Okay, so…..Riley Sager is definitely one of my favorite thriller authors at this point. I think we’ve already established that, but it doesn’t hurt to say it again-

Background

- November 1991 -

The main character/our heroine, Charlie, is currently a student at Olyphant University who is majoring in Film Theory. Charlie is an introvert who is a bit shy and awkward. She is OBSESSED with films and often uses them as an escape from reality. During her freshman year, she is paired as a roommate with Maddy who happens to be Charlie’s polar opposite- outgoing, theatrical, unapologetically herself. The two quickly grow close and form a tight friendship.

Now, 3 years later, Maddy is dead (the 3rd victim of the Campus Killer), and Charlie finds herself torn between staying at Olyphant to make things work out with school and her boyfriend and running home to her Nana Norma. The entire campus is in a frenzy because there’s a serial killer on the loose and all girls roaming around campus at night are potential targets.

Charlie is carless and refuses to drive and her boyfriend is tied up at work, which causes a desperate Charlie to place a sign up on the campus ride board. Her wish to flee campus is quickly granted when a handsome stranger sees Charlie’s sign and offers her a ride home. From the very beginning, Charlie has her reservations about him but accepts the ride anyway because being on campus in a room without her best friend is just too hard, especially when Charlie blames herself for Maddy’s murder. Now, Charlie is locked in a car for several hours with a complete stranger who may or may not be the person responsible for murdering her best friend.

My Thoughts

Before starting the book, I may have glanced at a few reviews from Goodreads which is never really a great idea. I like to go into a novel completely blind- without other people’s thoughts & opinions influencing my own feelings about the book. With that being said, I believe that this novel deserves a chance.

I was super excited to dive into this read because the description reminded me of a really great horror film. Little did I know, the entire novel would include nods to classic horror films we all know, and love and I am a huge horror film fan! Charlie’s love for picking apart films also reminded me a little of Randy from Scream (who is also an amazing character) but that’s beside the point. 

Charlie is a character that I related to from the very beginning because I am quite familiar with turning to other (harmless) things to escape reality a lot of the time- music, films, reading. I think that it’s something that we all do. BUT she also infuriated me because she described in great detail how intense her gut feelings were and then proceeded to ignore them throughout the entirety of the novel. However, if characters behaved and acted rationally in horror stories, there wouldn't be much to tell. I won't go into further detail because I refuse to spoil anything but prepare to feel enraged at the idiocy.

Bottom Line

Sager has a gift of creating worlds that take you by storm and leave you questioning what you just read. This story is suspenseful and gripping and those who choose not to read it are doing themselves a disservice. If you are looking for a great thriller with an unpredictable plot twist or you are just a fan of the horror film genre yourself, look no further. It is far from perfect, but I guarantee that you will be entertained the entire time.

I would first like to thank Netgalley and Storm Publishing for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

The story is told through multiple POVs, which made for an entertaining read. Readers are able to thoroughly understand what the characters are feeling and why they made the decisions that they did. Something I never really considered with a sensitive topic such as this one was just how much family and friends could be affected by the situation as well. I feel like Caitlin Weaver did a really great job explaining those complicated emotions and helping the reader to better understand what it could feel like to be in their place, either as a mother, daughter, son, friend, or neighbor. This was a very thought provoking and powerful read. It can be quite heavy and heart-wrenching at times but the story is very necessary. I cannot stop thinking about it. 

A very difficult read with an impactful message. Marty Goddard deserves the recognition for her work that has helped countless sexual assault survivors. The story can be infuriating at times but it does an excellent job at highlighting the injustices survivors experienced, especially with law enforcement.

Kennedy touches on the fact that women couldn’t be inventors, make technological advancements or even patent their ideas- or rather, that is what society believed to be true. Women could and did all of these things but many never got credited for their ideas. This may be the reasoning behind why Marty Goddard strategically pushed the name “the Vitullo kit” and credited Louis Vitullo instead of taking full credit for the kit herself. If Vitullo was credited, the kit held more weight and was thought to be a more credible source of evidence in the courtroom. Goddard cared more about widening her reach to help as many victims as possible rather than accepting credit for her own invention. And by utilizing this strategy, Goddard was able to expand her reach and positively impact the lives of many.

Not only is the book well researched, it is captivating from start to finish. Thank you NetGalley, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for providing me an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.