Member Reviews
While I liked the premise of this story line, the actual flow of the story was quite predictable. The twists weren't as twisty as I'd like. This was a very easy book to read and follow along with which can be a plus, but as a reader, I knew where we were going next. There was one twist at the end that I didn't quite see coming, which is why I gave it 3 stars, but overall, everything was expected. The idea behind the story of behavior modification thru psychological testing is intriguing, but I just wish there had been more to it.
This was a creepy read - Freya is approached by a stranger in a cafe who notices she is searching for house listings. Her estranged husband has recently passed away and she need to move quickly due to the sale of their house.
I’m not giving any spoilers when I say that she moved into his apartment in a really posh house - I’d say the title of the book gives that away pretty quickly. Almost straightaway funny going’s on start happening though and she suspects that Dr Marsden and Audrey who own the house may not be all as they seem.
Although I was invested in finding out answers about the apartment, there were many elements of this book that didn’t quite seem answered or to add up to give it a higher rating. Or maybe we were given plenty of red herrings? The atmosphere at the school? Why did the husband start behaving as he did? How did Freya get so friendly with Mark so soon? Why so many references to Freya not being of sound mind?
A psychological thriller in the truest sense. As the timeline moves from modern day to the 1920s, I recognised one of the most famous psychological experiments concerning a baby known as Little Albert.
The story is about a newly-single mother and her five-year-old daughter. As the financial realities hit, it appears as a miracle when a doctor offers them an apartment in his luxury building. Quiet, beautiful and ornate, this new home seems too good to be true. After a while this proves to be the case when little things happen - noises, moved objects and so on - all of which set an uneasy mood for the protagonist.
The story underlines many common fears when we are faced with loss and change. Aspects about meeting new people and fitting in, and worries concerning our children starting new schools and being happy. Loneliness, fear, paranoia and general anxiety are other features plus rebuilding trust when it has recently been broken by someone dear.
Written informally in the first person from the mother's perspective, this book builds up to an exciting ending. Despite the 'confessional' explanation for the events, which is a little unrealistic, the climax ties in with the unethical experiment of the early twentieth century. Suitable for anyone interested in human psychology in its most basic form and anyone who likes a good read, particularly fans of C.L. Taylor. Recommended.
If something looks too good to be true... You know how that goes.... IT PROBABLY IS!! But then again, desperation did make us take stupid decisions. And our talented author Kim Slater wrote another creepy suspense with the apartment watching the main character's every move. Almost as if it were alive.
Freya needed a new place to stay, a push in the right direction by Dr. Marsden got her checking out the apartment and taking it up, even when the gorgeous place was at a minimal rent. Things started happening. Freya needed to escape soon. But would she realize the truth in time before she lost her daughter?
The author described the atmosphere of the house so well that it elucidated a gasp from me at all the right places. The vibe of the book was of waiting... Waiting for things to happen... For the blade in the guillotine to fall... Shoe to drop... Waiting to take a deep breath.
The story seemed familiar, but the journey was so good where each page made me ask - what next? I loved the section when Freya went hunting for the truth, she was quite innovative. The last few pages needed a bit more suspense and better reasoning. But no matter, the book was a delight to read.
The book grabbed my time for afternoon siesta today. I am down with a headache but well worth it!!
Reminiscent of several other thrillers, The Apartment kept my interest but was pretty predictable. Found myself feeling sorry for Skye as her mom, Freya, seems so overwhelmed with all the recent events in her life, I would have enjoyed it more if Freya had been more likable. The plot line was fairly easy to guess at but missed the connection with Audrey and Dr. Marsden at the end. Found myself wondering about the flies. Many thanks to K. L. Slater, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read The Apartment, published in April.
A quick read. High creep factor and kind of interesting plot but the execution left something to be desired. There just wasn’t a lot to work with and therefore the book is really short. But I did find it a compelling read even if events took a pretty predictable turn. You could easily read this in a day or two. It’s not bad...just not great. Nowhere near as good as Riley Sager’s Lock Every Door.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this free ebook.
This book started off so good! I was completely lost as to where the story was going. As is usual I got a bit annoyed with the main character who just needed to leave her current situation but didn’t (isn’t that just the way in most thrillers).
Again Slater wraps up all story lines, which I appreciate. I would recommend this book to all those who love a good thriller.
Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced copy for an honest review.
This book was rather disappointing. It was supposed to be a "psychological thriller" but definitely did not deliver on the promise. The writing was pretty flat, the story quite stupid and unbelievable. Who, in their right mind, would ever accept to move in based on the offer and premises in set out in the book? With a young child? And Freya is terribly annoying. Why on earth is she not looking for a job? Why on earth is she going around sipping coffees and teas, instead of sorting her life out? It is difficult to sympathise with her.
Some parts are enjoyable and I am sure the writer has delivered better books and storylines, but this one is definitely disappointing.
With thanks to Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.
Freya Miller is in a very tight spot. She desperately needs a new apartment for herself and her young son. Just when she has all but given up hope she receives an offer that's too good to believe.
There's your first warning...
A 'chance' meeting with the kindly if slightly odd Dr. Marsden changes everything for Freya.
He offers her the chance to rent a flat in his block for a small rent, way below the going rate for that area.
Despite some obvious misgivings she decides to go ahead.
Odd neighbours, odd occurrences and an all round odd vibe around the apartments set her on edge and threaten to overwhelm her.
She has to get to the bottom of the mystery to save her sanity and her son.
Despite the obvious red flags that were waving from the off this was an enjoyable read, well paced and a nice build up of threat and dread.
Very enjoyable.
The description of The Apartment really appealed to me, however I felt the flow of the novel was too pretty for a thriller. I struggled with the likability of the characters and found there was no depth their back ground stories, which may have helped shape the novel.
It was a book I kept putting down and coming back too as I felt the story lacked flavour and became bored of the flat content.
On a positive, I did not expect the ending and the last ten chapters definitely read better than the rest of the book. I would recommend this book to Psychology students due to the link to behavioural experiments, something that may be helpful with research papers.
Freya and her young daughter, Skye, move into the too good Adder House, which they could never normally afford. Freya questions their good luck (but not too much). She starts to feel as through they are being watched. The Apartment by K.L. Slater is a suspense novel that will keep your attention. I was interested in continuing to read it just to see what the big mystery involving Adder House and its strange occupants. I felt that the ending was a little hokey which is the reason for 3 stars.
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is, honest to God, one of the silliest books I've ever read. My kitchen sink has more depth than these characters, there are glaring plot holes, and the writing itself was repetitive and boring. I'm hoping it was part of a novel writing November challenge and that the author hail-maryed it to her publisher because she needed something in a pinch.
The Apartment by K.L. Slater is a creepy novel that shows if something is too good to be true then it is.
I am a fan of K.L. Slater. If you have not read any of Kim's work, start with her most well-known work, Blink. All of her novels average between 3.69 and 4.00 on Goodreads.
While I did enjoy this fast-reading story, it was not an original one. However, that does not make it inferior to those that have come before. Many reviewers compared this to Riley Sager's Lock Every Door. They both are mysteries involving an apartment building where people have been known to disappear. If Sager's novel had not been released so close to this book, I do not think as many people would make the comparison.
Slater's The Apartment is a slow burn. Many reviewers want instant gratification, instant suspense, instant terrors, etc. Not all books are going slam you in the face. Not all books should.
It is those differences that make this book, and any book, worth reading. You can take the view of Mark Hunter in Pump Up the Volume or you can embrace both the similarities and differences in an author's work.
I generally don’t read books that graphically Are outside ty US but this. Book Intrigued me. A widowed woman with a young daughter seeks an apartment she can afford. When a man approaches her in a coffee cafe a with.a offer of a nice flat at a unbelievable price she accepts. But her inner voice tells her it may be too good to be tru. When Peculiar things start to happen she begins to question her arraignment. This is a book that you will not figure out till the end.
Freya needs help, and on a fateful day in a random coffee shop, she finds it. Freya and her daughter, Skye, are in need of a place to stay, after Freya's husband up and left her for another woman, leaving her unstable, without a job, and unable to afford their home in London. In walks Dr. Marsden, with a seemingly perfect offer for Freya that she cannot refuse, an apartment in the upscale Adder house, with a shockingly low rent. With slight apprehension, Freya and Skye visit Adder house and fall in love. They move in quickly, despite protests from friends. Soon after, mysterious occurrences and talks of a missing previous tenant make Freya realize she made a huge mistake and needs to get out. But will it be too late to leave?
I liked this book in that it was creepy and different from others that I've read, with a few twists throughout that surprised me. The main character bothered me in that she was so naive and trusting of strangers and didn't ask hardly any questions in her situation. That being said, I think this book is worth reading and I would recommend it to others.
Very enjoyable book with some good twists. Thank you publisher and netgalley for this arc in exchange of an honest review.
A decent thriller about a naive youg mom and her five yearl old daughter. They move into an apartment that smells fishy from the first moment she hears about the place. I would not have enjoyed this novel except that the twist is a good one. Hint, if you are/were a psych major, think Little Albert.
There is a well known saying - if something seems too good to be true, it usually is.
I struggled to finish this as I couldn’t believe how naive Freya was, verging on annoying and frustratingly stupid at times.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my review.
I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine
Absolutely loved this
Loved the tense writing, the twists and turns in the story
Great characters and story - loved the ending
The plot of This book was interesting and made me think of a great thriller movie. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes thriller books.