Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Good Half Gone by Tarryn Fisher.

This is the story of a twin who loses her sister at a young age and spends her whole life to find her.

This story started and stayed luke warm the whole time. I could never quite dig my nails into the plot, and really struggled to care throughout reading it. I've enjoyed Fisher before, but this wasn't my favorite.

At age fifteen, Iris witnessed the abduction of her twin sister, Piper and was further traumatized when the police seem convinced that Piper is a runaway. Eight years later, Iris has carefully planned her education and required internship in an effort to work on Shoal Island hospital for the criminally insane to obtain information from a secluded patient about Piper’s whereabouts. She is emotionally torn between pursuing her plans on the island and being the caregiver for her eight year old son and elderly grandmother. The story is told in two timelines, one in which 15 year old Iris describes the abduction and her encounters with the detectives and the present, in which she deals with some unusual staff and patients on Shoal Island.
This book definitely has some pros and cons. There were several mysteries such as how Iris became a mother that unfolded slowly, capturing my interest and keeping me engaged. Some of the reveals were unexpected and entertaining and others were too predictable. I found the story to take some wild swings at times and there seemed to be a lot of “filler” content such as interactions with people that weren’t significant to the story and this made it chaotic. In spite of the chaos, I thought that Piper’s killer was too obvious although the mystery of how she ended up with the killer was not predictable. It seems this review is all over the place which is how I would describe the book.

Does this book have an interesting premise? Yes. Did I find myself staying up late to read this? Yes. Do I think there are massive problems with this book? Also yes. I find it odd when authors spend so much time telling the readers how singularly focused the protagonist is only to have the entire plot activity rely on the main character getting distracted from her goal. It’s just too unbelievable and, frankly, unnecessary. Most people waver and are messy and complex so just go with it. Don’t paint a picture of a calculating character who plotted out every decision in life only to get to this point and then throw everything out the window for the sake of some twists. In regards to the twists, while I expected a part of one of them the actual logic behind it didn’t add up so it again seemed too unbelievable to be a success. Although I had issues with parts of Good Half Gone, I enjoyed the journey of reading this book and count it as a definite success in that regard. While the book in its entirety didn’t quite work for me, it’s a quick read that will keep you engaged.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grayson House for the electronic ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book was really difficult for me to rate. The book started off pretty good. I was plowing through the chapters, very intrigued to learn more about the characters, and then it took a sharp turn.

To have a book just stop altering timelines was just odd. There's a rhythm that develops for the reader when you are in a timeline and then the chapter ends, and you assume you're going to the other timeline. But, when that rhythm stops, it just throws off that fluidity and mindset that the book had established.

Also, the book established the grandmother as this strong woman who took on the role of character after her drug addicted daughter fell off of the parenting wagon, but then all of a sudden she has a medical incident and her character becomes stagnant. It felt like Tarryn Fisher just wasn't interested in writing about that character anymore. Also, I'm to believe that Iris just leaves her "son" for days at a time while her grandmother is bedridden and knocking on death's door just to avenge her sister? It was a stretch.

What really bothered me is that Iris takes this internship on the island, but at that point, it felt like I was reading a completely different book. It felt very disjointed from the first half. Again, the flow stopped. I was so distracted by this new job/island/characters; this is when the book lost me.

The ending was predictable, and by that I mean that it was obvious who the real villain was going to be as soon as her romantic relationship started. What made me roll my eyes was the mutiny, the fire, the deaths of these characters that I didn't care about. The plot of the island just felt campy.

I really wanted to like this book. It took me weeks to read this when normally a thriller will take me 2-3 days to finish. I really struggled. I don't think I'd be able to recommend this book just because it felt like it was written by two different authors that didn't talk to one another while writing.

Will I read another Tarryn Fisher book? I will. I think she's a great writer, but this story just disappointed me.

I do appreciate having the opportunity to read and review this book. I do wish I could give this book 4-5 stars, but for me, it will be 3 stars, and that is only because the first 1/4-1/3 of the book was compelling and had me wanting more.

Thank you so much @GraydonHouseBooks for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 19 March 2024)

SYNOPSIS | Iris watches her teenage twin sister (Piper) get kidnapped from a movie theatre and is powerless to stop it. She pleads with the police to help her, but based on the girls tumultuous upbringing, they claim Piper is a runaway instead. Since her sisters case has gone cold, Iris takes it upon herself to try and uncover what happened.

WHAT I LIKED:
- the hospital setting (kinda Shutter Island vibes)

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- the ending was implausible to the point of being outright ridiculous (& not in a good way)
- the pacing was bizarre throughout, but the ending especially was like whiplash
- the timeline jump felt disjointed
- a bunch of extraneous details that didn't drive the plot forward or enhance the story in anyway
- the romance plotline?!

Good Half Gone by Tarryn Fisher

Thank you Graydon House & The Hive #hiveinfluencer #thehive #influencerprogram #htpbooks

Blurb:
Iris Walsh saw her twin sister, Piper, get kidnapped— so why does no one believe her?

✨ My thoughts:
Good Half Gone is a quick read and an interesting story. It wasn’t at all what I expected but I really needed to know how it ended and what the heck happened to Piper. My favorite part of this story was the location… a mental institution on an island. As much as I hate to admit it, this wasn’t my favorite book from this author but I’ll continue to read her books. Just because it was a miss for me, doesn’t mean it won’t be a hit for you! Good Half Gone is out now.

Happy reading 📖

Irish and Piper, twins with contrasting personalities, were raised by their grandmother after their mother's absence. When Piper is kidnapped, Iris seeks revenge in a gripping dual timeline story set in a mysterious state hospital. The tale's intricate layers and vivid characters make for a thought-provoking read with a satisfying yet reflective ending..

Thank you to the publisher and the author for allowing me to arc read this book in exchange for my honest review

This thriller tells the story of Iris, whose twin sister was abducted years before and never seen again. Thru a past/present timeline Iris tries to find her sister's killer in the present, while the past one tells more about what happened. I was more into the past timeline than the present...the present one just seemed confusing and kind of strange. A decent thriller but felt a little disconnected at times.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.

First off, I am a big Tarryn Fisher fan, and have read almost all of her books. I think The Wives was my favorite, but I also enjoyed Mud Vein, An Honest Lie, and The Wrong Family. I also enjoyed Never Never, which she co-authored with Colleen Hoover. I love Tarryn's writing style and twisty plots, so I was expecting to really enjoy this new book. It had all the makings of a great thriller -- a missing teen/twin sister, backdrop of a remote-island mental hospital for the criminally insane, a sex trafficking ring, and a revenge plot. However, I spent the first 80% of the book alternating between bored and confused.

The story is told in alternating-timeline format by the main character Iris; the past -- when Iris' twin sister Piper was kidnapped when they were 15, and the present where Iris is working as an intern at a mental hospital. We learn along the way that Piper hasn't been seen or heard from since she was taken. It is implied that she was taken by sex-traffickers and then raped and/or killed. Iris assumes her sister is dead and is set on revenge for her sister's killer. Iris has taken the job at the mental hospital where the killer is being held, and tries to get close to him with varying success.

Other players in the story are Cal (who in the beginning we are led to believe is Iris' son, but then later find out is actually Piper's), Gran (Iris & Piper's Grandmother, who basically raised them, but is now in failing health), Poley (a less-than-stellar police detective), and the charming Dr. Leo Grayson (the head psychologist at the mental hospital). The majority of the book follows the events of Piper's disappearance in the past, and Iris' time working at the mental hospital as an intern. It focuses very heavily on the development of her relationships with the other characters of the story.

Iris slowly begins to uncover dark secrets lurking inside the mental hospital and gets very close to getting her revenge. Then all of a sudden -- BAM we are hit with a twist and then basically the book ends promptly thereafter. We do find out the truth about what happened to Piper, but it seems to be merely an afterthought. The twist was GOOD, don't get me wrong there, and I didn't see it coming, but I feel like so much time was put into the buildup that the actual twist/truth-reveal didn't get enough time.

Overall, I liked the book, but it isn't my favorite Tarryn Fisher novel, for sure.

Great fast paced thriller! Could not put down! What an amazing read!! I was instantly drawn into this story from the very first page. And I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. I just wanted to know how this all played out. I didn’t see that ending coming!! This was so worth the read and I think it’s my favorite book of Taryn’s to date.

How do you recover from seeing
your twin sister get kidnapped right in front of your face?! Tarryn Fisher’s Good Half Gone was an epic page turner! I was soooo obsessed and needed to know what happened just from reading the first few pages. Talk about keeping your readers engaged! OMG Tarryn you are brilliant!

If you are a psychological thriller fan this is your JAM!! Seriously run....dont walk because you don't want to miss out on this one!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Overall, this was as good as a story as Tarryn Fisher always weaves...a twisty and interesting thriller. But there was something a little bit...missing...about the ending. Something was just left a little off. Otherwise, excellent read!

I just didn't like this one. It didn't hold me the way it should have. It fell way short.

Thank you for the ARC.

I think it was disingenuous that this book was listed as something coming out as new when to my knowledge it wasn’t. But beyond that I didn’t like the format and then I read a review from someone I really appreciate opinions from that said she almost didn’t finish it at 93! Percent which to me sounds like a terrible book. So, I did try to read it but it didn’t catch me

This was a disappointment of a read for me. From the beginning, I felt like the story was a little all over the place, and by the last quarter of the novel it has steamrolled and wrapped up too quickly and far too simply. In my opinion, there were several plot holes that were just brushed by and the book ended fairly abruptly. Although there was potential, the book ultimately fell short.
Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me, but I would be intrigued about Fisher’s next novel since I have enjoyed some of her previous work.
Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC.

This was a whirlwind of a story. Taught in two timelines, Iris is determined to find out what happened to her twin sister Piper when they were younger. She even takes it as far as to get a job at a mental hospital to seek out some answers. There were some twists I saw coming and others that shocked me. One of my issues with the book was the pacing. The first 3/4 of the book was SLOW and then the last 1/4 was super fast and then ended pretty abruptly. Overall I liked the twists but wished the pacing was more flushed out.

I thoroughly enjoyed Good Half Gone by Tarryn Fisher!

Twin sisters, Piper and Iris are raised by their grandma because their mom is an addict and mentally incapable of taking care of them. In their early teens, they go to the movies with boys they met through a fellow high school student, when Iris is taken. She disappears and the detectives on the case don't believe Piper's story.

Fast forward to YEARS later, when Piper gets an internship at a hospital on an island for the criminally insane where she believe the answer lie to her sister's disappearance. She gets close to the head doctor and she finds out a lot more than she bargained for!

I was completely drawn in to this story...it had me on the edge of my seat, made me stay up way too late, and I finished reading in record time! I found the ending to be a little rushed, but that may be the only negative for me. I would have loved to see it stretch out over a few more pages!

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC of this psychological thriller!

Marked as DNF @ 21% on 3/24/24 | I hate everyone in this book. That's essentially why I'm not finishing it. I can't stand listening to how stupid every single person is. Piper is kidnapped. The only witness is her twin sister. WHY exactly are the cops just totally not believing anything that she's saying? Everything is a struggle, no one believes her, life is so hard, blah blah blah. And yet she's also a perfect special snowflake who gets into this super prestigious program for literally no reason that the author does not tell us. Just to talk to someone who might know where her sister is, I guess?

I hated every character. They're all cut-outs of an actual personality but failed to develop anything of interest or give me a reason to care about this story.

As I do when I decide to DNF, I looked up the rest of the book and HOO BOY, I'm so glad I didn't finish this. The ending has a twist that I would have made me throw my book across the room, which is bad because this was an audiobook and I'm listening on my phone and it's not worth the damage. (The audiobook narrator was also incredibly blah and did not make this experience better.) This was some Freida McFadden-style popcorn sh!t which I am not here for. Happy I didn't finish this.

A gripping thriller that is twisty right up until the end!!! Tarryn knows how to keep you guessing! Once I started, it was hard to put down... I needed to know what happened next!

Fisher just doesn’t miss. She will keep you guessing to the last page and sometimes after that too. I am so glad I gave this one a try! I am thankful for the ARC