Did not get to this book in 2021.
My review is not a reflection of the work or the writing/plot itself, but rather speaks to other books that caught my attention more.
Hate I didn't manage to squeeze this one in, but there are so many books and only so much time.

I would look to Goodreads or other reviewers on Netgalley who read the title and will offer their unbiased opinion.

Really enjoyed this one - I was really engrossed with the story the entire time! Thanks for the opportunity to read!

Loved this book! It was such a thrill to read and I would highly suggest it to anyone looking for a high paced thriller!

A group of college-age psychopaths get free tuition to college in exchange for participating in a study by a psychologist who thinks he can help them become functioning, constructive members of society. But someone is killing them off and Chloe (one of the psychopaths) is trying to stay alive while working to fulfill a vendetta of her own. Interesting premise, but just so-so writing and execution.

I was pulled back into campus life so comfortably and realistically I never saw the threatening presence lurking. Vera Kurian is a gifted writer with an eye for detail and a solid descriptive flair. The story never lags and the ending was satisfying.

What a story! I never knew I needed a novel about psychopaths until I read this. Chloe was such an interesting anti-hero. I really enjoyed her character even though, as an empath, I can't imagine what it's like to not understand things through other's perspectives. This story kept me guessing throughout the entire book and I was still thrown off at the end!
Also, I love that the author is a licensed professional in this field as well, which made me feel like I was learning something through her writing- which was fantastic. I highly recommend this thriller/suspense story!

This was a super fast-paced book centering around a college whose Psychology department studies psychopaths. Have you ever wondered if you've been sitting next to someone who would be considered a psychopath? Well, Chloe is one. But you'd never know it because she looks and acts like everyone else on her college campus. Except that she has a plan to kill a young man who wronged her so many years ago, right after she does yogalates. I loved this book! It was intriguing, twisty, and kept me hooked until the last page.

An interesting peek into a psychological research project. Secrets, lies, psychopaths, what more could you need to keep the pages turning.?

At times like this I really wish you could do half stars because this is solidly 3.5 for me. But I'm rounding up because a) it was fun and b) I was happy to see a book with a DC setting that had nothing to do with politics. I went to AU and this might be the first book I've even heard about that centers uni students in the district. In the author's note, she mentions DC as the city of her heart, and that definitely translated onto the page. And finally c) I really respect what this writer pulled off which was taking objectively terrible people (confirmed psychopaths) and making them compelling protagonists. The voice reminded me of You with that sort of charming, incisive narrative that pulls you in, even though you know this person is bad, you like them, and soon enough you forget you shouldn't until all of a sudden wait, why are you murdering people, oh right, psychopath. A few things were still too weird for me to get behind (spoiler: Are we supposed to ship Chloe & Charles? Like, find them cuddling in his hospital bed at the end cute when his girlfriend has just left the room? I was kind of hoping she was the murderer and the final group member to be honest) but overall a fun, fast read.

I was gripped through most of the book but the ending was a little flat. Also, the story contained a narrative about a study to prove that psychopaths can lead a normal life and then another narrative showing the psychopath obsessed with murdering so I was confused as to what the author was trying to show.

I really wanted to love this book, but unfortunately it fell short for me. I listened to it on #audiobook and found myself unable to stay invested with the story or characters 😪 I do think that the premise was interesting, but the follow through just didnt happen for me. If you enjoy dark academia books with a bit of psychopathic killers, this may be the perfect read for you!

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have never wanted to have a book made into a movie so much in my entire life. I really enjoyed this book the whole way through. I chuckled through part of it. It took me back to the 90s/00s and movies like Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer. A fast, intriguing read. A unique story.

I found the plot put me to sleep, with nothing much actually happening, the writing was choppy which meant that the story didn't flow and I found it didn't hold my interest. The characters didn't fascinate me in the slightest (as I thought they would), even though the concept of them being psychopaths was right up my alley. Nope, this story just didn't deliver.

Engrossing writing, kept me reading 'til the last page. The first half is fascinating. From there through the end? Not as much.

Thanks to the wonderful folks at NetGalley for a chance to read an advanced reader copy of this book.

This was a fun and interesting thriller - it was super fascinating and caught my attention from the very beginning. I had a blast with this thriller.

I expected more from this book and was excited about the exploration of psychopathy along with the unique premise. Unfortunately, this felt incredibly immature and lacked all the things I was hoping it would be. While I did think the target audience was supposed to be adults, even if this was geared toward young adults, it still could have been significantly better. I’ve read many fantastic YA novels. This was a huge disappointment.

I am immensely grateful to Park Row Books tor my digital review copy.

This novel makes you question if you can read and turn the pages fast enough. This cat and mouse narrative is riveting and one you won't want to miss.

Thanks to Park Row for providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 thrilling stars rounded up!

It took me until about the 15% mark to really get absorbed into the book but once I was hooked, I couldn't put it down and finished it in less than one day! Never Saw Me Coming was an entertaining and thrilling read with characters that you can't help but root for, despite them being psychopaths and frankly, more than a little terrifying. This was definitely a wild ride but I had fun with it!

What I enjoyed:
- I've only read two other stories from a psychopath's perspective but I hated one of them and the other was an older serial killer who lived in isolation, so this book gets points for the unique protagonists. I'm pretty sure these characters aren't meant to be likeable but I couldn't help rooting for them to survive. The story is told through multiple perspectives and while I'm not entirely sure that it really added anything to the solving of the mystery (because only one of the characters really *did* much of the crime-solving despite them "working" together), I liked how it showed the different ways psychopathy manifests in people. I found this quite interesting from a social perspective!
- Charles' character was surprisingly my favourite, in as much as a psychopath can be a favourite. He was a compelling character and I couldn't help but feel for him and his efforts to not let this diagnosis affect his life; he seemed to be the only one who was trying to be better through this study/program and who took it seriously. There were definitely moments when he'd "slip up", especially when he was around Chloe, but he was never really that manipulative and sadistic person that psychopaths are made out to be.
- The murder mystery kept me on my toes the whole way through and there were plenty of times when I was dead certain I knew what was going on and whodunit but I couldn't have been further from the truth 😂 Needless to say, I never figured it out until the very end when the characters themselves did, and for the most part, it was a satisfying conclusion!

What I was on the fence about:
- While I did like the multiple perspectives I have to admit that it was sometimes confusing because their voices weren't all that different, so sometimes it took a while for me to work out whose POV I was reading from. I felt that so many POVs also kind of took away from parts of the story because each character had their own unique story and motive for being in this program, and I felt some parts of that faded off as more perspectives were added and the focus turned towards the murder.
- The last 30% of the story seemed to drag a little bit and then the ending itself felt a little bit abrupt and almost... unfinished? It was satisfying overall because the main plot was concluded but it was a little open-ended when it came to the characters and what happens after! I guess this is more a personal preference as I'm not the biggest fan of open endings.

This was such a fun, fast read. There are perspectives from many different characters which I found really kept the story moving. This was definitely the sort of novel where I didn’t necessarily root for any one person, or even particularly like most of them, but that just made me want to race to the end to see how it all turns out. The humour was a nice surprise too, especially with such dark themes. Highly recommend this one!

Highly entertaining and engrossing. Never Saw Me Coming was impossible to put down. I highly recommend this book.