Unraveling Oliver is the perfect title for this novel about Oliver, the mysterious, dark, handsome guy that women flock to and men want to be; until he does the unthinkable, seemingly out of the blue, beating his wife into a coma (not a spoiler). Why would Oliver do such a thing? What in his past should have prepared us for this?

Liz Nugent does an excellent job of peeling back the layers one by one, telling us Oliver's story through chapters written by many people who knew him over the course of his life. Hints are given here and there, but nothing to indicate the truth we will discover. Just as an onion peels bit by bit, so does Oliver's cover peel back, revealing things more malodorous as we go. When the core of Oliver is finally revealed, we see him as he is; a BASTARD!! In so many ways, but a bastard all the same.

From the first sentence "I expected more of a reaction the first time I hit her." to the last "I try to be good." the reader is in for a dark suspenseful read. A very good read!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery/Scout Press for allowing me to read an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

The psychological suspense novel tells of a seemingly happy married couple, Oliver and Alice. They work together writing and illustrating children's books. Then one day Oliver beats Alice with a blow so intense that it sends her into a coma. What could have brought on such a brutal act. Oliver's friends and acquaintances each give their story on how they met and their involvement in the couple's lives and try to find out what would have made Oliver do this unspeakable act.
I liked the plot of the story, but some parts were definitely drawn out and quite unnecessary. That is the reason for my lower rating.
I do thank the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me an advanced copy for my honest review.

Oliver, a self-centered man with few feelings for anyone else, was one hell of a bad guy.

However, can you blame him? He was sent to boarding school when he was six by a father who gave him no paternal support and left him with the knowledge that his mother was a prostitute. His father never visited or communicated with him in any way other than to exact the sheer amount of hatred he felt for his son.

When Oliver beats his wife of several decades, years later, and puts her into a coma, the book goes back and takes a look at Oliver's life. Told from many viewpoints, including the priest who ran the school, and none from his real father, it tells a very eye opening story.

I could not believe some of the thoughts and actions of this man. And I can say, I was hooked from the very beginning. How can someone be this mean? Can I really feel sorry for him? Was this nature or nurture?

A story that I found I could not put down as the real reason Oliver slapped Alice is not revealed until the end. A story that I just had to get to the bottom of this guy.

Thanks to Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books, Scott Press and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Oliver Ryan is a man of secrets, not the least of which is his reason for the savage attack on his wife, Alice, in a fit of rage. Irish author Liz Nugent, in “Unraveling Oliver,” adeptly steers the reader through his turbulent life that, on the surface, appears to be comfortable, satisfying, and prosperous. This book was originally published in Ireland in 2014, won many awards, and is just now being released in the United States in late 2017. Why the delay?

As Alice lies near death in a long-lasting coma, Oliver’s friends, family, and associates tell about views and feelings they have about Oliver, and espouse their reasons for the unlikely attack. Why would a highly successful author with an apparently comfortable and satisfying life turn into a monster? Based on what we’re told about Oliver and his life, the most proper question might be why not? His life is filled with deceit, indiscretion, and repressed rankle, all terminating in a huge decision that is turns deadly.

Nugent has a real talent for disguising dark happenings in warm colors. In this book she combs through a tangled nest of a complicated normal life, combing out strands of evil and ugly behavior. These transgressions, seemingly somewhat normal, have a deeper and uglier meaning and impact on Oliver and the people in his life. He is, at a closer look, a thief, a plagiarizer, an angry soul, an arsonist, and a murderer, although it takes a while for all that to be exposed.

I enjoyed the dark side of this novel, and the way the author masks it in normality. That’s not to say that the reader is fooled as the story goes along, but the way Nugent packages the evil undercurrents is intriguing and makes for riveting reading.

Well, I will not say I regret this book, but am actually close to that opinion. The several POVs was confusing and did not add to the plot, so why? I almost stopped reading, but I don't give up easily. I don't want to be too harsh on the author, but I won't sugar coat either. The outcome was so predictable. This is not an enjoyable read for me.

Dark and despairing

Oliver Ryan, known as Vincent Dax, successful Children's writer, all but abondoned child, grows up in a boarding school with no love and no friends, until he meets Michael Condell and his sister Laura.
Who Oliver really is is unveiled chapter by chapter until we come to know him--and thoroughly dislike him.
His egocentric outlook, his destructiveness born of his abandonment and his desire for a father's love and acknowledgement, are the ingredients that meld together forming him. The stewpot of his angst.
I think Barney is my hero and it's sad that Alice never will know him.
Unravelling Oliver almost unravelled me. Brilliantly written, each chapter presents the various characters and their viewpoint on Oliver's Life. Surprise begets more surprise.
A gritty, emotionally charged, psychological novel that provides little pleasure but lots of fascination. I was compelled to finish it even as I was repelled by Oliver. And that compulsion is what had me giving this 5 stars rather than 3.

A NetGalley ARC
(August 2017)

The opening line - “I expected more of a reaction the first time I hit her.” - is one of the best and will probably be one of the most talked about opening lines in fiction this year. Unfortunately, for me, the story's execution did not live up to that opening line.

We meet Oliver in the first chapter as he tells us, in an analytical way, what he has just done to his wife, Alice. This chapter packs a punch. I immediately wanted to know more about Oliver and Alice. I wanted to understand their relationship and see the escalation leading to this event. I sort of got that, eventually, in a round about way.

The second chapter is someone else's POV. Then yet another person. And so on. We have a whole lot of viewpoint characters, with their narrations all in first person. The bulk of these chapters takes us away from the immediacy of the story, and often away from Oliver. For instance, we meet one woman who plays a small but significant role in the outcome, but her narrating chapters are often long and personal to her, not Oliver or even Alice. We meet the woman's father when he was a young man, and we go through her childhood, all with far more detail than necessary.

We don't get back to the present until late in the book, when the pieces finally start coming together and we see how Oliver's choices led him to where he was at the story's opening. But the great revelation had several problems for me. First, it was easy to figure out where the whole thing was going, so I already knew the twist. The rest is impossible to talk about without giving spoilers. I'll just say that, given Oliver's notoriety, the other person involved would have had to live in a cave to miss the sensation surrounding him. And Alice had to be the least curious, biggest doormat of a wife I've ever come across.

And that leads me to another issue I had. We get very little sense of Alice as a person. We spend time with Oliver's ex-girlfriend, getting to know her well. We spend time with Alice's ex-boyfriend, though we learn far more about him than we do about Alice. We spend time with a man who hadn't seen Oliver in decades. We spend time with Oliver's ex-girlfriend's brother. Yet Alice does not have a narrating part, which I think is unfortunate. Yes, she is in a coma in the present timeline, but most of the story and the narrating parts occur in the past. Alice feels like a meek shadow throughout. I have no idea how she felt about her husband. Did she really love him? Did she suspect him of being a sociopath? Her viewpoint would have added tremendous depth and insight.

So, in the end, I was as uninspired as Alice's character. Like Oliver, I expected more of a reaction.

Unraveling Oliver: A Novel by [Nugent, Liz]

Very well done--the plot was solid, the characters interesting.

Review copy provided by publisher.

When a book starts off which such a bang as this one did you kind of expect a lot. Having said as much, I have to admit that what I expected didn't come to fruition. There really wasn't much in the way of action, but the story that was crafted was still every bit as good as I'd hoped it would be. Just different.

The title character, Oliver, is not a good man and he hasn't lived a good life. This is, however, his story. As seems to be a common trend lately, and one I quite like, this book's story is told in bits and pieces from several different characters' points of view. All the events unfold from the varied perspectives which gives a more complete and honest picture of what truly took place. There weren't any huge "wow" moments, yet I did find myself surprised a couple of times along the way. And for a work of fiction the author did a great job of creating a rousing tale so full of life. One that read as truth bound to eternity on the printed page.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with this advanced review copy. Interested readers should visit their local booksellers tomorrow, the expected date of publication.

The premise of Unraveling Oliver had me very intrigued and the first chapters packed a huge punch and sucked me in completely. But shortly thereafter, every thing just fell apart. I thought the execution was lacking and the flow of the narration was not cohesive. There was no real mystery at all and while the book is described as “chilling and a psychologically astute exploration of the nature of evil” to me Oliver didn’t come across as particularly frightening -- he was just a huge jerk. There were times when I could tell that what I was reading was supposed to be laying the groundwork for something ominous to come, but it just fell flat to me and I was very underwhelmed. The premise was fantastic and there was a lot of potential here for something dark and twisted, but for me it just did not deliver. Many thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Books for providing me with an arc in exchange for my honest review.

Usually, I am not a fan of a book told backwards, but as you unfold or unravel Oliver, there is no other way. Each character is being interviewed and in the telling of their individual stories, the truth of Oliver is revealed and reviled in this psychological thriller. As you read, you are putting bits and parts together. It is not until the author voices the actual words that you find yourself gasping at the realization of where she is going with this narrative. That the little fragments are coming together and where once you had felt sorry for Oliver, you grow to despise who he is and what he had done to those around him.

There is no shocking or surprising revelation that Alice is in a coma. Oliver took responsibility from the start. What there was, was that boiling point and when Alice, dear sweet perfect Alice, went too far and looked into the box that she was told never to touch that Oliver’s lies came pouring out. Oliver could not have that, he had constructed his story too finely to have it all unravel now.

There is nothing random about Oliver or this book, each part of the story is finely tuned, on point with the times and truths of the generation. From Oliver hidden away by a father that could not come to terms with his own choices. A wife that was blinded by her belief in a man, a friend that was not willing, until it was too late, to see what was in front of him. People eager to see only a small part and assumed a larger picture and in the end, a psychopath that was willing to lie to the one and only person that needed nothing from him but the truth.

I admit, in the beginning I actually felt sorry for Oliver. How could the world be so torturous to a young boy? Yet, by the end, there was no pity left. There was raw emotion, yet no lasting feeling of sorrow for who he had become. Was Oliver born with a broken mind or did the world break it for him. I guess that is a question that will never be answered and what would make for a great reading group discussion. Each person will come away with a different response to this book, but at the same time, I will guarantee you that no one would want to be part of Oliver’s world.

“I expected more of a reaction the first time I hit her.”

When reading this I wasn't sure what to expect. More reaction from her? More feeling from himself? That is what this book is all about. Getting to what happened to Oliver and how he, and everyone around him feels about it.

I was shocked by Oliver's point of view. The first chapter is his and I read some of it to my husband because I just HAD to share it with someone right then! I was not sure how I was going to feel about the rest of the book, but the first chapter was agonizingly tragic and stunning.

The second chapter was not quite as special. The reader is introduced to other characters and after Oliver's eloquent, heinous voice, it was even more of a shock but one that was needed. The soothing calm of the other points of view shows the juxtaposition of the other characters in comparison to Oliver.

There are many characters in this. Some I liked, some I did not, but all of them lead the reader down the same dark, winding road; to Oliver's psychosis. It was not until much later in the book when all of the points of view come together to form a cohesive idea of just who Oliver really is and what he has to hide. It all at once seems so devious but also alluring. I have to admit to being completely shocked at the outcome and what led to Oliver hitting his wife. I never imagined what caused all of this but it was so well woven into the story that I can't think of any reader imagining what actually happens.

I enjoyed reading this. I think others that enjoy psychological thrillers will also enjoy this #Whydoneit as opposed to who did the crime. I found that I absolutely loved this. It grew a bit humdrum in the moments when characters were nearly repeating what other characters had already explained, but fortunately this is few and far between and again, adds to the full puzzle.

There are so many clues from so many characters. I want to go back and read this and see if I can pick up all of the clues. There are a few that explain Oliver's reasoning but now that I understand, I am curious if I can find even more.

In short: This was a fantastic, dark, distinctive read. I can't wait to read more of Liz Nugent's work.

Unraveling Oliver by Liz Nugent was an interesting book. You start at the end and then different characters offer you insight and trace the story in various places. The book did not immediately grab my attention, but as I read forward more and more of the book gan to weave its magic around me and I wanted to understand or at least hear the story of Oliver. Oliver is a man who writes children’s books. Alice, his wife of many years and the illustrator of his books was left in a coma by her husband, unexpectedly. Why?

I like the way the story unfolded. I liked how the story became more intricate as you learned the details of everyone. I found myself drawn into the story becoming more curious as the book continued sharing different pieces of Oliver’s life as well as the people around him. What an interesting story that does not follow a traditional path!

Unraveling Oliver by Liz Nugent was an interesting good read.

Oliver Ryan has lived a long life full of deception. What happens once that deception begins to unravel? This was such a unique book that kept me interested from start to finish. I loved all the alternating view points and how people from one's past can weave together a person's story and, in Oliver's case, fill in a lot of gaps and answer many questions. A great read!

Truth be told, I’m not sure there has ever been a more aptly titled book. The entire book is dedicated to understanding how a man who is seemingly successful, well-adjusted and happily married, could come off his hinges so suddenly and beat his wife into a permanent coma. How do we come to that understanding? By unraveling his past.

Some books are written to inform, to educate, to broaden perspective. Some are written to entertain. This book is certainly the former. It’s thoughtfully written, offering insight into the inner workings of a man who appeared to have it all. What could have caused him to act out so violently, to throw everything away in an instant? Isn’t a person who could do such a thing evil and inhuman? As we flash back to Oliver’s past, getting to know where he came from, how he became who he is, getting to hear the voices of those from his past, it gets harder and harder to label him evil. There are even points at which I felt some empathy for him, and given what he did, that was a bit of a hard pill to swallow. And that’s what I loved most about this book.

It is very easy to read about violence and crime in the papers or watch it on the news and dismiss those involved as evil incarnate. But the world isn’t truly that black and white. People aren’t ever only one thing. Sure, there are serial killers, and sadists who derive pleasure from causing as much pain as possible, and they are rarely normal people. But that doesn’t mean they never were normal. More often than not, something happened to them in their early development that damaged them in irreparable ways. Are there sociopaths and psychopaths in the world? Certainly. But statistically speaking, most of them don’t beat their wives into a coma or go on killing sprees. As much as we’d like to believe it is so, violent criminals are not born evil. Given a certain type of upbringing (likely paired with certain genetic traits), anyone could grow up, live a seemingly normal life, and then lose it one day. But that is too scary a thought for us to contemplate, so we label all criminals as losers or evil and dismiss them as inhuman, other. This book examines the past of someone who finally lost it one day, after keeping it together for most of his life, and offers an alternative answer to the question – Why did he do it?

While I did not like Oliver, I had empathy for what he went through, how he found himself where he did. Not a light book or a fun book, but certainly one worth reading.

"Unraveling" is the perfect way to describe this story as we peel away the layers of various narrators with varying degrees of reliability, to get to the truth of who Oliver is and what he's done. I think a big reason of why this book really appealed to me was timing. There is a lot of unrest in our world these days, and a lot of people behaving in ways I just don't understand. So here was an opportunity to get inside the head of this one man and try to comprehend why he behaved the way he did. How he could act so callously.

The answers aren't pretty, but then again, I didn't expect them to be. And even having the answers, I wasn't particularly satisfied, but I think that's what also made this book work for me. Would I be satisfied in real life knowing why someone had committed X or done Y? Not really. The knowing doesn't make it easier. And I appreciated that Nugent didn't try to manipulate us into an acceptance of Oliver's actions–or any real forgiveness.

If you're looking for a chilling albeit interesting psychological portrait, then you'll enjoy Unraveling Oliver.

NOTE: I will be featuring this book on my Curl up with a good book Sunday blog on Oct 1. At that time I will also post to Goodreads and Booklikes.

I loved this book. Oliver was a shockingly relatable character in that we all want to feel love and a sense of belonging. Even though he's done horrible things, I still find myself empathizing with and even rooting for him. It's unlike any other "mystery/thriller" I've read lately, which was refreshing and exciting!

If psychopathic tendencies and outright violence is an issue for you then this may not be the book for you. If you want to read one of the easiest most compelling and chilling books to be released this Fall then oh wow yes pick this up!

When you have this in hand turn off your phone, shut down the computer, tell everyone you are going to be unavailable for a while and have your snacks/drinks at the ready because to get the full scope and emotional gut punch that is this book it MUST be read in one sitting with as few distractions as possible. It’s relatively short so don’t freak out too bad at that idea.

You do have the alternating POV which I know can be a sore subject for some readers but this book not only requires that style it sets the very definition for how to use it properly to get the maximum benefit out of the story that needs to be told in the fullest context possible. I felt like I was watching a documentary with different people being interviewed because of how seamlessly the author strung the voices together and because the intrinsic diversity that is felt between characters so there is a very palpable shift.

This book relies on its characters more than exposition, scene set-ups, location details, etc. The people are what make the story and the psychological ruminations therein made me feel like I was back in Abnormal Psych listening to my prof.

The first chapter can feel emotionally jarring, a little rough at best, but she’s not telling a tale about rainbows and unicorns so just push through and get ready for the good stuff……..

Unraveling Oliver by Liz Nugent makes you wonder just how messed up one man can be. Oliver started off his life feeling abandoned and unwanted. Through many twists and tuns he ends up marrying a lovely woman named Alice. Oliver is an author of children's books and Alice illustrates them. It seems as though they have a marriage made in Heaven. However, as the story unfolds the tale of Oliver and Alice is told via many different viewpoints and we see that all that glitters is definitely not gold. This is a book that you will zoom through and be left shaking your head. Read and enjoy!

In terms of opening lines, Unraveling Oliver has one of the best I’ve ever read. “I expected more of a reaction the first time I hit her.” Its chilling and really sets the tone for the book, it sure grabbed my attention and held onto it. This is definitely a one sitting type of read, not only because it’s under 300 pages, but because it’s compelling and even if it had been much longer I still think I would’ve been just as hooked.

What makes this such a standout, for me at least, is the narrative style combined with excellent characterization. This is told from multiple perspectives and each chapter switches POV. While Oliver himself does narrate, the rest of the cast really made this a memorable read for me. They’re a mix of friends, family and acquaintances of Oliver’s, people whose lives has intersected with his in some way. Nugent switches narratives seamlessly which can be very difficult to pull off as it can sometimes feel a little jarring and abrupt. Each character has a very distinct voice and the entire thing reads like they’re giving an interview giving the whole book an intimate feel.

I don’t want to discuss any plot points because I feel it’s best to go into this as blindly as possible, but I will say that it’s heavily character driven with a focus on human psyche and behavior, but not in a clinical manner. It’s more of a nature versus nurture type of thing, a deep character study of one complex man that’s very well written and super smart.