Solid read, enjoyed it! Took a bit to get started for me, and a little long, but overall not a bad read.

While We Were Burning is a gripping, disorienting thriller that kept me second-guessing everything. The characters are deeply flawed, often making choices that feel as frustrating as they are fascinating, and while I didn’t always understand them, I couldn’t look away. The story weaves mystery with social commentary, sometimes subtly, sometimes with a gut punch, leaving me unsettled in the best way. The twists were sharp, the tension real, and by the end, I was left sitting in silence, trying to process it all. If you like your thrillers dark, thought-provoking, and just a little messy, this one delivers.

If you are looking for a shorter, fast-paced thriller to break you out of a reading slump, this one's for you!

Elizabeth is a privileged white woman with mental health issues dealing with marital stress and shocked by the sudden death of her only friend, Patricia. Brianna is a POC living on the other side of town who is reeling from her son's accidental death. Both women's paths cross when Elizabeth hires Brianna as her personal assistant, at the suggestion of her husband, to help reduce her daily load. The plot twist was a bit too predictable, but I still enjoyed this spin on the interplay between class and race wrapped up in a suspenseful revenge story.

This one is good for fans of:
*Complex/strong female protagonists
*Suburban drama
*Dual POVs
*Unreliable narrator
*Anti-heros

Be sure to check your trigger warnings for this one, though, as there are a lot!

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Penguin Group Putnam/G.P. Putnam's Sons for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.

This was fun to listen to on audio, but reading it was a bit of a slog. There’s really nothing this book offers besides something to listen to while doing weekend chores.

To be honest, is the “Such a Fun Age” plot a new subgenre of adult fiction? What do we call the genre of “books for white people that can only handle a dabble of systemic racism presented to them in the form of a fun thriller”??

I’ve read soooooo many of these kinds of books in the past few years and I’m just getting tired of it. The audiobook cast was good, though!

Thanks to @putnambooks and @netgalley for the digital review copy!

The epigraph, "And they are lucky that what Black people are looking for is equality and not revenge," sets off this Memphis-set tale of race, class, and toxic female relationships. Recommended.

Lots of unexpected twists to this story, which I liked! I did think the dialog was hard to read/believe at time..

Fast paced, revenge thriller with lots of suspense, but detestable characters. I can't name a single one I even slightly enjoyed, but the plot was good, if not a little different which is what kept me coming back for more. I was a little disappointed by the ending though, and the dialogue felt a little stiff. Not terrible, but not my favorite. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC opportunity.

I received an ARC of While We Were Burning by Sara Koffi through NetGalley. This was my first time reading this author, and while the book had some intriguing elements, it didn't fully meet my expectations. SThe story follows Elizabeth Smith, whose life in the affluent suburbs of Memphis spirals out of control after the mysterious death of her best friend, Patricia. To help manage her life, Elizabeth hires Brianna, a composed and elegant personal assistant. Brianna quickly becomes indispensable, but she has her own agenda. She is determined to uncover the truth behind her son's death at the hands of the police, a tragedy linked to Elizabeth's neighborhood. P As Elizabeth and Brianna's lives become increasingly intertwined, they work together to uncover the truth behind Patricia's death and the events leading to Brianna's son's killing. The narrative explores themes of race, class, and female friendship, with both women driven by their own obsessions and grief. Their investigation leads to an electrifying showdown, revealing that neither woman is what she first appears to be. While We Were Burning offers a compelling premise and explores important social issues, some plot twists felt predictable, and the pacing could have been tighter. Elizabeth and Brianna are well-developed characters, and their complex relationship adds depth to the story. However, the narrative sometimes struggled to maintain suspense, and the resolution felt somewhat rushed. Despite its flaws, the book's strong character dynamics and exploration of timely themes kept me engaged. Fans of psychological thrillers and stories that tackle social issues might find this book an interesting read, even if it doesn't fully deliver on all fronts. I would consider reading more from Sara Koffi in the future. #netgalley #whilewewereburning

Elizabeth Smith’s best friend, mysteriously died and she can’t seem to get herself together. She is spiraling out of control. She can’t focus on anything but what happened to her friend? She needs to live her life but she can’t. She hires an assistant to help her organize and get back to life. Brianna is just what she needs to get back on track. Brianna can help her find peace but soon they find themselves looking into the murder. She has her own reasons. She wants to know why the police killed her young son. Brianna wants to stay close to Elizabeth’s world. She thinks it will help her investigate her son’s death. Soon the two find them deeper and deeper into the answers, they realize they may not have wanted to know the answers. Or better yet they may never be able to undo what that have done. While We Were Burning by Sara Koffi is supposed to be a thriller of sorts. It just wasn’t my favorite read. It was slow at points and the story missed something. I did finish it so, I guess it had something. This was a 3 star read for me. I want to thank Netgalley, the author and Penguin Group Putnam, for my copy, for an honest review. It was my pleasure to read and review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to be able to read and review this book!

5/5

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Team for this Advanced Digital Readers Copy, I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

This started off really strong, and I liked the thriller elements, but then it started losing momentum about five or six chapters in. I managed to finish the novel, but I just couldn't connect with the story and thought that it had some pacing issues.

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

I expected this to be more of a mystery than it actually was. It was more like a big revenge plot so there was no mystery to figure out. It was just a lot of characters behaving badly. I really, honestly didn’t like any of the characters. I wasn’t really rooting for any of them. While I empathized with Brianna, I just didn’t like her actions or how the book ended. I really just wanted them all to lose in the end.

This book has a strong premise and I went into it hoping for something that it didn’t offer. The discussion of race, class and female friendships was what got me in the beginning. I was hoping that this would be a book that would rattle me in a positive way. Honestly it was kind of boring and flat. There wasn’t much of a consistent pace and I found myself confused on the reasoning behind certain decisions being made. I wanted more from this book. Although this book does speak on the harsh realities of being black I wanted more to dissect instead of slow moving scenes.

This book was a departure for me—I typically don’t read thrillers and I’m usually wary of unlikeable or untrustworthy protagonists.

However, I couldn’t put it down. Everything about it was so well-crafted; I was constantly surprised by where it was headed, and the ending was both wild and fitting. My feelings about each main character shifted in fascinating ways as the story unfolded. I have to admit that I found myself drawn to one of the unlikeable protagonists, regardless of her actions, and I think the author shared that sentiment intentionally.

It’s a dark tale that tackles many of today’s contemporary challenges. I’m really looking forward to seeing what this author comes up with next!

I was excited for this book and the bones are there - characters you don't like, concerns you have about the world we're living in and the part you play, but in the end it got a little too off the rails.

Loved this bonkers psychological mind f*** ride of racism and classism packed in a revenge story!
It starts with a messed-up death - is it murder? It must be! It has to be! But is it? Elizabeth isn't sure. She's so busy though so she hires an assistant who ends up helping her uncover the truth around this death. Not all is what it seems and you cannot trust anyone.

It's crazy, I saw that this had just over a 3 avg in Goodreads, but another friend of mine in my thrillers book club also rated this a 5! I'm thinking you need to want "messed up" and revenge in your life to enjoy this one.

4.5 rounded up!

This has similar nuances to In a Lonely Place (which I love) but is less subtle. I appreciate the early revelation of the culprit and the way Sara Koffi doesn't shy away from racism and police brutality--the way Elizabeth's character development plays out is particularly effective--but I felt like there could have been more depth and emotion inherent in the characters. The conclusion also feels hollow and disconnected from the rest of the plot.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC!

While We Were Burning explores how racism and classism affects communities and how the truth and disaster impacts it too. An interesting and unique story worth picking up!

Wonderful read if you can handle that every single character is veryyy of messed up lol

This was an incredibly unique take on the thrillers-exploring-racism sub genre in ways that I don’t want to get into for fear of spoiling it for prospective readers! But it was inspired and interesting and thought provoking.