Other People's Lives by J.E. Rowney
Genre: Psychological thriller
Read: 20th April 2022
Amazon
Published: 22nd April 2022
★★★ 3 stars
DESCRIPTION:
Listen carefully.
Watch closely.
Trust nobody.
“Let me ask you. Are you worried that someone is watching you, or are you worried that you think someone is watching you?”
Sophie Portman has lost her husband, and she thinks she may be losing her mind.
She seeks the help of psychiatrist Andrew Thacker, but as she starts to open up, the truth begins to unravel and nothing is quite as it seems.
Other People's Lives is a gripping psychological thriller from bestselling author JE Rowney.
"A heart-stopping twist. I never saw it coming." - advance reader review.
MY REVIEW:
I am going to be in the minority here with my rating because honestly? I don't see it as exceptional as most other people have. And they are like raving about how "freaking awesome" it is. Maybe I missed something because it didn't speak volumes to me at all. In fact, while I did enjoy it, it was still just an average read for me to be honest. And the reference to "The Silent Patient" just falls flat with me as I've never read that book so cannot compare it at all.
OTHER PEOPLE'S LIVES...where do I start? It's such a difficult book to review without giving too much away...particularly a major plotline reveal running throughout that has readers believing one thing and it actually turns out to be another! In fact, I suspected this facet of the story early on when certain aspects seemed suspect in the narrative. That's all I can say without giving anything away.
What I can say is this...
She lost her husband. Now is she losing her mind?
Sophie Portman is a thirtysomething teacher seeking psychiatric help because she believes she is being watched/followed/stalked. She reported her fears to the police but without any tangible proof to back up her claim there was little they could do. So she seeks help from psychiatrist Dr Thacker hoping he might have some answers and help her move on.
Seven months ago, Sophie lost her husband Jack who had been on a geological expedition to the Arctic. And as she continues to struggle with the loss she begins to wonder if she is losing her mind. Cue in Dr Thacker. Throughout her sessions, Sophie continues to maintain her feeling of being watched. But is her perception real, paranoia or delusional?
It takes time for Sophie to open up to her psychiatrist and even then, she isn't being completely honest...only telling him pieces of truth. But one thing is clear - she is haunted by whatever happened prior to his disappearance. So what happened to Jack? Is he dead? Is he alive? Or has he left his marriage and abandoned the expedition he worked so hard to win?
Listen carefully. Watch closely. Trust nobody. Nothing is as it seems.
Although it is an exceptionally quick read, OTHER PEOPLE'S LIVES is a book you need to pay close attention to as nothing is really as it seems. Having said that, how I interpreted the ending didn't hit me like a bolt of lightning as it appears to have done so with others. Which makes me wonder if I somehow missed something...but I don't think I did. I see what she did. I see what he did. I see what they did. I see how it played out. And I see each of the characters in their completely deluded worlds. And yeah? So...?
So yeah, I was pretty much underwhelmed. Although I did enjoy it, I just wasn't WOWed by it. I especially like the letter form that portrayed Sophie's narrative - it was done very cleverly...as was the interweaving of each of the narratives. Again...watch closely and listen very carefully.
I can't say I liked any of the characters and for a quick read it was incredibly slow to take off. Still, I finished it within four hours but it's not be a memorable read for me unfortunately.
A very clever concept and equally ingenious plotline, OTHER PEOPLE'S LIVES is an entertaining psychological thriller that is a quick read to while away a couple of hours. But that's it.
I would like to thank #JERowney, #BooksGoSocial and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #OtherPeoplesLives in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
She has written ten novels, and also enjoys writing short stories. In 2020 she was the winner of the Pen to Print Short Story award, the Dinesh Allirajah Prize for Short Fiction, and, in 2021, the Fresher Publishing Student Writing Award.
She spends lots of time writing in coffee shops, so if you see her, say hello.
Ms. Rowney says: "I always dreamed of being a writer, until I realised that I was. Then I started to write."
You can find out more about JE Rowney on her website (where you can download a free book!), or follow @jerowneywriter on social media.
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