So, the first word that comes to mind is…confusion. The point of view jumping between five friends and also from present to past and back again… I found it difficult to keep my head straight and the storyline in order.
Apart from the muddled timeline, I felt a distance to the main characters… I didn’t really “connect” with any of them; they were all bland to me. And some times it was difficult to tell them apart.

But putting these two things aside, I did enjoy the book. The plot and twists are great. And I gasped more than once as each of their dark secrets were revealed, although I found the ending a bit rushed.

I listened to the audiobook version. The narrators did a great job – It was a pleasure to listen to their voices.

Five, university friends gather for a New Years eve reunion, a biennial tradition. This is the twentieth year since a terrible accident meant the loss of the sixth member of their group. As there are unanswered questions relating to this tragedy, the five remaining friends struggle to trust each other. The setting for their reunion is a remote cabin and, after a few strange unexplained happenings, this sets the scene for a wonderful suspenseful thriller. I was kept guessing most of the way through and enjoyed the excellent narration. Thank you to J. J. Marsh, Net Galley and Saga Egmont for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Six friends become five when one of them dies and the rest continue to have reunions every two years to celebrate the memory of Dan. I listened to this as an audiobook and I must say that I think the narrators did a great job. The story is told in alternating perspectives and timelines, but it was easy to follow and a compelling story. Not all of the characters were likeable, but I think that was done on purpose. I liked hearing the story from the perspectives of the five remaining friends and learning the secrets each of them held along the way. There were a few twists in this one, some of which I saw coming and others I did not. This was my first novel by J.J. Marsh, but I would definitely be willing to give more of them a try.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the audiobook of this one for review. All opinions are my own.

Brief Synopsis: Six people from different walks of life meet in their late teens at University and become good friends. During a New Years celebration, one friend dies. For the next 20 years, the remaining friends meet back up every other year to honor his life.

Thoughts: The book is told through each friend’s POV. During each reunion/celebration we are given glimpses into the past and learn that Dan (the dead friend) wasn’t always the greatest. In their own ways, each person is working through guilt, grief, and forgiveness towards Dan. The characters were realistic and the storyline was mostly believable. The final twists were good, but the “whys” behind everything felt juvenile.

Thank you to JJ Marsh, Saga Egmont Audio, and NetGalley for an audio copy of this book. Both narrators did well, however I enjoyed Jess Nesling’s narration most. Overall, this was a good book.

Thanks NetGalley and Saga Egmont Audio for the ALC of Odd Numbers by JJ Marsh.
Six friends annual foreign trip to celebrate new year turns into a tragic memory for the rest of their life.
Suspicious death, betrayal among friends and drama. The story seemed interesting in the beginning. But it was a boring dragging story with a terrible twist. Totally waste of time.

I received an ARC of this audiobook from Netgalley.

I really enjoyed most of this book. The characters were vibrant and interesting, as was the format, told almost exclusively over New Year’s Eve holidays spent together by a group of friends. There was an element of mystery, but most of it was a character drama.

This book moved swiftly, especially since the chapters cycled through five different perspectives. We didn’t trawl through the same scene over and over; instead each chapter built on the story and character development of the previous one.

I liked the characters a lot - they were unique and didn’t easily fit into stereotypes. On the rare occasion a trope was used, it was either abandoned or subverted. I loved that. I don’t think we see enough of that in books.

What I will say is that this book was far too pared back. It almost read like a script. I needed—wanted—to read more about these characters, their lives, motivations, feelings. This book gave us the cliff notes version of the protagonists, but would have been so much richer and intriguing had the author filled in more details. We understand the gravitas of the situation, and the pain and struggle they endure, but we don’t know them as people. We know what they do and who they are. This was an outline of these characters.

A story like this needs to be immersive, not just diverting, and because of the bare bones style of writing, that’s how it came across. Our main protagonist, Gale, is the audience stand-in, but I hardly know anything about her. She has one trait that is essential to the story, but who is Gale outside of that? Who are the others? Because I enjoyed these characters and this book so much, I feel like we needed to know so much more.

SPOILERS:

Most of the characters read like they’re white. There’s no mention otherwise, so that’s the default that I assumed. I say this because the author specifically stated that Dan is of Indian origin. Now, I liked that they had this complex character of Indian origin, but then, he was the one who died, and also, he turned out to be a total rotter. Worse, and this was a trope that I wish the author had subverted, he was almost forced into an arranged marriage. I know this is hard for some people to believe, but not every single Indian person—inside or outside of India—is faced with this ultimatum. It’s the trope that’s used far too often and came into this book so late in the day. That too, when it’s the only apparent character of colour, it’s disappointing that he’s such a bad guy and he’s facing a stereotypical situation.

END SPOILERS

Despite my enjoyment of the book, I didn’t care for the ending. It just fell flat for me. I think there are a few reasons why. It dragged on too long with unnecessary plot-blocking dialogue that was more infuriating instead of suspenseful. It was also a little predictable. The bigger issue was that we suddenly got a singular view and it didn’t delve into the psychological impact of the twist. We’re talking about people who’ve dealt with trauma for nearly half their lives. Anything to upend their understanding of reality has to also address the grief that comes with this new knowledge. That would have made a much more powerful denouement.

As I’ve said, this book is thoroughly engaging and the characters are the key to this book’s success. But it wasn’t detailed and filled out enough to be wholly memorable.

ODD NUMBERS by J J MARSH - an AUDIOBOOK
PUBLISHED DATE: 4 NOVEMBER 2021
LISTENING TIME: 5 HOURS AND 57 MINUTES.
NARRATORS: JESS NESLING & PAUL PANTING

Where do I start? With the narrators of course! Jess Nesling and Paul Panting were EXCELLENT!
For me personally, the narrators are so important, get it right and your on a winner! The narration moved the book along at a good pace (once you get to hear & learn the characters by accent). The accents were super!
At 6 hours of listening, this audio book can be read in one sitting and is addictive. I did find I had to rewind 30 seconds quite a bit and had to slow down the speed of the narration at times. For me, the correct speed of listening was 1.25 on the audio scale.

I enjoyed this audio book but was confused in parts. Once you '' tune'' into the accents you are off and running. The storyline can be gleaned from the blurb and no spoilers in this review. The story is about grief, guilt, secrets, lies and human behaviour, Oh boy, what an ending. I would recommend this audio book.

I give a 4 start rating.


I WANT TO THANK NERGALLEY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY OF LISTENING TO AN ADVANCE COPY OF THIS AUIDIO BOOK FOR AN HONEST REVIEW

I enjoyed the build up in this book but felt the ending was somewhat rushed and poorly thought out. It just didn’t seem like the actions that these people would likely enact .

Thank you NetGalley, JJ Marsh and Saga Egmont Audio for the chance to listen to and review this audiobook.

The performance of this audiobook is amazing. The story follows a group of translators and their trips that take place over several New Years Eves over the course of multiple decades. This group hails from a variety of countries and the two narrators skillfully imbue each character with their own accent making it easy to distinguish between characters.

I saw the twist coming but thrillers are my favourite genre. I still thoroughly enjoyed the book and will check out more from JJ Marsh. JJ Marsh was great at slowly weaving more information into the storyline.

#oddnumbers #netgalley This audiobook by #SagaEgmontAudio was really well done, with wonderful different accents - French, American, British, and i believe Irish. This story was about 6 friends who met at university in Switzerland. One New Year's eve, they decide to spend it together on the outskirts of Prague in a remote cabin by a lake. What starts out as a fun adventurous evening ends in a mysterious tragedy; one that binds this group (now sams one) together in their grief. What I loved about the story was that every other NYE the group would get together for that night to commemorate their friend and every year they take turns deciding where in Europe they would spend NYE and so you go along with them to Prague, to Maorca, to Rome.... but my favorite two destinations were when they went to Cephalonia, Greece - that surprised and delighted me because that the island my father is from! Second, I really loved the descriptions of Geneva, it sounds so beautiful that I should've known the author lives there! I also enjoyed the different characters and the complexity they brought to the story and plot. However, I did not like the ending. It's implications are fine its just that im left with answers and so it makes me feel...like im left holding the bag. I wouldve liked if much more if one of the characters that were implicated wouldve told what happened. I mean im left on the outs with Gayle. Boo !! lol I loved the chapters how they vacillated between each character's POV that was fascinating. Im just irked that in the end Gayle was the last narrator. I mean why? Like she and I are both in the same boat of uncertainty. dammit LOL other than the ending this book was a fantastic audio so if you dont mind an ambiguous ending and just want to enjoy the characters and their antics and travels, definitely give this one a listen!!
The author #jjmarsh (im told on Netgalley) is a Welsh author who lives in Switzerland. I loved the little tidbit about her writing from her attic which overlooks a cemetary! Hows that for some ambience?? I believe this will be out November 4th. Because each story is always a NYE experience it sounds like the perfect release date!

This book was crazy y'all! So, it opens with 5 friends who are going on a trip to celebrate New Year, Dec 1999. During the trip, Dan is involved in an accident and 2 years later he is legally declared deceased. The friends continue meeting through the next 10 years to commemorate Dan and his memories.

That 10th Anniversary is unsettling. The memories, the realization that they really should have stopped meeting years ago, it is just too much.

This audiobook ticked all the boxes for me!

A close knit group of friends✅
Multiple POV chapters with talented narrative cast✅
A mysterious disappearance/possible murder✅

I loved every moment of this short book and my heart was racing at the last act. This is my first read by JJ Marsh but I think it’s a must listen for anyone who enjoys a suspenseful story! The audiobook narration is fantastic — (although whoever voiced Clark had a spotty American accent at best) — and made it very easy to keep track of the various characters and their personal motivations. This is good for fans of Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley.

On New Year’s Eve 1999, six university friends gather at a Czech chalet and decide to take a plunge in the frozen lake. Only five friends come out of the lake that night. Dhan, handsome and funny and charming Dhan, never resurfaces. The long shadow of that night follows the other 5 friends for 20 years as they reunite every other year to celebrate the New Year and remember their lost friend. Over the years, we get everyone’s perspective and learn that this close knit friend group has more than a few weak spots. And everyone had a reason to be upset with Dhan on that night long ago…

I haven’t read The Guilty Party yet (it’s on my list) but I love the concept of both of these books.

A group of friends, a missing/dead person, a mystery to solve. So fun!

I loved the overall story of Odd Numbers. The way the true nature of the character’s unfold throughout the story and the deceptions between the friends that come to light were interesting. The ending was shocking – so good.

The drawbacks to this story, for me, were the different timelines. Dual timelines are really popular right now however, sometimes the story can become unnecessarily complicated. This was a short book and the back and forth between timelines didn’t seem necessary to me.

Additionally there were so many characters introduced at once that it was hard for me to keep them separated throughout the story. Due to the shortness of the book, the characters didn’t really develop throughout so they all felt very surface level to me.

Overall, the story was ok and if you like group whodunnit’s then pick this one up, just don’t expect an amazing storyline.

Thank you to #SagaEgmontAudio and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

A very interesting read. The book is classified as a mystery - but it isn't, really, since the twist at the end obviously is supposed to be spotted very early on. It's more of a character driven study of friendship and human interactions. And it just works!

5 university friends meet every other year to celebrate New Years Eve together. A tragedy binds them together, long after their friendship has run its natural course. The reader get to know these five, and the ghost among them - the missing Dhan.

It's one of those books you dont want to put down.

Thank you NetGalley and Saga Egmont Audio for the ARC and the chance to review this book.

A very inventive thriller, definitely not a recycled plot. My only complaint is that it all feels a little rushed. The ending seemed to happen in a hurry. But still, very enjoyable.

A group of 5 friends reunite yearly to remember a 6th friend that went missing on an early trip together. He is presumed dead and all friends grieve in their own ways. I listened to the audio version and enjoyed the narrators. While they story pulled me in and kept me listening, I had a hard time getting to really know the characters. Overall it was a good and suspenseful story that’d I would recommend for an easy read.
***Huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Rating: 4.33
Enjoyment: 10

Six friends gather each New Year for their traditional celebration – a week's vacation somewhere around the globe. In 1999, one of them disappeared. Even with this tragic loss, and even though it profoundly affects their dynamic, the remaining friends keep up the tradition, with the only adjustment being that they meet biennially. They take turns planning the trip, and now, 20 years later, it is Gael's turn to plan the trip. She was the only person not present on the night Dhan disappeared, and this time, she is determined to uncover the truth of what happened that night two decades ago.

I listened to Odd Numbers as an audiobook produced by Saga Egmont Audio and narrated by Jess Nesling and Paul Panting. Their pacing and chemistry were impeccable, and the way they managed to pull in the listener was superb. Odd Numbers is a book with multiple timelines and narrators, and not once did I feel lost. I started listening to the book and couldn't put it down until it was done!

I thoroughly enjoyed Marsh's narrative. Odd Numbers is my first book by the author (and Saga Egmont Audio), and I will definitely seek more by both! Odd numbers is a page-turning, unputdownable book with interesting, well-developed characters, a tight plot that leaves you satisfied at the end, and well-placed twists-and-turns that made sense to the story. I highly recommend it.


Disclaimer: I first read it as an ARC. In exchange for an honest review, I am thankful to Saga Egmont Audio, JJ Marsh, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of Odd Numbers.

2.5⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Trigger warning: ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Grief. Lies . Cliffhanger.
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First of all I want to thank #netgalley #sagaegmondaudio and JJ Marsh for the arc audio copy of the book for exchange of honest review.
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Right.
So the story started with 5 friends in their university prime . All out and celebrating when a tragic happen occurs . One of them died and the body never found .
( from this point I was intrigued and got my attention )..
When they did continue to celebrate every 2 years to remind their friend dead the story starts to go down.
It's a story of different people and just a mishmash of words to get it through . The narrators though did a good job .. well done ( Jess nesling and Paul panting ) .
Now to the part where that dead person suddenly appears the story is out of nowhere. I'm trying to understand and go back to where and what happen but it's a blur.
All of a sudden another twisted story happen and the story ended up with such a blur. Sorry 😞

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Overall it was a 2.5⭐️⭐️ for me.
I would love to read the second book and give it a try . But as a mystery and thriller fan this book never really give any chills . It's lack of something I could put to words:)
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🌹 shaye.reads

Loved the sound of this and it was even better then I expected. Started it this morning and it was so good I couldn’t stop listening so got lots done. Some really likeable and unlikeable characters. The story is told from the point of view of each character switching from past to present. I loved the 2 narrators as they really brought each character to life and it felt like you really got to know the characters different personalities. The story flowed really well and the pace was perfect. The storyline was both interesting and intriguing and with each character giving there own perspective there was never a dull moment and it really felt like you were being given a full picture but just enough to come to your own assumption but whether or not you were right you were kept hanging on that little bit longer. Really good listen and definitely recommend.
Thanks to Netgalley and Saga Egmont Audio for the opportunity to read and review this ARC that will be published on the 4th of Nov.

Five college friends, Gael, Lovisa, Mika, Simone and Clark, gather together every other New Year's to reunite and remember over 20 years. This year, however, will be different Biennially, one of the five pick the spot and plan the logistics and activities. This year, the 20th anniversary of the death of the sixth member of their group Dahn.

Intensity builds as each of the five reveal issues they have with each other and secrets they kept with Dahn from the others.. In the chalet, things begin to go wrong and each of the five feel uneasy and nervous. Is there someone else in the chalet? Are they being stalked and why?

I am not always an audiobook fan, but I couldn't resist this story read by two narrators who skillfully utilized different accents for each character. It was amazing, really, and very entertaining. I realize now that I didn't like any of the characters, but was so enchanted with the voices, I still became very invested in the story.
I would recommend this audiobook to lovers of thrillers, winter tales, stories based in Sweden, and those who like a good twist in their books. Thank you to NetGalley for this Audiobook in exchange for a fair review. #NetGalley #OddNumbers