too much repetitive verbiage in the book, I think the author wanted to ensure the reader understood the ending. This book is shocking and one that I think readers will enjoy up to the last page. I must add that I think the book wrapped up too quickly leaving some unanswered questions. All in all, this is a good read.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
June 24, 2018
I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways. Thank you to the publisher and author for a copy. As always, an honest review.
The book starts off with a terrible choice: someone asking a mother to choose between her two children. And the suspense doesn't stop for the rest of the story. We, along with Maddie, try to figure out what really happened on that eventful day.
The writing basically encourages the reader to keep guessing along the way, almost begging me to. I found myself constantly "knowing" who did it, what had happened, and predicting what will happen. Sometimes I was right, sometimes I wasn't. But it sure was fun to play along and be engaged in the book.
Also, the dramatic twists make the book so thrilling. I couldn't put it down, literally. I read half of it in a few hours. The narrator has an unreliable quality to her, since she's still trying to piece together what happened. I really enjoyed this, because it made the book so intriguing and unsettling.
My only critiques are that some content might be unsettling for some readers. Trigger warning! I don't want to say for what, because it will give away some of the story. If you're concerned, send me a message and I'll be sure to tell you what to watch out for. Also some events happen a bit too coincidentally, at exactly the right time, to move the story forward.
Overall, I was completely captivated by this suspense filled psychological thriller that takes family life and turns it on its head.
The book starts off with a terrible choice: someone asking a mother to choose between her two children. And the suspense doesn't stop for the rest of the story. We, along with Maddie, try to figure out what really happened on that eventful day.
The writing basically encourages the reader to keep guessing along the way, almost begging me to. I found myself constantly "knowing" who did it, what had happened, and predicting what will happen. Sometimes I was right, sometimes I wasn't. But it sure was fun to play along and be engaged in the book.
Also, the dramatic twists make the book so thrilling. I couldn't put it down, literally. I read half of it in a few hours. The narrator has an unreliable quality to her, since she's still trying to piece together what happened. I really enjoyed this, because it made the book so intriguing and unsettling.
My only critiques are that some content might be unsettling for some readers. Trigger warning! I don't want to say for what, because it will give away some of the story. If you're concerned, send me a message and I'll be sure to tell you what to watch out for. Also some events happen a bit too coincidentally, at exactly the right time, to move the story forward.
Overall, I was completely captivated by this suspense filled psychological thriller that takes family life and turns it on its head.
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