Helpful Score: 4
I almost have nothing to say about this one, and for that reason I am writing a review. Some reviews talk about the subject matter being bothersome or disturbing, and I can see how that could be the case. For me though, that is not my reason for disliking it; all I can say is that I found the storyline and plot just plain bad. I am disappointed.
Helpful Score: 4
I love Jewell's writing but this is probably my least favorite of her books I have read. It is very dark. It kept me reading and had some twists but was rough going in places. It took awhile to adjust to the different characters' perspectives. The ending left me disturbed.
Helpful Score: 3
Dark and disturbing but I couldn't put it down. Lots of unexpected twists that were shocking, weird and heartbreaking. Once you start this creepy story you won't know whether to love or hate it. Lisa Jewel has quickly one of my favorite authors.
Helpful Score: 2
After such rave reviews for this book I was sorely disappointed with it. Libby gets a letter on her 25th birthday that she has come into an inheritance from her birth parents, thus starting the journey of who she really is. The story is split into different past and present parts with 3 people narrating. Long & boring I just couldn't connect with any of the characters and the story had too many gaps.
Helpful Score: 2
Didn't take me long to quit this one!
I'm not a fan of Jewell I just don't like her writing, this one is just a mess and very confusing
No, I didn't make it to part 2 as I quit before page 100 (my limit), I'm sick and tired of the back and forth of the then/now, before/after style and I've just quit a book when I realize that's how it's written, I just want a story written in the format of beginning, middle, end--what else do you need? I certainly don't need all the timelines and past/present---boring and this one was boring!
I'm not a fan of Jewell I just don't like her writing, this one is just a mess and very confusing
No, I didn't make it to part 2 as I quit before page 100 (my limit), I'm sick and tired of the back and forth of the then/now, before/after style and I've just quit a book when I realize that's how it's written, I just want a story written in the format of beginning, middle, end--what else do you need? I certainly don't need all the timelines and past/present---boring and this one was boring!
This book started out so mysterious and interesting about 25 year old Libby Jones who inherited a mansion in Cheyne Walk, Chelsea, in London. The house had a mysterious past 25 years before when a cult was found dead inside the mansion and many children disappeared. Sounds intriguing, right? The ending was such a let down I was disappointed, with many unexplained loose ends which were confusing and unsatisfying. A huge let down.
The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell has an intriguing premise of a wholesome family sucked into a controlling cult-like environment in their own home. Unfortunately, the story features abuse of all kinds against children. That becomes the memorable aspect of the book rather than the âthrillerâ it is marketed to be. This book is more disturbing and depressing than thrilling in its twists and turns.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2019/12/the-family-upstairs.html
Reviewed for #NetGalley.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2019/12/the-family-upstairs.html
Reviewed for #NetGalley.
It was good, mysterious and somewhat unbelievable.
Libby Jones has returned home. She finds a letter that tells her she has inherited the family mansion worth millions of pounds. 25 years ago, police found a 10 month-old baby in her crib. In the kitchen they found 3 dead bodies but 4 other children were missing. This is a domestic drama about three families with dark secrets. It has an interesting plot with deaths and disappearances. The story is told with 3 points of view, Libby, Lucy and Henry. All the characters are a bit odd but the book is hard to put down as you are eager to find out what is happening. Lisa Jewell is one of my go to authors as I always enjoy her books and this one did not disappoint. I look forward to reading another Lisa Jewell book soon. If you enjoy family mysteries then you will enjoy this book also.
Good psychological thriller with a gothic feel.
Very competent and readable, a page-turner blending three points of views and a complicated timeline.
Not "perfect" (well, nobody is, right?), and there are some plot holes, and character psychology holes, that you could drive a tank through.
But Jewell demonstrates a very assured hand, juggling those POVs, and building a scenario, layer upon layer, where you could almost believe that the characters she has constructed would do what they do.
What I particularly liked was the way the novel bucks standard thriller formula -- from the blurb on the cover, you might well except that bodies (and baby) are discovered on Page 1, and detective (grizzled and grouchy, regardless of gender, with demons of his/her own to contend with) turns up and becomes obsessed with solving the mystery. Jewell doesn't play it like that at all, and you will either love it or hate it.
So, 4 stars for readability, and for effectively ratting the cage of some thriller formulae.
Not "perfect" (well, nobody is, right?), and there are some plot holes, and character psychology holes, that you could drive a tank through.
But Jewell demonstrates a very assured hand, juggling those POVs, and building a scenario, layer upon layer, where you could almost believe that the characters she has constructed would do what they do.
What I particularly liked was the way the novel bucks standard thriller formula -- from the blurb on the cover, you might well except that bodies (and baby) are discovered on Page 1, and detective (grizzled and grouchy, regardless of gender, with demons of his/her own to contend with) turns up and becomes obsessed with solving the mystery. Jewell doesn't play it like that at all, and you will either love it or hate it.
So, 4 stars for readability, and for effectively ratting the cage of some thriller formulae.
