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You Shouldn't Be Here
Two strangers search for the truth behind bizarre occurrences no one else dares to discuss—only to discover that they’re connected by secrets that could destroy them both. A thrilling and twisty novel by the acclaimed author of the Mindy’s Book Studio pick I’ll Stop the World.
When sixteen-year-old Angie Stewart starts hearing a mysterious voice in her house, she’s thrilled at the possibility of a ghost. Finally, something interesting is happening in her boring hometown of East Henderson, Pennsylvania. But why is she the only one who can hear it? And what does it want from her?
Meanwhile, first-year teacher Madelyn Zhao just got the keys to her new home, which is located close to her job, within walking distance of a dog park—and, most importantly, in the town where her cousin went missing several years ago. No one in East Henderson wants to talk about what happened, but Madelyn is determined to find answers.
As the two strangers search for clues, their investigations begin to point toward the same dark place. But by the time they realize that the truth could be deadly, it’s too late to turn back. And someone out there will stop at nothing to make sure their secrets stay buried.
CW: You Shouldn’t Be Here contains depictions of narcissistic abuse and manipulation, assault, misogyny, discussion of school shootings, gun violence, murder, and death.
When sixteen-year-old Angie Stewart starts hearing a mysterious voice in her house, she’s thrilled at the possibility of a ghost. Finally, something interesting is happening in her boring hometown of East Henderson, Pennsylvania. But why is she the only one who can hear it? And what does it want from her?
Meanwhile, first-year teacher Madelyn Zhao just got the keys to her new home, which is located close to her job, within walking distance of a dog park—and, most importantly, in the town where her cousin went missing several years ago. No one in East Henderson wants to talk about what happened, but Madelyn is determined to find answers.
As the two strangers search for clues, their investigations begin to point toward the same dark place. But by the time they realize that the truth could be deadly, it’s too late to turn back. And someone out there will stop at nothing to make sure their secrets stay buried.
CW: You Shouldn’t Be Here contains depictions of narcissistic abuse and manipulation, assault, misogyny, discussion of school shootings, gun violence, murder, and death.
396 pages, Hardcover
First published July 9, 2024
6057 people are currently reading
17455 people want to read
About the author
Lauren Thoman
4 books345 followersLauren Thoman writes speculative fiction for teens and adults. Her debut novel, I'll Stop the World, was selected for publication in 2023 by six-time Emmy nominee Mindy Kaling through her eponymous imprint, Mindy's Book Studio. Lauren's pop culture writing has also appeared in numerous online outlets including Parade and Vulture. Lauren lives outside of Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband and two children in a house full of dogs and fish. When she's not writing, she's probably on the hunt for tacos or coffee, poking around her flowerbeds, or buried underneath a pile of dogs.
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February 6, 2025Just wanted to thank all the bigoted reviewers who helped me choose this as my First Reads pick for this month! It is wild that y'all get so upset about anyone’s pronouns or gender identity. Gender-nonconforming people are hardly new; they have been documented throughout history. If you’re not interested in different cultures or civilizations, you’re more than welcome to look into the science of gender identity. You might not understand, but that’s OK—because you really, absolutely don’t need to. The only way this impacts you is that it might take a few extra seconds to adjust to the singular “they,” and if that’s too much for you (as at least one reviewer said), you’ve got way bigger fish to fry and should be seeking a qualified medical professional, not spewing on Goodreads.
Thanks also to the commenter who shared this beautiful gem:
Roses are red,
Violents are blue
Singular "they"
Predates singular "you"
🙌🏻👏🏻❤️
Thanks also to the commenter who shared this beautiful gem:
Roses are red,
Violents are blue
Singular "they"
Predates singular "you"
🙌🏻👏🏻❤️
April 26, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Lauren Thoman for the eARC.
I hate to say, but I couldn't finish the book. After about 25% through, the hot button topics were just too much for me. I read for enjoyment and a bit of escape into a story to take my mind off the divisiveness in the US, and this one just didn't do it for me. I believe and respect differing opinions - everyone is entitled to their own opinion of course, but I'd rather read apolitical books for my leisure time. I'm sure there are plenty of readers that will enjoy this story, and I did like the premise! I really do my best to stick with a book and give it a fair shot but I just couldn't do it this time.
I hate to say, but I couldn't finish the book. After about 25% through, the hot button topics were just too much for me. I read for enjoyment and a bit of escape into a story to take my mind off the divisiveness in the US, and this one just didn't do it for me. I believe and respect differing opinions - everyone is entitled to their own opinion of course, but I'd rather read apolitical books for my leisure time. I'm sure there are plenty of readers that will enjoy this story, and I did like the premise! I really do my best to stick with a book and give it a fair shot but I just couldn't do it this time.
January 2, 2026
Bravo to the narrator Christina Ho. This was a quick read for me. I enjoyed the humor and hunt for something paranormal in the house of 16 year old Angie and her father. She can hear voices that no one else can hear. There is something in the walls. When Angie overhears her father arguing with his boss, Doug Raymond, they quickly move out of town.
Doug is a creep, but owns most of the real estate in their town. A young girl went missing in the town that worked for Doug. She was investigating his business.
Madelyn moved into her new home and vows to hunt for her missing cousin Piper who worked for Doug. I guessed early on what was happening but still enjoyed this audio and the characters with their humor and relationships.
Doug is a creep, but owns most of the real estate in their town. A young girl went missing in the town that worked for Doug. She was investigating his business.
Madelyn moved into her new home and vows to hunt for her missing cousin Piper who worked for Doug. I guessed early on what was happening but still enjoyed this audio and the characters with their humor and relationships.
March 20, 2024
This book had me hooked from the start! When Angie starts hearing those spooky voices in her house, I thought, "Here we go, classic ghost story!" But Thoman had some surprises up her sleeve! The plot twists were unexpected and kept me on my toes!
The way Thoman weaves together Angie's story with Madelyn's investigation is masterful. I thought I had it all figured out, but I was pleasantly surprised! 🙀 And can we talk about the villain? So despicable, but in the best way possible. Those tweets and quotes at the beginning of each chapter added an extra layer of intrigue!
And let's not forget about the characters! Angie and Madelyn felt like close friends by the end of the book. And Raymond? Such a shady character, but Thoman develops him so cleverly. The hints she drops about him? Pure genius!
Now, onto the slight drawbacks. The pacing in the first half was a bit slow, but don't let that deter you! The tension builds gradually, and once it picks up, you won't be able to put the book down!
"You Shouldn't Be Here" is a gripping read with plenty of surprises. Thoman's writing is engaging, and I'm curious to check out her other book and hopefully even more works in future. If you enjoy mysteries with unexpected twists, give this one a shot! It's a solid 4-star read!
The way Thoman weaves together Angie's story with Madelyn's investigation is masterful. I thought I had it all figured out, but I was pleasantly surprised! 🙀 And can we talk about the villain? So despicable, but in the best way possible. Those tweets and quotes at the beginning of each chapter added an extra layer of intrigue!
And let's not forget about the characters! Angie and Madelyn felt like close friends by the end of the book. And Raymond? Such a shady character, but Thoman develops him so cleverly. The hints she drops about him? Pure genius!
Now, onto the slight drawbacks. The pacing in the first half was a bit slow, but don't let that deter you! The tension builds gradually, and once it picks up, you won't be able to put the book down!
"You Shouldn't Be Here" is a gripping read with plenty of surprises. Thoman's writing is engaging, and I'm curious to check out her other book and hopefully even more works in future. If you enjoy mysteries with unexpected twists, give this one a shot! It's a solid 4-star read!
July 4, 2024
No, no, no, no, no !!!! Not for me in the least......I downloaded this as my first choice of two this month from Kindle First. I spotted the author writes for teens and younger folk than myself but that doesn't usually matter.
However.....Madelyn was moving house and her pal Syzygy was moving some of furniture for her and she writes, "...judging by their last few texts, they were at least half an hour away...." I assumed there was more than one pal coming and let that go. Then on page 30 Syzygy decided to stay over that night, since THEY were too tired to drive and I realised that this is one of those pronoun abominations I am sitting through. Well, I'm not prepared to. It's utter tripe, in my opinion, it's not edgy and it is not clever. It's nonsensical drivel !!
She overdid the quotations at the very start as well, I thought. I then made a note 9 pages in when something's referred to as "vaguely racist" that someone was clearly hunting for something to be offended by, which irritated me. She doesn't capitalise French, either.....
So I'm done. It makes no sense whatsoever and just makes the author sound like she didn't graduate 6th grade !! It has to be awful for me to only give 1*, trust me, but I'm not going along with this mental nonsense.
However.....Madelyn was moving house and her pal Syzygy was moving some of furniture for her and she writes, "...judging by their last few texts, they were at least half an hour away...." I assumed there was more than one pal coming and let that go. Then on page 30 Syzygy decided to stay over that night, since THEY were too tired to drive and I realised that this is one of those pronoun abominations I am sitting through. Well, I'm not prepared to. It's utter tripe, in my opinion, it's not edgy and it is not clever. It's nonsensical drivel !!
She overdid the quotations at the very start as well, I thought. I then made a note 9 pages in when something's referred to as "vaguely racist" that someone was clearly hunting for something to be offended by, which irritated me. She doesn't capitalise French, either.....
So I'm done. It makes no sense whatsoever and just makes the author sound like she didn't graduate 6th grade !! It has to be awful for me to only give 1*, trust me, but I'm not going along with this mental nonsense.
February 27, 2024
Oh, I loved this!
It’s mysterious. It’s suspenseful. It’s got the sweetest romance, fabulous friendships, diversity, thrills and a villain who is just the villainy-ist villain to ever villain.
The writing is clever and one reveal had my jaw dropping. I definitely didn’t see it coming.
I was all in on our main characters, but also loved the side characters – and I didn’t want the book to end.
I would happily read the author again!
• ARC via Publisher
It’s mysterious. It’s suspenseful. It’s got the sweetest romance, fabulous friendships, diversity, thrills and a villain who is just the villainy-ist villain to ever villain.
The writing is clever and one reveal had my jaw dropping. I definitely didn’t see it coming.
I was all in on our main characters, but also loved the side characters – and I didn’t want the book to end.
I would happily read the author again!
• ARC via Publisher
July 7, 2024
YOU SHOULDN’T BE HERE is full of social commentary, left-leaning politics, and even a non-binary character. If that’s your thing, you might like this one. But to me, it’s just plain lazy to always paint the conservative white male as the villain. I hated this one.
March 2, 2024
The saving grace of the book was the tweets and podcast transcripts excerpts used in the beginning of every chapter.
As appalling and ridiculous they were, they were too realistic and I'm sure you can think of real people who have the same warped mentality.
The problem was, the dialogues of the villain were really underwhelming, one reviewer described his character as cartoon-ish and they nailed it. He was described as indestructible and having high connections everywhere, but there was no backstory, no explanation whatsoever.
Ten years ago he was a normal man owning a real estate agency, and in the present, he is the big brother of the county. Even the period in between was extremely vague. The timeline started with Angie and ended with Piper, no recollection of the time between.
Moving on to the characters, they were really bland, apart from the times they frustrated the heck out of me. There was a scene where a part of a corpse was found by Madelyn's dog, you know what was her reaction? I'll gladly tell you. After a few minutes of shock and panic, the woman was hinting at being intimate with Alex. I didn't know whether to laugh or cringe.
It also didn't help that the characters lacked depth, they felt as if they were actors just reciting their lines, there was a sense of detachment from what was going on around them, almost like they were faking their reactions.
The ending was commercial-movie one, it was on the same bar with the rest of the book so I wasn't shocked by that time.
I think it's the kind of book that would go viral on social media because the author focused so much on social media, trends and representation, like writing Syzygy as nonbinary, which took me a lot of time to figure out the pronouns in the narrative. It was a book wrote to appease and sell.
*I received an ARC of this book through netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
As appalling and ridiculous they were, they were too realistic and I'm sure you can think of real people who have the same warped mentality.
The problem was, the dialogues of the villain were really underwhelming, one reviewer described his character as cartoon-ish and they nailed it. He was described as indestructible and having high connections everywhere, but there was no backstory, no explanation whatsoever.
Ten years ago he was a normal man owning a real estate agency, and in the present, he is the big brother of the county. Even the period in between was extremely vague. The timeline started with Angie and ended with Piper, no recollection of the time between.
Moving on to the characters, they were really bland, apart from the times they frustrated the heck out of me. There was a scene where a part of a corpse was found by Madelyn's dog, you know what was her reaction? I'll gladly tell you. After a few minutes of shock and panic, the woman was hinting at being intimate with Alex. I didn't know whether to laugh or cringe.
It also didn't help that the characters lacked depth, they felt as if they were actors just reciting their lines, there was a sense of detachment from what was going on around them, almost like they were faking their reactions.
The ending was commercial-movie one, it was on the same bar with the rest of the book so I wasn't shocked by that time.
I think it's the kind of book that would go viral on social media because the author focused so much on social media, trends and representation, like writing Syzygy as nonbinary, which took me a lot of time to figure out the pronouns in the narrative. It was a book wrote to appease and sell.
*I received an ARC of this book through netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
December 18, 2025
There were some aspects of this book that were kind of cheesy, but it was an engaging story and generally entertaining so it didn't bother me too much. I liked that there was a hard-headed little dog named Potato, it was cute.
August 6, 2024
Publication Date: 1st August 2024
The story centres around East Henderson, Pennsylvania and the strange goings on where people just disappear, but no one will talk about it.
Angie has lived here all her life and starts to find life interesting when she hears a ghost, but no one will believe her and she can't figure out what the ghost wants.
Madelyn moves here to start her teaching job, she also hopes to find out what happened to her cousin, who has mysteriously disappeared but in doing so comes across more than she bargains for.
What a brilliant mystery, with some great twists and turns. The characters are adorable, I really loved them and was invested in finding out what was going on with them.
I love the use of articles, emails, clips, etc at the beginning of each chapter to give a little more insight into the plot and the two points of view from Angie and Madelyn and their experiences.
It is quite dark in places and as the trigger warning mentions, the book does cover some difficult situations, but I think it is handled very well and is needed for the plot to enhance characterisation.
I really enjoyed immersing myself in this world and was a little sad when it ended.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.
Reviews also published on:
Instagram || Coffee and Kindle Blog || The StoryGraph || Amazon
Happy to make friends on all socials
The story centres around East Henderson, Pennsylvania and the strange goings on where people just disappear, but no one will talk about it.
Angie has lived here all her life and starts to find life interesting when she hears a ghost, but no one will believe her and she can't figure out what the ghost wants.
Madelyn moves here to start her teaching job, she also hopes to find out what happened to her cousin, who has mysteriously disappeared but in doing so comes across more than she bargains for.
What a brilliant mystery, with some great twists and turns. The characters are adorable, I really loved them and was invested in finding out what was going on with them.
I love the use of articles, emails, clips, etc at the beginning of each chapter to give a little more insight into the plot and the two points of view from Angie and Madelyn and their experiences.
It is quite dark in places and as the trigger warning mentions, the book does cover some difficult situations, but I think it is handled very well and is needed for the plot to enhance characterisation.
I really enjoyed immersing myself in this world and was a little sad when it ended.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.
Reviews also published on:
Instagram || Coffee and Kindle Blog || The StoryGraph || Amazon
Happy to make friends on all socials
March 21, 2024
Wow!! I loved this book! The mystery, the suspense, the romance, the friendships, and so many unexpected twists! There were a couple of instances where I audibly gasped. And moments where I laughed out loud. It was fast paced and kept me guessing throughout. I loved the romance that was tied into the story but also that it didn’t take over the plot. The paranormal aspect added another layer of intrigue that had me on the edge of my seat!
My only complaint is that the pacing was a tad slow in the beginning and the dual POVs and timelines took me a few chapters to understand, but once I did this book was unputdownable.
The characters were well developed and the story was action packed and engaging. I really enjoyed how everything tied up at the end and there were no questions left unanswered. I highly recommend this novel and hope to read more from this author in the future.
Thank you Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for this ARC!
My only complaint is that the pacing was a tad slow in the beginning and the dual POVs and timelines took me a few chapters to understand, but once I did this book was unputdownable.
The characters were well developed and the story was action packed and engaging. I really enjoyed how everything tied up at the end and there were no questions left unanswered. I highly recommend this novel and hope to read more from this author in the future.
Thank you Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for this ARC!
July 5, 2024
I barely got started and I knew exactly what this was going to be like. A book laced with political ideologies. I don’t want to read a book and know what the authors political stances/opinions on everything are. These could be ideas I agree OR disagree with….either way. I’ll read a political thriller if I want politics in my books. Sorry.
March 18, 2024
Madelyn moves to a new town to find her missing cousin
Each chapter starts with a social media post or article about the local villainous megalomaniac who runs the town, Doug Raymond. He’s rich, powerful and anyone that questions his motives seem to disappear
Madelyn comes to town to try and find her cousin Piper, knowing that Doug Raymond her old boss must know something
We also get to know teen bff’s Angie and Bas who seem to be dealing with a ghost, haunting Angie
It took 240 pages for something thrilling to happen - huge build up, and too slow for me
Some strong representation: the nonbinary character Syzygy and a liberal opinion on the 2nd amendment
This is a slow burn suspense with some romance, and a sliver of paranormal
I’m not a paranormal or romance fan, so this area wasn’t my cup of tea. I am a huge suspense fan, and I know that a build up is vital, but this dragged for me. The romantic element also took its time and felt kinda YA, so perhaps this book would be popular with a younger audience
Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for access to this eBook ARC in exchange for my honest review
Each chapter starts with a social media post or article about the local villainous megalomaniac who runs the town, Doug Raymond. He’s rich, powerful and anyone that questions his motives seem to disappear
Madelyn comes to town to try and find her cousin Piper, knowing that Doug Raymond her old boss must know something
We also get to know teen bff’s Angie and Bas who seem to be dealing with a ghost, haunting Angie
It took 240 pages for something thrilling to happen - huge build up, and too slow for me
Some strong representation: the nonbinary character Syzygy and a liberal opinion on the 2nd amendment
This is a slow burn suspense with some romance, and a sliver of paranormal
I’m not a paranormal or romance fan, so this area wasn’t my cup of tea. I am a huge suspense fan, and I know that a build up is vital, but this dragged for me. The romantic element also took its time and felt kinda YA, so perhaps this book would be popular with a younger audience
Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for access to this eBook ARC in exchange for my honest review
July 13, 2024
Do not read. Horrible! Contains alternate lifestyles that are portrayed as positive and functional.
July 14, 2024
Ugh, only a couple chapters in but this one’s going in the DNF pile. First, I noticed the “vaguely racist” comment and rolled my eyes at the character being so easily offended and dramatic. Add to that the pro 2A realtor being described as if that’s a bad trait and I’m thinking it’s another annoyingly woke book, but thought maybe I could read past it. But the last straw was the reference to the Syzygy character. First of all, what in the world kind of name is that?! Secondly, “judging by THEIR last few texts, THEY were at least an hour away still.” No, not trudging through a book written by an author who doesn’t understand pronoun use. Please learn to just write good stories without the political statements. I’ve said it before, but I’ll continue to advise authors, at least half of your readers don’t agree with you politically and 100% of them don’t want to read about it either way.
March 30, 2024
I don’t even know where to start! Let’s just say it’s after 1 am and I am still awake because I could not rest until I finished this book!
This book has it all. Suspense, mystery, romance, ghosts, secrets, humor. Whew, what a read.
Madelyn moves to a new town in search for a family member who has gone missing, and uncovers all types of things! Meanwhile another girl goes missing and Madelyn is determined to find out how/if the two cases are related.
One of the twists literally had me sit up straight and say WHAT?!
This is a thriller you absolutely will want to read. Highly recommend!!!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy!!
This book has it all. Suspense, mystery, romance, ghosts, secrets, humor. Whew, what a read.
Madelyn moves to a new town in search for a family member who has gone missing, and uncovers all types of things! Meanwhile another girl goes missing and Madelyn is determined to find out how/if the two cases are related.
One of the twists literally had me sit up straight and say WHAT?!
This is a thriller you absolutely will want to read. Highly recommend!!!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy!!
February 25, 2024
Thank you Netgalley for my copy.
I hate to do this for an ARC but I am required to give an unbiased and honest opinion on this book. I didn't like it. Despite not being all that long, it dragged. Most of the characters were annoying and just silly half of the time. The villain was almost a caricature of a marvel supervillain. I hated them all, except Syzygy and Potato, they were pretty cool.
It wasn't bady written, I just didn't enjoy the story.
Apologies to the author, would happily try something else by them in the future though.
I hate to do this for an ARC but I am required to give an unbiased and honest opinion on this book. I didn't like it. Despite not being all that long, it dragged. Most of the characters were annoying and just silly half of the time. The villain was almost a caricature of a marvel supervillain. I hated them all, except Syzygy and Potato, they were pretty cool.
It wasn't bady written, I just didn't enjoy the story.
Apologies to the author, would happily try something else by them in the future though.
August 16, 2024
I am putting myself on outlier island because I find myself scratching my head. This paranormal mystery sounded intriguing but it started quite slow, picked up for a bit and then it seemed drawn out towards the end.
This was one of my July Amazon First Reads picks.
Goodreads review published 13/08/24
This was one of my July Amazon First Reads picks.
Goodreads review published 13/08/24
August 2, 2024
If I start writing a review it’s going to turn into a rant of all the things I disliked about the book and I’d rather spend my time reading a better book.
Read
April 7, 2025
Two strangers search for the truth behind bizarre occurrences no one else dares to discuss―only to discover that they’re connected by secrets that could destroy them both.
I love a good ghost story, so was excited to get this one. That being said...I'm rather on an edge about it. There were things that I really liked...who doesn't love a ghost story? But at the same time some things that I simply didn't "get" and there was no further explanation for them. I won't go much into those "things" because it will ruin the story for those that want to explore it for themselves.
The story starts with an employee, Angie, in a realty office, having just discovered a deep, dark secret about her employer. Unfortunately, her employer catches her at this and before she can escape, her world goes dark.
Madelyn Zhao is a young woman in her twenties, who finds herself in East Henderson, Pennsylvania. She's just recently broken up with her toxic boyfriend and struggled through the "lockdown", she’s ready for a new start. This new start also includes another agenda, that of finding her cousin, who has gone missing. Though her cousin’s friend and colleague sought help, the search came to a halt when she was fired from her job.
Angie hears a woman singing in the bathroom. With her mother having walked out two years ago and her dad never home, Angie wonders if she is just lonely or maybe a bit "looney". She decides to do some ghost hunting and, with Bas’s help, tries to uncover the mystery behind the singing voice. This was my first confusion...who the heck is Bas? The author is obviously an excellent storyteller and capable of producing likeable characters make a compelling read...so why can't I find Bas mentioned before? Okay...Back to Madelyn. She finds herself drawn to a male colleague, and their relationship takes off quickly. But then things start get a lot "murkier" for both Angie and Madelyn. and for me. The twist in the middle of the story left me surprised and again... a little confused. I read the paragraph twice to make sure I got it right.
The entire story opened a little slow...but that wasn't particularly a "bad" thing. We had to meet the two women and learn why they were where "something" didn't want them to be. It took a while for me to put the pieces together, but overall, it was an interesting take on a ghost as well as a ghost story. The multiple perspectives managed to keep the story moving along. I also liked the little news blurbs, articles or text chains at the beginning of each chapter. That was clever on someone's part. The villain could have used a bit more depth and a little more wrap-up, but Angie and Madelyn turned out to just be "fun" people.
I love a good ghost story, so was excited to get this one. That being said...I'm rather on an edge about it. There were things that I really liked...who doesn't love a ghost story? But at the same time some things that I simply didn't "get" and there was no further explanation for them. I won't go much into those "things" because it will ruin the story for those that want to explore it for themselves.
The story starts with an employee, Angie, in a realty office, having just discovered a deep, dark secret about her employer. Unfortunately, her employer catches her at this and before she can escape, her world goes dark.
Madelyn Zhao is a young woman in her twenties, who finds herself in East Henderson, Pennsylvania. She's just recently broken up with her toxic boyfriend and struggled through the "lockdown", she’s ready for a new start. This new start also includes another agenda, that of finding her cousin, who has gone missing. Though her cousin’s friend and colleague sought help, the search came to a halt when she was fired from her job.
Angie hears a woman singing in the bathroom. With her mother having walked out two years ago and her dad never home, Angie wonders if she is just lonely or maybe a bit "looney". She decides to do some ghost hunting and, with Bas’s help, tries to uncover the mystery behind the singing voice. This was my first confusion...who the heck is Bas? The author is obviously an excellent storyteller and capable of producing likeable characters make a compelling read...so why can't I find Bas mentioned before? Okay...Back to Madelyn. She finds herself drawn to a male colleague, and their relationship takes off quickly. But then things start get a lot "murkier" for both Angie and Madelyn. and for me. The twist in the middle of the story left me surprised and again... a little confused. I read the paragraph twice to make sure I got it right.
The entire story opened a little slow...but that wasn't particularly a "bad" thing. We had to meet the two women and learn why they were where "something" didn't want them to be. It took a while for me to put the pieces together, but overall, it was an interesting take on a ghost as well as a ghost story. The multiple perspectives managed to keep the story moving along. I also liked the little news blurbs, articles or text chains at the beginning of each chapter. That was clever on someone's part. The villain could have used a bit more depth and a little more wrap-up, but Angie and Madelyn turned out to just be "fun" people.
October 7, 2024
It took me a few chapters to fully get into this one, but once things started happening, I was so intrigued and HAD to finish.
This book is full of mystery, a very BAD man, friendship, diverse, a cute doggo, and a tiny bit of romance. The only thing I didn't care for was the ghost, or time construct thing? Idk.. I liked it, but I'm confused, haha.
This book is full of mystery, a very BAD man, friendship, diverse, a cute doggo, and a tiny bit of romance. The only thing I didn't care for was the ghost, or time construct thing? Idk.. I liked it, but I'm confused, haha.
July 27, 2024
#ad I received a gifted copy of this book - many thanks to @laurenthomanwrites & @amazonpublishing & @mbc_books #partner
This is a first reads pick if you have Amazon Prime & Kindle.
I love the cover of this one! You’ll be pulled into this story from the jump. Piper is somewhere she shouldn’t be, seeing documents that she shouldn’t be seeing. And then someone walks in on Piper and something bad happens.
Skip forward, Angie is convinced that her house is haunted and is determined to prove it. Madelyn has just moved into a new house, and is here to find answers about her missing cousin. She’s determined to go up against the CEO of Raymond Reality Group, Doug Raymond. He may have the entire city in his back pocket but Madelyn won’t be intimidated.
This is a timely, fast-paced, mind exploding read with high tension and lots of suspense. I loved everything about this book and didn’t ever want it to end. You’ll love the characters and the mystery equally and everything else too.
What do you fear more: the ghosts you can’t see or the monsters you can see that are hiding in plain sight? This would be a great read for a book club I feel because there’s just so much to discuss.
I loved the little info before each chapter. It’s a mix of news articles, social media posts, emails, interviews, which only add to the narrative.
Highly recommend this one. You’ve got to read this book this Summer/Fall. So add it to your TBR and thank me later.
This is a first reads pick if you have Amazon Prime & Kindle.
I love the cover of this one! You’ll be pulled into this story from the jump. Piper is somewhere she shouldn’t be, seeing documents that she shouldn’t be seeing. And then someone walks in on Piper and something bad happens.
Skip forward, Angie is convinced that her house is haunted and is determined to prove it. Madelyn has just moved into a new house, and is here to find answers about her missing cousin. She’s determined to go up against the CEO of Raymond Reality Group, Doug Raymond. He may have the entire city in his back pocket but Madelyn won’t be intimidated.
This is a timely, fast-paced, mind exploding read with high tension and lots of suspense. I loved everything about this book and didn’t ever want it to end. You’ll love the characters and the mystery equally and everything else too.
What do you fear more: the ghosts you can’t see or the monsters you can see that are hiding in plain sight? This would be a great read for a book club I feel because there’s just so much to discuss.
I loved the little info before each chapter. It’s a mix of news articles, social media posts, emails, interviews, which only add to the narrative.
Highly recommend this one. You’ve got to read this book this Summer/Fall. So add it to your TBR and thank me later.
August 23, 2024
Wanted a ghost story - kind of got one, though it’s a bit more complex than that.
It was a fun read, I enjoyed it and probably would have given it 4 stars but bumped it up to 5 because some reviews have rated 1 star purely for having a non binary character, and i think that’s silly.
It was a fun read, I enjoyed it and probably would have given it 4 stars but bumped it up to 5 because some reviews have rated 1 star purely for having a non binary character, and i think that’s silly.
March 29, 2024
When I read the synopsis, I wasn't sure what to expect. I really liked the writing and the story line. It was fast paced enough that it kept me engaged. I liked that the story was different than any other mystery I've read. I did not see the plot twists coming and those definitely took me by surprise. The author made the characters relatable, which I liked. Looking back, the way it ended was kind of predictable but over all I really enjoyed this book. I would read more from this author again and I would definitely recommend this book.
March 3, 2024
WOWWWW what an incredible thriller!!! This was SO well written and I loved every single page!! The characters were fantastic and I felt so connected to them. The plot was fun and super twisty, I audibly gasped at so many moments of this! The villain is super hateable and I love-hated the tweets and quotes from him at the beginning of each chapter. I started reading faster and got physically closer to my book as I was reading as if I could take it in more that way 🤣 I LOVED this book!!!!!
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September 16, 2024
I read this mainly because of all the crying boomers who can't figure out singular "they". It was alright, it kept me interested but didn't blow me away. Singular "they" is barely used in the entirety of the book, and absolutely is not difficult to follow if you're not a bigoted weirdo. Happy reading!
July 13, 2024
Overall, I liked this book. It was well written and suspenseful, and it was easy to read and pretty engaging.
There were several issues I had with it, however, by the end:
1. It was so hard for me to picture who Syzygy was. The use of the plural “they” was really had for me to get used to, and I didn’t know if it was a boy or a girl (yes, I understand that it’s the point, but it was very hard for me to envision the nonbinary persona). I’ll commend the author for at least trying the pronoun, and after awhile it seemed to be the norm, but more physical description would have helped here.
2. The whole thing with Syzygy (still cannot pronounce it) at the end was bizarre. Where did they come from— out of state? Impersonating a police officer with software that was downloaded? It didn’t make any sense to me whatsoever.
3. Why would Raymond be killing so many people himself? Higher ups get people to do their dirty work for them; they don’t do it themselves.
4. Who was watching Madeline and that friend of Piper’s? That wasn’t followed through on.
5. Alex was really kind of weird with his behavior several
times. He was so weird that I even thought he might be involved in all of this. I mean, passages like “Would Alex really have fallen asleep on the sofa bed right after I texted?” (Paraphrase) literally went nowhere. Why were details like that included?
6. And this thing with the ghost is too unbelievable for me. I still do not get it, despite the lackluster attempt to explain it at the end by it maybe being that murdered woman with the same initials (hello?!? Far fetched?! Plus, she’s a criminal too, apparently). And if it was Angie and Madeline communicating… what?!? Let’s just throw in a Hawking reference and hope that covers it. No.
7. What was that whole interaction with that guy Alex knew on Facebook who Madeline and Alex were using for answers to their search for Angie and Piper? That poor guy. He was being used, and over what? The fact that he used to work at Raymond’s business? It really made them look like jerks. What was the point of that? He never shows up again and it certainly didn’t contribute to character development.
8. Madeline did almost no work for school, called out in her first two weeks, and was always hungover. Her musical ability was another undeveloped plot point. And I’m
still kind of unclear about her whole family situation. It was very odd. She wouldn’t last very long with her work ethic! She is completely alone? It’s a stretch.
9. It seems to me quite dumb that Raymond would rent his personal house to ANYONE, considering there was a body in there. The dude owns a construction company (or at least used to- he’s certainly a powerful man). Why not just bulldoze the whole thing?
10. The biggest hole here is Piper. To end with basically “she was shot in the head and back”- oh well- seems terrible, since she was the catalyst for the plot. She remained terribly undeveloped, including specifically what she was working on.
11. I don’t understand what Angie/ Nat did at the end. She set up video cameras? How? When? The place had no reception, and did she just know that Raymond was going to kidnap Alex and bring him to the abandoned construction site?
12. What exactly has Angie/ Nat been doing for 10 years? I know it said working in coding and keeping her head down, but how many aliases can she have? She’s basically been committing identity theft, but that’s fine?! And her dad has also disappeared, and what’s he been doing? Finally, why all the backstory on Angie’s mom? It’s not important to the plot. Why not say she died and get on with it if the psychological damage part doesn’t play a role and the abandonment issue isn’t explored?
13. There’s no backstory to Raymond. Clearly, the hot button issues (second amendment rights, nonbinary pronouns, corporate corruption) are meant to garner attention, but feel almost forced to me.
14. So Potato (no description again other than a 10 pound dog) finds a hand. (I think we all saw a mile ahead of time that something was buried in that wall). And what do Alex and Madeline do? Think about sex, answer the door for a courier (and how did that courier know she was home? He was so insistent on delivering the cease and desist order… but that was it. Anticlimactic!), put the hand in a paper bag and throw it under the sink, and then decide not to call the (presumably) corrupt police. No, they go back to Alex’s apartment, drink more wine, think about sex again, then don’t have it, then Alex falls asleep for no reason… and Madeline spends the next day reading a book. THERE IS A SKELETON BURIED IN A WALL! You’d think there might be a teeny sense of urgency here, but nope.
15. Why all the backstory to Ralph and Madeline? It wasn’t like it contributed to the plot at all, nor did it serve as a counter to her relationship with Alex in any meaningful way, as they’re barely in a relationship even at the end. If the romance was central to the plot, fine. But it wasn’t, so all the Ralph flashbacks seemed superfluous. I laughed when the author wrote something like “If Madeline had wasted 5 years of her life when she was 40, no big deal, but to do so at 23 was horrible” (again, paraphrased). I mean… the complete opposite is true! When you’re older and single, the stakes are much higher! 23 is a baby. Sheesh.
Reading this book, I actually liked it a lot. But then the end felt so rushed, and it was a whole lot of explaining rather than being in the moment. And all of the loopholes noted above made it too silly for me. I’m glad I read it, but I know I’ll be just another forgettable novel.
.
There were several issues I had with it, however, by the end:
1. It was so hard for me to picture who Syzygy was. The use of the plural “they” was really had for me to get used to, and I didn’t know if it was a boy or a girl (yes, I understand that it’s the point, but it was very hard for me to envision the nonbinary persona). I’ll commend the author for at least trying the pronoun, and after awhile it seemed to be the norm, but more physical description would have helped here.
2. The whole thing with Syzygy (still cannot pronounce it) at the end was bizarre. Where did they come from— out of state? Impersonating a police officer with software that was downloaded? It didn’t make any sense to me whatsoever.
3. Why would Raymond be killing so many people himself? Higher ups get people to do their dirty work for them; they don’t do it themselves.
4. Who was watching Madeline and that friend of Piper’s? That wasn’t followed through on.
5. Alex was really kind of weird with his behavior several
times. He was so weird that I even thought he might be involved in all of this. I mean, passages like “Would Alex really have fallen asleep on the sofa bed right after I texted?” (Paraphrase) literally went nowhere. Why were details like that included?
6. And this thing with the ghost is too unbelievable for me. I still do not get it, despite the lackluster attempt to explain it at the end by it maybe being that murdered woman with the same initials (hello?!? Far fetched?! Plus, she’s a criminal too, apparently). And if it was Angie and Madeline communicating… what?!? Let’s just throw in a Hawking reference and hope that covers it. No.
7. What was that whole interaction with that guy Alex knew on Facebook who Madeline and Alex were using for answers to their search for Angie and Piper? That poor guy. He was being used, and over what? The fact that he used to work at Raymond’s business? It really made them look like jerks. What was the point of that? He never shows up again and it certainly didn’t contribute to character development.
8. Madeline did almost no work for school, called out in her first two weeks, and was always hungover. Her musical ability was another undeveloped plot point. And I’m
still kind of unclear about her whole family situation. It was very odd. She wouldn’t last very long with her work ethic! She is completely alone? It’s a stretch.
9. It seems to me quite dumb that Raymond would rent his personal house to ANYONE, considering there was a body in there. The dude owns a construction company (or at least used to- he’s certainly a powerful man). Why not just bulldoze the whole thing?
10. The biggest hole here is Piper. To end with basically “she was shot in the head and back”- oh well- seems terrible, since she was the catalyst for the plot. She remained terribly undeveloped, including specifically what she was working on.
11. I don’t understand what Angie/ Nat did at the end. She set up video cameras? How? When? The place had no reception, and did she just know that Raymond was going to kidnap Alex and bring him to the abandoned construction site?
12. What exactly has Angie/ Nat been doing for 10 years? I know it said working in coding and keeping her head down, but how many aliases can she have? She’s basically been committing identity theft, but that’s fine?! And her dad has also disappeared, and what’s he been doing? Finally, why all the backstory on Angie’s mom? It’s not important to the plot. Why not say she died and get on with it if the psychological damage part doesn’t play a role and the abandonment issue isn’t explored?
13. There’s no backstory to Raymond. Clearly, the hot button issues (second amendment rights, nonbinary pronouns, corporate corruption) are meant to garner attention, but feel almost forced to me.
14. So Potato (no description again other than a 10 pound dog) finds a hand. (I think we all saw a mile ahead of time that something was buried in that wall). And what do Alex and Madeline do? Think about sex, answer the door for a courier (and how did that courier know she was home? He was so insistent on delivering the cease and desist order… but that was it. Anticlimactic!), put the hand in a paper bag and throw it under the sink, and then decide not to call the (presumably) corrupt police. No, they go back to Alex’s apartment, drink more wine, think about sex again, then don’t have it, then Alex falls asleep for no reason… and Madeline spends the next day reading a book. THERE IS A SKELETON BURIED IN A WALL! You’d think there might be a teeny sense of urgency here, but nope.
15. Why all the backstory to Ralph and Madeline? It wasn’t like it contributed to the plot at all, nor did it serve as a counter to her relationship with Alex in any meaningful way, as they’re barely in a relationship even at the end. If the romance was central to the plot, fine. But it wasn’t, so all the Ralph flashbacks seemed superfluous. I laughed when the author wrote something like “If Madeline had wasted 5 years of her life when she was 40, no big deal, but to do so at 23 was horrible” (again, paraphrased). I mean… the complete opposite is true! When you’re older and single, the stakes are much higher! 23 is a baby. Sheesh.
Reading this book, I actually liked it a lot. But then the end felt so rushed, and it was a whole lot of explaining rather than being in the moment. And all of the loopholes noted above made it too silly for me. I’m glad I read it, but I know I’ll be just another forgettable novel.
.
July 13, 2024
I am officially a fan of Lauren Thoman, her first book, I’ll stop the world, was one of my top ten books of 2023. This book is about Madelyn, who moved to a small town in Pennsylvania where her cousin was from. The very same cousin that went missing two years ago without a trace. She gets a job as a choir teacher and rents a home from a villainous CEO.
He’s a one dimensional villain, an easy guy to dislike. Each chapter begins with a quote from Doug, each one worse than the last.
Bonus points for having a non-binary best friend Syzygy. First character name with no vowels!
Overall this was a medium romance and a good mystery.
He’s a one dimensional villain, an easy guy to dislike. Each chapter begins with a quote from Doug, each one worse than the last.
Bonus points for having a non-binary best friend Syzygy. First character name with no vowels!
Overall this was a medium romance and a good mystery.
July 12, 2024
Still not sure what to think of this one.
On one hand, it's a pretty straight-forward thriller. But then there's a weird twist involving 2 women able to communicate ACROSS TIME just because they lived in the same house a decade apart. I thought SURE it would be revealed that Madlyn's theory of timey-wimey communication was whacked and there was a logical explanation, but nope. For some reason, they could hear each other across time. I just found it so weird and out-of-place in the otherwise 'normal' setting of the book.
Secondly, the main character Madlyn gave me SO MUCH ANXIETY. She overthought EVERY LITTLE SINGLE THING...except for renting a house from a man she suspected of killing her cousin and who she wanted to investigate. Shouldn't you think "this could be really dangerous"??? I should also mention that this dude was known for posting right-wing crap & photos of all his semiautomatic weapons on the internet. And one of the first things he tells her is 'no pets'...and her former roommate promptly drops off her dog. (I thought for sure the evil dude was going to find & shoot the dog...thankfully, that didn't happen.) She's also weirdly hung up on her ex-boyfriend. The amount of times she mentions him as the book goes on is NOT healthy.
On one hand, it's a pretty straight-forward thriller. But then there's a weird twist involving 2 women able to communicate ACROSS TIME just because they lived in the same house a decade apart. I thought SURE it would be revealed that Madlyn's theory of timey-wimey communication was whacked and there was a logical explanation, but nope. For some reason, they could hear each other across time. I just found it so weird and out-of-place in the otherwise 'normal' setting of the book.
Secondly, the main character Madlyn gave me SO MUCH ANXIETY. She overthought EVERY LITTLE SINGLE THING...except for renting a house from a man she suspected of killing her cousin and who she wanted to investigate. Shouldn't you think "this could be really dangerous"??? I should also mention that this dude was known for posting right-wing crap & photos of all his semiautomatic weapons on the internet. And one of the first things he tells her is 'no pets'...and her former roommate promptly drops off her dog. (I thought for sure the evil dude was going to find & shoot the dog...thankfully, that didn't happen.) She's also weirdly hung up on her ex-boyfriend. The amount of times she mentions him as the book goes on is NOT healthy.
February 20, 2024
Listen.. this book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Description: Two strangers search for the truth behind bizarre occurrences no one else dares to discuss—only to discover that they’re connected by secrets that could destroy them both. A thrilling and twisty novel by the acclaimed author of the Mindy’s Book Studio pick I’ll Stop the World. [description pulled from netgallery]
When you think you have the plot figured out, you get absolutely back handed. There were time jumps but it all played a critical role in the plot. Beautifully written and foreshadowed with exquisite perfection. It gives off “Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal” with the idea of money can buy you anything, everything and effectively sweep crime under the rug. Instead of Alex Murdaugh, it’s Douglas Raymond.
We see the story from two points of view and dual timelines. Angie and Madelyn. Angie is a teen who believes she’s hearing ghosts in her home and decides to partake in her own paranormal investigations. Madelyn is a middle school chorus teacher who finds herself in a huge web of conspiracy. Angie and Madelyn’s path cross in ways you don’t expect them.
Description: Two strangers search for the truth behind bizarre occurrences no one else dares to discuss—only to discover that they’re connected by secrets that could destroy them both. A thrilling and twisty novel by the acclaimed author of the Mindy’s Book Studio pick I’ll Stop the World. [description pulled from netgallery]
When you think you have the plot figured out, you get absolutely back handed. There were time jumps but it all played a critical role in the plot. Beautifully written and foreshadowed with exquisite perfection. It gives off “Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal” with the idea of money can buy you anything, everything and effectively sweep crime under the rug. Instead of Alex Murdaugh, it’s Douglas Raymond.
We see the story from two points of view and dual timelines. Angie and Madelyn. Angie is a teen who believes she’s hearing ghosts in her home and decides to partake in her own paranormal investigations. Madelyn is a middle school chorus teacher who finds herself in a huge web of conspiracy. Angie and Madelyn’s path cross in ways you don’t expect them.
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