THE TEACHER
Freida McFadden
What are your plans for this evening? Don’t pick this book up unless you have about four hours available to rapidly flip pages.
I received THE TEACHER late one Friday afternoon. I couldn’t wait to read it, so I started it right away. Two minutes in, the first chapter was done, and I knew whatever plans I had for the evening were canceled. Me and McFadden had a rendezvous, and I was ready.
THE TEACHER stars a handful of characters. Eve is a teacher, known at school as Mrs. Bennett. She is married to the handsome Nate, otherwise known as Mr. Bennett. Eve is a math teacher known for her tough grading and displeasing nature. Nate on the other hand is well-loved by students and keeps himself busy organizing a poetry club and helping wherever he can.
Addie, otherwise known as a big problem, attends the school where Mr. and Mrs. Bennett teach. This semester Addie is in both of their classrooms and what will happen this semester will blow your mind and is the plot for THE TEACHER by Freida McFadden.
If you’ve never read McFadden’s book before, let me break it down for you. The writing is simple yet effective. The suspense is executed to perfection. I couldn’t read it fast enough, I was rapidly turning pages and had to physically force myself to take breaks and take a breath.
Parts of the book feel like Pretty Little Liars fan fic. Characters who go there and go there again. Characters who are bad and don’t care about being good. The kind of bad we all agree is a little good now and again.
I won’t spoil the ending. I won’t spoil the twist. Read it for yourself and come back here, tell me all about it.
THE TEACHER comes out on February 6th and if you see yourself alone or bored with the present company this coming Valentine’s evening, I’ve got the best book for you to read to help you pass the time.
Thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced copy!
THE TEACHER…⭐⭐⭐⭐
THE OTHER HALF
Charlotte Vassell
This is the first time I have picked up a book by Charlotte Vassell and it will not be my last.
Black-tie, photography is strictly prohibited, and BYOC…sounds like a party.
Are you going?
You are officially invited to Rupert’s 30th birthday party. A private “Midsummer Nights” themed evening gathering in northern London. By the end of the night, someone will be dead. Detective Caius (cool name) (cool spelling) is on the case, and it will be solved in no time.
THE OTHER HALF is a uniquely luxurious way to pass the time. Even when it’s bad it’s good, and even when it’s good it’s bad. I loved the modern details from the start. A swanky private party, a millennial detective, and a bookstagrammer/book reviewer as one of the main characters.
Even though I ended THE OTHER HALF with three stars I would read what Vassell writes next. I consider my reading experience to be a success and I think it would be fun to follow Caius in his next case.
Thanks to Netgalley, Penguin Random House Audio, Vintage Anchor, and Anchor for the advanced copies!
THE OTHER HALF…⭐️⭐️⭐️
Shhh, be still. If you blink your eyes, you’ll miss it.
In THE SILENCE IN HER EYES, we are following Leah. Leah suffers from akinetopsia, a rare condition that expresses itself as motion blindness. This condition began when Leah was young. She has had it most of her life and has adapted as much as she can.
We meet up with her just before a new neighbor, Alice, moves into the building. Leah becomes interested in her. Leah’s interest soon begins to verge on obsession and the line between voyeur and friend becomes blurred.
Then one day Leah thinks she hears Alice in an altercation with a man Leah has known to visit Alice from time to time. A man who smells of Bergamot. Leah makes an irreversible decision that will change her and Alice’s life forever.
THE SILENCE IN HER EYES is very delicate. If your mood shifts, if you get interrupted, if your second cup of coffee is too hot, if it’s too noisy in the background you will lose the quality of stillness it has. If you set it down for too long you will wonder where the plot is.
To catch this vibe, you must be very, very quiet. If I sat with the horrifying reality of this condition, it was effective. And I can see it being shot for the big screen in shadows, movements in the blink of an eye, and so forth.
THE SILENCE IN HER EYES is an anxiety-inducing, slow-rolling boil. A simmer pot that I recommend for those quiet times by yourself in the morning or in the minutes you steal before sleep takes you.
I gave THE SILENCE IN HER EYES three stars and although I enjoyed most of my time reading, it was just a bit too slow for me to truly dive in.
THE SILENCE IN HER EYES comes out next Tuesday, January 16, 2024!
Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy of the book!
THE SILENCE IN HER EYES…⭐️⭐️⭐️
