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.

WARNING: This review contains minor spoilers and plenty of opinions. Proceed at your own risk!

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Tropesick was certainly an experience. I have very mixed feelings about this one.

At first, I was really intrigued by the premise. I loved the idea of two ghostwriters with a complicated history and the forced proximity aspect, especially because the book seemed incredibly self-aware. Like so meta! There are constant discussions about tropes, pacing, character arcs, emotional payoff, and what readers want from a romance. As someone who reads a lot of romance, I found that aspect really fun! 

That said, I think the book's greatest strength was also sometimes its biggest weakness. Because the story is so aware of romance conventions, I kept expecting it to take those tropes somewhere deeper or more unexpected. Instead, there were a lot of moments where I correctly guessed what was about to happen, which made some of the emotional beats feel repetitive rather than surprising and frustrating rather than satisfying.

At a certain point, I found myself thinking, "Okay, I get it. Now tell me what happened." I wanted answers more than I wanted another round of push-and-pull between the main characters.

Ironically, the romance stopped being the most interesting part of the story for me. The mystery surrounding Tyler and Katie's past, what happened with Mikey, and all the secrets being slowly revealed completely took over my attention. By the second half of the book, I was way more invested in finding out what happened in the past than I was in whether Tyler and Katie were going to end up together.

Katie ended up being my favorite character by a mile. Her storyline hit much harder for me than the romance. Some of the strongest moments in the book were the ones involving her family, her relationship with her mother, and her finally confronting some really painful truths. Her growth felt real and earned. She had so much more to offer than just her quirkiness. And lets be honest, who doesn't love a good SUNSHINE character? 

Tyler was a little more frustrating for me. I understood why he made a lot of the choices he did, and I could absolutely sympathize with his addiction, guilt, and self-worth issues. But I kept feeling like other people were pushing him toward growth rather than him choosing it for himself. Outside of his sobriety journey, I just didn't feel like he grew all that much.

And then there was the ending.

I genuinely cannot say much without spoilers, but I will say that the final twist completely blindsided me. Looking back, I can see the clues. I understand what the author was going for. But it was such a dramatic shift from what I thought this book was that I literally put my Kindle down and stared into space for a minute trying to process it. It felt like emotional whiplash.

Overall, I appreciated the book's ambition and enjoyed a lot of what it was trying to do with its themes of addiction, grief, forgiveness, family dynamics, and feeling unloved. There were parts I really enjoyed, parts that REALLY frustrated me, and one twist that left me sitting there wondering what just happened.

Will I ever forget this book? Absolutely not. Will I ever read another novel by Lauren Okie? Yes! 

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy! Tropesick will officially be released June 16, 2026.