I'm a huge fan of Madeleine Henry's and have enjoyed all of her previous books. So I jumped at the chance when "Name Not Taken" was offered as a "read now."

Henry's writing style is very descriptive and easy to read. She did a great job setting up Devon meeting her fiance Richard's well-to-do family who live in Greenwich, CT.

Despite a plot that becomes absurd, I kept reading hoping it would redeem itself. But it continues to get more and more ridiculous. Even Devon's friendship with Hunter turns negative without any real reason. It felt as if Henry was required to churn out another book for her contract and wasn't able to dedicate enough time to perfect the storyline.

I hope her next book will be much better executed.

2.5 ⭐️ rounded up

The synopsis for Name Not Taken drew me in, and I had hopeful expectations for this psychological thriller. Unfortunately, the execution of the plot left much to be desired.

The first 20 pages are riddled with exposition dumps and heavy descriptions, essentially lacking plot within these opening pages. However, I pushed through and as the plot started to unfold, I was hooked! The middle portion (second act) of the book was by far the best and most intriguing.

We follow main character Devon and witness her slip further and further into madness as she is egged on by in-laws who want her excluded. Devon’s relationship with her fiancé is pushed to its limits primarily due to their actions but also due to some of her own.

The main character is an unreliable narrator, in my opinion, becoming increasingly more unreliable the further along you get in the book. We are left questioning a lot of the things we see as we can no longer trust Devon, witnessing odd behaviors and having seeds of doubt planted by side characters.

Unfortunately, where the book really lacks is the ending (third act). Author Madeleine Henry creates an intricate spiderweb of a plot with some details and plot points contradicting each other. However, most of these plot threads are left loose — never getting a clear resolution. The ending overall felt rushed and muddied. Major questions are put before the reader and they are just never answered. By the end of the book we are left not knowing what’s true and what’s not, with no satisfactory explanation.

As for the characters, most, if not all, of the characters felt shallow and underdeveloped. Many of whom’s actions felt as though they may only serve the purpose of moving the book along. Even Devon, who is the most developed we see on page, felt a bit underdeveloped in certain aspects.

Overall, the premise of the plot could have been amazing with the proper execution. The ending was lackluster leaving me with more questions than answers and the characters all seemed to be lacking something.

I loved the use of art references throughout this story, and I enjoyed reading how Devon’s own art was changed by what she was going through.

This is a story with an unreliable narrator, twisted and complex characters, and the tension held up throughout the book.

Amazing book a story I struggled to put down every chapter having me hanging on the edge of my seat. As soon as I think I know what is going to happen next the story has a new secret to reveal.

Devon’s fiancé Richard introduces her to her in-laws for the first time. They are quite affluent and sophisticated and although she comes from a very different background, she’s hoping to be accepted with open arms. But she gets the sense that they don’t think she’s good enough for their son and their family. The thing is, they don’t seem that bad. I expected much worse from the blurb. It only gets worse after another visit or two, and the fact that Richard doesn’t stand up for her is the real issue. She consistently gives him the benefit of the doubt and when she doesn’t, she flips to raging out. Everything goes downhill after an event partway through the story, and she fears she’ll never be a part of Richard’s family.

So I think the author wants us to maybe doubt Devon’s perspective by showcasing her random anger and having her mother’s character come across nowhere as unbalanced as Devon believes she is. And there’s a lot of focus on her creating her art and how she shuts herself up in her studio. At one point, people kept commenting on the strong paint odors she doesn’t even recognize, and I was like, are we supposed to think she has been poisoned by the fumes somehow? But it’s mentioned twice and then never again so why include those comments in the first place?

It's hard to explain better without spoilers but it just seems like several plot points go nowhere, but then maybe that was the point – to throw in random red herrings. And then the ending..I was like what just happened? It got kind of muddled and honestly, I may not have really understood who did what. But I have to say, I like the way this author writes, and I flew through the story as I waited to see what was going on. I enjoyed her other stories, and I feel like this had the potential to be more but it just didn’t get there.

name not taken is a psychological thriller that explores the complexities of motherhood, intergenerational mental illness, internalised misogyny, and dysfunctional family dynamics through the eyes of a painter haunted by her past, perfect for fans of freida mcfadden and lucinda berry. 

i picked this book up because i was fascinated by the underlying concept. an unreliable narrator driven to the brink of sanity by her fiancée’s antagonistic family sounds like it would be amazing. and it likely would have been with a few more rounds of editing, deeper characterisation, better exposition, and more polished prose. unfortunately, although i was drawn into the story in the first chapter, it struggled to keep my attention as it went on and i found myself wanting to skim through the rest of it. there wasn’t enough of a set up of the plot before the conflict happened for me to feel very affected by it. the characters, especially the secondary characters, also felt quite empty and inauthentic so it was hard to connect. there were also some spelling and grammar mistakes but i’m sure these can be easily fixed and didn’t really impact my reading experience. 

in my opinion, the most compelling parts of the book were the relationship between devon and her mother, and devon’s reflections on her childhood. it felt really authentic and helped me connect with devon on a deeper level. there were also some captivating descriptions and insights on art and painting which i really liked. 

overall, the concept of this book was good but it missed the mark a bit for me when it came to the execution. 

thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the e-arc!

Thank you NetGalley & Little A for allowing me to access this ebook!
"Name Not Taken" by Madeleine Henry is a psychological thriller (with a stunning cover!!) that deals with the complexities of family dynamics, trust, and the dark undercurrents of love. The story centers on Devon Ferrell, who is eager to fit in with her fiancé Richard Belmont’s elite and enigmatic family. However, as she gets closer to them, what should be a joyful integration into her new family turns into a psychological nightmare.
Devon begins to feel increasingly isolated and paranoid as she faces unsettling scrutiny from Richard’s family, particularly his brother. Whispers about her mental health and odd behavior push her deeper into self-doubt. As tensions rise, Devon finds herself questioning not only her relationship with Richard but her own sanity.
"Name Not Taken" is a chilling exploration of how love and trust can be manipulated, leading to a suspenseful unraveling of the protagonist’s reality. Madeleine Henry kept me on the edge the all time, I was questioning every twist and turn as the psychological tension mounts.

Well written novel but characters were only superficially formed and plot was nothing new.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/211782008

Name Not Taken has such a great setup and so much potential — but I feel let down by it. The beginning is interesting enough, if a bit jumpy. There's not enough groundwork to really establish the characters and build the tension, which makes all of the subsequent action feel a little out of context.

One of the biggest aspects I struggled with was that the author had so many interesting paths to take — is this going to be a family with deep dark secrets? A Black Swan-esque breakdown? — but didn't commit to any of them. The end felt a bit lackluster and there were no huge reveals, which also bummed me out.

That said, I'd love to read the author's next book in the hopes that it's a better fit.

This book is masterfully depicted, with an escalating tension that keeps readers on edge. The writing is sharp and immersive, capturing the nuances of Devon’s mounting anxiety and the sinister behaviors of the Belmont family. As Devon grapples with her own doubts and the mounting psychological pressure, the story unfolds with gripping intensity. An engrossing read that delves into the complexities of trust, self-doubt, and the hidden shadows lurking behind seemingly perfect facades.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

i admit i had hesitations about this book within the first few chapters as it did start off as a generic "woman meets her in-laws who start causing problems in her relationship" type of thriller. that being said, things do take an interesting turn about halfway through when a certain event happens, and from there on, i was invested.

i really do love how even early on, the story makes you doubt yourself as a reader and all your initial impressions you had of the characters. in this aspect, it does well at keeping you guessing.

that being said, the reveals weren't all that shocking. there just wasn't many intricate layers to the plot for it to be particularly memorable. whilst i was able to enjoy this, i think more well-read thriller readers likely will find this quite predictable.

i also think the characters felt quite standard and weren't written with much depth. i feel like we barely knew much about any of the characters even by the end. it was just hard to really care for any of them.