Behind Closed Doors in Around the Year in 52 Books

Jan 03, 2017 bookwormsewist rated it did not like it

Shelves: 2017-reads, 2017-reading-challenge

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I have so many issues with this book. All of these little things add up to a wholly unrealistic narrative. Every time I read this book, I would finish with an aggravated groan.

1) When Grace was 17-18, she became the sole guardian of Mellie. How was an 18 year old able to get a job that would afford a private school education AND a caregiver at said private school? This seriously bothered me, probably more than it should have.

2) How did she think she was locked in a hotel room?!? First off, you I have so many issues with this book. All of these little things add up to a wholly unrealistic narrative. Every time I read this book, I would finish with an aggravated groan.

1) When Grace was 17-18, she became the sole guardian of Mellie. How was an 18 year old able to get a job that would afford a private school education AND a caregiver at said private school? This seriously bothered me, probably more than it should have.

2) How did she think she was locked in a hotel room?!? First off, you can't get locked in a hotel room. It always opens from the inside. Second, if someone were to imply or outright state that they are locking you in a room, your first, basic instinct would be to try and open the door. But, Grace did not have that inclination, instead she took a nap. Yep, she was essentially being held captive in Thailand, and instead of formulating a plan and getting out of there, she took an angry nap. Seriously, if I were visiting a crazy special hotel that I could get locked in, I would have broken a window and climbed out. Probably not the brightest idea, but it's definitely better than taking a nap.

3) I also had a problem with Jack seemingly being omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. I understand why the other would want that in the story, because when you're in an abusive relationship, you do feel like that abuser is omnipotent/omnipresent/omniscient. However, it's just not actually possible. The way the story was written, it wasn't Grace feeling that way. The story was written where I half expected Jack to have some kind of magical powers lol

4) Okay, so her first reaction to Millie giving her sleeping pills to subdue Jack was to flush them down the toilet?!? What? I am a level headed person. I feel bad if my actions might be construed as possibly maybe offensive to someone. That being said, if MY life and the life of ANYONE I loved was in danger, I will do ANYTHING (which includes murder). Grace has no survival instinct.

5) Also, the author sets rules behind Grace and Jack's relationship and then breaks them a couple chapters later. So, Jack doesn't like food waste, and yet when she starts her hunger strike, he doesn't seem all to upset about the food waste. He's upset that she is losing strength and she needs that to take care of Millie, but he seems ambivalent about the food waste.

6) What exactly is Jack's motive? He wants Millie? So, he's willing to deal with Grace (who he doesn't like) for a year and a half so that he can have Millie? Then, later he says that once Millie moves in with them, she probably wont last more than a couple months. So....what's the end game here? He has to deal with Grace and her constant escape attempts for a year (plus 6 months of pretending to be a good guy) all so that he cane have 3-4 months terrorizing Millie. I don't get it. It doesn't make any sense.

7) The ending was so anticlimactic. Once she goes to Thailand, you understand that she essentially got away with it. I didn't need 20-30 pages of her setting up an alibi and then stressing out about seeing Jack everywhere. It was sssssooooo boring. I thought about just scanning the ending, but I persevered and actually read every word. Then the whole Esther reveal. Yeah, we got it. That was pretty obvious since the beginning of the book. I think the way the book was set up really shot itself in the foot at the end.

8) One last thing, why did Mellie have down syndrome? This would have worked with ANY younger sister or brother character. The down syndrome aspect felt like an emotional ploy tactic. She had down syndrome purely to increase the sympathy for her. ...more

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Jul 25, 2017 Charlie rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2017, buddy-reads, audiobook

Audiobook

I feel kind of meh about this book. I thought the story was interesting and I definitely wanted to know how everything was going to resolve but the middle was a little slow for me. It felt like the narrator took a lot of time spelling things out for the reader and sometimes I had to wait for the protagonist to process and understand what was going on and reach conclusions.

I did like the beginning and the end. I thought the premise was good and there was suspense at first, when you don't ...more

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Jul 11, 2020 Megan rated it really liked it

Good book. As a female, and honestly as a human being, it made my skin crawl, especially in the beginning because you can see what she doesn't and what she is getting into since the story jumps from past to present so much. But I just finished the last half in one day and couldn't wait to finish it in the last fourth to see how she gets away. There are something about the ending that I don't think the police would just accept so easily but I can't help but keep going over the details in the end ...more

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