Close Your Eyes and Count to 10

[Elyse]

We will be reading Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 this month! Starting date to be discussed below.

Goodreads synopsis:
"An extreme game of hide-and-seek turns deadly in this riveting new thriller from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger

When the real game begins, who will make it to the count of 10?

Charismatic daredevil and extreme adventurer Maverick Dillan invites you to the ultimate game of hide-and-seek. But as the players gather on Falcao Island, the event quickly spirals into a chilling test of survival. A storm rages as a deadly threat stalks the contestants, turning the challenge into something far more sinister than the social media stunt it was intended to be.

Enter Adele, a single mother with a fierce determination to protect her children at all costs. When she begins the game, she unwittingly enters a twisted web of deception and intrigue. Can she maneuver through the treacherous storm and the relentless competition and get home to her family? In a ruthless battle for survival where the stakes are higher than ever, the blurry line between the virtual and the real proves that the only person we can trust is ourselves."

[Elyse]

Feb 10 a good start date?

[Trisha]

YES! SO excited!

[Kristie]

This one sounds so good! I've never actually read anything by Lisa Unger before. A couple of her books have made their way onto my TBR though.

[Elyse]

Kristie wrote: "This one sounds so good! I've never actually read anything by Lisa Unger before. A couple of her books have made their way onto my TBR though."

I've read her two most recent and gave one 3 stars and one 4 stars.

[Vicki Willis]

Yes, I will be ready on Feb 10!

This author's books always sound so good, but I have only read 2 of them
Fragile 3 stars
In the Blood 4 stars

[Elyse]

I have In the Blood on my Do Not Read shelf but I didn't put why...🤔 I think it had bad mental health rep?

[Vicki Willis]

Well, honestly... I don't remember it. But my review did mention mental health. So maybe something twisted with that. I think it had a kid in it too. SO... ???

Oh, and how weird. It was part 3. The other one I read was part 1. And I never read part 2. That is very unlike me.

[Trisha]

I really like this author. I've read and gave 4 stars to:

&

[Elyse]

Ready to start this on Monday? I will be! Finishing The Queens of Crime tomorrow and then going to read as much of Famous Last Words as I can!

[Trisha]

YES! SO excited!

[Vicki Willis]

Yes starting Monday

[Elyse]

I started it, though only briefly and I gotta say, it's not an immediate grabber.

[Elyse]

I've made it to Ch 14 (37%). I read a good portion today while Bastien was napping on me. At home naps have been a struggle. He falls asleep in his car seat so easily.

Ugh the formatting of this e-book is awful. You don't know how many times 'fl' words are used until there's an automatic space between 'f' and 'l' EVERY. TIME. F light, f lying, f lew, ruff led, f led, etc etc etc.

Anywho, yep started a little slow but definitely ramped up quickly. (view spoiler)[A lot of POVs which I don't love but it's obviously for a reason. Kind of weird that there are only 4 contestants in this hide and seek game. Will the fourth one be Miller? Or is he hiding here anyway? I mean, he has to come into the story. (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha]

I'm so sorry I'm late on this. it's been a tough week but I'm hoping to get caught up today - start tomorrow!

Ugh, the formatting sounds like it's frustrating. hopefully the story is good!

[Vicki Willis]

I am starting tomorrow for sure as well.

[Elyse]

49% through and she's referred to Cody's hair as gray-blond several times and now she just called it salt-and-pepper. Nope. No pepper if it's blond! Just something that popped out at me. We're getting a little bogged down in the middle here.

[Vicki Willis]

I am reading this now too.
10%
Am wondering (view spoiler)[what her missing husband has to do with this. Is it just a way to explain her financials? Or will it be a storyline? 5 years is a long time to be missing.

I find it funny - two books with a missing husband back to back. That happens more than you think. A couple years ago so many books had sister in the title and before that, girl.
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Elyse]

Vicki Willis wrote: "I am reading this now too.
10%
Am wondering [spoilers removed]..."

(view spoiler)[I know, I thought the same thing! And I was just finishing up Famous Last Words when I started this one 😂 (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki Willis]

Elyse wrote: "I've made it to Ch 14 (37%). I read a good portion today while Bastien was napping on me. At home naps have been a struggle. He falls asleep in his car seat so easily.

Ugh the formatting of this e..."
(view spoiler)[ I was wondering abt there only being 4 players too. I thought Miller is the person warning her abt leaving.

I don't like Mav. (hide spoiler)]

[Elyse]

I finished. It was kind of meh. (view spoiler)[Bad people doing bad things. Mav was such an asshole. The whole Miller thing was dumb. Obviously it was Chloe harassing Mav, there was no one else it could've been. She's a bitch just for putting her friends and family through all of that. For really no reason. Mav's allowed to be an asshole. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Who cares how he treats his one-night stands. Don't be a one-night stand. Easy as that. This clingy women shit then saying poor me he was mean to me he deserves to be blackmailed umm no. You're also part of the problem. Don't sleep with him the night you meet him if you're looking for something more than that. He didn't force you. lol sorry wow she really aggravated me!! (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki Willis]

I am at 50%
(view spoiler)[
I think the online gamer, Charger, is the boy's dad. I was so happy when he punched out the kid in the bathroom..
Dislike Mav
Hope Alex is alive
(hide spoiler)]

[Trisha]

I'm so late on this one, I'm so sorry guys! I had a great weekend with hubby and just got completely behind in my reading!

I probably won't be starting until the beginning of next week! I have a whole stack of books I'm behind on! lol

[Vicki Willis]

That is ok!
Glad you had a good weekend, even without books!!!

[Vicki Willis]

I finished too.
Didn't like it
.
(view spoiler)[dumb and boring (hide spoiler)]

Have to decide how to rate... 2, maybe 3 stars.

[Trisha]

oh no, both are 2 star ratings! Yikes!

I'm sorry you guys didn't like this one.

I'm getting ready to start - just finishing one up first!

[Vicki Willis]

Hopefully it is better for you. Curious to see what you think.

[Elyse]

I started with a 3 but when I wrote my review, I lowered it to a 2.

[Trisha]

okay, finally got going

7 chapters / 25%

(view spoiler)[ okay, I like it so far - this weird challenge thing. I'm finding the different POV interesting too

but if it's her husband on the island - or her ex - then I might rate this low too! lol without a good explanation then that will just be over the top silly

Adele - the mom and the contestant in this hiding game. Funny her flashlight sucks but at least her gear is light! hopefully Malinka stays friendly and they are able to protect each other - for at least a little while. . .
Makes you wonder if it was Gustavo trying to get her to go home (that weird text)

Angeline - I like her POV. it's not Maverick - she's giving us the real information about what's going on behind the scenes and it's worrying. They seem like they are cutting corners to save money - which is probably going to get one of them killed (again! yikes!)
makes you wonder if the other girl is really missing, or an accident they covered up

Blake - I like that we're getting his POV. he got his mom into this so I like that he's our outside perspective
but his bullying sucks - and now that we know what his dad did, the kid should probably go online school and they should move. No way is he every going to get a fair shake if his dad stole a bunch of the parent's money. . .

(hide spoiler)]

[Trisha]

through Part 1 / 45%

(view spoiler)[ wow, lots of POV

Violet and Black POV - well, I feel bad for both of them, having to watch their mom go through this. I love that Adele and Blake did so much research on the island before she got there
she was ready for the flooding and the water - and that will make all the difference, I think

Angeline - so she's having an affair too. Good for her.
but wow, this show is a shitshow! lol they are hemorrhaging money and Mav sounds like he's unraveling. He keeps pushing when even HE thinks its time to stop
I wonder what's in the bags

Miller - I agree, he's probably the dad. but the dad won't be there, right? I mean, if Mav is picking who wins and his selection was Adele - would he bring her ex husband into it?
but yeah, no other guesses who the extra could be

Chloe - could she have just gotten stuck? are these kids on the podcast going to find her. yikes (hide spoiler)]

I'm liking this one so far. I think the plot is unique, I don't read a lot about reality shows like this one

and it's better than the bachelorette party on a remote island for the 1000x lol

[Trisha]

Part 2 / 70%

(view spoiler)[ wow, so Alex really is dead, holy crap!

I want to think Mav did it but I'm just not sure
he definitely looks guilty - for both. but could it be someone framing him? Could it be Gustavo? I he trying to get Angeline for himself?

and yeah, it looks like Blake is probably meeting his dad - it's sketchy, whatever he is doing! and yikes, his friend from the game was equally a sketchy meet up!

I love that Violet put the tracking app on his phone! hopefully she can help him. but if Miller is with his son, that means he's not on the island.

so who is? and who was the girl that kissed someone?
was it possibly Chloe? Has she been seeing someone else on the crew - possibly Hector, the lowest paid guy but the guy that has to do Everything? Hmmm. Maybe he's the one framing Mav.
Maybe he did this all. . . (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha]

and done

I definitely liked this one more than you guys

(view spoiler)[ I think this was much more a statement about on-line life.

That the problem wasn't the kid playing video games and finding a group of friends on-line
it is was the adults - playing games, stealing, having these unhealthy para-social relationships

My kids and I talk about this a lot so this was already pretty highlighted in my life.

Maverick was awful but was he wrong? He did the things people wanted to watch and people lived vicariously through him. reminding me of that show Jackass (something I didn't watch but heard about) or those Housewives shows - of even the Bachelorette stuff. . .I don't watch any of that but those people get a weird fame. Influencers do too - have you guys heard of Keith Lee and his food reviews? The ebb and flow of fame like that - and the fickle nature of people and their affections. . .

Chloe was just gross - and she was definitely a unstable fan.

I was surprised by Angeline - who calmly had them "take care of" Alex's body. I like that we saw characters act odd - because even they didn't know how they'd act when it came down to it. Like Adele wanting to get out and survive, like Cody, but Malinka turning back and going for Chloe. . .

I love that the security guards got them out. and I am SO GLAD that the husband wasn't on the island! lol that was the only thing I was not going to like if it happened (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki Willis]

Wow! That is great you liked it so much!

[debbicat *made of stardust*]

I am here! Found it, Vikki. I am reading this one now. I am behind on my NG books.

[debbicat *made of stardust*]

I started it and put it aside. I loved the opening. But, I am not all that into it. I will read more and look at some of your spoilers.

[debbicat *made of stardust*]

Trisha wrote: "I really like this author. I've read and gave 4 stars to:

[bookc..."

I have read a big chunk of her books too. I have enjoyed them all. I was eager to get this one. But, I am not loving it.

[Vicki Willis]

debbicat *made of stardust* wrote: "I am here! Found it, Vikki. I am reading this one now. I am behind on my NG books."

Great! The good thing is, the threads are always up.
Sorry you aren't loving this one. Many of us didn't.

[debbicat *made of stardust*]

Thanks, Vikki. I hope it gets better.

[Trisha]

ha! I think I was one of the few that liked it! And I really did! but I also really got into the social commentary of it and the on-line life parts of it! It just sucked me in!

[debbicat *made of stardust*]

Well, I’m glad to hear that! I might have to read something really soft in between this one feels a bit like the one we just read with all the different characters and points of view. I think I may have to take a break with a liger book before I can dig into this one.