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There are currently 45 member reviews
for Never Have I Ever
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Iris F. (Delray Beach, FL)
Never Have I Ever
I have come to enjoy the many psychological thrillers that have been on the market in recent years and find them to be a fun change from the more serious books I'm typically drawn to. I did enjoy this book even though it was flawed.
Char's neighborhood book club had been in existence for a while when new but temporary neighbor, Roux, showed up for the first time. Within minutes Roux hijacked the meeting. She instigated a game inciting book club members to confess their transgressions. The idea that these adult women would agree to this was preposterous It isn't long before we come to realize that Roux's objectives are fueled by her desire to blackmail Amy.
What follows is a cat and mouse game between Roux and Amy which often feels over the top, but I have to confess the story held my interest almost immediately and was certainly temporary escape from reality.
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Penny P. (Santa Barbara, CA)
Interesting read
This was my first book by this author. I will recommend it to my book club which I think is very different than the one in the story. It is an easy book to connect immediately with. The characters are well developed whether you like them or not is another story. I thought I knew what was happening but was surprised by the twisty ending. a real thriller like many of the young women that are writing This genre. I will read some of Ms. Jackson's other books
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Freya H. (Towanda, PA)
Never Have I Ever
Once the book was under way it became more intriguing. Most of the characters were interesting and well drawn.
My favorite parts involved the diving sequences. Although I've read better mysteries, this was worthy of your time.
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Shirley L. (Norco, LA)
Satisfying Read
I am a fan of Joshilyn Jackson and enjoyed her latest work with some reservations.
The first seventy-five or so pages seemed slow and stilted. The narrator seemed strangely disconnected from her own story. I didn't care much about any of the main characters and would have put this book down if I had not agreed to review it.
However, once the two main characters engaged fully in their deadly game, this book became a page-turning thrill. The end was satisfying and complete.
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Lynne Z. (San Francisco, CA)
A Dangerous Game
I began this book not knowing that Never Have I Ever was a popular drinking game. When Roux introduced the game to Amy's book group, my immediate response was to put down the book. It was hard for me to envision that anyone would bare their innermost secrets in a group setting let alone with a total stranger. I guess I'm naive. It seems to happen all the time. What kept me reading was the secrets. Joshilyn Jackson did a great job of gradually unfolding the layers of subterfuge in both Roux and Amy's life. The competitive interplay between the two characters was fascinating. It was definitely a page turner. I was never sure how the story would be resolved because of all the twists and turns, and found the ending both surprising and satisfying. I felt that Amy still held secrets that could possibly come back to haunt her.
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Cheryl S. (Redmond, WA)
Never Have I Ever, by Joshilyn Jackson
First, I would like to thank BookBrowse for the ARC of Joshilyn Jackson's new book, Never Have I Ever. This was an interesting plot line for a mystery/thriller. It started a bit slow, but in retrospect it was a clever concept, and needed to build the backstory and tension. I had no idea where the story was going, and once I thought I did know, I was soon proven wrong. From the beginning I detested the villain, and that feeling only grew stronger! I liked the supporting characters, but struggled to feel much sympathy for the main character, Amy, although I did admire her strength. All said, it was an enjoyable read, which I highly recommend.
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Juli B. (Prosper, TX)
Reality Expectations
After leading a local book club for 20 years and learning to appreciate the creative work of various authors and styles of writing, I consider it a treat to discover new-to-me authors. Our club is scheduled to read "The Almost Sisters" in the fall, so I thought the opportunity to read Joshilyn Jackson's latest novel a wonderful sneak-peek into her writing personality. I found myself sorely disappointed; first by the ridiculous portrayal of book club membership (and a terrible choice of names using "The Brain-Dead Mommies Book Club") and then by the stereotypical characterizations of the women in the neighborhood. I immediately felt like I was reading a script for a made-for-television housewives drama instead of the build-up for a suspenseful novel. The secrets kept from past experiences were intriguing enough, but the chain of events that unraveled following the introduction of Angelica Roux to the storyline seemed unrealistic and stretched behind the likelihood of events happening so dramatically. To the author's credit, I kept reading to figure out where all these nonsensical details were leading, but found the confrontations toward the end of the novel completely unbelievable particularly where Amy Whey's actions were concerned. Disappointing for a first impression toward this well received author, but not every offering is as strong as previous novels. Will consider this a light read for future recommendations.
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