Another taught story by this author, who never fails to keep me on the edge of my seat. Surprise ending shocked me. Loved it.

Mary Kubica delivers another smart, fast-paced thriller that will keep readers guessing. In her new novel, When the Lights Go Out, Jessie Sloane is attempting to forge a new life for herself, on her own, following the death of her mother. She secures a new apartment and tries to enroll in college courses only to discover that her Social Security number belongs to a dead girl. In light of that revelation, Jessie sets out to discover the truth about her past, exploring documents left behind by her mother, as well as public records that reveal she does not exist. Jessie is still grieving her mother, suffering from the ravages of mourning, including severe sleep deprivation that has taken her far past the point of exhaustion. As a result, Jessie is increasingly unable to distinguish reality from fantasy.

Kubica takes readers deep into the psyches of two women: Jessie and her mother, Eden, twenty years earlier. Eden and Aaron were happily married and wanted children. But their struggle with infertility pushed Eden deeper and deeper into an emotional abyss from which she was unable to extricate herself. The marriage suffered and Eden made choices that would define the rest of her life, as well as Jessie's. As Kubica's narration alternates between Edens' story then, and Jessie's in present-day, the two stories converge. revealing the extreme heartbreak that led each of them to a dangerous precipice. Kubica injects clues to Jessie's identity along the way, but the explosive truth is revealed via an emotionally satisfying climactic twist.

When the Lights Go Out is a unique and inventive story, but told in the style readers have come to expect of Kubica -- with compassion, insight, and great empathy for her characters despite their significant flaws. Readers will find themselves unable to put When the Lights Go Out down until they know the answers Jessie seeks and understand Eden's motivations.

This book hooked me in quickly. It was a good easy read that was suspenseful and interesting. The ending was a little surprising. Not what I expected.

When the Lights Go Out

Good Writing But Story Fails to Deliver

⭐️⭐️


SUMMARY
Jessica Sloan’s mother has just died of cancer. She spent the past several years caring for her mother and now it’s time to move on. She puts their house up for sale, rents a carriage house apartment and applies for college. But her Social Security number has raised a red flag with her college application. Jesse is mystified and begins a crusade to determine who she really is. With the shock of her mother’s death and the question of her identity she finds herself unable to sleep. As days pass and her insomnia continues Jessie‘s judgment is blurred. She begins to have trouble telling the difference between what’s real and what’s imagined. In the meantime, twenty years earlier and miles away another woman, Eden, struggles with infertility. A split second decision by Eden may hold the key to Jesse identity.

REVIEW
The writing was good and easy to read, but the story failed to hold my attention. It lacked substance and interest. Part of the story’s focus is on a woman’s struggle with infertility and a miscarriage and the devastating impact it has on her behavior and her life. Chapter after chapter we read about an overwrought woman who becomes obsessed and repeatedly reacts irrationally. Wouldn’t it have been nice to read about a woman who is strong in the face of adversity and turns her struggle into something good. Both Jesse and Eden were weak, self-centered and immature characters. Perhaps it’s just me, but I really don’t enjoy books that characterize women in a negative light.  Such books are certainly not conducive to enhancing society’s perceptions of women in general.  Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher Harlequin Books
Published September 4, 2018
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

Really enjoyed this book! It was a definite page turner and I couldn't put it down. The suspense and mystery surrounding the main characters hooked me very early on and I couldn't wait to find out how it all ended.

With that said, I was not crazy about the ending. The twist seemed like the easy way out and I expected more from Mary Kubica.

The book alternates chapters between Jessie Sloane and her mom Eden telling the story of their lives. In the present Eden has passed away and Jessie (in her early 20s) struggles to solve the mystery of her own past. Jessie never knew her father and has reason to believe her mom stole the identity of a deceased child and gave it to Jessie. Eden's narrative takes place at different times in the past and the reader learns about her life before Jessie and eventually how she came to have Jessie.

Mary Kubica writes beautifully and I especially liked the chapters that detailed Eden's past.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Hmmm. Well, okay...where to start?

This one is going to be light on details, because there's not really a lot that can be given beyond the actual description without giving too much away. The book definitely kept my attention--even though the two main characters, Eden and Jessie, weren't my two most favorite characters ever (I liked Eden less and less as the book went on, and continuously wondered WTF Jessie was doing about 90% of what she did--it all seemed so crazy, though we eventually figure out why, at least) I kept going because I NEEDED to find out what the heck was going on.

And then I did. Find out, that is. And...I'm still not 100% sure how I feel about it. On the one hand, things made a whole lot more sense once we find out the big "aha" reveal. On the other hand, it felt like a cheap trick...but not as much as the other "ahhhhh..." moment, which actually made me a bit upset when I went back and thought of all the ways Ms. Kubica clearly tried to steer us away from the truth along the way, some of which couldn't have been in there for any other reason than to mislead the reader. (view spoiler)

So, good things: it kept me reading, and the dual narrators of the audiobook did a fantastic job. Not-so-good-things: I had less-than zero respect for Eden at the end of the book, and more than half of the storyline left me feeling cheated. Would I read more from this author? Maybe...but I'm not going to run out right away to do so.

Rating: 3 stars / C

Firstly, thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for allowing me to read an early copy of this novel in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

I have read and enjoyed all of Mary Kubica’s previous novels, but this one fell flat for me. Kubica’s writing is outstanding, and she has created characters that are fleshed out and believable. Jessie Sloane is preparing for the death of her mother, Eden, and how she will find herself once Eden dies. The story alternates between Jessie present day, and Eden’s life before Jessie. This novel started off promising, became a bit confusing in some parts, but was still a good read. I thought the concept was something completely different, until the ending. The ending stunned me, and not in a good way. Without giving anything away, this ending is horrible and completely takes away from the premise of the novel. Kubica has missed the mark with this one.

Holy moly I was not ready for the ending of this book. It threw me honestly for a huge loop. This book is about Jessie who having recently lost her mother is preparing to move on with her life by renting an apartment and applying for college. But when the college tuition aid office calls and informs her that her social security number is registered to a deceased person Jessie’s whole life gets thrown apart. Thanks to grief and suffering from insomnia Jessie begins to see and hear things and she can no longer tell the difference between what’s she imagining and what’s happening in real life.
The book also tells Eden’s story which occurred twenty years earlier and more than two hundred miles away. Little does Jessie know that Eden’s split second decision all those years ago brings Jessie to where she is now.

I have loved every novel written by the amazing Mary Kubica and this one just jumped to the top of my favorites. The mystery behind everything and the feelings will leave you guessing and no one will be prepared for what happens.
Thank you so much to Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book for my review. I absolutely loved it.

3 stars

I’ve got to say, I have read other books by Kubica and really enjoyed them. But this one, not so much. And I know there is a lot of talk about the ending and the twist, but for me, that was the only thing that saved the book and garnered a 3 star rating.

So let’s start with the ending, shall we? I LIKED it. That’s right folks; I am putting it out there. I liked the ending and I really thought the twist was genius. When it happened, I was literally like “holy sh_t, that was brilliant”.

Unfortunately, that was the only thing I thought was brilliant. The book is told in alternating POV between Jessie and Eden. I really struggled reading the Jessie sections, it was the same thing over and over again. Jessie basically doing nothing all day, hearing voices, seeing things and not sleeping. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. I found myself skimming though much of this since it was all just the same thing over and over. I definitely enjoyed the Eden storyline more, at least there was a story and developed. However, I had a lot of trouble connecting with Eden. I thought she was immature and annoying.

My parting thoughts are this. If I hadn’t read so many reviews that talked about this controversial ending, this likely would have been a DNF for me. But since I knew readers were up in arms about, I had to get to the end to see what all the hullabaloo was about. I was glad I did, because the ending ended up saving the book for me. I won’t; however, hold it against Ms. Kubica and I will continue to be on the lookout for anything and everything she writes. We all have bad days and we all deserve another chance. Finally, there are tons of reviews from readers who loved this book, so I encourage you to check it out for yourself.

I wanted to enjoy this more than I did. Whilst the book has twists and turns, I felt I had figured them out. The characters were not very like able either, and whilst I wanted to finish the book. It got a little frustrating at times.

Mary Kubica is the master of suspense and always keeps me wanting more when reading her novels. This one was no different although I have to say the ending threw me for a bit of a loop !

I LOVE Mary so much!! She is not only an amazing writer, she is an amazing person!! I will read ANYTHING she writes!! I had been waiting for this book for awhile and it was better than I could have ever anticipated!! I feel like her books just keep going to another level of amazing!! This thriller will be the new standard for authors to look up to. The ending was beyond amazing and worth the whole ride!!

I really wanted to enjoy When the Lights Go Out, but I just did not. I did not like either of the main characters (Eden and Jessie), and the big reveals at the end left me feeling very dissatisfied.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Well, I can’t say that I’m terribly happy with this one. While I saw the twist coming, I was still incredibly disappointed and let down that I spent time on this book. I feel as though I still have many questions with little answers. The premise of the book sounded up my alley, and it kept me reading to find out the truth. However, the build up was slow and the ending was disappointing. Go into this one blind.

Pretty sure that I have new forehead wrinkles after reading this book. The story stressed me out so much! Kubica had me looking over my shoulder, getting all creeped out about the shadows in windows. As far as deliciously twisted gets, it started out well. The whole situation with Eden just didn't quite click, though, and I thought about quitting halfway through. It was important to know what was going on, so I powered on. When THE TWIST hit, I just about threw the book. Have not been so frustrated with a story in a very long time! While some may love the surprise, it made me regret spending so much time on this book.

Mary Kubica gets so much right: the effects of sleep deprivation, the manifestations of grief, the physical symptoms of impending death in a person with a terminal illness, as well as the emotional turmoil of infertility and its detrimental effects on a marriage. I appreciate how much she researches her topics and gives her readers an accurate portrayal of these issues.

Told in a dual narrative, I found both story lines compelling. The current day story revolves around Jessie who is grieving her mother’s death. She has plans to move forward with plans to go to college, but finds out she has no birth certificate or valid social security number. Mired in grief, and suffering from chronic insomnia, she goes days without sleep. As she investigates this turn of events, her mental state deteriorates and the line between reality and imagination blurs. The reader is left wondering if what is happening is real or is she hallucinating due to lack of sleep?

The second narrator is set in the past and tells the story of Jessie’s mother, Eden, who is grieving her inability to carry a baby to term. The devastation and the desperation she feels is palpable. Her inability to have a baby weighs on her mind constantly and her marriage suffers. The author does a great job detailing the emotional toll and consequences of infertility. I was also left unsettled and wondered just how far Eden would go in her quest to have a child.

By now, most readers have heard about The Ending. Some readers were surprised in a good way and loved it. Others felt cheated and hated it. Me? I had to mull it over for a while and decided I liked how there were hints throughout the story which made sense once I got to the end. I thought I had the story line all figured out multiple times but then as more pieces of the story were revealed I’d change my mind again. Was it my favorite ending of all time? No. But neither was it the worst. I fall somewhere in the middle. I was definitely surprised!

Mary Kubica brings us a slow build of a story filled with emotion falling a bit more on the domestic suspense side of psychological thriller. I think other readers will enjoy this one more than I did. Quite the twist at the end!

I KNEW IT!!

When 18-year-old Jessie’s mother Eden dies, her whole world collapses. She learns she might not be who she thought to be as she doesn’t have a social security number or birth certificate. She never knew her father, and wonders why her mother tried so hard to keep her identity a secret. She begins t piece together little clues about her true identity. At the same time, she is suffering both physically and mentally from her mother’s death. She hasn’t slept for days and her insomnia is causing her to hallucinate. She is stuck in a place where she cannot distinguish between reality and fantasy.

Jessie's story is juxtaposed with her mother's, which is recorded in a journal. The reader learns of Eden’s desperation to have a child and the extremes that she might go to get what she most desires.

Jessie and Eden’s narratives take the reader on a mysterious journey that slowly unfolds. I enjoyed Jessie’s narrative much more than Eden’s. There was something about Eden’s character that didn’t feel complete to me. When all was revealed, I was let down. Not so much by the BIG TWIST, but more so regarding Eden’s story. There were some other elements that left me with questions, but I am not going to nit-pick over each and every one.

I can’t say much more without giving too much away. I avoided reading this for a long time due to the number of negative reviews, but in the end, I am glad I gave it a shot as I found this to be a twisty and interesting read.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and HARLEQUIN - Hanover Square Press in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book & did not expect the ending! The author kept me guessing but led me to a different conclusion than what the story really was.

That was wrong on so many levels. Mary Kubica, how could you do such a thing? I love Kubica novels, but this one was really slow. Too many paragraphs on insomnia. I think a lot of people will be disappointed with the twist.