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That Weekend
Three best friends, a lake house, a secret trip - what could go wrong?
It was supposed to be the perfect prom weekend getaway. But it's clear something terrible happened when Claire wakes up alone and bloodied on a hiking trail with no memory of the past forty-eight hours.
Three went up the mountain, but only one came back.
Now everyone wants answers - most of all, Claire. She remembers Friday night, but after that... nothing. And now Kat and Jesse - her best friends - are missing.
That weekend changes everything.
What happened on the mountain? And where are Kat and Jesse? Claire knows the answers are buried somewhere in her memory, but as she's learning, everyone has secrets - even her best friends. And she's pretty sure she's not going to like what she remembers.
It was supposed to be the perfect prom weekend getaway. But it's clear something terrible happened when Claire wakes up alone and bloodied on a hiking trail with no memory of the past forty-eight hours.
Three went up the mountain, but only one came back.
Now everyone wants answers - most of all, Claire. She remembers Friday night, but after that... nothing. And now Kat and Jesse - her best friends - are missing.
That weekend changes everything.
What happened on the mountain? And where are Kat and Jesse? Claire knows the answers are buried somewhere in her memory, but as she's learning, everyone has secrets - even her best friends. And she's pretty sure she's not going to like what she remembers.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published June 29, 2021
375 people are currently reading
21528 people want to read
About the author
Kara Thomas
17 books2,398 followersKara is the author of The Darkest Corners, Little Monsters, and The Cheerleaders. She is also the author of the Prep School Confidential series from St. Martin's Griffin under the pen name Kara Taylor.
Kara has written for Warner Brothers Television and currently writes full-time on Long Island, where she lives with her husband and rescue cat.
Kara has written for Warner Brothers Television and currently writes full-time on Long Island, where she lives with her husband and rescue cat.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,069 reviews
November 1, 2022
"... I've seen people wait years to find out what happened to their loved ones, and when they finally do, the answers aren't enough. The emptiness is still there. Sometimes it's even worse."
Wow. This book is stunning like the glimmer of a slick, sharpened knife. The twists and turns are solid, but the characterization and journey that we go on while reading this book is pretty epic, something I don't typically feel while reading a YA mystery novel. Kara has always had a way with words, and her plots are tight and gripping without fail, but something about this novel really put her in a top tier category for me. As an author, she's clearly found her sweet spot within the genre and found a way to put her unique spin on the kind of stories that can feel stale and washed up when done in a repetitive manner.
This book is a minefield of spoilers, so I'll do my best to dodge them as best as possible, but if you're wanting to go in completely blind (as I was graciously allowed to), consider stopping here and finishing reading this review once you've read the book. That said, if you'd like a little more of an idea of what to expect from this book with no spoilers included, carry on.
Claire, Kat, and Jesse have been friends throughout childhood, and when Claire and her boyfriend break up right before prom, couple Kat and Jesse invite Claire to come to Kat's grandmother's lake house instead of going to the dance. After getting a glimpse into their drama filled first night away, Claire is found unconscious with no memories of the weekend, and Kat and Jesse are still missing. The book shifts between past and present, and also between POV's, but not in the way you necessarily expect them to. This was exciting and unexpected for me, also because the readers opinions and understanding of the story shifts along with the characters.
As you journey along with Claire, Kat, and Jesse, you start to see how the characters' perceptions of each other shift along the timeline, and how secrets can have a huge effect on how people connect with each other. The very last pages contain a twist that will likely be a make or break for most readers; personally, I thought it added a devilish finality to the overarching story, but I can understand how it may not be perceived that way by other readers. Overall, super impressed and will now wallow in my book hangover while I wait for Kara's next novel to be written.
*Many thanks to the author and publisher for sending me a review copy.
Wow. This book is stunning like the glimmer of a slick, sharpened knife. The twists and turns are solid, but the characterization and journey that we go on while reading this book is pretty epic, something I don't typically feel while reading a YA mystery novel. Kara has always had a way with words, and her plots are tight and gripping without fail, but something about this novel really put her in a top tier category for me. As an author, she's clearly found her sweet spot within the genre and found a way to put her unique spin on the kind of stories that can feel stale and washed up when done in a repetitive manner.
This book is a minefield of spoilers, so I'll do my best to dodge them as best as possible, but if you're wanting to go in completely blind (as I was graciously allowed to), consider stopping here and finishing reading this review once you've read the book. That said, if you'd like a little more of an idea of what to expect from this book with no spoilers included, carry on.
Claire, Kat, and Jesse have been friends throughout childhood, and when Claire and her boyfriend break up right before prom, couple Kat and Jesse invite Claire to come to Kat's grandmother's lake house instead of going to the dance. After getting a glimpse into their drama filled first night away, Claire is found unconscious with no memories of the weekend, and Kat and Jesse are still missing. The book shifts between past and present, and also between POV's, but not in the way you necessarily expect them to. This was exciting and unexpected for me, also because the readers opinions and understanding of the story shifts along with the characters.
As you journey along with Claire, Kat, and Jesse, you start to see how the characters' perceptions of each other shift along the timeline, and how secrets can have a huge effect on how people connect with each other. The very last pages contain a twist that will likely be a make or break for most readers; personally, I thought it added a devilish finality to the overarching story, but I can understand how it may not be perceived that way by other readers. Overall, super impressed and will now wallow in my book hangover while I wait for Kara's next novel to be written.
*Many thanks to the author and publisher for sending me a review copy.
October 14, 2024
Waking in the hospital, Claire is scared and confused. What day is it? What happened to her? How did she get injured?
The last thing she remembers was the Friday night she spent at her best friend Kat's family lake house. Kat's boyfriend, and Claire's other BFF, Jesse, was there as well. They were skipping prom.
Initially, Claire's boyfriend was supposed to be there too. The group had planned to go hiking on Saturday. It was going to be a whole thing, but then they broke up.
As you can tell, things are not going well for Claire. Well, they're about to get worse.
As mentioned above, Claire has no memories of the hiking trip on Saturday, or how she got injured. She was found bloodied on a mountain trail by a lone hiker; he was able to get her to safety.
Unfortunately, no one has heard from Kat and Jesse. They're missing and the last known person to see them was Claire. The police consider her to be a suspect.
She's shocked, but what could the explanation be? Why would she have ever left them and headed down the mountain alone? Did they get in a fight?
That Weekend was one of my most anticipated YA Mysteries of 2021. I mean, it's by the Queen, Kara Thomas. Who wouldn't be excited?
I finished this over a week ago and I'm still not confident on my feelings about it. I love the premise, I love the setting and the initial set-up of the mystery.
For me though, the mystery itself, what was actually happening, the root of it all, I just wasn't sold.
Don't get me wrong, I generally love wild, over-the-top plot twists, but this just was not fun for me. I didn't buy it. I didn't like the twists and overall, I was disappointed, as I truly expected to love this.
I also found Claire's perspective to be very, very bland. As a protagonist, she bored me. Just being honest, she did.
I feel like I would have preferred to be following anyone else; towards the end, you do get some of that, so that was a nice perspective shift.
With this being said, just because this wasn't quite as great as I was expecting, don't let that sway you from reading it.
I had incredibly high expectations for this one going in because...Kara Thomas. Honestly, I may have set myself up for disappointment.
This is still a good story, well written and fast-paced. I know a lot of Readers will love this one.
As far as Kara Thomas goes, she's fantastic; super talented. My opinion matters not at all in comparison to all she has achieved. I love her ideas, style and creativity. I will absolutely continue to pick up anything else she writes. Trust!
The last thing she remembers was the Friday night she spent at her best friend Kat's family lake house. Kat's boyfriend, and Claire's other BFF, Jesse, was there as well. They were skipping prom.
Initially, Claire's boyfriend was supposed to be there too. The group had planned to go hiking on Saturday. It was going to be a whole thing, but then they broke up.
As you can tell, things are not going well for Claire. Well, they're about to get worse.
As mentioned above, Claire has no memories of the hiking trip on Saturday, or how she got injured. She was found bloodied on a mountain trail by a lone hiker; he was able to get her to safety.
Unfortunately, no one has heard from Kat and Jesse. They're missing and the last known person to see them was Claire. The police consider her to be a suspect.
She's shocked, but what could the explanation be? Why would she have ever left them and headed down the mountain alone? Did they get in a fight?
That Weekend was one of my most anticipated YA Mysteries of 2021. I mean, it's by the Queen, Kara Thomas. Who wouldn't be excited?
I finished this over a week ago and I'm still not confident on my feelings about it. I love the premise, I love the setting and the initial set-up of the mystery.
For me though, the mystery itself, what was actually happening, the root of it all, I just wasn't sold.
Don't get me wrong, I generally love wild, over-the-top plot twists, but this just was not fun for me. I didn't buy it. I didn't like the twists and overall, I was disappointed, as I truly expected to love this.
I also found Claire's perspective to be very, very bland. As a protagonist, she bored me. Just being honest, she did.
I feel like I would have preferred to be following anyone else; towards the end, you do get some of that, so that was a nice perspective shift.
With this being said, just because this wasn't quite as great as I was expecting, don't let that sway you from reading it.
I had incredibly high expectations for this one going in because...Kara Thomas. Honestly, I may have set myself up for disappointment.
This is still a good story, well written and fast-paced. I know a lot of Readers will love this one.
As far as Kara Thomas goes, she's fantastic; super talented. My opinion matters not at all in comparison to all she has achieved. I love her ideas, style and creativity. I will absolutely continue to pick up anything else she writes. Trust!
May 29, 2021
Claire is alone on a mountain after waking up with no memory. The last thing she can recall is being at her friend’s family lakehouse for the weekend with Kat and Kat's boyfriend, Jesse. They planned a little secret, weekend getaway that nobody knew about but them. How could she have wound up like this in the woods by herself with blood all over her hands? Better yet, where are her missing friends now? Are they dead?
I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book, but after reading the blurb, it was one I couldn’t pass up. This is a new author for me, and I'm not familiar with her other books. That Weekend turned out to be twisty as all get-out! I couldn’t figure anything out until the last quarter of the book as the author intended. Once everything started coming to light, the twists were still surprising and shocking. Just when you think you have this figured out, you realize you're wrong again. The final twist just blew my mind!
With that said, this story wasn't necessarily a thriller for me; it was more of a suspenseful mystery trying to figure out what in the world went on that weekend with Claire and her friends and why. Closer to the end is when this morphed into more of a thriller because it was difficult to figure out what anyone was going to do. It was hard to know who could be trusted. Everything was unpredictable. Even though I found Claire somewhat annoying at times, it was awesome the way she took matters into her own hands and sought answers because nobody else was going to figure it out for her. Even with her memory shot, she perseveres until all the pieces are put together. The family secrets made this even more interesting. The writing style with two timeframes worked out well for me too.
Overall, this story is written well and held my attention throughout. I’ll be keeping my eye out for more books by this author.
4****
Publisher: Delacorte Press (June 29, 2021)
Language: English
Hardcover: 336 pages
ISBN-10 : 152471836X
ISBN-13: 978-1524718367
Reading age: Teen & Young Adult
I'd like to thank NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.
I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book, but after reading the blurb, it was one I couldn’t pass up. This is a new author for me, and I'm not familiar with her other books. That Weekend turned out to be twisty as all get-out! I couldn’t figure anything out until the last quarter of the book as the author intended. Once everything started coming to light, the twists were still surprising and shocking. Just when you think you have this figured out, you realize you're wrong again. The final twist just blew my mind!
With that said, this story wasn't necessarily a thriller for me; it was more of a suspenseful mystery trying to figure out what in the world went on that weekend with Claire and her friends and why. Closer to the end is when this morphed into more of a thriller because it was difficult to figure out what anyone was going to do. It was hard to know who could be trusted. Everything was unpredictable. Even though I found Claire somewhat annoying at times, it was awesome the way she took matters into her own hands and sought answers because nobody else was going to figure it out for her. Even with her memory shot, she perseveres until all the pieces are put together. The family secrets made this even more interesting. The writing style with two timeframes worked out well for me too.
Overall, this story is written well and held my attention throughout. I’ll be keeping my eye out for more books by this author.
4****
Publisher: Delacorte Press (June 29, 2021)
Language: English
Hardcover: 336 pages
ISBN-10 : 152471836X
ISBN-13: 978-1524718367
Reading age: Teen & Young Adult
I'd like to thank NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.
August 27, 2021
Karma has its day with just about everyone in this story in the end.
. . . . . . . . . . .
If you didn't suspect the twist about one third of your way into the story, then you need to take your temperature: I certainly saw most of the final twist coming.
The teenagers in this story are a tad out of control: you can't trust anyone, even your best friend it seems. Claire and Jesse were best friends all of their lives: at one point it appeared that their friendship had romantic elements to it - Jesse actually used the "L word!" But Jesse suddenly shut those feelings off and instead starting dating Kat (who had just returned from Italy, where her military father had been stationed.) Claire does not want to lose either of their friendships so she says nothing, and suffers from unrequited love for Jesse in silence.
Flash forward a few years: all three teens blow off prom after Claire's boyfriend, Ben, is caught messing with another girl. They head up to Kat's family cottage in the Catskills, planning to hike and camp out on the infamous Devil's Peak. The next day, tragically, only Claire is found, badly concussed and with no memory of the day following their arrival. What could possibly have happened? The police suspected a fall off the treacherous ledge at Devil's Peak. Or perhaps an altercation got out of hand......!?!?!.... Hmmmmmm!
Ultimately, I concluded that these kids were bratty, spoiled and selfish! Claire was constantly yelling at her mother - often for very little reason. (I suspected that Claire's mother now regretted allowing Claire to make her own decisions growing up.) Even though she was under suspicion and was caught in a frenzied media storm, Claire was not willing to relinquish control back to her parents, who really were looking after her best interests. (They were certainly paying all of her medical and legal bills!) I get that Claire had a severe concussion and was probably acting a bit out of character, but there were times when I wanted to tell her to CHILL and go stand in a corner!
And all that abuse of her prescription drugs and drinking while she was recovering from a concussion - Claire was totally spiraling out of control. Kara Thomas tends to have complex teens who sometimes alienate the reader somewhat with their selfish tendencies. There is also a recurring theme regarding taboo relationships which I will not go into for fear of spoilers. What you have here is a pack of borderline sociopaths and narcissists (with terrible decision making skills!)
For the most part, I enjoyed this cleverly crafted thriller, but, towards the middle of the novel, the internal dialogue was getting repetitive and I kept waiving my white flag and begging the author to move the action forward - usually to no avail. That said, the last few chapters finally saw the action speed up at a satisfying pace. As usual in a Kara Thomas novel, the characters' "romantic" relationships are left open-ended, which I do concede is realistic, if somewhat unsatisfying.
As I said, Karma reigned supreme in those final chapters: Kat's machinations did not go unpunished! We find that Faithless Jesse hadn't changed much from the non-combative, emotionally fragile boy that Claire had always supported. And as for Claire: I think she had better start wearing a football helmet every time she leaves the house!!!! How many times was she going to have concussion in this novel?
I do highly recommend That Weekend. It is a great read, but I'm finding that quite a few novels coming out shortly after COVID often have a bit of a distracted aura to them. I'm rating this one a 4 out of 5 stars because I was wandering, along with the characters, in the wilderness of the plot, scratching my head in bewilderment, wondering when anyone was actually going to DO something, for quite some time there!
(Oh my goodness, I had such a hard time remembering the names of the characters. All the hard C and K sounding names, and the author's name starts with a K as well. I tell you, I felt like I was bogged down in quicksand after a while!)
. . . . . . . . . . .
If you didn't suspect the twist about one third of your way into the story, then you need to take your temperature: I certainly saw most of the final twist coming.
The teenagers in this story are a tad out of control: you can't trust anyone, even your best friend it seems. Claire and Jesse were best friends all of their lives: at one point it appeared that their friendship had romantic elements to it - Jesse actually used the "L word!" But Jesse suddenly shut those feelings off and instead starting dating Kat (who had just returned from Italy, where her military father had been stationed.) Claire does not want to lose either of their friendships so she says nothing, and suffers from unrequited love for Jesse in silence.
Flash forward a few years: all three teens blow off prom after Claire's boyfriend, Ben, is caught messing with another girl. They head up to Kat's family cottage in the Catskills, planning to hike and camp out on the infamous Devil's Peak. The next day, tragically, only Claire is found, badly concussed and with no memory of the day following their arrival. What could possibly have happened? The police suspected a fall off the treacherous ledge at Devil's Peak. Or perhaps an altercation got out of hand......!?!?!.... Hmmmmmm!
Ultimately, I concluded that these kids were bratty, spoiled and selfish! Claire was constantly yelling at her mother - often for very little reason. (I suspected that Claire's mother now regretted allowing Claire to make her own decisions growing up.) Even though she was under suspicion and was caught in a frenzied media storm, Claire was not willing to relinquish control back to her parents, who really were looking after her best interests. (They were certainly paying all of her medical and legal bills!) I get that Claire had a severe concussion and was probably acting a bit out of character, but there were times when I wanted to tell her to CHILL and go stand in a corner!
And all that abuse of her prescription drugs and drinking while she was recovering from a concussion - Claire was totally spiraling out of control. Kara Thomas tends to have complex teens who sometimes alienate the reader somewhat with their selfish tendencies. There is also a recurring theme regarding taboo relationships which I will not go into for fear of spoilers. What you have here is a pack of borderline sociopaths and narcissists (with terrible decision making skills!)
For the most part, I enjoyed this cleverly crafted thriller, but, towards the middle of the novel, the internal dialogue was getting repetitive and I kept waiving my white flag and begging the author to move the action forward - usually to no avail. That said, the last few chapters finally saw the action speed up at a satisfying pace. As usual in a Kara Thomas novel, the characters' "romantic" relationships are left open-ended, which I do concede is realistic, if somewhat unsatisfying.
As I said, Karma reigned supreme in those final chapters: Kat's machinations did not go unpunished! We find that Faithless Jesse hadn't changed much from the non-combative, emotionally fragile boy that Claire had always supported. And as for Claire: I think she had better start wearing a football helmet every time she leaves the house!!!! How many times was she going to have concussion in this novel?
I do highly recommend That Weekend. It is a great read, but I'm finding that quite a few novels coming out shortly after COVID often have a bit of a distracted aura to them. I'm rating this one a 4 out of 5 stars because I was wandering, along with the characters, in the wilderness of the plot, scratching my head in bewilderment, wondering when anyone was actually going to DO something, for quite some time there!
(Oh my goodness, I had such a hard time remembering the names of the characters. All the hard C and K sounding names, and the author's name starts with a K as well. I tell you, I felt like I was bogged down in quicksand after a while!)
August 25, 2021
No, no, no, no, no. I was really enjoying this book until the last 30 or so pages and I am so disturbed and disappointed. I love Kara Thomas's other books and I was so excited that this one is set on Long Island, but I am immediately getting rid of my physical copy after that ending.
December 19, 2021
I already know this book is going to on my underrated thriller books list.
First half really got me, ngl. Pans out like a typical YA with your standard mystery and thrills...and then that second half rolls away from you and all of a sudden you're falling head first into it all. Definitely one that is bit more mature than most YA thrillers I've read and a real great taste test for any new thriller seekers out there.
4 STARS
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First half really got me, ngl. Pans out like a typical YA with your standard mystery and thrills...and then that second half rolls away from you and all of a sudden you're falling head first into it all. Definitely one that is bit more mature than most YA thrillers I've read and a real great taste test for any new thriller seekers out there.
4 STARS
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August 10, 2021
3.5 Stars rounded up to 4
CW:
Well it's been a while since a YA book surprised me!
I can't say too much without spoiling it but I can cryptically saying it was unpredictable in it's predictableness. Kara did an excellent job of building suspense and intrigue in this YA mystery. I like unreliable narrators and Claire was a relatable teen character. The book also took some surprising turns which I thoroughly enjoyed. Another successful outing with this author.
CW:
Well it's been a while since a YA book surprised me!
I can't say too much without spoiling it but I can cryptically saying it was unpredictable in it's predictableness. Kara did an excellent job of building suspense and intrigue in this YA mystery. I like unreliable narrators and Claire was a relatable teen character. The book also took some surprising turns which I thoroughly enjoyed. Another successful outing with this author.
November 24, 2020
No words at present.
They’ll come later.
Once I stop screaming.
Oh my gosh, I loved this.
They’ll come later.
Once I stop screaming.
Oh my gosh, I loved this.
September 5, 2021
This was a decent amnesia story/thriller until the end. The ending completely ruined the rest of the book. And I felt like there were a lot of questions and loose ends that were left unexplained. Also, because I read/review mostly sapphic books I need to say this is not sapphic.
October 22, 2021
😱I wish I could see the face I made while I read the last pages of this book. Disgusted. Frustrated.
I'm sorry to start my review with such a negative comment, but the last twist was absolutely unnecessary and it changed my opinion of the whole book. That makes it pretty difficult to rate. It felt like a desperate attempt to surprise the reader (the more twists the better, right? No. Definitely not.). It was so disturbing and made me feel deeply disappointed by a character who had already let me down.
While I enjoyed the mystery, the characters and the pacing, there were also some lenghts. Plus, I'm heartbroken for Claire and that's not how I thought I would feel after reading this book. All in all, it's a really sad story, even if it's a thriller.
I enjoyed Little Monsters more than this one. Because of the pointless final twist, I can't recommend to read it. I'm still giving 3 stars because I can't ignore the fact that I read it really fast, so Kara Thomas definitely achieved to keep me interested from the first line to the last.
I'm sorry to start my review with such a negative comment, but the last twist was absolutely unnecessary and it changed my opinion of the whole book. That makes it pretty difficult to rate. It felt like a desperate attempt to surprise the reader (the more twists the better, right? No. Definitely not.). It was so disturbing and made me feel deeply disappointed by a character who had already let me down.
While I enjoyed the mystery, the characters and the pacing, there were also some lenghts. Plus, I'm heartbroken for Claire and that's not how I thought I would feel after reading this book. All in all, it's a really sad story, even if it's a thriller.
I enjoyed Little Monsters more than this one. Because of the pointless final twist, I can't recommend to read it. I'm still giving 3 stars because I can't ignore the fact that I read it really fast, so Kara Thomas definitely achieved to keep me interested from the first line to the last.
August 4, 2021
That incest subplot was completely unnecessary.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 20, 2023
Claire and her friends Kat and Jesse sneak away during prom to Kat's family's lake house for a camping trip. But everything goes wrong when Claire wakes up alone, covered in blood, with no memory of what happened over the weekend. Kat and Jesse are gone, and after a crazy series of events, the police and FBI declare them dead. The weekend plagues Claire and she sets out to figure out what happened to friends, only to realize she's not sure she wants to find the answers.
THAT WEEKEND is a definite page-turner; I flew through it. It starts off very exciting, as you desperately want to determine what happened to Kat and Jesse. Things get a little more convoluted as Claire returns home and starts conducting her own investigation. Soon you start wondering if and why the FBI cannot do what Claire is doing. Claire is also a bit of a listless character... she seems to have little personality beyond wanting to find her friends. There are also a lot of heartless characters, making it really hard to root for anyone here.
This is a fast read and it's interesting, but it lost the thread a bit for me as the story went on. Still enjoyed it overall. 3.5 stars.
Also, this was my first book of my 2023 random # generator shelves challenge, where I've numbered my bookshelves (in a spreadsheet) and used a random google number generator to pick the shelf and then the book!
THAT WEEKEND is a definite page-turner; I flew through it. It starts off very exciting, as you desperately want to determine what happened to Kat and Jesse. Things get a little more convoluted as Claire returns home and starts conducting her own investigation. Soon you start wondering if and why the FBI cannot do what Claire is doing. Claire is also a bit of a listless character... she seems to have little personality beyond wanting to find her friends. There are also a lot of heartless characters, making it really hard to root for anyone here.
This is a fast read and it's interesting, but it lost the thread a bit for me as the story went on. Still enjoyed it overall. 3.5 stars.
Also, this was my first book of my 2023 random # generator shelves challenge, where I've numbered my bookshelves (in a spreadsheet) and used a random google number generator to pick the shelf and then the book!
November 10, 2020
Kara Thomas is one of my favorite authors of YA fiction and I love her dark, twisty stories. THAT WEEKEND, with its creepy premise and mountain setting, is totally my catnip, so I went in with very high expectations. I'm pleased to say they were totally blown away! I don't want to say much more because this is the kind of story you should go into knowing as little as possible. But it's thrilling, captivating, unpredictable (still reeling over those twists!!!) and will consume your life until you've finished! And then it will haunt you afterward...
May 5, 2024
This was super twisty and really out there. It was pretty darn good until the ending... which ruined the book. The final twist, the most twisty twist, was so problematic and was handled in a very insensitive manner.
The last twist relates to a very sensitive subject matter - and it is also a significant (but spoilery) trigger warning. The non-spoiler version is the twist was not handled with the care that is warranted for the given situation. This twist is revealed, and then the very next page we've switched to a different character's perspective, and then the book ends. The only way this twist could have been handled properly was if there were more pages at the end to show the consequences and healing, and we got absolutely none of that.
The last twist relates to a very sensitive subject matter - and it is also a significant (but spoilery) trigger warning. The non-spoiler version is the twist was not handled with the care that is warranted for the given situation. This twist is revealed, and then the very next page we've switched to a different character's perspective, and then the book ends. The only way this twist could have been handled properly was if there were more pages at the end to show the consequences and healing, and we got absolutely none of that.
January 30, 2022
3.5 stars - This is so hard to sort out my feelings about. On the one hand, there were things I really loved about this book, including its avoidance of some very over done YA mystery tropes of the last few years and how fast paced it was. Once I hit the 50% mark, I couldn't put it down. But there are some "CHOICES" in how the solution unfolds that I don't think were wholly successful. In talking about it with the person I was buddy reading with, I think it would have worked better if it had been more messed up or less messed up. With where it is at, I think it just feels rather icky and not fully in the author's control. All that being said - not her best work, but still an interesting read
CW: child abuse, incest
CW: child abuse, incest
September 20, 2022
Kara Thomas is a must preorder for me and THAT WEEKEND did not disappoint.
Kat and Jesse are missing, presumed dead. Claire, left for dead, has no memory of their disappearance.
THAT WEEKEND is a slow burn that ends with nonstop twists and turns. Most, I never saw coming. Best not to read too many reviews, you don’t want to be unintentionally spoiled.
A must read for mystery and thriller lovers.
I also enjoyed the audio version.
Kat and Jesse are missing, presumed dead. Claire, left for dead, has no memory of their disappearance.
THAT WEEKEND is a slow burn that ends with nonstop twists and turns. Most, I never saw coming. Best not to read too many reviews, you don’t want to be unintentionally spoiled.
A must read for mystery and thriller lovers.
I also enjoyed the audio version.
August 7, 2021
I really enjoyed this. It started off with the main character being found in the middle of the woods with no knowledge of how she got there. Throughout the book she is trying to remember what happened to her and her friends. I love the slow burn. I kept going back and forth in my mind on what happened. I just loved how it kept me intrigued throughout the whole book. A+
Read
May 24, 2020
June 9, 2021
Another excellent novel from Kara Thomas! Breakneck narrative and pacing, red herrings galore, and a plot twist that bowled me over.
September 14, 2021
"Hurting people—that’s not me.
But I wasn’t myself, was I? Whatever memories I have of Saturday don’t belong to me. They belong to some other girl, wandering a trail, bloodied and confused.
That girl wasn’t me. And I don’t know what she was capable of."
This was intense.
Still kind of trying to sort my thoughts.
The story wasn't as strong as Little Monsters, but I doubt any of this author's future work will ever be...and that's why I need to stop expecting Little Monsters' level of creepiness, twistiness, and mind-blowingness in her newer books.
Yet, all this doesn't mean I didn't enjoy That Weekend, because I truly did—I read it in two sittings, completely ignoring the world around me, obsessed with finding out what happened.
And the ending caught me by surprise.
(Still not sure if it was only because my brain expected the same ending as seen in "Dangerous Girls" and "With Malice" or because it was truly masterfully crafted.)
But, a big problem I had with this book was where it ended.
I expected more, I needed to find out what happened later. I was manically flipping pages just to abruptly end up staring at acknowledgements.
So even though I got all the answers to the mystery-related questions, the book left me somewhat disappointed.
All in all, 3.5 stars rounded 4, when it could've been a 5-star-read.
But I wasn’t myself, was I? Whatever memories I have of Saturday don’t belong to me. They belong to some other girl, wandering a trail, bloodied and confused.
That girl wasn’t me. And I don’t know what she was capable of."
This was intense.
Still kind of trying to sort my thoughts.
The story wasn't as strong as Little Monsters, but I doubt any of this author's future work will ever be...and that's why I need to stop expecting Little Monsters' level of creepiness, twistiness, and mind-blowingness in her newer books.
Yet, all this doesn't mean I didn't enjoy That Weekend, because I truly did—I read it in two sittings, completely ignoring the world around me, obsessed with finding out what happened.
And the ending caught me by surprise.
(Still not sure if it was only because my brain expected the same ending as seen in "Dangerous Girls" and "With Malice" or because it was truly masterfully crafted.)
But, a big problem I had with this book was where it ended.
I expected more, I needed to find out what happened later. I was manically flipping pages just to abruptly end up staring at acknowledgements.
So even though I got all the answers to the mystery-related questions, the book left me somewhat disappointed.
All in all, 3.5 stars rounded 4, when it could've been a 5-star-read.
December 1, 2022
Kara Thomas never disappoints! Good, fast-paced YA thriller. Flew through it in a few days because I just needed to know what happened that weekend. Looking forward to get adult novel next year!
January 31, 2022
Kara Thomas remains my favorite YA thriller writer. I just love how she crafts grounded, messy characters whose emotional turmoil feels so real, and it's a page-turner every time. I really didn't know what to expect from this one, and went in completely spoiler free--though I was aware that there was a twist in it that was love or hate for people. So in that sense, knowing that did lead the read a bit, but it added a really fun guessing game component for me. Me the whole time: BUT WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO MAKE IT A BONKERS TWIST?! (I mean we all know thrillers have twists so it's not that surprising lol)
Suspense-because-amnesia is a trope I really enjoy, and this was no exception. I felt Claire's frustration and I too desperately wanted to know WHAT HAPPENED ON THE MOUNTAIN. Speaking of Claire's frustration, I am a sucker for a messy love triangle, and one of my favorite aspects in this one was the thorniness of Claire's feelings about Kat and Jesse--and how it always sat in the back of her mind and mine that well... could she have done something? It felt so visceral and painful, and I cursed Kat's name more than once on Claire's behalf--but then you always go "well wait I'm only hearing it from Claire's perspective, aren't I?" I love that in a good book, how a close perspective will whip you into a frenzy and then you have to pick apart perception from the truth.
I also enjoyed the delicious suspense of the rumor mill in Claire's home town, the media frenzy, the NANCY GRACE KNOCK OFF. I was just living for that. I love that kind of social tension aspect of true crime: the very real consequences of a leak to the press, becoming the media's scapegoat, the wrong photo from your social media circulating and painting you as the kind of person you're not, seeing what your "friends" are saying about you on social behind your back. This created that claustrophobic feeling as a reader that really made the escalation of the second act for me.
My other thoughts are spoilery and I don't want to ruin the reading experience for anyone, though I will preface spoilery thoughts with a content warning. The content warning IS a spoiler, but I know for many readers they're critical. This is one where the twist is indeed love or hate. That said I'm not saying the WHAT or WHO in case someone reads the CWs and still wants to read w/o being fully spoiled. So first, the content warning
And the rest is not full-on spoilers but enough that I'd prefer to use a tag (regarding plot progression/story structure). So you can read safely as I won't be mentioning the twists under this spoiler tag, but will discuss some aspects of plot progression.
Overall, I enjoyed my reading experience and I continue to love how dark and messed up Kara takes her YA thrillers. I just love the sharp edges of her characters' messy feelings and the mistakes they make. She also has prose in places where I just have to stop and admire her expression. Writer goals!
Now, as for That Twist in That Weekend... I 100% see where it doesn't work for people. I didn't mind it personally, and was impressed with the misdirection involved. The misdirection 100% worked on me, so *golf clap*. It made me immediately want to discuss it with friends, and rethink what I'd just read. But yeah I think it's love or hate!
Suspense-because-amnesia is a trope I really enjoy, and this was no exception. I felt Claire's frustration and I too desperately wanted to know WHAT HAPPENED ON THE MOUNTAIN. Speaking of Claire's frustration, I am a sucker for a messy love triangle, and one of my favorite aspects in this one was the thorniness of Claire's feelings about Kat and Jesse--and how it always sat in the back of her mind and mine that well... could she have done something? It felt so visceral and painful, and I cursed Kat's name more than once on Claire's behalf--but then you always go "well wait I'm only hearing it from Claire's perspective, aren't I?" I love that in a good book, how a close perspective will whip you into a frenzy and then you have to pick apart perception from the truth.
I also enjoyed the delicious suspense of the rumor mill in Claire's home town, the media frenzy, the NANCY GRACE KNOCK OFF. I was just living for that. I love that kind of social tension aspect of true crime: the very real consequences of a leak to the press, becoming the media's scapegoat, the wrong photo from your social media circulating and painting you as the kind of person you're not, seeing what your "friends" are saying about you on social behind your back. This created that claustrophobic feeling as a reader that really made the escalation of the second act for me.
My other thoughts are spoilery and I don't want to ruin the reading experience for anyone, though I will preface spoilery thoughts with a content warning. The content warning IS a spoiler, but I know for many readers they're critical. This is one where the twist is indeed love or hate. That said I'm not saying the WHAT or WHO in case someone reads the CWs and still wants to read w/o being fully spoiled. So first, the content warning
And the rest is not full-on spoilers but enough that I'd prefer to use a tag (regarding plot progression/story structure). So you can read safely as I won't be mentioning the twists under this spoiler tag, but will discuss some aspects of plot progression.
Overall, I enjoyed my reading experience and I continue to love how dark and messed up Kara takes her YA thrillers. I just love the sharp edges of her characters' messy feelings and the mistakes they make. She also has prose in places where I just have to stop and admire her expression. Writer goals!
Now, as for That Twist in That Weekend... I 100% see where it doesn't work for people. I didn't mind it personally, and was impressed with the misdirection involved. The misdirection 100% worked on me, so *golf clap*. It made me immediately want to discuss it with friends, and rethink what I'd just read. But yeah I think it's love or hate!
July 28, 2021
So, one of the main reasons I like mysteries, is because I try to figure things out along with the main character, in this case, Claire. AND I GUESSED RIGHT! I was about to finish the first part of the book, when I thought: mmmm maybe this is what happened. And as I was reading, I became even more certain that my theory was correct.
So, while it makes me happy when figure stuff out right, I must admit that it was also a bit disappointing. I wasn't really surprised by anything that happens in the ending.
I also would have liked it better if there was an epilogue, or maybe even an extra chapter.
So, while it makes me happy when figure stuff out right, I must admit that it was also a bit disappointing. I wasn't really surprised by anything that happens in the ending.
I also would have liked it better if there was an epilogue, or maybe even an extra chapter.
August 22, 2021
3.5 stars tbh cuz i enjoyed the first 30% but the last reveal and all the ending chaps sucked😕 Wasn't happy with the ending somehow it felt unfinished.
22/8/21
That weekend is the story of three best friends, Claire, Jess, and Kat who ditch their prom night and decide to go to Kat's Grandma's lake house alone without telling their parents. But Jess and Kat go missing while hiking on the Devil's peak near the lake house and are supposed to be dead while Claire is found with her head injured far away from the hiking point. She has no recollection of the past day and what happened to her friends...
Now, this book started like any other YA thriller and it was still interesting for like 40% of the story but after that, it just got worse for me and that ending was not it😕. The author managed to create the build-up with Claire not being able to remember anything and also from Kat's and Jess's perspective we get to know more about their relationship and families. All of that was good but as the secrets started to uncover or even if the case got any new clues and suspects none of them managed to make much impact. And that ending felt so unfinished. And Jess omg I was just so disgusted by him (particularly cuz I thought he was of a good and soft personality but I guess Amos described him correctly he just wants to be a hero/savior).
All of them were fucked up in a way Kat, her family, Amos, and even Claire. Only Claire's parent seemed sensible to me, they took the right decisions. Claire, that girl went through a lot and was betrayed by everyone and I was glad when Ben cared for her later. At least he realized his mistakes. But this reminds me of Jess and Claire's unrequited love for him. Did he ever actually love her of was it just Claire's mind as we were reading from her perspective. I think maybe it was a plot element to divert our attention. I was honestly not surprised by the ending just disappointed, the shock element was long gone till then as Claire wasn't getting any memories back and there weren't new advancements in the case.
In short, it was a quick read, started well in my opinion but didn't continue that streak forward. The characters were too flawed and messy for me to care much about them. It's the same with Kara Thomas books, the characters are too despicable though I loved the cover and certain parts of the story. I guess you will love this book if you are new to this genre.
22/8/21
That weekend is the story of three best friends, Claire, Jess, and Kat who ditch their prom night and decide to go to Kat's Grandma's lake house alone without telling their parents. But Jess and Kat go missing while hiking on the Devil's peak near the lake house and are supposed to be dead while Claire is found with her head injured far away from the hiking point. She has no recollection of the past day and what happened to her friends...
Now, this book started like any other YA thriller and it was still interesting for like 40% of the story but after that, it just got worse for me and that ending was not it😕. The author managed to create the build-up with Claire not being able to remember anything and also from Kat's and Jess's perspective we get to know more about their relationship and families. All of that was good but as the secrets started to uncover or even if the case got any new clues and suspects none of them managed to make much impact. And that ending felt so unfinished. And Jess omg I was just so disgusted by him (particularly cuz I thought he was of a good and soft personality but I guess Amos described him correctly he just wants to be a hero/savior).
All of them were fucked up in a way Kat, her family, Amos, and even Claire. Only Claire's parent seemed sensible to me, they took the right decisions. Claire, that girl went through a lot and was betrayed by everyone and I was glad when Ben cared for her later. At least he realized his mistakes. But this reminds me of Jess and Claire's unrequited love for him. Did he ever actually love her of was it just Claire's mind as we were reading from her perspective. I think maybe it was a plot element to divert our attention. I was honestly not surprised by the ending just disappointed, the shock element was long gone till then as Claire wasn't getting any memories back and there weren't new advancements in the case.
In short, it was a quick read, started well in my opinion but didn't continue that streak forward. The characters were too flawed and messy for me to care much about them. It's the same with Kara Thomas books, the characters are too despicable though I loved the cover and certain parts of the story. I guess you will love this book if you are new to this genre.
January 19, 2022
So for the majority of this book, I was all in. The mystery had me on the edge of my seat while I tried to figure out what happened on that mountain. But then little threads started to unravel and this nagging feeling in the back of my head wouldn't go away about how this was gonna end. And then there it was, the reveal that I didn't want.
I love the horror/thriller genre and am happy that it's coming over into YA more and more. This was my first book from Thomas but she has been on my radar for awhile. While I didn't dislike this book, I didn't feel satisfied by the ending. Claire, against her better judgement, goes on a weekend getaway with her best friend and her best friends boyfriend (who Claire secretly loves). Already sounds fun, right? But everything goes wrong when Claire wakes up alone, bloodied, and miles away from their designated campsite. Even worse, she has not memory of what happened. Her two friends are now missing and Claire is the only one with all of the pieces.
I loved the mystery of what happened. I was right with Claire as she struggled to regain her memories of that time. Thomas did a great job of portraying the fear and loneliness and just the isolation that Claire felt. She was a victim but then she was also a suspect. She didn't know who to trust and all of these emotions came across perfectly.
The part that went wrong for me was the giant reveal and why. It really didn't sit right with me. And on top of that, the author dropped one more twist at the very end that just felt not needed. It didn't add anything and also just made the entire story feel icky. I don't know. I've heard such great things about Thomas that I want to read other books from her, this one just didn't hit.
I love the horror/thriller genre and am happy that it's coming over into YA more and more. This was my first book from Thomas but she has been on my radar for awhile. While I didn't dislike this book, I didn't feel satisfied by the ending. Claire, against her better judgement, goes on a weekend getaway with her best friend and her best friends boyfriend (who Claire secretly loves). Already sounds fun, right? But everything goes wrong when Claire wakes up alone, bloodied, and miles away from their designated campsite. Even worse, she has not memory of what happened. Her two friends are now missing and Claire is the only one with all of the pieces.
I loved the mystery of what happened. I was right with Claire as she struggled to regain her memories of that time. Thomas did a great job of portraying the fear and loneliness and just the isolation that Claire felt. She was a victim but then she was also a suspect. She didn't know who to trust and all of these emotions came across perfectly.
The part that went wrong for me was the giant reveal and why. It really didn't sit right with me. And on top of that, the author dropped one more twist at the very end that just felt not needed. It didn't add anything and also just made the entire story feel icky. I don't know. I've heard such great things about Thomas that I want to read other books from her, this one just didn't hit.
February 23, 2023
This story was good for me for most of it, I was bouncing between 3, 3.25 , and 3.5 stars 🌟 at different points..
But then this happened
Potential trigger warnings ⚠️ for some
I'm not sure why I kept listening . Maybe because there wasn't much time left and I wanted to see it through cause I'm stubborn like that but I just want to scrub this book from my skin.
If you enjoyed this, more power to you and I'm happy for you..this is just my opinion. Certain things I don't want to read about is all. I went in blind with this, only reading the summary.
The story before that: Like I said earlier, not bad. Interesting enough to keep going, the writing was compulsively readable, and I enjoyed both girl's povs despite certain things that happened (before the spoiler section).
Still thinking about the rating, may change my mind later, not sure.
But then this happened
Potential trigger warnings ⚠️ for some
I'm not sure why I kept listening . Maybe because there wasn't much time left and I wanted to see it through cause I'm stubborn like that but I just want to scrub this book from my skin.
If you enjoyed this, more power to you and I'm happy for you..this is just my opinion. Certain things I don't want to read about is all. I went in blind with this, only reading the summary.
The story before that: Like I said earlier, not bad. Interesting enough to keep going, the writing was compulsively readable, and I enjoyed both girl's povs despite certain things that happened (before the spoiler section).
Still thinking about the rating, may change my mind later, not sure.
May 30, 2022
Oh no. Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no, noooo!
The final subplot twist was super uncalled for and I think entirely inappropriate for a young adult book. Ouch. That was NOT a good move at all.
There were some other problematic things too. And the ending was sloppy with basically no accountability. 🤷🏻♀️
My opinion: this book is not for young teens. Parents, gift-givers, and/or educators, please read it yourself before passing it along to “youths”.
The final subplot twist was super uncalled for and I think entirely inappropriate for a young adult book. Ouch. That was NOT a good move at all.
There were some other problematic things too. And the ending was sloppy with basically no accountability. 🤷🏻♀️
My opinion: this book is not for young teens. Parents, gift-givers, and/or educators, please read it yourself before passing it along to “youths”.
May 30, 2021
Claire, Kat, and Jesse are friends in their senior year of high school. They decide that instead of going to prom, they will sneak off to Kat’s family’s lake house in Sunfish Creek. They decide not to tell their parents they are going to the lake house because, well, they are teenagers and honestly, what could possibly go wrong?
Claire wakes up with a horrible headache, disoriented, in the middle of Bobcat Mountain with a woman standing over her. How did she get here? Where, exactly, is she? Where are Kat and Jesse? Soon, Claire is taken to the hospital to assess her injuries and recover from what was supposed to be a fun weekend with her friends. But why can’t she remember anything about what happened?
Claire soon learns that Kat and Jesse are still missing. She tries everything she can to recall what happened up on that mountain, but the doctors say it could be a while before her memory returns -if it ever does. While talking to the local police, FBI, and Kat’s family, and trying to piece together and remember everything she can, Claire is determined to find out what happened to her and her friends on that weekend. But as one of the FBI agents told her, sometimes the answers don’t make things better, they make them worse… Claire soon finds out that everyone has secrets, even her best friends, and not everything is as it seems.
I am struggling to put my thoughts together on this one because so much happened and it was SO GOOD. I really admire Kara Thomas’s ability to craft a complicated, twisty story and keep a reader hooked from literally the first page. I made the mistake of starting this book in bed at 10:30pm one night when I didn’t feel tired enough to sleep. Several chapters and a couple hours later, I had to make myself go to bed. It just snowballed from there because I read a good portion of this book with my jaw on the floor. Yes, it really was that good!
I loved that this book was an alternating timeline. The past, obviously, was everything leading up to THAT WEEKEND and included some back story as to the relationship dynamics between Kat, Claire, and Jesse. The present was after the incident on the mountain and Claire trying to regain her memory and find her friends. While the majority of the book was told from Claire’s point of view, there was also a dual timeline, switching between Kat and Claire, getting different points of view on certain events.
I liked the story leading up to the weekend on the mountain. It felt very “high school drama” and appropriate for the characters Thomas created. I also liked the story, though vastly different, after the incident because it showed a glimpse into the not-so-perfect family dynamics that the three friends had tried to hide from the world, and it definitely helped build the story and set the tone for what happened and why.
I did guess one of the twists, however, I did not know the why. And it was a bit more than I had expected. And then there was another twist, and I was shocked. And another twist and my jaw was on the floor again. The delivery of all these secrets and twists was so phenomenal that even if you could guess what was about to happen, it wasn’t disappointing because there was a more complex aspect hidden beneath the surface to surprise you.
Thomas wove a very complicated web of secrets and lies, and it was fantastic. This is a book I will be thinking about for a long time, and I will also be ordering a physical copy for my bookshelf because I just need to hold this glorious masterpiece in my own hands.
5 stars from me for this amazing, shocking, thrilling story! Highly recommend! Thank you to Delacorte Press, NetGalley, and Kara Thomas for a review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Claire wakes up with a horrible headache, disoriented, in the middle of Bobcat Mountain with a woman standing over her. How did she get here? Where, exactly, is she? Where are Kat and Jesse? Soon, Claire is taken to the hospital to assess her injuries and recover from what was supposed to be a fun weekend with her friends. But why can’t she remember anything about what happened?
Claire soon learns that Kat and Jesse are still missing. She tries everything she can to recall what happened up on that mountain, but the doctors say it could be a while before her memory returns -if it ever does. While talking to the local police, FBI, and Kat’s family, and trying to piece together and remember everything she can, Claire is determined to find out what happened to her and her friends on that weekend. But as one of the FBI agents told her, sometimes the answers don’t make things better, they make them worse… Claire soon finds out that everyone has secrets, even her best friends, and not everything is as it seems.
I am struggling to put my thoughts together on this one because so much happened and it was SO GOOD. I really admire Kara Thomas’s ability to craft a complicated, twisty story and keep a reader hooked from literally the first page. I made the mistake of starting this book in bed at 10:30pm one night when I didn’t feel tired enough to sleep. Several chapters and a couple hours later, I had to make myself go to bed. It just snowballed from there because I read a good portion of this book with my jaw on the floor. Yes, it really was that good!
I loved that this book was an alternating timeline. The past, obviously, was everything leading up to THAT WEEKEND and included some back story as to the relationship dynamics between Kat, Claire, and Jesse. The present was after the incident on the mountain and Claire trying to regain her memory and find her friends. While the majority of the book was told from Claire’s point of view, there was also a dual timeline, switching between Kat and Claire, getting different points of view on certain events.
I liked the story leading up to the weekend on the mountain. It felt very “high school drama” and appropriate for the characters Thomas created. I also liked the story, though vastly different, after the incident because it showed a glimpse into the not-so-perfect family dynamics that the three friends had tried to hide from the world, and it definitely helped build the story and set the tone for what happened and why.
I did guess one of the twists, however, I did not know the why. And it was a bit more than I had expected. And then there was another twist, and I was shocked. And another twist and my jaw was on the floor again. The delivery of all these secrets and twists was so phenomenal that even if you could guess what was about to happen, it wasn’t disappointing because there was a more complex aspect hidden beneath the surface to surprise you.
Thomas wove a very complicated web of secrets and lies, and it was fantastic. This is a book I will be thinking about for a long time, and I will also be ordering a physical copy for my bookshelf because I just need to hold this glorious masterpiece in my own hands.
5 stars from me for this amazing, shocking, thrilling story! Highly recommend! Thank you to Delacorte Press, NetGalley, and Kara Thomas for a review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
July 8, 2022
Claire went to spend a weekend with her best friends Jesse and Kat in a lake house of Kat’s grandmother where two days later, she was found unconscious down the hill of a hiking trail nearby, alone and hurt. Jesse and Kat were missing and Claire got amnesia which unable her to recall the occurrence of the two days' events. The search for the teenage couple grew intense, hence Claire was forced to deal with the case and also reflect on the complication of her friendship with them.
At first, I was fascinated to read a YA thriller like this as I’ve never done it for so long. Yet after a while, I thought the starting chapters feels irritatingly bleak and visceral. I somehow got the impression that the resolution would be something I’ll despise. I bet it would turn into teenage quarrel-turns-bad lol. (SPOILER: it is a YES AND NO). My presumption actually doesn't stretch far as in the end the book really puts a clown on me!
As Part Three happens, I feel annoyed and get that strong urge to roll my eyes. I’m not a fan of how all the light abruptly moved to Kat and Jesse and so fast to swallow the aftermath situation with Claire. As if Claire’s sufferings will never equate to the grandeur of Marcotte family’s secret. She is a mere sacrificial fawn.
Then wait until part four when the final bit stings and FRIKKING NO WAY YOUR JAWS WILL NOT INEVITABLY DROP TO FLOOR!
It’s that final puzzle piece that insinuated something completely new and over the top, in a brutal sense ever. You’ve likely already looked up every direction possible, but this circumstance is completely out of picture.
Imagine the storyline is a board that is meant to be broken into two; it coaxed two entirely different issues where the first part of the book no longer left meaning to the last half. I don’t like it. It’s grand for a plot twist but ironically screws the balance of the story.
“If we go back, we can never be together.”
Oh Jesse, what an actual FUCCCCKKK man!!!!
This book is really playing with my patience.
Rating 3.5⭐️
At first, I was fascinated to read a YA thriller like this as I’ve never done it for so long. Yet after a while, I thought the starting chapters feels irritatingly bleak and visceral. I somehow got the impression that the resolution would be something I’ll despise. I bet it would turn into teenage quarrel-turns-bad lol. (SPOILER: it is a YES AND NO). My presumption actually doesn't stretch far as in the end the book really puts a clown on me!
As Part Three happens, I feel annoyed and get that strong urge to roll my eyes. I’m not a fan of how all the light abruptly moved to Kat and Jesse and so fast to swallow the aftermath situation with Claire. As if Claire’s sufferings will never equate to the grandeur of Marcotte family’s secret. She is a mere sacrificial fawn.
Then wait until part four when the final bit stings and FRIKKING NO WAY YOUR JAWS WILL NOT INEVITABLY DROP TO FLOOR!
It’s that final puzzle piece that insinuated something completely new and over the top, in a brutal sense ever. You’ve likely already looked up every direction possible, but this circumstance is completely out of picture.
Imagine the storyline is a board that is meant to be broken into two; it coaxed two entirely different issues where the first part of the book no longer left meaning to the last half. I don’t like it. It’s grand for a plot twist but ironically screws the balance of the story.
“If we go back, we can never be together.”
Oh Jesse, what an actual FUCCCCKKK man!!!!
This book is really playing with my patience.
Rating 3.5⭐️
August 7, 2021
I'm not usually a fan of grey-ish covers like this one. But maaaaan, it works here. It works so much. That dock, the outfit, the messy hair bun, the misty scene is exactly what reading this book felt like.
I also want to pre-phase my gushing of this book by saying that, yes, I saw the twist coming a mile off. It didn't take away from the story in any way.
Kara Thomas has a way of writing teens, particularly teen girls, that is incomparable. My love for teen mysteries is like a character feature of mine now. And after Little Monsters and The Cheerleaders I wasn't sure Thomas was gonna get it again, but she so did.
Here we have Claire, Kat, and Jesse. And even having read it all I can't pinpoint to a villain or a hero to this story. There's none. There's no good or bad guys here. There are teenagers all fucking up, messing up, hurting, and lashing out, all of them wrong. And still, all of them are understandable. Because Thomas, once again, just gets the essence of being a young adult. Of being on the cusp of having to face situations that only adults should be subjected to and have no clue on how to solve them.
As is usual with Thomas there's realistic family dynamics, teen friendships (between girls and boys, and girls and girls, and boys and boys), and superb portrayals of teenagers acting their age. Even when their circumstances have made them grow at different paces in directions that will be insurmountable.
I finished the book not knowing which character to love and which character to hate. But as always with Thomas, I have all the feelings in the world.
I also want to pre-phase my gushing of this book by saying that, yes, I saw the twist coming a mile off. It didn't take away from the story in any way.
Kara Thomas has a way of writing teens, particularly teen girls, that is incomparable. My love for teen mysteries is like a character feature of mine now. And after Little Monsters and The Cheerleaders I wasn't sure Thomas was gonna get it again, but she so did.
Here we have Claire, Kat, and Jesse. And even having read it all I can't pinpoint to a villain or a hero to this story. There's none. There's no good or bad guys here. There are teenagers all fucking up, messing up, hurting, and lashing out, all of them wrong. And still, all of them are understandable. Because Thomas, once again, just gets the essence of being a young adult. Of being on the cusp of having to face situations that only adults should be subjected to and have no clue on how to solve them.
As is usual with Thomas there's realistic family dynamics, teen friendships (between girls and boys, and girls and girls, and boys and boys), and superb portrayals of teenagers acting their age. Even when their circumstances have made them grow at different paces in directions that will be insurmountable.
I finished the book not knowing which character to love and which character to hate. But as always with Thomas, I have all the feelings in the world.
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