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Do Not Become Alarmed

by Maile Meloy (Goodreads Author)

3.6 · Rating Details · 2,471 Ratings · 536 Reviews

The sun is shining, the sea is blue, the children have disappeared.

When Liv and Nora decide to take their husbands and children on a holiday cruise, everyone is thrilled. The adults are lulled by the ship’s comfort and ease. The four children—ages six to eleven—love the nonstop buffet and their newfound independence. But when they all go ashore for an adventure in Central ...more

Hardcover, 352 pages

Published June 6th 2017 by Riverhead Books

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Literary Fiction about family life and marriage

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May 23, 2017 Diane S ☔ rated it really liked it

Two couples, Liv and Nora, their spouses and four children between the ages of six and eleven, decide to take a two week cruise to South America. On the ship they meet an Argentinian couple vwith two children of their own and become friends. At first at the various ports they stay on the ship but eventually decide to go ashore and take the children zip lining. The men decide to play golf instead, leaving the women and the children with their excursion guide. Things will go horribly awry, and due ...more

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Jun 21, 2017 Maureen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

Liv and Nora decide to book a South American cruise for themselves and their families. They have four kids between them, and after meeting an Argentinian couple onboard, who also have two kids, the three families become great friends. Initially they decide against any excursions, preferring to stay onboard and make the most of the ship's facilities. Eventually though, they book a zip lining trip for the kids, while their husbands take advantage of a local golf course. That's when things start to ...more

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Jan 09, 2017 Laura rated it liked it

Shelves: read-in-2017, crime-mystery-thriller

You take your husband and two kids on a cruise with your cousin, her husband, and their two kids. During an excursion in a South American country, something goes very wrong. You can't take your eyes off the children for a second! The kids are gone. Missing. While the search ensues, the blame game begins. Do you own your part in the horrific situation? Or search for where everyone else went wrong?

That was something she was trying to work on: not always second-guessing her decisions, wondering if

That was something she was trying to work on: not always second-guessing her decisions, wondering if she’d made the wrong one. But how could you know if you’d made the right decision, when you only saw one version play out?

This is what happens in Do Not Become Alarmed. It is an exploration of parenting, privilege, guilt, jealousy, race, gender, poverty, travel and so much more. It sounds like a lot, but these all come to play in certain ways. The numerous perspectives probably help. I lost count when we were on our ninth narrator. The good news is it isn't so difficult keeping them straight. Not that the voices are entirely distinct, I was just never confused as to who was speaking due to the plot. At the beginning we see the cruise and the exact dynamics of the two couples and their families, but I kept waiting for the children (ages 6-11) to actually go missing. There are a few false alarms, each time I thought "This is it. This is how the kids go missing." If anything it shows you some of the safety issues aboard a cruise with children and how exactly the parents go about supervising their kids.

If hell was other people, you just had to find the people who weren’t the inferno, and make space for them in your life.

I had such a fun time viewing the story from the children's perspective because I was about eight when I went on my first and only cruise. It feels like the most incredible experience to a child, but you also don't see any hazards in running amok all over a ship that is thousands of miles from home. Same goes for any excursions you go on.

Wondering where those kids are? You actually know from the moment they go missing where they are the entire time. There are perspectives from the children. The families met another couple on board with teenage children. So there is a teen girl with the kids as well (just to give an idea of the ages you'll get).

There are several moments that felt like they should be impactful, but I was feeling nothing. Any twists weren't powerful. There are a few moments that just weren't necessary and dragged down the books pacing. In fact, the storyline involving Noemi didn't add anything to the plot. This book has a lot more family drama than the full-on thriller. The story is filled with emotion. Due to the parenting/guilt storylines, I saw similarities to Truly Madly Guilty. This would make a pretty good vacation read..maybe steer clear of cruise ships, though :) ...more

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Jun 04, 2017 Ashley rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley, mystery, crime-fiction, thriller, suspense, mystery-thriller, reading-challenge-2017, from-publisher, fiction, contemporary, july-2017, penguin-uk

4 STARS!

DO NOT BECOME ALARMED IS OUT TODAY - 6TH JULY!!!

Liv & Nora decide to book a cruise for themselves and their families. They have four children between them who adore their newfound independence and the 24-hour buffet! Initially, they decide to spend their time onboard, the ship has lots of great facilities to keep them entertained after all. However, after a while they decide to go on an excursion in Central America and this is where things go badly wrong - the kids have disappeared. ...more

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Jul 01, 2017 Sam (Clues and Reviews) rated it did not like it

Do Not Become Alarmed, the newest release by Maile Meloy, follows a family that meets devastation when their children disappear while on a cruise in Central America. I started this book as a buddy read with Janel from Keeper of Pages; we have been wanting to do a buddy read for a while and, when I won this book from Goodreads and it was coming up in Janel’s TBR pile, it was the perfect opportunity to get it done!

It isn’t often that I discuss a book I absolutely hated on Clues and Reviews but I Do Not Become Alarmed, the newest release by Maile Meloy, follows a family that meets devastation when their children disappear while on a cruise in Central America. I started this book as a buddy read with Janel from Keeper of Pages; we have been wanting to do a buddy read for a while and, when I won this book from Goodreads and it was coming up in Janel’s TBR pile, it was the perfect opportunity to get it done!

It isn’t often that I discuss a book I absolutely hated on Clues and Reviews but I am disappointed to say that this book left me completely underwhelmed. This is not to say that others would not enjoy this one, but I was clearly not the correct reader for this one!

Marketed as a mystery/thriller, I found this to be completely off base. This novel lacked any of the core components I love in my thrillers. There were no fast paced chapters to be found, there were no red herrings and no major plot twists. I didn’t find any of the characters to be particularly complex or likeable. I didn’t find myself feeling on edge. Needless to say, the author needed to no warning in the title of this book, I would not become alarmed during this text at all.

Aside from my genre issue I had a serious issue connecting with any of the characters. Both the children and the adult protagonists were a little irritating. I didn’t find myself particularly sympathetic or concerned for their plights. I also found that I struggled enormously with the pacing. There were moments in this book were absolutely nothing was happening. I understand that not all books can be non-stop action, but this one lacked any moments of excitement for me.

This book did have a few instants where I could see some potential, but overall, they were quickly outshone by more mundane moments. I read solidly until the 60% mark where I was tempted to add this to my DNF pile; I ended up skimming the remaining text so I could discuss it with Janel.

Overall, I would skip this book or get it from the library. I gave it 1/5 stars.
...more

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Jul 15, 2017 Rachel Hall rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Disappointingly, my pulse never even progressed to a heightened state during the course of this awkward thriller. Riddled with implausibilities, this tale of missing children never really gets into its stride and Maile Meloy falls back on some appallingly bad national stereotyping and some unconvincingly simplistic characters with little evidence of any emotional investment. However, the biggest problem for me is that Do Not Be Alarmed never manages to convey a consistently serious atmosphere, s Disappointingly, my pulse never even progressed to a heightened state during the course of this awkward thriller. Riddled with implausibilities, this tale of missing children never really gets into its stride and Maile Meloy falls back on some appallingly bad national stereotyping and some unconvincingly simplistic characters with little evidence of any emotional investment. However, the biggest problem for me is that Do Not Be Alarmed never manages to convey a consistently serious atmosphere, sometimes veering from melodrama through to black comedy and outright flippancy. It also lacks subtlety in the portrayal of characters, opting to tell rather than show, with Meloy effectively spelling out what she wants readers to think of her cast; specifically, that wealthy Americans are self-obsessed, narcissistic, behave like the world owes them a living and lack basic respect for how things operate in an alien culture. The ‘odious Americans’ in this sorry tale attempt to ride roughshod over everyone and veer from speaking very loudly to the foreigners to being rude and showing little respect for the way that the law operates in their jurisdiction and seeing an ultimate solution in litigation.

Do Not Become Alarmed opens with two female cousins, Liv and Nora, escaping Nora’s first Christmas spent at home since losing her mother and boarding an exotic cruise which will take them from San Pedro, California all the way down through Central America; a group of countries whose law enforcement and crime rates would leave any sane person sceptical about visiting. Their four children range in ages from six to eleven, with the oldest of the group, Penny, being particularly precocious. Becoming friendly with a moneyed Argentinian couple and their two teenagers, the three families spend time together. After several days going stir-crazy on the boat an eventual decision to go ashore in a country known as the ‘Switzerland of Latin America’ is made. A search on Google informed me that the country being referenced is Costa Rica.

However what these all-knowing Americans fail to realise is that law enforcement and attitudes to crime and corruption are very different to their home country. The rates for violent crime are scary, with the drugs trade of prime importance to the economy, guns rife and the authorities open to corruption. Opting for a day on shore, the trio of husbands choose a relaxing day at the golf course and the mothers, four children and two Argentinian teenagers decide to go zip lining. A mishap on the outward journey leaves the larger group waiting for a a new vehicle to ferry them onwards, but given the inevitable delay, their young tour guide, Pedro, suggests heading down to the beach whilst they wait. With two mothers sleeping on the beach and neurotic American, Nora, off looking for birds (ahem) with Pedro, all it takes is a few moments of inattention and the six youngsters disappear upstream as they are caught in a riptide.

The novel is very poorly paced, taking almost seventy-pages before any of the drama unfolds, only to then proceed at an uneven rate. Within the space of several pages the story then goes from discovering the kids are missing, seeing their footprints, uncovering a grave and swiftly concluding that they have been kidnapped by a murderer who they obviously witnessed mid-burial. From there, Meloy swiftly moves to the media circus arriving and issuing television appeals, all supposedly in a fairly remote location and all via a single policeman. The setting as described by Maile Meloy also makes no sense, with its unspoilt landscape a hotch-potch of dense trees, a single major road and a random house, which left me completely at a loss as far as recreating it in my mind went. The far-fetched nature of some of Meloy’s abrupt occurrences also left me seriously sceptical as to whether she has researched her location. The first seventy-pages are obviously intended to give readers plenty of opportunities to see the adults luxuriating in a guilt free opportunity to hand over the job of feeding and keeping their children fully occupied whilst indulging their own persuasions, be it gym or an ‘afternoon nap’ aboard the ship, all generally portraying their lack of parenting skills.

The thriller element of this novel is a little haphazard, given that the situation is shown through a combination of the points of view of the adults and the children. So in that sense, it never summons up the tension and anxiety of a last gasp race across the country because the entire time the reader has an eye on both camps and knows the full extent of the situation. With the parents moved into a hotel the chase element of the thriller also underwhelms, as the parents merely shout at others and throw tantrums, over taking any assertive action of their own. The characters also label Detective Angela Rivera as a lesbian and the man from the embassy, Kenji Kirby, gay by virtue of the former’s short hair and the later’s pale linen suits! Meloy’s inane depiction of the children's questions to their kidnappers about needing to wash their hands before eating, applying sunscreen and not drinking out of a refilled plastic bottle in a car are obvious attempts to demonstrate how sheltered the children’s privileged lifestyles to date have been, but given that a much more serious incident of a sexual nature occurs it is all a little sickening. Add into the mix one child’s precarious medical condition and another's borderline autism and with the clock ticking down, speed is of the essence if the youngsters are to survive their ordeal.

The overriding problem is that the author is far too obvious in her intentions, specifically in indicating that relations will swiftly descend into rancorous recriminations, a shifting of blame and an utter failure to take any parental responsibility. The circuitous route to attributing blame becomes more and more tenuous as the novel progresses and Liv becomes increasingly irksome with her reflections on taking her life as an affluent westerner for granted. She is also the most vocal and acts like a harbinger of doom from the get go with some utterly melodramatic lines in the first few chapters acting as precursors for the impending drama. Within twenty-pages she is commenting that disasters are the thing that you least expect, hence the need to “expect everything”, and even compares the missing children to a punishment for their affluent lifestyle in America where “the only Latinos were gardeners and day labourers”. First world problems pale into insignificance when a second strand of the novel sees a young Ecuadorean girl, Noemi, taken on a dangerous journey from her impoverished home and elderly grandmother with an ultimate destination of reuniting with her parents who are illegals immigrants in New York. As Noemi’s journey eventually meets with the missing group of youngsters, it feels like Meloy has thrown in a token character intending to demonstrate the reverse struggle and allow the American’s to come to appreciate their good fortune.

Although I hadn’t heard of the author prior to reading this book, Do Not Become Alarmed is Maile Meloy’s fifth novel, and she has also achieved success writing primarily for the YA marketplace. This novel has a crossover feel, perhaps explaining the often slightly simplistic and naive descriptions of the key players. The ending rather fizzled out, proving unsatisfactory with a number of significant questions left unresolved and I was hugely sceptical as to whether the American parents had learned a lesson from the experience. An awkward novel with an uneven pace that personally left me a little cold and unmoved. I feel unable to recommend and issue the following warning - Maile Meloy’s stereotyping throughout gives Donald Trump a run for his money!
...more

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Mar 08, 2017 Thebooktrail rated it liked it

Shelves: books-set-in-america, psychological-thriller, an-adventure

Full review to come of course but some early thoughts:

You might not want to read this is you're about to go on a cruise! Jeepers what happens when they stop at a beach to escape the ship for a while....

Seen through the eyes of the parents and the children who disappear, this is a novel of family dynamics, the will to survive and some lessons of what not to do anywhere never mind in the middle of a jungle in the middle of Central America.

The writing ranges from insightful paragraphs to clippy an ...more

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Mar 29, 2017 Andrea rated it liked it · review of another edition

Won this book on goodreads,took me ages to get into this book.its a okay read maybe just not my type of book.

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Jun 14, 2017 Elaine rated it it was ok

Shelves: am-i-thrilled, save-the-drama-for-your-mama

Do Not Become Alarmed. If you don't read this book, you're not missing much.

It tells the tale of two cousins, Liv and Nora, who take a cruise together with their families during the Christmas holiday. On a trip to the island, the men go golfing and the ladies plan a day of zip lining with their kids. A scary car accident derails their original plans and the group heads off to the beach. That's when things go awry. Liv and Camilla, an Argentinian woman from the ship, fall asleep instead of watc Do Not Become Alarmed. If you don't read this book, you're not missing much.

It tells the tale of two cousins, Liv and Nora, who take a cruise together with their families during the Christmas holiday. On a trip to the island, the men go golfing and the ladies plan a day of zip lining with their kids. A scary car accident derails their original plans and the group heads off to the beach. That's when things go awry. Liv and Camilla, an Argentinian woman from the ship, fall asleep instead of watching the children as Nora engages in a brief moment of adultering with their guide.

The children, cavorting in the water, are carried away by the tide and when searching for help, unknowingly, stumble into a group of people disposing of a body. They are brought into a dangerous household and their innocence and health are threatened by warring brothers. During the journey to their parents, the children meet a young refugee named Noemi who ends up playing a significant part of their return home and civilization.

Do Not Become Alarmed is told from various viewpoints including Liv and Nora, the children, Noemi, the criminals and though the writing is well written and flows well, you can't help but wonder, What's the point of all this?

That horrible, despicable things happen to children all over the world?

That these over-privileged parents are so clueless about the real world. What a surprise! Nora, I know you have low self esteem issues but stop flirting and pay attention to your kids!

That kids are the cause of all worries for parents everywhere since the dawn of time but having kids are also such a joy?

That you can be an adulterer and be forgiven and still have hot sex with your husband? I may be missing something here.

That women, aka Nora, still need attention from a man to feel worthy? Bleh.

The plot is slightly unbelievable but I was able to suspend disbelief for the most part.

I disliked everyone, especially the parents and the kids slightly less, but when I came to the end, all I could think of was So what? ...more

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Jun 22, 2017 Heidi rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-netgalley, read-in-2017

"Do you think worrying helps?" "Yes," she said. "Because the disaster will be the thing you don't expect. So you just have to expect everything."

Cruise ship mysteries have become quite popular recently, and after reading a few intriguing stories that were based around the various legal loopholes of crime at sea, my interest was immediately piqued by the premise of Do Not Become Alarmed (although I found the title a bit odd). However, in this novel the cruise becomes a secondary setting, as the ...more

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Jun 17, 2017 Jenny (Reading Envy) rated it liked it

Shelves: ebooks, netgalley, reviewcopy, read2017

This is a bit different from what I'd come to expect from Maile Meloy - it's a thriller about a cruise ship excursion gone bad. The thriller aspect is decent and the rich white people (who are obnoxious overall) don't escape completely, but I struggled to feel the book was entirely realistic. First of all, the cruise line unceremoniously dumps their luggage on the pier when they fail to return from a cruiseline-official excursion. Considering that this is an official excursion AND they are some ...more

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Jun 09, 2017 Cora ☕ Tea Party Princess rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017-read

5 Words: Family, sunshine, blame, kidnap, hope.

It took me about two chapters to get in to the flow of the writing, but after that I was hooked. I could not put it down.

I love how the narrative switched between the parents and the children - you could see these two stories, how they started together then came apart and took different turns before the end.

There are a lot of different situations explored in this book, and the different perspectives means that it really hits home. Be prepared for sh ...more

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Jul 11, 2017 Dannii Elle rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The dark subject matter made this a completely terrifying read, as every parent’s worst scenario is played out in a raw and brutal detail. No emotion is spared and every facet, that makes this thriller so haunting, is delivered to the reader with an authenticity that belies the fiction tag this comes with.

This explores every nuance of emotion experienced by the grieving parents. As their stories unfolded, so too did the blame. Not one of the adults is held culpable and yet each had a sinister pa ...more

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Jan 26, 2017 Vikki VanSickle rated it it was amazing

Shelves: adult-fiction, mystery, literary-fiction, thriller

Two American families escape the madness of Christmas to go on a cruise only to face their worst nightmares when the children go missing in South America. The premise of this book will appeal to the readers who can't get enough of griplit like The Girl on the Train, I Let You Go, and The Couple Next Door, but Meloy's deft prose and incising perception into humanity sets Do Not Become Alarmed apart from the crowd. Privilege, expectation, naivete, ego, love, humiliation, betrayal and chance are al ...more

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Jun 10, 2017 KC rated it liked it

Shelves: suspense, adventure, family-drama

Meh. Two families travels to Central America for a vacation, loses kids, parents panic, blah, blah, blah. This was a quick read and I was surprised at some of the graphic content to this novel, but I was underwhelmed. Not quite sure what the hype is all about. Next...

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Mar 27, 2017 Val rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: giveaways-won

I received this book free from Good Reads.

It is about two cousins Liv (plus husband Benjamin & 2 children Sebastian 8yrs old & Penny 11yrs old) & Nora (plus husband Raymond & 2 children Marcus 11yrs old & June 6yrs old).
They have decided to take a 2 week cruise down the coast of Mexico & Central America over Christmas & the new year. Things do not turn out as they expected.

I really enjoyed reading it, it is a page turner & with something happening on every page &a ...more

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Jul 10, 2017 Shawn Mooney rated it liked it

Shelves: read-in-2017

I did not become alarmed. The author did become a competent audio narrator and I did seem to become in need of a light book at the time. But I did not become enthusiastic. This review did become a so-so.

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Jun 13, 2017 Andrea rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: latin-america, thriller, 2017

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Before I review this book, I want to note that I've read some of Maile Meloy's short stories and I think she's very talented. So what happened here? Sometimes, when I come across a book like this, I wonder if the editor was intimidated by an accomplished writer such as Meloy and didn't push her enough to strengthen the areas of the book that were lacking.

The plot is straightforward: two cousins (Liv and Nora), their husbands, and their four children (two apiece) take a Christmas cruise down the Before I review this book, I want to note that I've read some of Maile Meloy's short stories and I think she's very talented. So what happened here? Sometimes, when I come across a book like this, I wonder if the editor was intimidated by an accomplished writer such as Meloy and didn't push her enough to strengthen the areas of the book that were lacking.

The plot is straightforward: two cousins (Liv and Nora), their husbands, and their four children (two apiece) take a Christmas cruise down the Pacific Coast. They befriend an Argentine couple and their slightly older children. In a country that isn't named (but which is obviously Costa Rica), the mothers and children go on a zip-line trip, the husbands go golfing, and then things go horribly wrong: the mothers get distracted and the children get lost before falling into the hands of some unsavory characters.

The book was suspenseful enough - though the story is told from both the parents' and children's points of view, enough information is withheld to keep you turning the pages. There's also a third storyline woven loosely through the book, that of an Ecuadorian girl named Noemi whose relative is helping deliver her, illegally, to her parents in New York. To be honest, Noemi's story is ancillary but for one scene, and her narrative seems like somewhat of a deus ex machina because of that.

That said, I had a few major problems with the story:

- I felt like the Latin American characters bore the brunt of the pain and violence in the book. Hector drowns; Isabel is raped; Consuelo and her husband are murdered; Raúl, villain though he is, dies in a car crash; Oscar is badly injured; Chuy is killed as well. All of the Americans sail through without major problems except for Sebastian's health issues.

- Along the same lines, most of the Costa Ricans depicted in the book were violent, lascivious, or greedy. Oscar and María were really the only two with good hearts. Even those who helped the kids get back to their parents were generally seeking some sort of remuneration.

- Why did every single character who interacted with the Costa Rican detective have to mention that she was a lesbian? It had no relation to the narrative, and was grating after a while. Same with their observations about Kenji, the US diplomat helping them.

- In general, the characters were thinly drawn. Liv is a successful movie exec, but we don't see much of the drive or passion that helps a woman succeed in a business like that. Nora drifts into a hookup with a tour guide for seemingly no reason. Camila and Gunther, the Argentine parents, are relegated to the sidelines almost entirely, despite the fact that it would be interesting to hear their perspective on another Latin American country so different from their own. There's just not a lot of personality to work with, and it makes it hard to be invested in what happens to the characters.

- The reconciliation between Nora and Raymond seemed unrealistic - total wish fulfillment.

- The ending of the book was heartbreaking - while poor Isabel struggles to cope with what happened to her, and with the fact that her brother will be frozen in time as her parents' favorite - the Americans gather in Los Angeles for dinner, inviting Noemi and her twentysomething parents to fly across the country to join them. Are they supposed to have learned something? Because they seem as cosseted and unable to relate to the rest of the world as they were at the beginning. ...more

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Jun 03, 2017 Tracy Shephard rated it liked it

What started out as a Christmas treat ended up a nightmare.

Liv and Nora, decided on a holiday cruise, so along with their husbands and their children, they rather excitedly prepare and set off.

We see the dynamics of the two couples and along with many other characters, it seems that all is not what it seems on the outside.

While the men go off and play golf, Liv and Nora take their children on a zip-lining trip. However, after a minor accident things change, dramatically.

This is a tale that cou ...more

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Jul 06, 2017 Jennifer rated it liked it

Shelves: arc, 2017-books

while this novel was an actual page-turner for me, and i stayed up so late reading it - meloy is great at tension, and deals with some meaty topics in her story (social issues, issues of race, culture, class, and family) - i did find it teetered a bit into melodrama at times, with some aspects or actions being a bit questionable. as well, i found the ending completely abrupt. so while i was invested for 95% of the story, the ending was a huge weakness for me. (aside: why are endings so hard? i s ...more

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Jun 26, 2017 Skip rated it it was ok

Kind of a weak effort for Maile Meloy, whose Apothecary series is much better. Two families go on a cruise, and while the husbands are off playing golf, the wives' and childrens' excursion goes horribly wrong when there is a car accident, followed by a kidnapping. Kind of predictable, and it was hard to feel sympathy for the privileged Americans and Argentinians, even at the hands of the ruthless criminals. Maybe 2.5 stars...

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Jun 30, 2017 Janel rated it did not like it · review of another edition

I’m afraid this won’t be a glowing review, Do Not Become Alarmed was not the book for me. The above blurb is accurate until it states: “what follows is a heart-racing story told….” – my heart did not race at all, in fact, I was worried it would flat-line, I think that clarifies my enjoyment levels for this read.

My issue wasn’t with the storyline as such, the kidnapping that occurred was believable. My issue was more the delivery – the theme didn’t come through at all, in what should have been a I’m afraid this won’t be a glowing review, Do Not Become Alarmed was not the book for me. The above blurb is accurate until it states: “what follows is a heart-racing story told….” – my heart did not race at all, in fact, I was worried it would flat-line, I think that clarifies my enjoyment levels for this read.

My issue wasn’t with the storyline as such, the kidnapping that occurred was believable. My issue was more the delivery – the theme didn’t come through at all, in what should have been a character-driven story that showcased how the parents acted in the aftermath of their children going missing, for me, it completely missed the mark. I’m sorry to say it all felt rather bland, no themes of maternal anxiety, no thrills, no emotion whatsoever.

It didn’t help that I did not like any of the main characters, I took a particular disliking to the parents, I didn’t feel any of their grief. Nora, in particular, appeared over-dramatic in her actions and it got to the point of annoyance. Everyone likes kids right, nope, not in this one, even the actions of the kids annoyed me, it just all felt forced. I felt like the character’s action were written to give this novel the thrill-factor rather than to craft believeable actions but it just didn’t happen. Of all the characters, I did like Oscar for the short time he was in the story, and that’s most likely because he wasn’t a main character so I was somewhat intrigued by his actions and how he coped with the situation he found himself in. But other than that, this novel gave me nothing!

I know I’m being harsh in my review but I have to be honest, I would not recommend this book. The pace was terribly slow, the parent’s grief seemed forced, for the majority of the novel it felt as if nothing was happening. I buddy read this book with Sam @ Clues and Reviews, I was several chapters ahead of her throughout the read and our conversation throughout went something like this:

Sam: Does it get better? // Me: Not really, I’m hoping for something to happen soon. // Sam: Does it get better? // Me: Nothing happening yet. // Sam: Does it get better? // Me: No // Sam: Should I skim read the rest? // Me: I think that would be for the best!

They say “no two people read the same book” so if you’ve got this one on your TBR, I hope you have better luck than me.

*My thanks to Viking for providing me with a digital copy of this book via Netgalley* ...more

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Jul 04, 2017 Carol Irvin rated it really liked it

Enjoyed this last pace suspenseful book!!

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May 28, 2017 Geneviève rated it it was amazing

Shelves: giveaways

Great novel, I couldn’t stop reading it! I am glad I discovered Maile Meloy.
Do Not Become Alarmed is the story of two really close cousins who go on a holiday cruise with their family. On a zipline adventure ashore, the mothers are distracted and their children disappear. This is not your typical thriller where you’re asking yourself all along, where are the children? What happened to them? Because you do know. This is genius! This book is unique in the sense that you live the parent’s roller co ...more

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Mar 30, 2017 Alex rated it it was amazing

Make sure you put this on your summer reading list. It's so engrossing it's easy to miss how much is packed in here, but it's a great look at family and marriage while being thrilling and having a point of view on travel, race, class, and more. G

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Jun 18, 2017 Rachel Gilbey rated it it was amazing

There are two main things I can take from this book, never go on a zip line shore excursion in Central America, and definitely never fall asleep while your children are in the sea. Although the second is a point that should in theory go without saying it was the key moment when a dream holiday turned into a nightmare for three families.

The book starts with a nice family vacation, and I could picture the cruise ship, the buffet, the kids club and generally the feeling of being safe on board with ...more

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Jun 04, 2017 Trevor Pearson rated it liked it

Shelves: first-reads, reviewed

I received a copy of Do Not Become Alarmed by Maile Meloy through the GoodReads First Reads Giveaway program in exchange for an honest review

"What she knew for certain was that she had brought this punishment on her family. She didn't know what the punishing entity was - God? Karma? The Furies? - but its sharp talons were shredding her heart. She wanted to bargain, to promote sacrifice or good behaviour, but what more could she sacrifice than her children? How could she imagine living righteou

I received a copy of Do Not Become Alarmed by Maile Meloy through the GoodReads First Reads Giveaway program in exchange for an honest review

"What she knew for certain was that she had brought this punishment on her family. She didn't know what the punishing entity was - God? Karma? The Furies? - but its sharp talons were shredding her heart. She wanted to bargain, to promote sacrifice or good behaviour, but what more could she sacrifice than her children? How could she imagine living righteously without knowing what she had to live for?"

Cousins and best friends Liv and Nora decide to take their families on a stress free two week vacation to Central America to get away for a little while after the passing of Nora's mother. Both families work tremendously hard and are very close so Liv thought it was perfect timing to organize a cruise in order to get lost together, rest, relax and enjoy the holiday season. After leaving from the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, California, what they first notice on the ship is how old the other passengers are, that is until they meet a noble looking Argentine family. They also find out fast that old habits die hard, especially when you're expected to forget your troubles and enjoy yourself. Liv's husband Benjamin is a high-strung workaholic and brought some of his problems with him, Liv is a neurotic cynic who is intent on staying on the ship so she doesn't "catch" anything, Nora can't help but feel inferior to her husband Raymond and his Hollywood lifestyle, and Raymond despite all his riches and good looks can't seem to satisfy his wife. Between them they have four children aged six to eleven which is enough trouble in it self, it would be wise to let their whereabouts and safety be their own distraction, but that wouldn't make for a good story now would it?

After staying aboard the ship for the first few days of their vacation they decide to break up the monotony that has settled in and go ashore. The guys decide to go play a round of golf while the women and children go on a zip line adventure with a tour guide. This is when it all begins to hit the fan with unsafe driving conditions, crocodile infested waters, tidal waves, drug cartels, diabetic comas (not the sugar induced or meat kind), and other nightmarish situations. Just when you think it couldn't get any worse the feeling of misery begins to saturate the mind, overwhelm the body, and methodically breaks the spirit of the seafaring families. Each parent brings their own quirk from a past life and let's it fester in the mind, whether it is a result of heredity, a traumatic event, a learned nuance or psychological; in times of crisis they are reflecting on them once again and it serves as a reason for their mounting problems.

"Liv had sat hunched over her phone in the club room, looking for suspicious Instagram posts, trying different hashtags while her coffee went cold. Now she forked an English muffin into halves. Crumbs dropped onto the table in front of the toaster. That was her, she reflected: soft, white, torn, crumbling. The karmic bus had mowed her down. She was being punished for living in a false world, spongy, and insulated from the reality around her. For living in a house with an alarm system, in a neighbourhood where the only Latinos were gardeners and day labourers. For sending her kids to a private school that was almost entirely white in a city that wasn't."

The children disappeared in the alleged Switzerland of Latin America. What isn't promoted as part of their tourism campaign is that feudalism exists in pockets of the country where criminal enterprises are the sources of power, you can't trust the cops, can't trust the government, can't trust anybody. Strangers with any information won't stick their neck out and get involved in other people's problems in fear of any repercussions; kidnapping American children can make you good money and standing in the way will find you extinguished in unimaginable ways. The children walk around looking for help but not wanting to be recognized by these same strangers, scared that they could be used as pawns in a dangerous socioeconomic, foreign policy chess game. From the parents end it is an event that leaves you a shell of your former self, contemplating your parenting methodology, your relationships, and even your own faith. A grief so strong that you wouldn't even feel an earthquake, internally questioning that even if your children are rescued, what's in store for them 1, 5, 10, 30 years from now? They begin to wonder if safety and security was just a mirage, an empty dream, an illusion?

The story is told from the points of view of both the adults and the children and interchanges from chapter to chapter and character to character keeping the reader unaware of the narrative equal to that of the pacing. Do Not Become Alarmed was a corkscrew of a story that had me feeling at the beginning that this was going to be a humorous hard luck vacation story with entitled upper middle class Americans on a Central American adventure on the open seas. In some ways I wasn't all that wrong, but in reality, upon completion, the story couldn't have been more different in comparison to my initial expectations. I generally don't like reading the summary beforehand, I like diving right in to let my feelings take over and not be anticipatory, waiting for certain events to transpire which proved to be beneficial for Do Not Become Alarmed. There are plenty of novels that have trouble navigating the genre bending road and end up getting unfavorable reviews while alienating a certain audience in the process. Some have trouble balancing light moments with serious events but to me the more humor makes it a dark comedy, while too little just makes it look misguided. After reading this I get the feeling that the author knew exactly what she wanted to achieve and executed the story the way she wanted. Recommended

" 'I thought this maintenance guy was making an obscene gesture,' she said. 'What gesture?'
She made the jerking off move. 'He kept saying 'Air-quick.' I was so confused. But he was miming an earthquake.'
'Maybe,' Raymond said, doubtful.
'No, he was.'
'That was a serious earthquake. I can't believe you didn't feel it.' 'I'm kind of distracted.' She felt a cold ache in her stomach as she said it, because it sounded like she was implying that should be so distracted, too, as if it were a competition. But he didn't have all the reasons she did."

...more

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Apr 09, 2017 Carol Peace rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads

This was a win with Goodreads first reads and I am so pleased I won. The book was a revelation of what could happen in just a moment by taking your eye off your children. Liv, Nora and their families go on a holiday cruise they want to give the christmas festivities a miss this year and on board the ship they will not have to worry. The children will love the nonstop buffet and the grown ups can relax. The problem starts when they decide to go ashore for a Zip line excursion,they break down and ...more

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Jun 07, 2017 Ana rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, mystery-thriller, 2017-releases, read-in-2017, blog-tours-2017

Originally posted on This Chick Reads

Actual rating 3.5/5

'Do Not Become Alarmed' is one of 2017 books I've been most excited about reading. The blurb sounds fantastic and truly intriguing and I did have high expectations. Now that I've actually read it, I have to say there were some truly excellent parts and some confusing things about this book.

But first, just a few words about the plot. Two couples go on a cruise together. Liv and Nora are cousins and their families have a great respect for ea Originally posted on This Chick Reads

Actual rating 3.5/5

'Do Not Become Alarmed' is one of 2017 books I've been most excited about reading. The blurb sounds fantastic and truly intriguing and I did have high expectations. Now that I've actually read it, I have to say there were some truly excellent parts and some confusing things about this book.

But first, just a few words about the plot. Two couples go on a cruise together. Liv and Nora are cousins and their families have a great respect for each other. The cousins like each other a lot and have been there for each other in some truly hard times. Their kids get along nicely, and despite even having a celebrity in their family, they are pretty much normal couples. However, one day when they decide to go on a bit of adventure in Central America, something goes terribly wrong. The kids go missing and none of the parents or the guide were there when the bad thing happened.

The interesting thing about this book is that all along you actually know how the kids go missing, but the fascinating thing is how this impacts the parents, especially the mothers who were with them at the beach. This is not the fastest thriller, actually in my opinion the story is actually kind of slow (which was a surprise, as I expected something faster from the blurb). However, again, in my opinion, what makes this book interesting is the whole drama around the missing kids. Seeing the parents start blaming each other and slowly fall apart...that's what made the book so fascinating.

There were times I wanted to give Liv and Nora a good shake and actually wondered HOW COULD THEY LET ALL OF THIS HAPPEN? What happened is actually something that we see it in the world all the time, sometimes we think the other one is watching and taking care while actually the kid is on their own. Scary yet it happens. I was truly trying not to judge just so I could see characters perspective more clearly, but the book did get me mad sometimes (actually Liv and Nora).

Speaking of the characters, as I said it was really hard not to get mad at the parents, at least for me. But I applaud to the author for making me feel such intense feelings for these characters, despite the fact not all of them were good. Being a parent myself I was truly horrified with what happened. However, the kids were great! I loved how composed they were (most of the times), how smart and ready to survive they were. So, now that I think about it, I enjoyed their interaction and those scenes involving them, than the parents and their search.

However, this book does get something really important out there, sort of a message for every parent. At least I got it that way. Every reader will take away from the book what they want or feel, but for me, this book seemed like a small reminder of the role parents play and how serious of a job parenting is. From this point of view, it adds a new, deeper perspective.

While I don't think there were many twists and I feel it's more of a drama than thriller, it's still a gripping read. The thing that bothered me slightly and is the reason why I can't rate it higher than this, is that there's another story which should have added more to the plot, however in my opinion it didn't. Naomi's story was (for me) not that interesting and in my opinion irrelevant to the missing kids story. It felt like it was burdening the plot cause I tried to remember all these situations and names, and there wasn't a reason for that.

But overall, I'm pleased I read it and actually read it cover to cover in one day, which obviously means there were tons of stuff that I liked. The writing style is easy which makes the book very readable. If you're not a fan of hard core, fast paced thrillers, but more of a fan of psychological ones and dramas, this is definitely a book to put on your lists. Especially if you're looking for a thought provoking one, then you've found the right book for you. ...more

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Jul 10, 2017 J.B (Debbie) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Nora and Liv are cousins and decide to take their families on a cruise over Christmas and the New Year. As someone who is desperate to go on a cruise I was instantly interested in this story when it was offered to me. I thought............what could possibly go wrong!? The first few chapters of the book leads the readers into a false sense of security with both sets of families enjoying themselves and relaxing. They are close, sharing many aspects of their lives and everyone seems to get on. Du
Nora and Liv are cousins and decide to take their families on a cruise over Christmas and the New Year. As someone who is desperate to go on a cruise I was instantly interested in this story when it was offered to me. I thought............what could possibly go wrong!? The first few chapters of the book leads the readers into a false sense of security with both sets of families enjoying themselves and relaxing. They are close, sharing many aspects of their lives and everyone seems to get on. During the cruise they befriend a family from Argentina and while docked in Central America the men decide to go and play golf while the women and children book themselves on a zip line adventure day. However, things don't go according to plan and a flat tyre and car accident soon sees the familes plans change and a dramatic course of events sees all 6 children go missing. Where are they? Who has them? Are they still alive?

The interesting thing for me was how quickly the relationship dynamics changed between Liv and Nora when faced with the mounting terror of not knowing whether their children are alive or dead. The Argentinian couple Gunther and Camila are isolated because they are not American and Gunther feels the blame lies with the American women and not his own wife, believing that the Americans should have been more responsible. There seems to be a lot of secrecy involving Pedro the tour guide. Just what went on during that day? Everyone is playing the blame game, saying and doing stupid things. The book cleverly explores how even the most sensible people can make the stupidest mistakes when faced with the most unimaginable circumstances. The relationship between the children too soon becomes one that is changed forever by their experiences.

When I picked this book up I had planned to spend a couple of hours getting stuck into it and then finishing it the next day. However, by midnight I was still there reading and couldn't put it down. Its a fantastic and gripping read and as a mother who lost both her children in the supermarket for a mere 5 minutes, I cannot begin to imagine the pain, anguish and frustration of losing children in a foreign country where the police do not seem to be terribly helpful and the language barrier creates all manner of difficulty. I found the tension mounting throughout the book and while the conclusion was not what I had entirely expected it was not an unsatisfactory ending. The reader is left wondering what could have been done differently by the parents, the police and even the children themselves. A highly recommended read. ...more

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About Maile Meloy

Maile Meloy is the author of the novels Liars and Saints and A Family Daughter, the story collections Half in Love and Both Ways Is the Only Way I Want It (named one of the Ten Best Books of the Year by the New York Times Book Review), and the award-winning Apothecary trilogy for young readers. She has received the PEN/Malamud Award and a Guggenheim Fellowship, and was chosen as one of Granta’s Be ...more

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“They had started one of those wish-fulfillment kids’ adventure books, where the boy hero has exactly the qualities he needs to triumph, at every moment… She’d been bored and annoyed, and at one point she tried to explain to Sebastian why it wasn’t her favor-ite of his books. But Sebastian had loved the book unreservedly. Why hadn’t she just read the fucking thing with gusto and relished every moment with her son? Why had she brought her adult judgment and professional story opinions to a book her kid loved? Of course the child hero should always triumph! Who wanted a kids’ book to feel like real life? Real life was fucking intolerable.” — 0 likes

“It takes experience to know what is a catastrophe (Richard Hughes, 'A High Wind in Jamaica'),” — 0 likes

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