I've decided there are no new ideas in the universe. And: is "unputdownable" a real word? As a matter of fact, spellcheck is flagging it right now. I have a feeling that in lieu of actual reviews, agents simply slap a few "absolutely unputdownable unstoppable nail-bitingly (okay, I made that one up) horrifyingable (that one, too) keep-you-up-at-night psychological thrill-fest!" announcements on the front, and hope that everyone will flock to the website and click "buy".
I AM ONE OF THOSE SUCKERS.
Let me save you that agony. Of course, if you don't mind plot re-runs and insufferable, criminally static characters, don't let me stop you from buying this book. "Don't Ever Tell" begins with our hero, a shy, dumpy author, Charlotte, who meets Mia, a young actress, at a book signing. Mia resembles a younger Charlotte tremendously, a spiffy coincidence which doesn't go unnoticed, apparently, by Charlotte's husband.
Complicated entanglements ensue, with each woman living through unresolved childhood trauma, barely glimpsed past relationship drama, and the busy headaches of present life stresses. Each part of this novel feels hollow, with both of these women seeming shallow and unremarkable. Neither seems a fully realized character, and Charlotte in particular appears to live in a world where very few characters interact in a realistic or natural way. She and her husband are on opposite ends of any sort of relationship spectrum: they never speak to each other about anything real; they avoid communication, touch, and discussion about their lives, children, and situation.
Also: in a stunning and spectacular point in the novel, I couldn't help but giggle. Charlotte loses a drastic and dramatic amount of weight in TWO WEEKS. Now, I'm sure everyone in his or her mind is thinking, "Wow, I wish I had her diet plan," but in reality, NO ONE would ever look past that in real life. In real life, relatives and friends would be FRIGHTENED by such a dire change in someone's appearance. That weight loss would be a harbinger of a terrible disease---a loved one would march the skeletal person to the nearest doctor's office! Apparently this shedding of incredible amounts of weight isn't even commented on by anyone??!! Including her clueless husband?
I'd like to give this book two-and-a-half stars, because the writing is smooth and stylish. Lucy Dawson can write a good novel. What she hasn't done here is give us a complex story. Even the plot is ho-hum. I saw everything coming a mile away--I even had a more complicated plot line and mystery in my head!--which would have made sense, by the way. By the end, the narrative has devolved into something irritating and messy; simultaneously tiring and tangled. The characters remain static, and the entire novel ends on a curiously vapid note, something strangely light for all the darkness preceding it.
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I received an advance copy ebook from @netgalley and @bookouture to read for an honest review!DON’T EVER TELL by Lucy Dawson is a book that caught my eye on NetGalley as I’ve been craving more and more thrillers of late. The book follows Charlotte, a wife and mother of two who works from home as a thriller writer. On one level she seems to have her life all sorted out, but behind the scenes her marriage is struggling and Charlotte is struggling to balance out her work and family life.Charlotte’s husband Tris is clearly not fully invested in the marriage and Charlotte is ready to put her thriller writer’s mind to work against him. Charlotte’s narrative is interwoven with that of Mia, a woman who meets Charlotte in a chance encounter at a book festival, but will soon wind up drawn into Charlotte’s world.The prologue opens the book with a traumatic scene and I found my attention was immediately gripped by the story which kept me wondering throughout the book what exactly was going on. The characters are well drawn out, each with their own flaws and their own secrets to keep.This was a very well done thriller and definitely kept me guessing until the end. I thought I had started to see where the narrative was going, but the author threw in some extra twists that I in no way expected. This definitely was the perfect book to satisfy my thriller cravings!If you are a fan of thrillers, I suggest you add DON’T EVER TELL by Lucy Dawson to your summer TBR! I will definitely be seeking out more from @lucydawsonbooks.DON’T EVER TELL by Lucy Dawson is scheduled for release on 6/25/2019. Thank you @netgalley and @bookouture for the advance copy ebook to read and review!
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Top reviews from other countries
Rockbiddy
Intriguing mystery suffers from a poor finale
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 29, 2019
A. Linton
Needs a better title but otherwise it's a remarkable return to form
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 15, 2019
Gill
Thoroughly enjoyed this book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on March 22, 2022
