Member Reviews
High interest level for young adult audiences. The first part was enjoyable but I figured out The Who-done-it long before the end.
Seven college students, seven psychopaths enrolled in a study at a university, and each there for different reasons. ChIoe is bent on revenge, Andre for a free ride to a degree, and rich boy Charles in order to learn how to lead a normal life. There are more, but since this study attempts to keep all identities secret, it takes a while for the three main characters to identify the rest. But someone is taking them out, and two are dead long before the three main characters discover what's going on. These are not nice people, and someone else in the program is working hard to disintegrate their lives even before murdering them, leading C, C, and A to work really hard trying to uncover the killer. Compelling characters, snappy prose, twisty plot, and plenty of action. I didn't think I wanted to read about psychopathic college students, but I was wrong! This debut thriller is definitely one of the best reads of 2021.
People who are not psychopaths are curious about what motivates a psychopath’s behavior. This book had me hoping to make some discoveries, but I was disappointed.
The premise is good. The story is engaging. There is some intrigue, and my interest was piqued a number of times throughout the book. But, for me, the story missed the mark. The title gave me the impression that the game of cat and mouse would have a different outcome than was provided. The writing is fine, and I found myself involved with the characters. I did hope that the outcome would be a surprise. The author did a fine job of making everyone a suspect. Some of those suspects could have been developed more. Overall, I enjoyed reading the book, but would have liked more development of the psychopath’s thinking, and more a more remarkable outcome.
A copy of Never Saw Me Coming was provided to me by NetGalley and Park Row Books for an honest review.
I was drawn in by the premise, but I found the main POV character, Chloe, too unlikeable. Why I thought I would like any of the characters in a book like this, I’m not sure—hey, Dexter was likeable in the TV series—but the only person I really liked was Andre. I was kind of intrigued by Charles, I guess, but mad at him by the end.
It did keep me turning pages, and I was ready to give it a lukewarm 3-star rating by the end, but the big reveal and the last scene in the hospital just soured me on it. Seems like it could become a series, but I think one’s enough for me.
Oh, this was fun! What can you add to the college experience to make it more exciting? Seven psychopaths with full ride scholarships participating in a psychology study. They don't know who is in the program, but it becomes important to find out after two of them end up dead. I really enjoyed the dynamics between Chloe, Charles and Andre. The varying ways of dealing with their diagnoses, the consequences not fully trusting each other (after all, who would trust a psychopath?). There were enough red herrings for me to not have guessed the ending, but it didn't come completely out of left field, which is always frustrating. The plot clipped along nicely, I wasn't bored and may have stayed up passed my bedtime a night or two! I definitely recommend this as a great summer read.
I received an advance copy of this book through NetGalley.
The main character, Chloe, is a diagnosed psychopath and is part of a university program aimed at studying psychopaths. Then, when one of the students in the study is found dead things start to get interesting. Who is trying to kill the students in the program? It's difficult to know who to trust when you and everyone else is a psychopath.
It's an interesting premise, and what makes this book intriguing is that much of the story is told from the point of view of one of the psychopathic students, so you get a very different perspective on things. That makes this story different from many of the other psychological thrillers that I've read: not only do you get the perspective from someone who is a psychopath, but that psychopath isn't necessarily the killer in this situation.
The story is told through multiple viewpoints and given that most of the characters have some psychological disorder, it keeps you guessing as to who you can and can't trust.
It slowed down in the middle a bit and I would have liked to have seen more of a build up to Day Zero (I don't want to give too much away here, but the actual day Zero seemed a bit anti-climactic. But it all came together at the end with a nice twist.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.
#NeverSawMeComing #NetGalley
Was pretty good. Enjoyed it. Would recommend. Great book club title. Or a great one to read on vacation. Great job.
I saw Vera Kurian on a panel of mystery writers at the American Library Association Conference and thought her book sounded fascinating. When she said that she was tired of reading thrillers with female main characters who made stupid decisions and seemed incapable of saving themselves and wanted to write a character with agency, I thought, “Ah, yes. This is a book that I can read and recommend.”And then she said the main character was also a psychopath and it was game on! Though I thought the character would be interesting, I hadn’t expected to root for her with such enthusiasm, but here we are! I couldn’t put it down: it was perfectly placed and plotted; the multiple POVs were expertly crafted; there was just the right amount of tension for a scaredy cat like me; and it was funny as all get out. Will be pitching this to my colleagues who run the adult book club at our branch.
𝙄𝙛 𝙖 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙩...𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙚, 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙛𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙, 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚. 𝙊𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙤 𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙥𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙚.
A book about a female psychopath who was offered fully paid tuition in exchange for participating in a psychological study with seven other psychopaths on campus? I was IN! I am fascinated with psychology, particularly psychopathy and sociopathy, and while this book kept me interested, there were a few issues.
First, I was expecting the plot to revolve around Chloe Sevre, whose hobbies are described as yogalates, frat parties, and plotting to kill a childhood acquaintance who assaulted her--and yes, there was a video. One of my favorite lines was one of Chloe's thoughts: 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗺𝗲, 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝘂𝘀𝗮. Now that is powerful!
Chloe was a fascinating character, but I only get a little information about the program she was involved in and how exactly psychopaths can, with professional help, channel those abnormal desires and impulse control issues into something rewarding. Many other characters were introduced, many also in the program; some not. Some were developed well; others not.
The plot quickly strayed from Chloe's revenge on her attacker to several sub-plots that left the story feeling a little convoluted to me.
Overall, this was a satisfying read with many great points, and I'd definitely read more from this author.
Chloe is no ordinary young woman. She’s a psychopath, and as such, she’s part of a clinical study of others like her at a college. Chloe is fixated on one man, and she spends most of her time plotting, dreaming about killing him. A series of murders on campus diverts her attention away from her obsession; she might be a psychopath but she wouldn’t kill without a good reason. With help from the other members of the study, she sets out to uncover the killer, all too aware it could be someone close to her. This book was so unique and Chloe is a perfectly implausible heroine. Smart, slick and very dark
I overall enjoyed this book. I found the plot very interesting because I have never read a book in the POV of a psychopath. I thought it was interesting how they reacted to the situations they were in with no fear or anything. One thing that I didn’t enjoy about the book was that there were so many different POV’s too the point that it became very have to follow at times. The main character Chloe was interesting to read from I liked her little side plot. But overall I thought that the book was fun and interesting for the beginning but the ending fell flat.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC copy of this book.
Whoa! Never try to outthink a psychopath. This book is surprising at every turn with murders and escspades that only a super author like Vera Kurian could imagine. A thrilling ride and read.
Never Saw Me Coming is about a bunch of psychopaths on a college campus and murder on the loose. Chloe is participating in a clinical study about psychopaths in exchange for free tuition. She's your typical hot college student except she's plotting a murder. Things get interesting when another student is murdered on campus. Chloe and her fellow clinical participants find them self working together to solve a murder. The problem is, a bunch of psychopaths working together doesn't lead to much trust. There's more doubt than trust between this group. I honestly really enjoyed this book. The idea of what makes a psycho a psycho was really fun to explore.
So well written so tense chilling.a book that takes us into the minds of psychopaths with so many twists and turns.A unique read that kept me reading late into the night.#netgalley#harlequinbooks
A college professor is conducting a long-running study on psychopathy which offers a full scholarship to diagnosed students in return for therapy sessions, surveys, and experiments. One of the study participants is brutally murdered while another is nearby. The participants are unknown to each other, but one of them - the one faking psychopathy to get a free ride - begins to wonder if the killer is one of "them." Told through multiple perspectives, this twisty, original novel had me turning pages long after I should have been sleeping.
A gripping psychological/academic thriller, the perfect mashup of The Secret History, A Study in Charlotte, and Pretty Little Liars. All the usual suspects are present and accounted for - shifting perspectives and allegiances, unsolved murders (and attempted murders), and old grievances to settle. Did I forget to mention the characters are diagnosed psychopaths enrolled in a clinical university study?
Chloe Sevre is an high-achieving freshman with a plan. She’s got a score to settle with a former classmate who wronged her, and she’s had YEARS to plot the perfect unsolvable murder. Because she’s a psychopath, naturally. She’s one of seven students in a clinical trial. They aren’t supposed to know who the others are, but after 2 of them are murdered, Chloe teams up with Charles and Andre to try and solve the mystery of who’s targeting them. And if she can use this little inconvenience to her advantage in her plan to commit murder, well… even better.
This book hooked me from the first chapter and I couldn’t put it down through all the twists, turns and misdirects. Who would have thought you could cheer for a bunch of psychopaths? Thanks to NetGalley and Park Row Books for the advanced copy of this compelling new book in exchange for my honest review!
Kurian's debut novel is a welcome surprise making her a writer I'm going to watch. This well-plotted foray into a world of college psychopaths is a must read for anyone looking for a crime thriller unlike others. The main characters are all psychopaths enrolled in a secret program at a college who are there on full ride scholarships. Shortly into her first semester, one of the psychopaths in the study is murdered and psychopath honor student Chloe Sevre begins her quest to determine who the others in the program are and to find the murderer before she is the next victim. There are other thriller stories told from a psychopath's point of view but Kurian manages to make Chloe and some of the others in the program very human and relatable while preserving their extreme differences from others.
My star rating merely indicates how much I liked the book. Every reader's experience with a book is unique so star ratings are not helpful.
Loved this book! I’m originally from DC so was happy to see the references like Ted’s bulletin. I also genuinely did not see the twist at the end coming. Really excited about this one.
A creepy and chilling glimpse into the mind of young psychopath Chloe Sevre, who is participating in a clinical study at college while pursuing a personal path of vengeance. Cold calculation, planning, and manipulation are a normal part of Chloe's life as she cultivates a persona for society to hide her true nature. When Chloe figures out that a killer is targeting the students in the study, she partners with a few of her fellow psychopaths to identify and stop the killer even as they harbor suspicions about each other. Chloe was not a likable main character but she was fascinating to watch. Recommended for fans of Dexter.
#NetGalley #NeverSawMeComing
I was so intrigued after reading the synopsis of this one, I just had to request it. The plot was extremely unique and unlike anything I've ever picked up before. I was very happy with this book and so glad I picked it up!
Chloe was such a great character to read about, especially since she was a diagnosed psychopath living what seemed like a normal college life. I loved reading about the other characters involved in this story, it was just so interesting having a sneak peek into the minds of these psychopaths. The fact that Chloe had a "plan" going into this college program alongside the main plot was awesome.
I was a huge fan of this whole book, it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. It was a thrilling ride that I'm so glad I got to experience. I really fell in love with so many of these characters and loved that it was both character and plot driven book.