This psychological suspense backlist book was a big miss for me. It’s told from two points of view. Jessie is a 20 year old whose mom has just died when the financial aid office where she has applied for college informs her that her social security number is not valid. This leads her down a rabbit hole of questioning her identity, while at the same time her prolonged insomnia is making her crazier and crazier and more unable to distinguish reality. Interspersed are diary entries from Eden from the past, a woman who becomes crazier and crazier as she grapples with infertility.

This was one of those books that just felt so predictable - from about 20% in I knew exactly where it was going, and I was right for most of the book - until an unexpected twist at the end which while I did not predict it, just made things worse and honestly felt like a slap in the face to the reader. Jessie and Eden were also just both annoying and unlikeable characters, and I’m so over the trope of unreliable and crazy narrators.

This was my third Mary Kubica book - I loved Local Woman Missing which I gave 4 stars, found the 3 star Every Last Lie so forgettable that I couldn’t even remember the title, and this one was just worse - so not sure if I should keep reading her books.

If you love psychological thrillers, you won't want to miss "When the Lights Go Out" by Mary Kubica. This captivating novel follows Jessie Sloane, a young woman who discovers a disturbing irregularity linked to her social security number. As she embarks on a journey of self-discovery, the book skillfully weaves together the narratives of two women, separated by time and distance, bound by a startling mystery. Kubica's writing is vivid and gripping, with complex characters and evoking imagery to keep you on the edge of your seat. Don't miss out on this thought-provoking and emotionally charged story that perfectly blends suspense and depth.

I was definitely expecting more from Mary Kubica and this psychological thriller ended up being an unmemorable story that just fell flat. Hoping the next one I read from this author is better.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin - Hanover Square Press and Park Row for providing a digital copy in return for an honest, unbiased review.

I have read several of Mary Kubica’s books, and while I enjoyed several, I felt like a couple were lacking the charm of the first. This one was unique, while maybe an idea could be found in another. Still, I really enjoyed the novel.

When Jessie’s mother dies, a piece of her dies with her. She feels the loss within her mind and body. She has insomnia and this causes hallucinations. This was so sad for me as I have not lost a parent, but my family has, and I cannot imagine the heartbreak.

This is told from two points of view, Jessie’s and her mom’s from 1996. When she finds that her social security card belongs to someone else, someone who has died, she begins a journey to find out, literally, who she is. What has her mother done? What was her mother capable of? And so the rollercoaster takes off!

This story was full of twists and turns, and a great suspense novel. I look forward to reading more from this author!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm sad to say I've been putting this book off. I was excited at first because I've heard good things about Mary Kubica. I'm starting to see that right now I'm two for two on not enjoying her books. It's sad to say because I really want to like her books. I do have two of her books still on my TBR. One I've heard really good things about so I am excited for that one.

Anyway let's talk about this book. I'm not sure what I can say about it. Right from the start I wasn't huge on this book. I honestly thought the whole time it was going to be predictable. I guess in this book's case that would have been super obvious. So thankfully it wasn't. However I just hated where this book decided to go. I'm not sure what it is but I just did not like it at all. I guess I felt like it was an easy way to kind of cop out. It just really didn't do it for me.

I'm sad to say I couldn't wait for this book to just be over and done with. Sadly, I never was drawn to it. I think if I was interested it in more I would have read it faster but that wasn't the case. I do hope I end up enjoying the two other Mary Kubica books I have on my list.

I always get excited for Mary Kubica books, but I end up just loving love some like “The Good Girl” and “Pretty Baby” and then being totally underwhelmed by others like “Every Last Lie” and now unfortunately this one. Very little actually happens in this book and for a supposed thriller, that always bothers me. Here, anticipation builds for a background element of the story, but then the reader is left psyched out for an ancillary story line that was not really necessary. It was just too uneventful and did not have any real twist that left me fulfilled as a lover of mysteries and thrillers. This one is a 2 star ⭐️ book for me. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the copy for review.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview When the Lights Go OUt by Mary Kubica.
Kubica is a solid writer. She brings vivid and real characters to life in her novels.
This is another very good book that fans will enjoy.
4 stars.

This book was great, going back and forth between main characters and timelines and very suspenseful. I couldn't put the book down. Was it my favorite of hers? No, but still a great read.

I found this author a couple of years ago and I now stalk her to see what book is coming next. I hate a mystery that show’s itself in the first few chapters. This author keeps me wondering all the way through and usually when I close the book I sit and think how I did not see that end coming. This is the best type of author and this is a delicious book

I adore anything written by Mary Kubica and this one did not disappoint. The characters were well developed and the story flowed seamlessly.

Well, unfortunately this book just did not keep me interested. Jessie has been taking care of her I’ll mother for quite sometime now. When her mother passes away from cancer, Jessie finally decides it is time to do what she wants to do,,,, go to college. However, this is where things take an interesting turn. Jessie discovers that she is dead. At least on paper anyway. From here the story starts to fall apart. There are dreams that make you think someone is very delusional and women slowly losing their minds. We then are thrust into one woman who will do anything to get pregnant and one who never wants children. I found myself struggling to keep up. This was a far cry from her other novels.

Thank you to netgalley as well as the author/publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Cant say I cared for this one and I love Kubica's books. Just wasnt for me: the topic or the characters.

RATING: 2 STARS
2018; Park Row/HarperCollins Canada

I want to love Mary Kubica's books. I want to love them so bad, I rate them higher than I initially want to. Worse, I keep requesting her books based on the pretty cover and synopsis. All my book friends love her books, I want to too! After my second Kubica book, I decided to try it on audio. I found myself not really getting into the stories and finding the characterization and suspense lacking. Sometimes the quicker pace of audio helps me engage better with the book.

About 20% into the novel, I kind of figured where the story was going but I wanted to see how it played out. I did finish the book, even though at one point I thought about forwarding to the last chapter. It was bittersweet with the ending...while on one hand it wasn't exactly how I thought it would end, but the ending was horrible. (view spoiler)

I honestly think it's best I don't pick up a Kubica novel. In saying that, please note not every book is going to be my liking, and that includes some authors. This does not mean they don't write well or you shouldn't read them. My reviews are due to my reading experience which is unlike anyone else's reading experience.

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley and Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***

grips from page one, hooks you and doesn't let go. twisted story line and characters. Kubica continues to get better and better

Women who want babies, women who do t want babies, infertility, fertile myrtles, marriages. divorces, insomnia, this book has it all! Enough, I say! On to the next.....

Jessie and Eden alternately tell their stories during two different time periods. Each woman is struggling - Jessie as her mother is dying and Eden with her inability to conceive a child. Both of these conflicts take a toll on their mental health and impact the choices they make. However, Jessie is learning that she may be paying the highest price for the choices Eden made.

Well! If you like being emotionally jerked around by dream sequences and relish hearing a woman slowly lose her mind over her desperation to get pregnant, then this is the book for you!

Suffice it to say that it was NOT the book for me.

First, this is not actually a thriller. The author manipulates the reader such that you will think it’s a thriller, but it’s actually a portrait of what grief can do to the mind.

That’s the one thing about this book that I’ll give Kubica credit for. I do think she gave us an accurate portrayal of just how horrific the grieving process can be. Which would have been fine if I thought that I was reading a book about the grieving process.

Alas, according to the synopsis, this book was allegedly a thriller about a girl who appears not to exist according to official records. Could be interesting, right?

But no, that’s all a ruse in the end. The entire plot is a ruse, and even the genre classification for the book is a ruse. And not in that fun “Aha! Gotcha!” kind of way. No, this was misleading, cheap, and obnoxious in its deception.

Add a “Woman pathetically desperate to get pregnant, subsequently loses mind” plot line (pretty much my least favorite plot line aside from dead animal), and we have ourselves a perfect storm of terrible book.

Thriller enthusiasts, you’d best give this one a hard pass.

3.5-4 * Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader Copy of this book! It def had me intrigued, but it took me a couple days to get through it. The book took some unexpected turns, and in the end I’m happy I read it. I will be going back to read the other books by this author! Thanks again NetGalley!!

I love Mary Kubica and honestly she could write on the side of a milk carton and it would be amazing. Although I loved this book, it was not one of my favorite Kubica reads.
Still amazing though and truely a mystery.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of When the Lights Go Out by Mary Kubica.

This book is an example of why I shouldn't be so quick to judge a book by it's rating. I normally only read books with a 3.5 or higher rating, putting a huge majority of trust in my fellow readers. Since this book is Netgalley though, I didn't even check, I just dove right in, and I really enjoyed it!

Jessie is finally ready to start her life back up after taking care of her ill mother, who just passed away from cancer. But what should be a simple college application sends her into an identity crisis, because according to government records, she is already dead. But Jessie is also suffering from chronic sleep deprivation, enough so that she can barely tell what is real and what is not.

Rewind twenty years to another woman who has just moved into a new neighborhood with her husband, anxious to start her family. Is she the link to finding answers for Jessie?

I can't say that this blew my mind, but it was unique and captivating.