CYIReadBooks (Claire)'s Reviews > A Familiar Stranger

Wow! Did I read the same novel as everyone else? Perhaps not since I seem to be the minority opinion. Granted, it started off with a bang, but it slowly devolved into something pretty outlandish.

I did have high hopes for this novel going in. And I was prepared to give the novel five stars until the inconceivable plot twist. It was a doozy in my opinion.

The characters are developed enough to get a sense of their moral compass and personality. Lillian is neurotic and clingy. Mike, Lillian’s husband is so sterile with OCD. Sam is both Lillian’s and Mike’s best friend, who you can count on for moral support. To me, Sam was the best character in the book. There are other characters that help shape the story, but I didn’t find them to be major game changers in the overall plot.

The novel is somewhat of a page turner in that there are a number of breadcrumbs spread throughout the book that kept me moving forward. However, as I dove deeper into the narrative, it became increasingly haphazard with a mishmash of plot twists that really didn’t make any sense to me. And in the end, I had so many unanswered questions that it left me feeling disatisfied. I rated it a disappointing two stars.

I received a digital ARC from Thomas & Mercer throught NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.