Book Review: I Am Watching You

So I realized that when you’re in college you only have time to read over breaks. That’s what I did. I read one book over Thanksgiving and then three (3!) more over Christmas break. This was one of those. The other two were good, but one was Agatha Christie so I don’t feel the need to review it.

This book had been on my list for a while and I was excited to dive in. It definitely didn’t disappoint, although it had some warts. Now onto the full review! (This one won’t be too long. I’m back in college. Yay.

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What I Liked:

• Alternating POV’s

I usually hate it when authors have a lot of different POV’s. This one probably has… 4? Maybe 5. Not sure. But it’s done really well and all of the story lines are intriguing. This book honestly could’ve been another 8,000 words and had me hooked. The POV’s just matched up so well and it never bothered me.

• Most Cliffhangers

Most of these cliffhangers were done really well and perfectly timed. Although a handful didn’t really work (see below), the majority kept the pace up and the development chugging. At times, the book dipped into a frantic rush of events before leveling out again. Overall, the cliffhangers were well-done, as was the pacing, and the book flew by without a snag.

What I disliked:

• A Few Cliffhangers (And Drag-Ons. Dragons?)

A handful of these just weren’t good cliffhangers or were unnecessary. That in itself isn’t that bad. What’s irritating is that a lot of the story lines with cliffhangers just… didn’t need to be there. Or didn’t need to be strung on so long. This feels like a book that breaks a lot of rules (especially the “everything needs to further the plot in some way.”) While I didn’t mind too much because the good parts were so good, there were some bland parts that were quite bland.

• Simplicity

Maybe this is being a bit nit-picky. It was a really good book, after all. However, it’s one of those books that I’d probably never read again. It’s just very simple, not in a good way. It’s fun to read through and I don’t regret it, but this isn’t a book I’d go back and visit again, mainly because the story line is so… short? Maybe that’s not the word. The point is, I won’t be going back for another trip around the block.

Overall Score:

At the end of the day, this is a solid read and it reminds me of those horror movies you watch in theaters for a good scare but you’re never gonna rent because it wouldn’t be entertaining the second-time around. A very one-level book, little deeper meaning, and no great characters to draw me back.

8.2/10