Through His Eyes

by Emma Dibdin

Jessica Harris has just received a career-making assignment. She's going to interview Clark Conrad – A-list Hollywood heart-throb and Jessica's secret teenage crush. Clark's going through a messy divorce, and wants to rebrand himself in the public eye.

But halfway through her interview, Clark's teenage daughter is found floating facedown in his infinity pool. And then his young girlfriend accuses him of abuse.

As Clark's world darkens, Jessica is drawn to help him. This is the man she's always dreamed of being close to. And now he needs her. He can't be the monster they say he is... can he?

Genres: Thriller, Fiction

295 pages, Paperback

First published August 9, 2018

Reviews

[Roman Clodia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Hollywood morality tale won't win prizes for originality but it's an enticing and topical view of the grubby underside of power plays and monstrous egos. Dibdin either knows what she's writing about or else has done her research as the setting and details feel authentic. It's a shame that Clark Conrad is little more than caricature and that the 'thriller' elements of the plot feel added on without much substance - still, a gossipy look at the world of movies, TV and online news. I'd read Dibdin again in a flash.

Thanks to Head of Zeus for an ARC via NetGalley.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was ok. It was quite slow and boring. There were some good bits in it but it just didn’t hold my interest. I wasn’t interested in any of the characters and the story just seemed to drag on. I thought it would be more of a thriller book but it was just a love story based in the movie industry. This wasn’t my type of book at all.

[Mellisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay so - this isn't fast paced or thrilling. There's not a lot of twists. Yet there's something about this book that I just loved. I enjoyed reading it, learning more about Jessica as she becomes fascinated by Clark Conrad, her idol as a teenager and now as an adult. She then starts sleeping with him, falling in love with him - then it comes out his ex girlfriend is saying he abused her.

As Jessica delves deeper into Clark's background, she starts to see the real Clark Conrad, the angry, controlling, obsessive man he hides deep inside. It's such a good read because as teenagers we all had an idol who we absolutely loved, and dreamed of a future with. This is Jessica as she lives her dream, realising nothing is exactly as it seems. The media lies.

Such a good read!

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Through His Eyes is a highly topical and insightful psychological drama, with some intriguingly realistic characters and a storyline ripped straight from the headlines.
Jess is trying to build a career for herself as an entertainment journalist in a digital world. Handed the opportunity of a lifetime, she gets drawn into the dark heart of Hollywood when a teenage crush becomes an adult reality.
This is a clever tale, a genuinely compelling portrait of what lies beneath a  place of glitz and glamour…Emma Dibdin having a great eye for nuance and perception, the realities of the situation Jess finds herself in are teased out brilliantly. You find yourself fully immersed into this world of red carpets, social media sound bites, networking and cover ups, it is fascinating, socially relevant and honestly a bit of a page turner.
Through His Eyes is a cautionary tale of our time, a nod to how far we still have to go, but also hugely entertaining with some memorable characters and an authentic plot. I thought it was terrific.
Recommended.

[Fictionophile · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jessica Harris, a transplanted Brit, finds herself given an opportunity that just might make or break her career as an entertainment journalist.  She splits her working time between employers, NEST, an online home decor brand, and an entertainment website. When she is offered the chance to interview her own teenage idol - now a Hollywood A-lister, she cannot believe he luck. As she comes to know Clark Conrad, she comes to realize that her superficial knowledge of him came no where close to the man he is now - damaged, egotistical, and all too human...

MY THOUGHTS

I'm sure I'm in the minority, but I found this novel to be unoriginal, with stereotypical and somewhat cardboard characters.  Sure, some of the material covered was topical (think the 'Me Too' movement) but the salacious subject matter just didn't endear me to the book. The first two-thirds of the book dragged and I found myself skimming - and I hate skimming. The ending was less than satisfactory.

Perhaps it was the timing of the read. With all that is going on now in the world, reading about the false glamour, social media trends, sound bites and shallow/superficial concerns of the Hollywood scene just didn't resonate with me. I found it to be a sad commentary about our modern society which is overly preoccupied with the false and illusory world of celebrities.

This is escapist, frivolous fiction. If that is your cup of tea, then jump in with both feet. Perhaps that is just what some readers need right now... It just wasn't for me.

[Amy Smolcic · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enthralling story that details the dark side of Hollywood. The plot will keep you on your toes and you will want to flip through the pages to find out what happens next. However, the book's biggest flaw is that the characters aren't likeable or particularly complex. Even with shallow characters, it's still an intriguing and absorbing read.

[evie lane · Rating 2 out of 5]

i have a sneaky suspicion this author doesn’t like women

[lexlooksatbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I requested this on NetGalley as it was marketed as a dark, unsettling thriller which sounded right up my street and the blurb sounded interesting. I have to say though, that I wouldn’t call this a thriller, in fact I’m not really sure what genre I would put this book in! I feel like it does read slightly more like a contemporary with a few dark bits in places but it’s definitely not a thriller so if you’re looking at getting this book because of this, then you may end up being disappointed.
This follows Jess who is a Hollywood reporter, working multiple jobs to pay her rent and bills with her main one being for an interior design magazine. They’ve managed to bag an interview with Clark Conrad, a massive movie star who has just renovated his house and Jess and her colleagues are the first people to interview him in a long time. This could be Jess’s lucky break but then she stumbles upon the body of Clark’s daughter and gets drawn into the world of Clark Conrad where she finds out that not everything is always as it seems.
So as mentioned above, this did read more like a contemporary to me instead of a thriller. There were obviously some darker parts to the novel, but they were few and far between and I don’t think this warrants being a thriller. This did seem to focus more around the industry in Hollywood and journalism which I did find interesting, but it isn’t what I was wanting from the book and if I had known that was the bulk of the story, then I may not have picked this up. I didn’t see the ending coming and it was a good twist however it couldn’t save this book for me. This was a quick read for me and I didn’t struggle with how it was written, plus as mentioned above I did find some of the industry info intriguing but the main thing that di keep me reading was that I was expecting a twist to happen at some point because of this being a ‘thriller’.
This wasn’t a bad book by any means and I think if you can overlook the fact that this is more of a contemporary with some dark aspects thrown in, then you could enjoy this! It’s not something I’ll remember and it was a disappointment for me but that’s because I did go into this expecting a dark and twisty thriller as that’s how it was marketed but found it definitely didn’t live up to that!

[Natasha Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was not a romance and not a thriller. It’s a story about the seedy side of Hollywood and journalism. Not my usual thing but I really enjoyed it and found it very readable.

[Vera · Rating 3 out of 5]

+ Entertaining story and outlook on hidden misogyny in Hollywood; I enjoyed the journalist-POV
+ Relevant and timely themes

- Slow beginning and lots of irrelevant filler text
- Ending felt rushed and unfinished
- Despite being marketed as a thriller, the novel's atmosphere lacks suspense and surprise (more of a romance novel really)
- Disappointing character arcs

[Sian Rosé · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did really enjoy reading this, it's entertaining. However, I definitely wouldn't class it as a thriller. To be honest I was a bit disappointed with the ending.

[Jeannette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book blurb...
A dark, unsettling thriller about a young female journalist drawn into the life of a troubled Hollywood A-lister.
The perfect summer read for fans of Sabine Durrant, Erin Kelly and Louise Doughty.
You have to know when to say no. That's one of the first things they tell you. But from the first day I arrived in Los Angeles, I said yes.
Jessica Harris is a struggling Hollywood reporter hungry for her big break. When her editor asks her to profile movie star Clark Conrad, Jessica is sure her luck is on the turn. Clark is an A-lister with access to everyone. If Jessica can impress him, she's made it.
When she arrives at Clark's mansion in the Hollywood Hills, he is just as she always imagined. Charming, handsome yet disarmingly vulnerable. But then things take a darker turn. Clark's world is not as straightforward as it seems and Jessica's puff piece soon becomes something much more delicate – and dangerous. As Jessica draws herself deeper into Clark's inner circle, events begin to spiral out of her control.
Transfixing, insightful and unsettling, Through His Eyes drops you into the mind of a young woman with everything to play for – and everything to lose...

My thoughts…
I never DNF a novel and then review. To not finish an author’s work but still offer an opinion is wrong, wrong, wrong. So I did read to the end, hopeful, but unfortunately I did not enjoy the story as much as the blurb suggested I would.
Did I miss something?
That said, I was forced to read this story in snatches, mostly due to my own time/travel constraints. This may have affected my interpretation of the narrative.
Jessica certainly found herself in a position where she needed to make a life-altering choice regarding movie star, Clark Conrad. So the conflict was there.
I think I’d like to read this story again when I can give it my full attention and not be pressured by review/publishing deadlines.
This review is also published on http://www.readroundoz.wordpress.com

[Paula Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

2023 is here and therefore begins a whole new onslaught of books being read and reviewed. This author I hadn't heard of it before, but I was busy scrolling through the Libby App and looking at the new releases on the app and came across this book the cover caught my eye, and after reading the blurb, it sounded like something I would enjoy. Through His Eyes takes us on a journey into the life of Jessica who is originally from the UK and had dreams of becoming a famous entertainment journalist in LA. It hasn't been all sunshine and roses, as the job entails lots of late nights, random events, and freelance jobs nobody wants but it pays the rent. That is until she gets her first big scoop an interview with Clark Conrad. Clark is Hollywood's heartthrob and also a bit of an enigma as he doesn't normally do interviews. For Jess, this is not only a dream come true for her job but for her personal life too as Clark is one of her Hollywood idols. As the book goes along, Clark and Jessica become close and eventually start dating. However, Jess learns that the Clark to the world is very different from the one behind closed doors and when allegations of abuse come out, Jess starts digging and finds out about a slew of women, death, and then the real reason why his wife Carol and their daughter Sarah disappeared. Will Jess survive and be able to escape this world or will it end in a gunfight? Through His Eyes by Emma Dibdin was a good read into not only the world of digital journalism, influencers, and publicity for likes and mentions but also a warning to all to remember that celebrities that we see on screen acting are all a pretend and that it's not their real-life personalities and sometimes appearances can be deceiving.

[Georgina Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like I’m maybe being a bit too harsh with my rating but when taking into account each nick I have about the book, 2* is probably the most accurate.

For almost all of the book, it felt like I was reading a Brad Pitt/Johnny Depp fanfic, as well as mentioning “celebrities” with different names to those they’re clearly based on in real life. I personally didn’t like that.

I also think that the book had strange pacing - nothing exciting really happens until at least more than halfway through the book. I really struggled to stick to it. Although it is a risky and touchy subject to address in a novel, I wanted more of the scene between Jess and Ben Schlattman, for instance. Jess’ revelation of Clark Conrad also happens very quickly and his character seems to change drastically within as little as 10 pages. Whether this can be explained due to him being an actor and isn’t genuine doesn’t seem enough to be convincing unfortunately.

Some of the dialogue was sometimes confusing to follow for me. I often had to go back and try and work out who was speaking when, as occasionally it wasn’t clear.

The empty, trying-at-ambiguous ending, was pretty unsatisfying. However, I can’t deny that I haven’t been hankering to know about Jess and Skye’s future, and the consequences of Clark’s actions.

I do have to say though that Dibdin has impressive inside knowledge of the media and journalism, which is probably what captivated me the most from this book.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book didn’t work for me, unfortunately. It’s centred around Jessica, a twenty-five year old trying to make a name for herself in Hollywood, as an entertainment journalist. She gets the opportunity to interview Clarke, an actor she’s loved since she was young. She wittinesses something during that interview, and somehow gets tied up within this world.

Strangely, I found the most compelling parts of this book the descriptions of the shows the characters had/were starring in - Loner, the show Clarke made his name on, about a vigilante lawyer? Another character, called Tom, ending up on a show where vampires have become the dominant species and are now having to figure out how to keep a supply of humans for work and food? Sign me up for those.

Overall this book just fell a bit short for me. I see what it was trying to do, it was just…a bit dull for the subject matter it was handling.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

From Belconnen library
Jessica Harris has just received a career-making assignment. She's going to interview Clark Conrad – A-list Hollywood heart-throb and Jessica's secret teenage crush. Clark's going through a messy divorce, and wants to rebrand himself in the public eye.

But halfway through her interview, Clark's teenage daughter is found floating facedown in his infinity pool. And then his young girlfriend accuses him of abuse.

As Clark's world darkens, Jessica is drawn to help him. This is the man she's always dreamed of being close to. And now he needs her. He can't be the monster they say he is... can he?

[Ellis Peacock · Rating 4 out of 5]

First September read 3.5/5

Jess is a Hollywood reporter desperately trying to make ends meet and she gets the opportunity of her dreams with a profile about movie start Clark Conrad. As she stumbles her way into his personal life, the Hollywood glitz begins to fade…

I enjoyed this read, it was interesting to have a Hollywood story from a journalist/press POV rather than the usual actress or singer or model, but I did think it was a predictable twist and the signs were glaringly obvious (although not one of those books where youre screaming at how stupid the characters are being)!!

[Fritz Kunze · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not typically my interest: girl meets fascinating man will she get him? it held my interest because the writing was fiirst rate. and socioal media details novel for me. and therefore interesting. the ending was great, the author emma really captured. the narcacist Conrad beautifully.
I took this away from my reading:summary: the more certain you feel about something -this feeling is a warning and is significant red flag. pls ignore typos, as i am recovering from a stroke

[Stacey Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Couldn't put it down, was eager to find out throughout what would happen next. The reason for 4 and not 5 stars is simply because I don't like the ending, what happens after her article is published? Does she start a new relationship with her good friend? And surely she doesn't stick with Skye what happens there?? Too many unanswered questions.

[Rachel Byrne · Rating 3 out of 5]

An engrossing read with an interesting plot. I found the main character Jessica to be a bit annoying at times and there were parts of the book that felt cliche. The story slows in the middle and I found it a little difficult to get back to but the end was really good and a total page turner. Overall I enjoyed reading this and I would recommend it but it’s not amazing

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was going to end with the girl getting the guy, but it turned in a very different direction. Great read! Thanks to Head of Zeus and NetGalley for advanced copy.

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hard-hitting, gut-wrenching of a read. This mesmerising book is a fab read for the summer. Get enthralled as Jessica in the world of Hollywood. You just may forget to come up for air.

[Alice Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

It started well, but just felt like a really rushed ending.

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was an easy quick read which was convenient for vacation but not terribly exciting at all

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Christeen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay - it kept me entertained

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

The vibes were kinda like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo? Idk how to describe it but I enjoyed it :)

[Cara Payne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took a while to get into but got more interesting and thought the ending was good.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did not expect what happened in this book. There were so many twists and turns it made me want to keep reading.
Loosing a star because it ended so abruptly and feels like it needs a second book

[ReadingupwiththeRajs · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick and easy read with a dark side but not too excessively so!