Wow, this is a real shocker of a story. By the end of chapter 3 I knew I wouldn't be getting to sleep early tonight. There was no way I could put this book down before I knew what on Earth was going on. Every time I thought I had it figured out I turned a corner and walked into a brick wall. It was like trying to find my way around a maze. Blindfolded and in the dark. If you want a great read with a climax that will leave you stunned then I highly recommend this book. I loved it.

Review posted on Goodreads and Amazon

The Argument by Victoria Jenkins is a psychological thriller.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

 
My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

The argument between Hannah and her 15-year old daughter Olivia was the beginning.  Olivia had snuck out of the house to go to a party she was told she was not allowed to attend.   Did Olivia not realize that her mother was just trying to protect her?  Olivia decided that her parents were going to get the silent treatment.

When the house was broken into, and Hannah's prized kitchen defiled, she wanted to call the police, but her husband convinced her that it was probably Olivia, and did she really want to take it that far?  Hannah gives in, as Michael is generally right.  He tries to protect them all.

Between the things that were happening to Hannah, and Olivia's sudden behavioral changes, something had to give.

But everyone is keeping secrets, and when Olivia finally starts talking again, so does Hannah.  But it may be too late to save this family.


My Opinions:  

This was rather sad, rather dark, rather disturbing, and really quite brilliant.  The writing was superb, and although I couldn't really see where the characters were coming from until later, the book definitely held my interest.   I think most of us have done something a little rebellious in our teens, so I could sort of see both sides of the "argument"....until I couldn't.   This family was....different.

The suspense built slowly.   I think when the big twist came, my jaw dropped.  I really wasn't expecting it, and it blew me away.  That doesn't really happen that often.

The book was about the naivety of youth, of how things that happen in your teens can affect you later in life.  It is about control.  It is about family dynamics.  It is about over-protective parents who feel justified in their actions.  It is about teens that have to rebel.  It's also about mental health.

I have read a number of psychological thrillers this last year, and this was definitely one of the best.  WTG Victoria Jenkins!

Wow!! This book literally took my breath away. The Argument is chilling, disturbing and straight away you have a sense of unease about what will unfold as you follow the lives of Hannah and Michael and their two daughters Olivia and Rosie. With the focus mainly on Hannah and troubled Olivia, their fragile and strained relationship is evident. Quite why they seem to be locked in a continuing struggle is what keeps you as a reader on the edge of your seat, curious to discover the possible reasons. Is Olivia just going through that tricky teenage stage where rebellion can be the norm or could it be something more sinister?? Since Hannah is portrayed as a cold unemotional figure, incapable of showing maternal love, it is understandable perhaps that Olivia behaves the way she does.
Superbly written, I was so impressed with the major twist when it came as up until this point I thought I understood exactly why this mother and daughter relationship is so toxic. With the novel then turning ever darker and more shocking, what had come before made so much sense and I was kicking myself for not spotting the obvious (which I guess is music to the author’s ears!!).
Some might find the subject matter upsetting but please persevere as the author writes mainly by inference than graphically which I prefer as a style of writing when it comes to psychological thrillers.
Whilst a work of fiction, the author raises some very serious points for discussion (good book club read I feel) such as the eternal nature/nurture debate, how your own upbringing can impact on future generations and how easy it is to see what you want to see rather than face the truth.
Towards the end as the pace was quickening I was completely gripped, racing to the conclusion so BE WARNED allow no interruptions to spoil your enjoyment. Easily a five star read for me, UTTERLY BRILLIANT.
Thanks as always to the author and publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read in exchange for an honest review.

15 year old Olivia comes home late from a party she was not supposed to attend much to her mother Hannah’s dismay. This leads to an argument and Olivia giving her parents the silent treatment. After the argument strange things start to happen to Hannah and she wonders if Olivia is to blame. This was a good, twisty thriller that I was NOT expecting. The writer has you thinking one thing and then surprises you with shocking family secrets. Definitely enjoyed it and did not want to put down until I found out what was really going on with this family! Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good, overlooked thriller. They never leave me disappointed. None of the hype and let down, just a nice solid read. You will not be able to stop reading the Argument. There is nothing about a messed up family with lots of secrets to make you feel like you aren’t such a shit parent after all. This is a super twisty, quick read that has some surprises for everyone.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy via NetGalley.

What a great book......I'm still thinking about it days later...
Please do go buy this book if you want an engrossing, can't put it down type of read...
Completely different to what it says on the tin too.
We meet Hannah and her family in this story. Hannah is at loggerheads with her eldest daughter Olivia who at fifteen thinks she knows it all.
After sneaking out for a party and getting caught, Olivia has now decided to give her parents the silent treatment.
We soon see that something which starts off quite harmless with a family escalates very quickly with disastrous consequences for all of them.
I found this to be such a well written story with strong characters. I didn't particular like them for much of the book until I began to see things a little differently.
Why was Hannah's daughter losing so much weight and why did she feel she had no friends. Were people really talking about her, laughing at her.
You can't help wondering why she feels the only person in her world she can confide in is her teacher.
I have read many books where you can guess a story line early on or you know the direction a story might take....
Not a clue did I have with Victoria's book which made it all the more shocking a read...
Well worth taking the time for this one.....a brilliant read..

Hannah and her eldest daughter Olivia have The Argument. Olivia wants more freedom and sneaks out to a party. She obviously gets into big trouble when she gets home and is determined not to speak to her mother again.
Then the house is broken into and the word LIAR painted onto the kitchen cabinets. Hannah suspects Olivia is to blame. Other strange things start to happen and secrets are revealed…
The Argument is a fascinating story of teenage angst but also a psychological thriller as it becomes clear there is more to the plot than merely family drama.
Although I seem very sweet now (!), I was a hideous teen and refused to speak to my mum for days on end. The frustration, self doubt and growing pains of adolescence are so well written and realistic from both Olivia and Hannah’s perspectives. The use of the dual viewpoint allows us to devleop a better understanding of the characters and sympathise with them.
The big twist about the reality of their family life did make me gasp in surprise but I did not find the ending particularly believable except for the self justification in the final chapter. This did not affect my enjoyment as the beginning and middle were so strong.
Victoria Jenkins writes cleverly to weave mystery and suspicion into the plot. This increases the tension and anticipation for the reader. I had plenty of guesses about where I thought the plot was going but they were all wrong!

Well, we often hear of great psychological thrillers, with shocking twists, and I’ve read some amazing ones this year, but this one is certainly one of the best so far!

The pace builds slowly, with the points of view of both Hannah and Olivia. This gave me both perspectives, but I was still unsure of who was to blame, or why Olivia was behaving the way she was. So many little things seem to add up, but then others don’t match at all.

Then, wham! along came the most twisty twist of all. I have to say, this book kept me up late, I was going to keep the last bit to enjoy the next day, but there was no way I could put it down until the end at this stage.

This is compulsive reading at its best, it really is impossible to put down. Clear your diary before you read it, make sure you won’t be interrupted, stunning and shocking stuff. Definitely one of my top books so far this year.

A mother and a 15 year old daughter argue culminating in the daughter refusing to talk to her mother over the coming days. As the story unfolds we learn that Olivia has sneaked out to a party when her mother forbade her to go. Something happens at the party which is making the whole school snicker behind Olivia's back. As we carry on reading we discover that all is not as it seems.
The twist is rather shocking and seems to come from nowhere. And it came at a time when I was getting a bit bird with the book. So for the last 1/3 of the book I could not put it down as. I really wanted to know what the outcome would be.

I really enjoyed most of this book. It was a good read but was disappointed in the ‘reveal’ - ugh. Turns out this book was not for me.

I have read, reviewed and enjoyed every book that Victoria has released over the years. The synopsis for 'The Argument' certainly sounded interesting and I couldn't wait to start reading. Overall I did enjoy reading 'The Argument' but more about that in a bit.
I can't say that I took to any of the main characters as each of them irritated me in one way or another. Hannah is the mother of Olivia and she worries a lot!! I mean I get that she is a protective mother who can't help but imagine that Olivia is getting up to all sorts but there was just something about her attitude that made grated on me. Olivia is your typical teenager, who is starting to rebel and she is starting to push the boundaries somewhat. At times, I did start to wonder if indeed there had been any boundaries set down in the first place. Hannah's husband, who is Olivia's father, seems to be away on 'business' rather a lot, which seems a bit too convenient. Of course I might be reading too much into that but I am a suspicious devil by nature. When Olivia goes to a party something happens which has serious consequences for Olivia and her family. What happens? Well guess what you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
I have to be honest and say that it took me quite a while to get into this book. I don't know whether it was the fact that I was tired when I started to read the book or the fact that I was distracted with the pain I suffer with or whether or not the story just didn't grab me in the way that Victoria's other books have, which is a shame. That said, once I got into the story I found it extremely difficult to put the book to one side for any length of time. I became intrigued by the story and I had to keep reading to see if the story panned out the way in which I thought it would. I was right in some ways and way off the mark in other ways. I seemed to race through the latter half of the book as my desperation to find out the conclusion of the story steadily grew and grew.
'The Argument' is well written although, and it's just my opinion, it's not as good as Victoria's other books. For me, 'The Argument' was a slow burner of a book. Victoria knows how to grab and keep your attention. Victoria takes you on one hell of a journey through the turmoil a familiy can go through and the problems that follow a girl's decision to go to a party. Victoria does write so realistically and uses such vivid descriptions that I felt as though I was part of the story myself.
In short and overall I did enjoy 'The Argument' although it didn't grab me in the way which her others have. I would recommend this to other readers and particularly to those readers who prefer a slower pace of story. I will definitely be reading more of Victoria's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.

A very good psychological thriller where you can't figure out who is telling the truth, who is the aggrieved party. Anyone who has had teenagers knows what I mean. But then the TWIST comes and my mouth was wide open! It becomes crystal clear all of a sudden what is going on and speeds to a spectacular finish.

It happens to every mother. One day, the daughter whose whole world you once were, becomes someone you barely know, you don’t know the secrets she’s hiding. One night, 15-year-old Olivia comes home late from a party she was strictly forbidden from going to, and she and her mother, Hannah, start arguing. Olivia has never been an easy child, a sharp contrast to her easy-going, happy-go-lucky little sister. But Hannah thinks Olivia’s outburst is the end of a normal family argument. In fact, it’s only the beginning of a nightmare. After one day of silence, Hannah thinks Olivia is taking a teenage sulk too far. After two days, she starts to feel anxious that something more serious could be going on. After a week, when her daughter still hasn’t spoken, Hannah knows that Olivia is hiding a bigger darkness – something that could threaten to tear their precious family apart.

Umm so I think the kindest way of putting this is this book was not for me. The premise is okay although I admit it sounds a little dull and unfortunately the read is dull. The way this is written is so repetitive, I do not think I have ever read a book that repeats as much as this does. It is not just things or reasons that are repeated in this, oh no, actual sentences are repeated constantly. Constantly. This had the fantastic effect of ensuring a mundane plot felt incredibly mundane to read. I was bored.

Eventually, and I mean eventually, this book does have twists, they serve to make the plot darker and give the rest of the plot a bit more substance. Sadly, by this point, I was done with the book and wanted it to be over. Jenkins had nothing up her sleeve to save the plot and my overall impression is one of boredom.

I do not really think I can comment much on the characters, they are involved in the plot, obviously the plot could not happen without them, or could it? Well after reading this, I do not find them to be particularly memorable and should probably leave it there.

'The Argument' is okay if you like repetitive reads, if you really want, stick with this and you will be rewarded with some twists but I did not think it was worth it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advance copy.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hannah has a fight with her daughter, 15 year old Olivia, after Olivia attends a party that she was forbidden to attend, which causes Olivia to stop speaking to her parents. Following this, some dark family secrets are uncovered.

I read and hated The Divorce by this author and after reading some positive reviews for this book, citing an amazing twist, I stupidly requested it. I should have known this author wasn’t for me. This was sheer boredom till about 75%, with both Hannah and Olivia going on about their feelings, until finally the secrets started to be revealed. By then I barely cared. Like with The Divorce, the best thing about this was that it was short. Luckily it was slightly less boring than The Divorce. There were some twists at the end, some I saw coming, others I didn’t. I promise not to request any more books from this author because I genuinely hate leaving bad reviews.

This book was not so great, not so bad. What I really did like about it was the shock factor, and twist. You have no idea just what's really going on in that house. until one part of the book. I actually went back, saying wait did I miss something??? Not the best book, but not to bad after all.

Olivia is fifteen. She resents the way her parents treat her, never letting her have any fun. One night she sneaks off to a party she has been forbidden to go to. After the row when she gets home, Olivia vows not to speak to her parents. She's always been harder work than her easy going sister, but just how long can she keep this going?

The story is told from both Hannah & Olivia's viewpoints. I didn't like either of them very much, but I did think Olivia's attitude was a bit extreme. Approaching halfway through the book I was beginning to wonder if I could be bothered to finish it. However I plugged on I'm glad I did- soon I couldn't put it down till I'd found out what was going on. Thanks to Netgalley & the publishers for letting me read & review this book

The Argument by Victoria Jenkins is a seriously twisted domestic drama that starts slowly and then shatters with a deviation that I really didn't anticipate.

One night, Hannah Walters' 15-year-old daughter, Olivia, comes home late from a party she was forbidden from going to, and they start arguing. Soon, Olivia speaks the words that every parent has heard from their teenage child: ‘I hate you. You’ve ruined my life. And I’m never speaking to you again.’ The following day, Olivia is not talking to her parents. Is this an ordinary family argument or the start of what was a loving family tearing itself apart?

Having thoroughly enjoyed Victoria Jenkins’ first psychological thriller, The Divorce, I was ecstatic to learn that she was releasing another book this year. The Argument is an intriguing read and packed with family drama in every sense of the word. It was a fantastic story that had me guessing all the way through. I loved the author's easy style of writing and the characters were all believable, well rounded, and perfectly credible, though not all likeable. Olivia was perfectly portrayed as a churlish, moody teenager and was definitely the star attraction for me. Cold and distant Hannah was more difficult to connect with, as was Hannah's husband Michael, but all had great parts to play.

Unlike her previous novel, which was a steady and solid read, The Argument was more of a nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat thriller, that had me in its clutches until I reached the startling reveal. The story is told alternately from Olivia and Hannah’s perspectives. Rather cleverly, Victoria Jenkins first made me believe in a fairly commonplace phase of teenage rebellion. Olivia's behaviour appears just like any other girl's of a similar age, over-dramatising her family life. Yet, gradually and unobtrusively, the everyday images and conceptions I had formed about the Walters family shifted until I threw all of my assumptions out of the window.

The plot itself is well-crafted, intense, gripping and very compelling. It is a slow burn to start with, but as the story progresses and the tension builds, it made me question the characters' motives. The chapters that are sourced from a diary where the author is anonymous adds another layer of mystery to the story, until it all comes together in the surprising, shocking and thrilling denouement.

The Argument is a psychological thriller that asks how far we can push our families before they finally shatter. A must-read that sits very well in the psychological thriller genre, it was a delight to read and is very highly recommended.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel at my own request from Bookouture via NetGalley and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

The Argument by Victoria Jenkins
I flew through this book in less than a day. It was a quick and easy read. It has a good steady build up, then bam it's like you are on a rollercoaster!
The characters are well written, although not particularly likeable.
I really enjoyed this book, and looking forward to more books by this author.

The Argument by Victoria Jenkins is a psychological thriller that is centered around one family’s drama. The story begins with a mother, Hannah, and her daughter, Olivia carrying out that ages old teenage rebellion argument of how parents just don’t understand with the point of view switching between mother and daughter throughout the book.

Hannah is home alone while her husband is away working when she catches her teenage daughter sneaking back into their home. Olivia had been told repeatedly that she couldn’t attend a party happening that night so Hannah is not at all surprised that Olivia didn’t listen to her parents once again.

It becomes obvious to Hannah that Olivia has done more than just sneak out when she smells alcohol on her which of course helps trigger the argument between the two. Hannah remembers those days of her teenage years regardless if Olivia believes that o r not so she is more than determined to keep her daughter safe even if that means enduring another silent treatment.

I would take a wild guess that almost everyone can relate to the teenage ups and downs and thinking parents are horrible at at least one point since we all were once a teen ourselves. Sure, some kids get a little more rebellious than others but this story seemed like a normal family set up until you start really diving in and peeling back the layers. Definitely full of twists and turns to keep the pages turning all from that simple set up at the start which made for an engaging read.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

You love your kids no matter what and always want to protect them. But you know how teenagers are and when they are mad they give you the silent treatment. That is how this story starts out. Olivia, who is 15 comes home from a party, after she was told she couldn't go. Olivia has always been a difficult child. Unlike her sister Rosie. Rosie follows the rules and is a homebody and loves to read books. Hannah, the mother, just can't figure out what has gone wrong with Olivia. Hannah's husband is never around. Always travels for work.
This is a psychological thriller and it is so hard for me to go into much more of this book without spoilers. But let me tell you as I got near the end of the book there was a jaw dropping ending that I did not see coming. There was another thing also but I saw that one coming. This was such a great book and would love to read more of Victoria Jenkins books.
I received this ARC from Bookouture and NetGalley