Literally Dead Book Club discussion
The Other People by CJ Tudor
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Feb 25, 2020 10:45AM
I gave The Other Peple 2*, because I was kind of disappointed by it. For starters I didn't really like the supernatural element. I wish it would have either been more subtle or further developed and actually explained. This way it just felt like a cheap way to get rid of the anatgonist without adding anything else to the story. I also didn't find it convicing for Miriam to be the "bad guy". Granted we didn't find out much about her, but what we got , didn't seem like someone who'd have innocent people killed for some money. If she either just would have wanted to get revenge for Isabellas condition or if we didn't get anything from her perspective and just had Gabes perception of her it would have been more convicing, but the way it was done felt like C. J. Tudor didn't think about the antagonsit when she started the book and then she had to make something up when she came to the end. Furthermore I was able to guess all the plot twists, which kind of annyoed me. I like it when I'm able to guess some twists but I still want there to be reveals that shock me. While I did enjoy reading Gabes and Katies story I would have loved it if the plot had revolved more around The Other People. After we found out about them and what they do, I thought about the effects their actions have and how it could easily turn into a vicious cycle (Person A kills my mom, I tell TOP to kill A, A gets killed by B, A has family, they want to avenge A, they go to TOP, B gets killed by C and so on...). She kind of talked about that with The Samaritan (who was the most interesting character, wish we would have gotten more of him), but I wish that would have been a bigger part of the story. I did enjoy reading it, but in the end it was just an okay book for me.
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I'm giving The Other People 3.5 stars. The beginning of the book was super engaging for me, but after the second half it started to fall flat. I enjoyed the mystery behind the other people and discovering what role each character played in the murder of Jenny and Izzy. However, I found the supernatural aspect annoying after a while, nothing really happened. To me it was unnecessary. The book could of worked without the supernatural aspect and still be effective. Also, that chapter with the scene where two Izzys connect literally made me roll my eyes. I saw no point in it. I also agree with those that say that the ending felt rush. I was also a bit annoyed at the fact that Miriam was the bad guy, but I was mainly annoyed at the Samaritan's role. He found the car and never explained how. He gave Miriam the gun too, like what role was he playing? to me that was annoying.
Anyways, I did enjoy reading it, I just wish it ended differently.
I gave it 5 ⭐️ This book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time! I may or may not have went and bought Tudor’s other two books before even finishing this one.
I can’t believe this was all because of Miriam! I get why she was salty but geez! And Fran is still alive?! Did not see that coming. I’m so glad Katie, Gabe and the kids get to live happily ever after! ❤️
It' s a 3 star for me. Although I liked the most part of it, I really think the supernatural element was unnecessary and the ending felt rush. I did enjoy reading it but I wish it ended differently.
I give this book a 4-star-rating.I liked the twist that Miriam was responsible for Jenny's (and also Emily's) death because I never would have thought that she held grudges against Gabe!
Also, I - like most members of this club- really would have liked to know more about the supernatural elements.
I just finished this book and I will say it is just OK at best and mediocre in most parts. I liked certain aspects of it that is why it is a 3 star for me.To all those who are reading thriller genre for the first time, this book does not represent what a thriller should be. Thrillers are not written this way. C J Tudor's debut novel was a fantastic 4 star read and represented the genre. This one does not.
The Other People is basically a book of conveniences. The author has resorted to every possible trick just to make the story move like the supernatural element. I love fantasy, horror and paranormal reads but I don't want my thriller books to have these elements. I read thrillers because I want them to represent what they really are.
2 stars... This was slow and drug on many times for me. It took me awhile to get all the characters down, I usually don't have that issue. I will not be reading anything else by CJ Tudor, I've read The Chalk Man and the Hiding place and I like The Chalk Man, not the rest... I probably would have DNF'd this if not for the book club lol.
I'm a mystery noob so obviously I gave this book 4.5/5, I liked it. It was good. I like the supernatural element I just didn't like how the characters reacted to it. Gabe you need a reality check my dude.
3 stars from me. I am not sure how the supernatural element fits in. I don't think it is necessary at all. The story is interesting, but not spectacular.
Somewhere between a 3.5 to 4 star read for me. I figured Miriam was the person who went after Gabe after it was revealed that he owned the house, it makes sense she would have been bitter. Many of the twists in this book just weren't very shocking or didn't pay off well for me...I could have done without the supernatural element, it seems like it was half developed and honestly didn't add much to the story.
I am glad it addressed the car being in front of Gabe on the highway as I kept wondering why it would have been headed in the same direction, but having Fran just randomly appear to explain things was overly convenient.
Also, I figured the Samaritan (almost) killed Fran but I didn't guess why he did it, I think him being the father of the kid who murdered Fran's father was an okay plot twist.
I do agree with others that Izzy/Alice was written with a voice that sounded more mature than just 7 years old. Also, I keep thinking about the fact that she apparently had enough strength/height to knock out Uncle Steve with her pebbles? Seems questionable.
Overall, I did stay engaged in the story though, so I would recommend to others. Opinions always vary.
So I finished the book yesterday and I ended up giving it 4 stars but I feel it's more like a 3.5 the more I end up thinking about it. I overall enjoyed it and like how much there was going on. It made it confusing which I enjoy. I don't like when it's easy to figure out. However I was a bit disappointed that Alice ended up being Izzy only because I felt it was obvious after we found out Fran wasn't actually her Mom. I was talking to a friend about it and I was saying to her that it can't be that obvious but I guess it was.
Also like a lot of people were saying I didn't like how the paranormal aspect wasn't explained. I didn't really get that at all. I don't really understand what that added to the story. I wish we ended up getting some more details on that.
Also in the epilogue was the old man just some random old man?? or maybe it was the sandman? I was wondering if it was Gabe. I mean I know whoever it was said their family died coming home from church or something along those lines. I was wondering if it was just was one of the characters we knew about but was lying. I guess what it probably was, is that it was showing that The Other People are still around and will continue to do what they've been doing.
I'm probably one if the last people to finish this book lol but I'm going to give it a 3 star. I'm in the boat with a lot of you - the ending was too convenient and the supernatural element was just out of the blue and not explained. I also didn't like having Fran come back, after miraculously finding Gabe, and "explain" what happened felt boring. I think it would have been stronger if it had left some questions unanswered - I feel like it would fit with the vibe of the book to have that open void for questions and theories.
Also, the epilogue??????? Okay, cool, we get it. The Other People aren't going to stop operating, but it would have been more imaginative if one of the characters was someone we had already named in the main story.
It had some good action and a strong hook, but the wrap up was very so-so
I'm the last person to finish this book and probably the only one who... hated it? Sorry but I couldn't stand this book.I liked the philosophy behind The Other People but it seemed incoherent and not thought through well enough. The point is to bring justice to criminals who got away with a crime, so why was Miriam permitted to have Gabe's whole family killed over money? Why was the "eye for an eye" equivalent to accidentally running someone over, turning yourself in, waiting with your victim for an ambulance and then staying by her side for 30 years having your entire family murdered and being framed for that? That makes absolutely no sense.
The paranormal element was the worst. It didn't serve any purpose and just annoyed me to no end. Why even introduce it when it didn't even matter all that much in the end? I had expected at least an epilogue where Gabe found out (or at least started to suspect) that maybe Izzy and Isabella had switched bodies at that moment, that Isabella had basically stolen Izzy's body so she could have her life back. But no, that's just the end of it. But then why was Isabella so menacing the entire time? Why did she even form that connection with Izzy? Why did the author think including this was going to add anything meaningful at all to the story? Questions upon questions.
I didn't think it was suspenseful, just unnecessarily convoluted and the ending with Miriam being to blame was unsatisfying to no end. The only interesting person was the Samaritan, but I think they would have been better off just not explaining his motivations at all. Or using them as a starting point to discuss the issues that come up with revenge killing because it's a cycle that never stops. But the author didn't, just left it there.
Why was it never discussed who actually killed Jenny and Emily? No one seems to even be asking that question, it's only about Fran helping the killer. But who was he? Why does no one want to know?
I'm so disappointed, giving this one star.
This is the second CJ Tudor book I've read and both of them have seemed heavily influenced by Stephen King. This one reminded me so much of The Outsiders but I dont want to go into detail about that because spoilers.I also thought everything was way too predictable. my last sticky note was a little over halfway through the book with my guess of what was happening and I was right.
I knew there was going to be a supernatural element going in because I got that vibe from the distance jacket cover. But I was hoping it'd be a more substantial part. Instead it seemed thrown in there for convenience.
I will say I liked all the characters and connected/ cared about them throughout the book.
3.5⭐ a great idea, an okay executionThe beginning of the story had me hooked! I needed to know where Izzy was, what Fran had to do with it, who the f* the Samaritan was... The Other People "service" was a really interesting idea, it was believable and scarily possible. However some of the plot twists were obvious, the supernatural element was just unnecessary and the end was just too convenient. Miriam's death was just ridiculous and her motive sounded just like a neat easy way to wrap up...
I finished the book late but .... 4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. The whole of chapter 60 was a real shit show. Valiant effort but it’s gonna be a no from me dawg.
I really enjoyed the book. Pacing was great . Writing (with the exception of a few typos) was good. Direct.. I liked it. Low key upset that Fran is Alive ... but whatever... with that happening, as much as I liked him, I don’t really understand the point of the Samaritan.
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Very good book! But I ended up four starring this one, for one reason and one reason only: I don't think any of the supernatural/psychic stuff was necessary. I think all the interconnected people and twists and turns were good enough on their own. I love the twist with the Samaritan being the father of the kid who killed Katie's dad, but I think all the stuff about the beach and bringing back pebbles was a little out there, especially since they didn't really explain it. Plus, the twist at the end with Fran was neat too! All in all a great thriller and I'm glad I read it for sure!
So I'm finally done with the book and I was completely right: I didn't enjoy the conclusion. Miriam's involvement was something I figured out only during chapters 45 and 46, but I really thought she did it for Isabela not the money. Samaritan's/Sandman's involvement was… well it happened, and what - was he conected to Isabela as well? And the pebbles and conection between Isabella and Izzy felt really unnecessary - the book would really be better without it. Still - in the end I did enjoy reading it, it was a bit suspenseful, despite the ending.
Solid 3,5/5
Finished the book! It was a fairly fast read, and the suspense did stay till the end. But I agree with everyone here that the psychic element wasn't necessary and instigated more questions than answers. And yes, I wanted to know more about the Other People organisation itself - it felt very similar to The Chain, and the ending of the book felt like it was prepared for a sequel.
I liked the characters, and previously I was a bit disappointed that Fran had died - so I was happy to see that she ended up surviving. Btw, the character Fran kept reminding my of Parker Possey's character (the fake doctor) in Lost in Space TV series - is it just me? :).
I have a question for anyone who knows. Has the date been announced when the live will be for this book? Or did I miss it already? I’ve checked via Instagram and don’t find anything. Help!
Kim wrote: "I have a question for anyone who knows. Has the date been announced when the live will be for this book? Or did I miss it already? I’ve checked via Instagram and don’t find anything. Help!"According to instagram: march 11th at 3pm PST
I just finished, and overall I really liked it! The story definitely held my attention the whole time, and there were many twists I didn’t see coming. I did feel a little confused given all of the different characters and their roles, and didn’t love the supernatural element, but overall I think I’d give it 4/5 stars. ⭐️ Can anyone remind me though, what was Harry’s role in it all? I know he purposefully misidentified Izzy, but was he involved with the Other People?
