Wasnt sure what to expect from this one. But it sure did deliver. Whole book takes place inside Mike's head while he takes us on an obsessive journey into his delusional world of what love is. What a ride. The author delivers a very intriguing story line and tells it in such a way that grabs you and doesnt let you look away. At times i was thinking to myself, "why am i continuing to read this crap" but honestly could not look away. Great 5 star book. May not be for everyone, not a mystery, not alot of action, but it sure is great writing.

Not a bad lad...#ourkindofcruelty #netgalley #aramintahall

"You're not a bad lad just because bad things have happened to you, Elaine used to say..." wow. a five-star read for sure, one of the most compelling stories i've read in ages. what a study of the psychology of the human mind. i hesitate to say more, other than "Our Kind of Cruelty" is so so good. good like a train wreck good. good like who is the psycho here good. good like i've not read anything else quite like it good. it's good...read it.

thanks to netgalley for the DRC.

Obsession, madness, passion, desire, fear...all wrapped up in an explosive bundle and told from the viewpoint of a lovable but unreliable narrator. This novel hooked me from the beginning as Mike describes The Crave, a game he plays with Verity in which he "rescues" her from a random stranger at a bar. And so begins the odd and intense relationship between these two, highlighted by the fact that Mike is the product of a neglectful mother and taken into the foster system early in his childhood. His love for V is so overwhelming that even with the announcement of her upcoming wedding to another man, he is convinced this is part of their game and he must save her from this fateful mistake. How far will he go to assure her he is The One and what is he capable of to ensure the future for the two of them? The answers will both surprise and horrify you as we witness the conversations he has with himself and others as he must convince the world that V is all he craves and he will stop at nothing to achieve his goal! A fascinating thriller!

This book grabbed me from the very beginning and kept me reaching for it until the end. I was fascinated by the main character but his “two personalities “ just didn’t add up for me. The book started with great momentum but by the trial I was losing a little interest. I would say this book is much more of a character study and not a thriller but nonetheless, I still enjoyed it, even though I found the ending a bit anticlimactic.

The synopsis seems innocent enough, but this is no love story - at least no normal love story. Hall brilliantly paints a convincing portrait of a delusional stalker, and while his behavior is often infuriating, his actions are almost understandable thanks to Hall's finesse. Fans of Claire Kendal's THE BOOK OF YOU and Caroline Kepnes' YOU will devour this one.

The synopsis for this book sounds like a love story – Mike has survived a difficult childhood to become a seemingly normal human being. But he wasn’t complete until he met Verity, she alone can make him happy, and so he does everything possible to make her life fabulous – a lovely home, the perfect job. How does Verity feel about all this? Is she breathless with joy? Not quite. This is one of the most twisted, frightening stories of obsession I have ever read, and readers will find an all to familiar element in this book, something all to similar to life in 2017.

3.5 stars...I think. I'm not sure how to rate this, and I may come back and change my rating. I raced through this book and could barely put it down--so it was certainly compelling and had me itching to find out what happened next. I don't want to give too much away, but it's a dark story about one man's delusional obsession, from his perspective. It was not what I was expecting, from the blurb. And when it ended, I felt unsatisfied, and empty. I don't think the ending was necessarily supposed to be satisfying, so I can't say the book failed in any way, but I rate books mainly based on how I feel about them after I finish reading--and right now I don't feel especially good. But I also did think the book was well-done...thus my confusion over how to rate. And perhaps that is a good outcome of a psychological thriller, but I'm still not sure whether I'd recommend this book based on my feelings at the end.

There’s nothing I love more than an unreliable narrator and a sort of fall from grace/descent into madness type character development and this book is exactly that.

Arguably I have to admit the entirety of part 3 was my favorite and that sort of back and forth between one persons narrative against the others all the while trying to decide who is telling the truth, who is wrapped up in their own mind or who is just playing a game and to have that happen in this beautifully written back and forth format felt like I was watching a great law show and I couldn’t wait to get the ending.

It’s fascinating to read through someone’s growing obsession and their ability to easily erase or scramble words or body language in order to make it fit with the story they want to be living in while completely ignoring anything that could jeopardize that fantasy, and how the system could, with the right people orchestrating after the fact, make their actions seem completely normal and even romantic to the point that they are the true victim.

This is a great thriller type read and perfect for anyone who enjoys a true crime type book that leans into the psychology of what makes a person act the way that they do, and how that may lead to the creation of a murderer.

**thank you to netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**