Tag: thriller

Audiobook Review: The Teacher by Freida McFadden

The Teacher
Author: Freida McFadden

Narrators:
Leslie Howard

Danny Montooth
Published: February 6, 2024
Audiobook: 9 hours 35 minutes

Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Read:  February 19-23, 2024
Jessica’s Rating: 5 stars

Book Description:

Lesson #1: Trust no one.

Eve has a good life. She wakes up each day, kisses her husband Nate, and heads off to teach math at the local high school. All is as it should be. Except…

Last year, Caseham High was rocked by a scandal involving a student-teacher affair, with one student, Addie, at its center. But Eve knows there is far more to these ugly rumors than meets the eye.

Addie can’t be trusted. She lies. She hurts people. She destroys lives. At least, that’s what everyone says.

But nobody knows the real Addie. Nobody knows the secrets that could destroy her. And Addie will do anything to keep it quiet…

Jessica’s Review:

There are a couple of trigger warnings with The Teacher that should be addressed: Inappropriate teacher/student relationship, grooming/pedophilia, and bullying. People seem to not realize this from the book description, but it is there!  Go in knowing this, and you won’t be surprised if you can be triggered by these circumstances.

I had no idea going into listening The Teacher how mind blown I was going to be by the end! I also gave it 5 stars! I’ve read several of McFadden’s books and enjoyed them, but I wasn’t prepared for the sheer direction the twists were going to go this time! In fact, I need to listen to the book again knowing how it ends! My mouth just dropped in shock with her final two twists! McFadden knows what she is doing! It helps that her chapters are shorter, which makes it harder to stop reading the further you get into the novel!

These characters were just unlikeable and I felt so much emotion for them. McFadden captured Addie beautifully: It helps she has a teenage daughter (and at one time was one herself), so she was able to capture the angst and emotions of a teenage girl.  At the end of the book there is a note from McFadden with the help she got from her daughter.   Leslie Howard was one of the narrators and she also captured that teen angst! Danny Montooth was the other narrator, and while his was a much smaller narration, he did a great job with capturing Nate!

 
This is the sixth book I’ve read from McFadden (also her Christmas short story) and I think I can say I’m a ‘Freida Readah’ now! She is another author I think I will read or listen to no matter what, and she has two more books coming out this year: Bring them on!

Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK

An Advanced Listening Copy Review of You’ll Never Know I’m Here by Kiersten Modglin

You’ll Never Know I’m Here
Author: Kiersten Modglin

Narrator: Stacy Gonzalez
Published: Available now as a book or e-book: New on audiobook on February 27, 2024
Audiobook: 5 hours 49 minutes

Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: February 13-16, 2024
Jessica’s Rating: 3.5 stars

Audiobook Description:

They tell the world what mysteries to read.
Soon, they’ll be caught up in one of their own.

When six book influencers take a weekend getaway to connect with their fellow creators, it’s meant to be a chance to relax, collaborate, and discuss all of the books they love.

But from the start, something’s clearly amiss. From the host’s mysterious absence and an unexpected guest to an odd occurrence in town and the strange and worrisome behavior of the neighbors, what starts out as an innocent and lively vacation quickly becomes a weekend filled with terror. And when one of the group members believes they see something horrifying at the house next door, their carefully laid plans begin to unravel.

Drawn into a mystery that runs far deeper and is more sinister than they could’ve imagined—and surrounded by those who refute their story—the group struggles to unearth the truth about the house and the couple next door before it’s too late.

As new questions and shocking revelations surface, the group must decide if they can trust each other—not only with their safety in the house, but with their lives entirely.

Readers’ worst nightmares come to life in this terrifying new thriller that tests the limits of friendship, explores the power of social media influence, digs into the depths of trust, and examines the desperate and dangerous lengths of obsession from million-copy bestselling author, Kiersten Modglin.

Jessica’s Review:

Anyone who reads thrillers and who might be termed as an ‘influencer’ will want to read this book! The premise definitely intrigued me. And our group of ‘influencers’ are thriller readers!  YES!  The book has been out for a couple of months but will be new to audio next week.

We have our MC Lena and she and some of her fellow ‘book influencer’ friends decide to finally meet up for a weekend getaway.  The rented home is in a small town away from just about everything, giving the reader a “We are in the middle of nowhere!” eerie feeling. And then things don’t go as they thought they would.  One in our friend group sees something unpleasant happen in another house…. or did they????

It’s a bit of paranoia and who knows what is going to happen? Who can be trusted?  This is another book that shows how social media is so mainstream: Everyone has to be an influencer and/or share everything that goes on in their life. No one has secrets anymore!

For me the characters came off as YA when they are in their 20s.  There was just drama and an immaturity to them. I do read YA, it is one of my ‘go to’ genres, but I prepare myself for what may be in that type of book when I go to read it.  And this one had it and that was a bit of a turnoff for me.  I was invested in what was going to happen and KMod’s books are shorter, so I was in it through the ending!  I also enjoyed Stacy Gonzalez’s narration. 

I have seen other reviews that other readers did not like the twist ending. I actually did: I ‘got’ what KMod was trying to say and I liked it!  I gave it an extra half star for that ending.  You really can’t say much without giving anything away, and I’m not going to!

Many thanks for the publisher for granting me a copy to listen to and review!

Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK

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Audiobook Review: The Girl on the News by Elizabeth Carpenter

The Girl on the News
Author: Elizabeth Carpenter

Narrator: Zoe Mills
Published: January 29, 2024
Audiobook: 6 hours 59 minutes

Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Read:  January 25- February 1, 2024
Jessica’s Rating: 3.5 stars

Book Description:

My heart pounds as I take in the headline: ‘Missing girl believed kidnapped’. Underneath is a photo of my beautiful daughter Mia, her gap-toothed grin unmistakable. But Mia is safe beside me, snuggled up on the sofa. Why would someone pretend my child has been taken?

I thought my husband Mark and I had built a perfect new life with our precious daughter Mia. She is everything to us. I thought we were finally safe from my past. But I know Mia’s picture on the news means someone has uncovered who I really am…

They must know about the terrible accusations I faced. Those other missing little girls. I was only a child myself but no-one believed I was innocent. Not even my own family. It still haunts me, every day.

Then my worst nightmares come true. Mia is taken, snatched from the playground, and my world collapses.

My sweet daughter is in danger. Because whoever took those children years ago must still be out there. Why are they trying to destroy my life again? And if they knew where to find me, how to take my daughter – does that mean they are someone close to home?

I can’t trust anyone. But it’s not like last time. I’m not a child any longer. And I will do anything to get Mia back, before it’s too late…

Jessica’s Review:

This is another book that had an interesting premise, but didn’t totally work for me.  For me, I think this would be another book that would have worked better if I had read it versus listening to it. 

There are two timelines and at times it did get confusing for me.  We have Rosie who killed her best friend when she was younger and spent time behind bars.  Now she is all grown up with her own family.  Like another book I recently listened to, the narrator’s child comes up on Facebook posts as a missing child when the child is in fact with mom. Things turn around over the course of the novel as her daughter actually ends up going missing!

The book is more about a series of child murders than Mia going missing and we also have a reporter, Sadie, who believes in Rosie’s innocence and has always believed her.  Through a series of twists, what starts as a slow burn turns into a fast-moving story!

Zoe Mills narration was great! She really brought the story to life with her voice.

Many thanks to the publisher Bookouture for granting me a copy to listen to and review!

Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK

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