Favorite Quotes:

“Everyone thinks old people are old except for old people.” Maris knew what she meant. When she was twenty, she thought forty-two sounded like you had a foot in the grave, but despite the math she still wouldn’t call herself middle-aged.

When she and Noel started dating, they called it second adolescence, only better than the first because they had high limits on their credit cards.

Maris felt like someone had told her the earth was flat, then strapped her in and sent her flying over the edge.

She missed her students. Two had emailed her to say Dr. Scanlon had fallen asleep at the front of the class while they were taking a test and had farted himself awake.

I am worthy, she thought. I am loved. And then, My god, it’s like I finally understand bumper stickers, and she hiccuped out a laugh.


My Review:

This prickly book had a bit of everything and was distressingly realistic with family drama, addiction issues, social ills, complicated yet frighteningly plausible neuroscience, a twisted mystery, and deeply flawed characters who were self-involved yet generally well-meaning while difficult to fully appreciate.

I battled with the slow and irregular pace as well as the self-admittedly poor decisions the main character continued to make – I wanted to smack her in the back of the head with my beloved Kindle - yet I was also unquestionably curious, deeply invested in the story, and compelled to know how it was going to resolve.

The Easter eggs hidden in the storylines were clever and twisty yet the various story threads kept me itchy and dissatisfied with the annoying behaviors of the struggling characters. Needless to say, I’m more than a bit conflicted about how to rate this one yet the inner musings and narrative style were insightful and perceptive with occasional glimmers of wit and brilliance.

So... When I saw this cover come up on netgalley I thought hmm that looks familiar and without bothering to check my kindle library I requested it. Well it turns out I had also purchased this from Kindle 😂

Story 3 stars
Took me a little bit to get into this book. The subject matter is quick heavy and I feel like you really have to be in the mood and right place for this particular book. This is the first book I've tried from Erin Flanagan and while I didn't love it and probably wouldn't rave about it, I would definitely try this author again.

This is a great read that definitely had me racing through the pages.
An absolutely addictive, compelling and gripping true page turner!!!
The writing is terrific, and kept me interested the entire time.
The riveting suspense had me losing track of time. I love how a book can keep you alert and completely lost in the story.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Thomas & Mercer,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my platforms, blog, B&N and Waterstone closer to pub date.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

Okay, since this is not my usual cup of tea I am reviewing and rating this strictly for how well the author wrote this, which was superb. While I found myself zoning out alot with all the science and backstory, this still was an extremely well written book. With all the detail and research the author clearly did for this, it had me wondering if this could possibly ever become a reality which makes it beyond scary. The overall story was amazing and the ending exceptional. I give this four solid stars.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Thomas & Mercer and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.


Suspense, intrigue, a fast paced thriller!

I really, really enjoyed reading this book. It was creepy in all the right places and kept me hooked the whole time!

Erin Flanagan has written a sensational psychological thriller story that is thought provoking, suspenseful and terrifying. Maris Heilman, a sociology professor and recovering alcoholic, starts having blackouts that do not originate from her past alcoholism. When it is discovered that other women are also having mind and memory blackouts that are unexplainable, Maris and her friends start investigating the phenomenon. The novel has twists and surprises, sadness and joy that finally lead to a climatic ending. Accolades to Erin Flanagan and her team for a novel worthy of five (5) stars

It's so easy to lose yourself in unnecessarily superfluous writing, caught by the premise that it'd be a "psychological thriller" which came across as "utter bore" instead.

There's a lot of waffling on the pages and my mind just lost interest.

I never learnt what caused the blackouts, mainly because I myself blacked out reading this!

I'm a huge fan of Flanagan's, so I was eagerly anticipating this new book. And wow, did she deliver! This book has it all: timely topics, authentic characters, and a plotline that keeps the reader engaged from the first page. I'm not one to reveal spoilers, but please note that if you're looking for a fantastic, thought-provoking read that will keep you on the edge of your seat, this one is for you.