Review: Crazy Love You by Lisa Unger

Love hurts … Sometimes it even kills.

Darkness has a way of creeping up when Ian is with Priss. Even when they were kids, playing in the woods of their small Upstate New York town, he could feel it. Still, Priss was his best friend, his salvation from the bullies who called him “loser” and “fatboy”…and from his family’s deadly secrets.

Now that they’ve both escaped to New York City, Ian no longer inhabits the tortured shell of his childhood. He is a talented and successful graphic novelist, and Priss…Priss is still trouble. The booze, the drugs, the sex—Ian is growing tired of late nights together trying to keep the past at bay. Especially now that he’s met sweet, beautiful Megan, whose love makes him want to change for the better. But Priss doesn’t like change. Change makes her angry. And when Priss is angry, terrible things begin to happen…

Summary: February 10, 2015

Crazy Love You has an appropriate name because this book is CRAZY! I love psychological suspense novels like this one and every Lisa Unger book I’ve read so far has been an intense thrill ride. If you haven’t picked up one of her books yet, I highly recommend you do so immediately.

Crazy Love You is a book that I find hard to pigeonhole into one particular genre. It has a bit of mystery, suspense, romance and even some otherworldly elements. I liked how the twists in the novel kept me guessing and I could never really figure out completely where the plot was going. I enjoy unreliable narrators and Ian definitely falls into this category.

The plot moved at a good pace although I felt like the book took me a really long time to finish. While I was reading I didn’t notice the story dragging, but I think it could’ve been trimmed by about a third. Also, some of the time jumps threw me out of the plot because they were very frequent.

The final third of the book was excellent. The plot really came together as Ian’s life starts to fall apart. I wasn’t sure if the conclusion would be satisfying, but I was happy with the way the author chose to end the novel.

Although this wasn’t my favorite Unger book, I still would highly recommend the novel to readers who want a dark thriller with twisted and memorable characters.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review! 

Review: The Whispers by Lisa Unger

Summary:

Eloise Montgomery discovers her amazing gift in the wake of tragedy in this first of three captivating stories that make up an e-novella from award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger.

It's a day like any other for Eloise Montgomery--until tragedy strikes. While she is recovering from a horrible accident that takes the lives of her husband and oldest daughter, and as she works to help her younger daughter move forward, Eloise experiences her first psychic vision. Though she struggles to understand her newfound gifts, Eloise finds a way use them to save lost women and girls--for whom her help may be the only way out…

Publication Date: October 27, 2014

Before I started reading The Whispers, I didn’t realize the novella was part of a serial. Honestly, I tend to avoid serials like the plague. But I’m glad I gave The Whispers a chance because I liked the story a lot.

I really felt for Eloise when she woke up from the coma and found out her husband and eldest daughter had died in a car crash. Although the book is short, I was glad the author didn’t rush through her grief. She handled the loss in a believable way.

I thought the book was well written and I was thoroughly creeped out when Eloise started to experience visions and messages from the dead. The author has a talent for writing atmospheric with works featuring characters that draw you into their stories.

Although I don’t usually keep up with novellas and serials, I’m intrigued enough to pick up the next book.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book for review!

Review: In the Blood by Lisa Unger

Goodreads Summary:

Lana Granger lives a life of lies. She has told so many lies about where she comes from and who she is that the truth is like a cloudy nightmare she can’t quite recall. About to graduate from college and with her trust fund almost tapped out, she takes a job babysitting a troubled boy named Luke. Expelled from schools all over the country, the manipulative young Luke is accustomed to controlling the people in his life. But, in Lana, he may have met his match. Or has Lana met hers?

When Lana’s closest friend, Beck, mysteriously disappears, Lana resumes her lying ways—to friends, to the police, to herself. The police have a lot of questions for Lana when the story about her whereabouts the night Beck disappeared doesn’t jibe with eyewitness accounts. Lana will do anything to hide the truth, but it might not be enough to keep her ominous secrets buried: someone else knows about Lana’s lies. And he’s dying to tell.

Publication Date: January 7, 2014

In the Blood was a page-turning suspense read that will likely stay with me for a long time. The author took some interesting twists and turns with the story that made me keep reading in order to find out the mysteries surrounding Lana and her complex relationship with Luke.

Lana is an unreliable narrator and I loved that the story unfolded from her POV. I was never sure of her culpability in any of the crimes that take place around her. I was captivated by the way she saw the world and how self-aware she became over the unhealthy relationships she formed. My favorite scenes were between her and Luke as they attempted to best each other in the mind games Luke created.

I felt like Lana’s history was a much stronger part of the story in lieu of the parts about her missing roommate. Beck’s disappearance lacked the proper urgency and maybe it was because she was never fully developed as a character. I never felt invested in her survival. One of the villains was also not very fleshed out and the story ended with too many questions regarding his or her part in the story.

The book dealt with a lot of fascinating subjects including child psychopaths, gender identity and nature versus nurture while rearing troubled children. I liked the diary entries included and thought the author gave an honest depiction of a mother trying to cope with a “problem” child.  

This is a great suspense book for readers who like complicated narrators where the good guys are difficult to discern from the bad guys. I highly recommend the novel and I plan to check out the author’s other works.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this novel for review!