Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of Someone Is Always Watching by Kelley Armstrong in exchange for an honest review. I seriously think Kelley Armstrong can do no wrong, no matter the genre, everything she writes is gold. She could write about fluffy, pink bunnies taking over the world and it would be interesting and thought provoking, just like this book. It's not about bunnies, but it was really intriguing and pulled me in to the last page. There were even moments I shouted "wahoo!". I really liked the premise and I'm not sure how to explain it without giving stuff away, so I'll just say it was a teen drama, psychological twister, murder mystery and it was awesome.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this book sounded really interesting, and I know that from reading Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series, she can deliver a solid story. However, this one fell flat for me. I continue to struggle with her one offs and young adult books. I agree with another reviewer that a lot of the reveal moments are spoiled by the summary for the book.

Kelley Armstrong is one of my favorite authors. Her books are always a hit! What an interesting premise for this one! We’ve got a small corporate run town with an even smaller private school. What’s happening to these kids? Are memories being changed or controlled or suppressed? We don’t know but this band of not so merry teenagers are determined to find out what’s happening to them. Who is complicit? Do their parents know? This one will keep you guessing until the very end!

Thank you Netgalley for providing me a free E-Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Someone is always watching by Kelley Armstrong is a Young Adult Mystery book. The story revolves around a group of friends, who try to find out what is wrong with their friend.

I haven`t read a book by Kelley Armstrong before, so I had no idea what was waiting for me. But the story delivered what I was hoping for. The writing was easy for me to read. You only have one point of view even if the book revolves around a group of friends. i am not quite sure if I liked the style of changing point of view to reveal some key elements of the story. Some reader might like it. It was not my cup of tea, but that is fine.

The idea of this book is amazing, but I think in the blurb and premise of this book too much of the story was revealed. It took some of the gasping "WHAT?!?!?!" - effect of the mystery. It was for sure a quick and nice read!

Loved the premise but it really fell flat on execution… character stereotypes behaving in completely implausible ways to a fairly damp conclusions.

There is a reason why Kelley Armstrong is one of my favorite authors! Someone is Always Watching is top-notch!!

I love Kelley's adult books but this is the first teen/young adult title I've read. I really enjoyed it. I would be interested in seeing this tie into Rockton somehow. It gives me the same vibes.

I’ve always been a fan of Kelley’s books. This was a YA mystery that for sure will get your attention but I felt like as I read on it became very slow and did not really go anywhere big for me. Some parts felt rushed and others just went on for to long. Perhaps I’ve just read to many other major thrillers so this one just wasn’t for me but may be perfect for others! I would mention though that this book entails some things so just know trigger warning wise there is talk of sexual assault and abuse and gun use.

There were many shocking twists and turns in this book that I did not expect! This book was so good, I couldn't put it fish and read it in one sitting

I received this ARC for an honest review. Kelley Armstrong wrote an impressive mystery. I don't know what to say about this book because anything I say might give too much away. This story is about a group of teenagers (names are Bliss, Tucker, Tanya, Devon & Callum) that are trying to figure out what is wrong with their friend Gabi. The only hint I will give is that all their parents work for the same company CMT.
You think Kelley Armstrong is guiding you down one path then you realize you gone down a completely different path. I love the quality of writing in Kelley Armstrong's books. She knows how to pull you into the story, and you don't want it to end.
This story isn't just a YA novel it's also a mystery. I enjoyed trying to figure it out. Kelley Armstrong knows how to write believable characters. You can see yourself reacting like her characters.
I highly recommend this book. I enjoyed it immensely.

Surprisingly, I enjoyed this book even though I spent 70% of the book trying to decide if I was reading Pretty Little Liars, The Butterfly Effect, or just some wild goose chase that was going nowhere. 😂

I especially loved the friendships, sibling bonds, and even the romance throughout the book. It's a true testament of friendship for the characters to be able to stick up for one another.

The thing I'm most disappointed about: reading the synopsis. This book would have been 20x better if I had went in blind without knowing anything. No one likes spoilers in the book description.

SOMEONE IS ALWAYS WATCHING is a YA Mystery that will have you hooked from the very beginning. I was. It follows Blythe, Tanya and Tucker as they try to figure out exactly what happened when their friend, Gabrielle, suffered what looked to be a psychotic break and then disappeared. The four of them had been subjects of an experimental memory wiping program, because what do you do when four young children had witnessed or caused a horrific death that should have changed their lives? But then the memories came back, and now there are questions and they want answers, but first they need to find Gabrielle, and that is not an easy feat.
This book pulled me in from the very first page. It hooked me and I couldn’t get enough of it. It led to many late nights where I’d want to keep reading, but I knew I needed to sleep. It was such an intriguing story, because what do you do with young children who have done such horrific things that remembering is more painful than forgetting?

There was not one second I wasn’t interested. I haven’t felt this excited about a book in a long time. Blythe, as a character, felt real to me. Her motives, her attitudes. I loved her and I loved following her journey as they try to figure out just what happened to them. Tucker interested me from the moment we got to meet him, because he was a quiet, understanding boy who had a heart of gold, and I can’t get enough of boys like him.

These characters were well rounded and I enjoyed reading about them. I liked how they stood up for themselves, even if that got them labelled as angry or violent. I liked Tanya, who had a ‘does not care’ attitude and owned it. The plot twists added so much to the story and felt natural. They only begged me to read on more.

The writing was easy and simple to read, while having a depth to it that added a whole other layer to the story. As soon as I finished this book, I went onto Amazon and pre-ordered the hardcover copy, because I enjoyed it that much.

The only thing I have to say is that I wish we got more of Sydney. It was sad when the reader got to know her own backstory but then we never witnessed her learning about it, or even a bit afterwards to see if she was going to be okay, after what she learned.

I would definitely read another of Armstrong’s YA mysteries, if she ever writes another one. This was captivating from the very beginning to the end and I’m so glad I got the chance to read it early.

Thank you, Netgalley, for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I love everything Kelley Armstrong writes and this book was no exception. While it's tone is different than her most recent books it still has the same bingo-wothry readability of all of her other titles. This is a great thriller and will be an easy hand sell.

I fell in love with Kelley's writing a long time ago but there is just something about her thriller books that draws me in.

Someone Is Always Watching by Kelley Armstrong is rivetting, exquisitely written, full of twists and turns and she does not disappoint.
Another reason as to why Armstrong's writing is and why she will always be a favorite and one of my go to authors for stand out books that are completely unique.
A new YA mystery that grabs you from the beginning and doesn't ease up till the amazing ending!
The writing was brilliant. It was so engaging. I did not want to put this book down.
I loved this book, finding it a well written and very entertaining, enjoyable thriller and one I didn't want to end so soon.

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

Tundra Books,
Thank you for your generosity and gifting a copy of this approved eARC!

I love Kelley Armstrong and was excited to read this story. I liked her other YA stories so I expected to like this. It’s not that I didn’t like it, it’s just that not only did the jacket give away the whole story but I just couldn’t get into the characters. It’s still a good story but I felt like I knew what was going to happen before it did. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

**Disclaimer: I received a free eARC of Someone is Always Watching by Kelley Armstrong through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity.

Someone is Always Watching by Kelley Armstrong is a young adult mystery novel.  It features a group of young people who go to a private school run by the company their parents work for.  One girl begins acting very strangely and they quickly realize that something very strange is going on.  It is set to be published on January 3rd, 2023.  I rated it 3 stars on Goodreads.


Here's the summary on Goodreads:

Their lives are a lie. Their memories may not be their real memories. A new psychological thriller by #1 NYT bestselling author, Kelley Armstrong.
The experiment began with the best of intentions. Take a young child who is responsible for a traumatic death. Maybe their entire family perished in a fire they set. Maybe they shoved their sibling off a balcony during an argument. If the child is too deeply traumatized -- and stigmatized -- to ever lead a normal life, wouldn't it be better if they just . . . forgot?
It was a three-pronged approach: erase their memories, insert new ones, and return them to their parents or place them with a new family.
Blythe and her friends Tucker, Tanya, and Gabrielle, are now teenagers, attending a local high school, falling in and out of love with each other. But then a shocking event happens at school: Gabrielle is found covered in blood in front of their deceased principal, with no memory of what happened. It's becoming apparent that their pasts weren't erased -- they were just walled up, and now those walls are crumbling.

Kelley Armstrong is one of my favourite writers, so I was excited to check out a newer young adult novel by her.  When I was in high school I really loved this supernatural series that she wrote.  More recently, I fell in love with her A Stitch in Time series.  Unfortunately, this one was not as good in my opinion.  It was still a fun read, but I just didn't love it as much.

I will admit that I fully forgot the premise of this when I picked it up through NetGalley, which is good because the summary kind of spoils the entire twist of the novel and I really enjoyed that reveal.  It's a little disappointing that they would spill so many beans about the novel in the summary.  Sure it doesn't specifically tell you what they did/what happened to them, but it just kind of took the oomph out of that reveal.

I struggled a little bit with the writing style in this one.  Present tense can be a hard sell for me to read as I sometimes find it quite jarring, and this was definitely the case.  It wasn't badly written, but it's just not always my favourite style.  I also didn't always love the dialogue between the characters.

However, I did for the most part enjoy the characters.  The novel is mostly from Blythe's perspective, which was interesting.  She's a very prim and proper character seemingly, and I enjoyed that depiction.  You also occasionally get snippets from other characters to reveal certain key details, but I didn't always love these dips into other characters' perspectives.  I would have preferred more of the reveals to come through Blythe, because the inconsitency of these point of view changes were a little hard for me to read.

The overall plot was really interesting.  Since I forgot the summary, I found myself shocked by the reveal of the memory experiments.  I also liked the dynamic between Blythe and Tucker.  They were both really interesting characters, and. I appreciated Blythe's inner turmoil. 

Overall, it was an interesting story and while it didn't totally work for me, I can see where it would work for other people, so if you're intrigued then I highly suggest that. you check this book out when it comes out in January.

I feel like this book had so much more potential than what it actually had. That being said, I’d still recommend it.

This novel is set at a small private STEM school, a “perk” offered by Coeus Medical Technologies (CMT), the research lab employing the parents of the students. The story begins when Gabrielle, the best friend of the protagonist, Blythe (“Bliss”) Warren, has a nervous breakdown. Gabi’s friends, which include Blythe, her sister Syd, Tucker and Tanya Martel, Devon Sharpe, and Callum Kilpatrick, are all concerned, and want to investigate what happened to Gabi and why.

Pretty soon, the teens stumble upon a vast cover-up by CMT over an experiment being conducted on all the kids, an experiment that may be unraveling. It is clear from what is happening to all of them that it concerns not only their memories, but even their identities. But this group is determined to get to the bottom of it.

Evaluation: This book has an interesting premise that fits solidly in the sci-fi/corporate malfeascance genre mold, but I thought it vacillated between two obvious and too many red herrings. The teen interrelationships were well-drawn however, as were the interactions between each teen and his or her parents.

3.5 Stars rounded to 4.

Kelley Armstrong has the best ideas. I love her imaginations and the way she takes an idea that may seem farfetched, put it through a series of twists, turns, and manipulation, and then comes out with a book that makes you wonder if it is real.
Someone is Always Watching is a crazy ride from beginning to end. Some of the twist were easy to see, some of them came out of nowhere, and the rest, well, the rest were so sneaky, I didn't even realize they were there until the end.
Armstrong always writes characters with lots of dimensions, she gives them flaws and quirks, but she also gives them real reactions, which takes her character building to the next level and makes her plots even more authentic feeling.
If I have to have one complaint, it's that it takes a while for the book to get where it is going. There are a lot of characters, and I mentioned those twists, but about halfway through, some of the momentum stalls. Armstrong corrects that in the last part of the book, but there are some slow parts.
Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who likes psychological thrillers.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC, my opinions are given freely.

I somewhat wish that I hadn't read the synopsis before reading the book because it felt like it spoiled the plot a bit for me. I wanted more out of the ending as well as it wrapped up really quickly and I still had questions. Maybe there will be a sequel? Overall though it was an interesting premise.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.