All These Perfect Strangers in Aussie Readers

Nov 15, 2015 Brenda rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery, read-on-kindle, aussie-authors, net-galley, arc, own-read, thriller, psychological-thriller, 2016-release

Pen Sheppard was feeling nervous about starting college – she wasn’t sorry to leave the small town and her mother though; the trauma of the past was propelling her forward. Pen was determined this new life would be a new beginning – she would keep her past a secret; no one needed to know.
As Pen settled into College life, she started making friends with other students. Toby as one of the older students was the co-ordinator of Scullin Hall where Pen was housed; then there was Leiza, Rachel, Michae Pen Sheppard was feeling nervous about starting college – she wasn’t sorry to leave the small town and her mother though; the trauma of the past was propelling her forward. Pen was determined this new life would be a new beginning – she would keep her past a secret; no one needed to know.
As Pen settled into College life, she started making friends with other students. Toby as one of the older students was the co-ordinator of Scullin Hall where Pen was housed; then there was Leiza, Rachel, Michael, Joad and Kesh – all with varying personalities – some she felt an affinity to, some she didn’t. But with the start of the semester came the parties; and with the parties came more. Much more…

Within a matter of weeks one of the students was dead – then another. One was an accident – one wasn’t. But were they? And the attacks on campus were becoming worse – was anyone safe? Who was to blame? What was to blame? There was a mixture of drugs and sex rippling through the campus – had things just escalated out of control? Pen was full of fear; fear for herself, fear for her friends – but as she began to discover the secrets and lies that were rife through the halls, she had no idea who to trust or what she would do…

Narrated by Pen, All These Perfect Strangers is Aussie author Aoife Clifford’s debut novel – it switches backward and forward between Pen’s time with Frank, her psychiatrist, and her time at the College when lives started to unravel. Slowly what happened is revealed by the words written in a diary by Pen which she is supposed to share with Frank. Gripping and intense, it’s a quick, easy read with the life of the students extreme and full on. (Not much work being done there!) The ending was very strange! For lovers of psychological thrillers, I think this one would fit the bill – I therefore have no hesitation in recommending All These Perfect Strangers highly.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy to read in exchange for my honest review.
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Nov 16, 2015 PattyMacDotComma rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc-netgalley-done, australian-author, kindle, mystery-crime-thriller

5★ for a terrific debut novel from an Aussie author whose future work I look forward to. I love her style.

At one point she mentions a secretary distracted by her new computer. “It’s a light grey beehive of a box that hums all the time. I can tell she’s a bit on edge by the way she presses a key and then pulls her hand back as if it’s got teeth.”

Pen Sheppard is an Aussie teen sitting outside her psychiatrist’s office waiting for an appointment she doesn’t want to keep. She just wants him to writ ...more

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Jun 22, 2016 Paula Phillips rated it liked it

Before I discovered and opened this book, I thought I would enjoy it as the cover gave off an eerie mystery thriller feel to it and as I opened the page , I first discovered that the book was set in the late 80's/ early 90's and that it was in fact a New Adult version and the writing style reminded me of the British Teen Author Anne Cassidy whom I loved growing up as she wrote books with edgy topics and murders and one of my favourite is called Looking for JJ - which was about a child who murder
Before I discovered and opened this book, I thought I would enjoy it as the cover gave off an eerie mystery thriller feel to it and as I opened the page , I first discovered that the book was set in the late 80's/ early 90's and that it was in fact a New Adult version and the writing style reminded me of the British Teen Author Anne Cassidy whom I loved growing up as she wrote books with edgy topics and murders and one of my favourite is called Looking for JJ - which was about a child who murdered another and went into juvie and came out with a different name, a new identity. One thing that these books always show us readers though is that no matter how hard you try to distance yourself from your past life - you can never ever get a clean slate and escape it as it will always find a way to inch itself and be revealed in your new life. All These Perfect Strangers features Penelope aka Penn Sheppard. When she was fifteen/sixteen - she was out with her best friend Tracey and her friend killed a cop - the two girls were arrested but Penn was released and Tracey from what I gathered ended up killing herself. What followed was a few years’ visits with the local shrink Frank. Now two years later, Penn is headed to college and has been awarded a bursary scholarship. She is hoping for a nice clean slate. Though it seems after a few months on campus that death likes to follow Penn as not one, nor two but three deaths happen on campus to people she knew including a close friend called Rachel and if Penn isn't careful , then she may be the next one to end up in the ground as her permanent residence. As this was written with the influence I found of British novels I have to admit for myself personally I found the book to be quite slow and detailed. Then again, I find when it comes to mysteries and thrillers I am more partial to the American writing style due to their fast-paced writing. All these Perfect Strangers is a cross between Anne Cassidy's writing and in the same tradition as far as theme goes with Kimberly McCreight's Reconstructing Amelia. ...more

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Dec 28, 2015 Tracey rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, crime, mystery, thriller, australian, 2015, netgalley

I was provided with an advanced copy by All these Perfect Strangers by NetGalley for an honest review.
A young woman with a complicated past attempts to secure a new future but as she undertakes treatment truth and lies weave together in a clever thriller.
Penelope has returned home after attending her first year at University, to a town that she hates and where a great number of people hate her. In an attempt to help her resolve and discuss her feelings about events that have occurred, her psych I was provided with an advanced copy by All these Perfect Strangers by NetGalley for an honest review.
A young woman with a complicated past attempts to secure a new future but as she undertakes treatment truth and lies weave together in a clever thriller.
Penelope has returned home after attending her first year at University, to a town that she hates and where a great number of people hate her. In an attempt to help her resolve and discuss her feelings about events that have occurred, her psychiatrist encourages Pen to commit to paper the story of what has occurred. We soon learn that Pen is linked to a series of murders that have been committed at University and we learn of an earlier incident as well.
This is fast paced and you are quickly devouring the words on the page. I knocked this book over in a day and I really did not want to put the novel down. You are from the first page just completely absorbed into Pen’s world and it is wonderful.
Clifford’s style is engaging and she succinctly captures small town and University life. You can smell, touch and taste what she captured on paper. There is a rich tapestry of characters that all carry their own unique stories and issues. As the story is told from Pen’s point of view we are limited to her perceptions of the characters. This is both useful and limiting as Pen I find is an unreliable witness.
The voice of Pen is what guides you through this tale and it will be a great talking point amongst book clubs as to whether she is a reliable witness to the events. I find her to be unreliable for a couple of reasons. The first being her naivety as she comes across lacking any worldly experience and her social awkwardness. At other times she appears savvy and aware of who is trying to manipulate her. She is a difficult character to come to terms with and that is a good thing. It is her perception of other characters that makes her as unreliable as a witness even further. How much do you believe of what she tells you about Rachel, Kesh, Rogan and Michael? Can you trust everything she says and is really a victim or the perpetrator of all these incidents?
I will not give away the ending but I have noted others have struggled with it and I did as well. I did go back and read over the text a couple of times to ensure I had not missed something. For me it does not quite work as what happens is outside of Pen’s sphere of influence and just seems to come from left field. There are some clues along the way (I think – the angina attack is related) but it certainly is a matter for debate at the book clubs.
Clifford has previously won some Ned Kelly awards for her short stories but her first full length published novel is a corker. It has all the right elements for a great thriller and the right mix of ambiguity to make you question what the truth is and what lies are being told. Grab a copy you will not be disappointed.
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