This book had an amazing premise and the first half of it was incredible. I really loved the plot. But then it started to get bogged down and boring and not at all the same feeling that the beginning had. This fell flat for me, big time.

2.5 stars

I received a complimentary ebook from the publisher via NetGalley. It was available on audio so of course I went that route. I didn't really pay attention to the description or to other reviews, so I thought it was going to be about a fun weekend reunion of 7 college mates who hadn't seen each other for several years. The early chapters confirmed this was a fun, intelligent, successful group of friends. I was enjoying their banter and getting to know them all.

Then it went south and was no longer fun, at all. Suddenly there was a lot of anger and deceit, and it was not the book I signed on for. I stuck it out to see how it would end. Many things I did not grasp, especially the highly technical, manipulative, futuristic visions of the antagonist, so I did tune out at times.

Not bad if you like this sort of thing, but hardly enjoyable for me.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review*

A great thriller - I would recommend it!

Short Synopsis: Seven friends go on the trip of a lifetime on an all expenses paid trip to a private island. But day 2 brings a huge concern when the six friends wake up to find their friend and host has disappeared, along with every connection to the "outside" world.

My thoughts: I thought this one had a lot of great potential. I'm a huge fan of a remote island "locked room" setting when someone goes missing or winds up dead. I also really enjoy a good character study in lack of internet and devices as a whole, forcing real conversation.

I just felt like this was missing something. I wanted it be a little more thrilling, I kept finding myself not grabbing for it like I wanted to,

If you enjoyed the movie "The Glass Onion" this one is sure to be a hit for you!

Read if you love:
- Island getaway
- Being present in the moment
- The glass onion
- Multiple POV

This is a modern unique take on a 'group of reunited college friends trapped on a secluded island' suspense novel. It is plot driven with a focus on the power of media technology being a blessing, curse, or path to world domination. The bond villain totally made this book worth the read!

They were seven friends who used to be nearly inseparable when they were in college. But, over time they slowly drifted apart. So, when the most successful of the lot, a social media tycoon and billionaire, invites them to a private island for a long overdue reunion they all agree to attend. One stipulation – no devices can be used for the duration of the weekend. But, when things begin to unravel, the friends are faced with moral questions and the challenge of their own survival.

Device Free Weekend starts out with an interesting premise and I really liked the characters that Mr Doolittle created. However, the story was somewhat slow and there was less suspense than I expected. When the story became more and more unbelievable, I began to enjoy it less and less. In the end, I was just happy to reach a conclusion. NetGalley provided an advance copy.

I spent almost this entire novel seething, in a state of righteous rage. Not that the book isn't well-written and consuming: it is both. The author delves deep into his characters, the philosophical riffs are engrossing, his weaving of the characters' origin stories into their current situations is fascinating. It's that one main character and multiple secondary characters, demonstrating in the one case, immense hubris, narcissism, and insanity [genetic? psychological? constructed by terminal health conditions?] and in the secondary characters, total immunity to morality, integrity, character: I spent the duration of the novel "spitting" nails. It's well worth reading, but my intense personal reaction colored for me the entire experience of the novel. Even now, looking back, I can't see the "forest" of the novel in its entirety for the "trees" of my personal perception.

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of Device Free Weekend by Sean Doolittle from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review and opinion. Super excited to read this after I read the description as who doesn't love a weekend get away gone wrong story! This truly was a great read and kept me guessing until the very last page of what was going to happen. Great book!

3.75 stars. I enjoyed this unusual take on a 'group of friends trapped on a secluded island' suspense novel. It was very plot driven and the AI and social media technology aspect--is it a blessing, curse, or path to world domination--was thought-provoking and it being a central point of this novel was enjoyable. The bond villain totally made this book worth the read!

Locked room thrillers are hit or miss for me. Unfortunately this one was a miss. I loved the premise, very intriguing. The execution didn’t thrill me. Emphasis on not enough thrills. The plot was slow and didn’t have that action packed thriller vibe I wanted.

Thank you to Sean Doolittle, Grand Central Publishing, and NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and GCP for the opportunity to read and review this book!!

Ryan Cloverhill is the CEO of the world's most popular social media platform, and he's just invited his six best friends from college to his private island mansion off the coast of Washington State. The first day on the island is nothing short of paradise. The second day, however, is a bit different. The six friends wake up, groggy and hungover, to find that Ryan has disappeared, and that the mansion has locked down with no way out. The group finds a tablet and discover than Ryan has devised a game of sorts for them to play... one with potentially catastrophic real-world consequences. It's "Glass Onion" meets the Trolley Problem. Chaos ensues.

I enjoyed this one a lot more than I thought I would. When I began it, I thought it was going to be the book version of the "Glass Onion" movie (which I loved, don't get me wrong). The book has a lot of depth to it, however. The characters are real, dynamic, and loveable (or love-to-hateable). I loved the locked-door (locked-island?) setting and the limited cast of characters. The sprinklings of the characters' tied-together histories made the story a little more interesting as well. The whole idea of the Trolley Problem, and people's reactions to the problem, are fascinating to me (psychology student alert). This book took that concept and proposed that problem to six people with real-world consequences. It was fascinating.

It's twisty, it's slightly messed up, it's entertaining. I'd recommend Device Free Weekend for fans of murder thrillers, locked-door settings, ethical problems, and rich people behaving badly.

This was an action-packed book which would be great for a book group because of the moral arguments presented. I thought it was going to be a Ten Little Indians scenario but it played out differently than that and I was glad about that.

I really wanted to love it because the premise was fascinating. Six college friends who had drifted apart were supposed to make a life-altering decision for the seventh one, who was the most successful of them all. He made valid points about social media and the how technology has us under its thumb. Instead, I just really liked it. I appreciated the high-tech thriller aspect of it, but just couldn't figure out how much was the real Ryan Cloverhill and how much was the current situation. That being said, I could easily see how this whole thing could translate to the big screen. So half a star extra, for 3.5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions are mine, and freely expressed.

This is a slow to medium paced thriller. Told from multiple POV's we follow this group of friends as they come together for a reunion. Things quickly turn when they all realize they were invited for a dark purpose. As we follow the friends trying to navigate through their predicament the story had an inflated and convenient feel. This made it difficult for me to connect to the story, however, I was engaged simply because I wanted to see where it would go. The characters were very well written, the story just lacked the edge of my seat ride that I typically enjoy.
If you enjoy a thriller that's a little light on the thrills and more character driven, this one is for you.

Thank you to @netgalley and @grandcentralpub for the gifted copy of this book.

The title and concept of this book drew me in from the beginning. I was interested to see how this concept would play out and why, and of course the thriller vibe with it. Overall the book was decent and it kept my attention for the most part. It was an easy read.

A great beach read in the best sense of the phrase. Sean Doolittle's latest novel offers a rather outrageous set up that many may compare with the film "Glass Onion." Uber rich guy brings a group of old friends to his elaborate and extravagant private island for a weekend away from the world and its digital distractions. Where Doolittle's novel rises above the movie is in the characters he presents. These characters, Stephen, Beau ,Lainie, Will, Perry, Emma and even their eccentric billionaire friend, and sponsor of the title's weekend, Ryan Cloverhill come across as real people. Unlike the caricatures of the blockbuster movie. The result is that the reader can relate to these people and thus is pulled into the story as it moves from one set piece to the other. The action moves forward at a swift pace as Ryan Cloverhill's true motives behind his getaway weekend unfolds, much to the shock and disbelief of his invited guests. This is a novel that keeps you guessing and moves in ways that challenge the readers expectations. While it may not be the great American novel, it is a good, solid, satisfying read that thoroughly delivers on its premise.

I really thought I was going to like this. The synopsis sounded so interesting. I had to DNF it. It was boring and the characters were so disconnected, in my opinion.

My Kirkus Review posted 12/23/22; in print 1/15/23

A social media mogul invites six old college friends to his private island for a tech-free reunion. What could go wrong?

Stephen Rollins is puzzled when he receives a fancy invitation from Ryan Cloverhill, his awkward Bardsley College ex-roommate and now founder and CEO of a popular Facebook-like social networking platform. It’s been almost 20 years since any of the seven friends have seen each other. Why has Ryan now asked them—Stephen, who's never been married; his former love Emma, who's divorced; straight, married social media influencers Beau and Lainie; and gay married couple Will and Perry—to spend an all-expenses-paid Labor Day weekend with him on remote Sham Rock near Puget Sound? After a joyous first evening of reminiscing over dinner and drinks, the group members wake up, hungover, to find the host gone. Also missing are the phones that they handed to Ryan before entering his house. Left in their place is a tablet with the words “Unlock Me!” on the screen. The first half of Doolittle's latest thriller neatly sets up an intriguing Agatha Christie–like premise (think And Then There Were None); but as the friends (and the reader) discover Ryan’s true intentions, the plot begins to unravel as quickly as Ryan’s dark scheme. Although the novel touches on the addictive, damaging nature of technology and social media, the author ironically relies too much on techie bells and whistles, and not enough on character development and motivation, to propel his not very believable storyline. A device-free weekend indeed!

Clever concept, disappointing execution.

It takes a while before this becomes a thriller.

Mostly, it's an extended morality play. Seriously, a good portion of it deals with the ethics of a few making decisions for the many.

Once it becomes a thriller, it's a fun read, though a bit...complex in how it all pans out.

Mostly entertaining, but not what I'd expected or hoped for.

I love a good vacation, beach setting, people out of their own comfort zone. This hit all the different points that other books haven't detailed. I flew through this! The perfect poolside or beach read for summer fun!

The premise drew me in right away and the beginning had me totally captivated. I was into it the first 25% but it went off the rails after that for me. I struggled to stay interested the finally got to the ending and that was anti-climactic and not thrilling at all.