| Title | : | Stranger |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 390 |
| Publication | : | First published May 13, 2021 |
She's happily married, and her oldest daughter, Eva, is all set for a place at a top university.
She just can't help but worry about Beth.
So when foreign exchange student Corinne comes to stay, it's a relief her lonely younger daughter finally has someone to talk to.
It's only when Beth starts to misbehave, that Abi begins to wonder how much they really know about their guest.
Because the Holland family have lots of secrets, and Corinne is quietly listening to them all.
And once they come out, there's no going back...
Stranger Reviews
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I have read and enjoyed previous books by Karen Perry but unfortunately Stranger was not for me. I struggled with the slow beginning (after the opening chapter which really peaked my interest) and the cast of unlikeable characters. In saying that I will read Karen Perry books again, I seem to be in the minority with my thoughts.
thanks to the publisher and netgalley for my advanced copy to read. -
This is more 3.5 than 4.
I struggled with this one. Some of the struggle was in direct relation to the writing, and some was from the difficulties of dealing with the unedited version jumping all over the place.
There was a lot going on here for one family to endure, and while they weren’t the most likable characters, it’s still hard to imagine that no one knew just how dysfunctional they were.
The ending I thought was the best part. I wish the whole book had been modeled after that ending, I think it would have bumped this rating up to a 5 star.
ARC provided by NetGalley -
This had a really strong premise that for the most part I quite enjoyed, I just found at times that the plot dragged in places (especially at the beginning) and I never really connected with the main characters.
Out of Abi's two daughters it's the quite troubled Beth that partakes in the exchange student scheme.
As French Corinne comes to stay in the family home of Ireland, the Holland's start to notice changes in Beth's behaviour.
The idea of effectively a stranger being invited into the home and slowly manipulating the scene is very effect and helps build tension.
The problem is if your not invested in those that are being effected by this people makes the book feel like a slight chore to finish. -
Abi Holland considers herself lucky: she's happily married, her oldest daughter, Eva, is all set for a place at a top university. She can't help but worry about Beth. So when foreign exchange student Corinne comes to stay, It's a relief for her lonely daughter to have someone to talk to. It's only when Beth starts to misbehave, that Abi begins to wonder how much they really knew about their guest.
Although this could be a bit slow and draw out in places, it's still an interesting read. It's also a bit eerie and it has quite a lot of bad language. You know at the beginning that something awful has happened, but we are slowly given snippets throughout of what had occurred. This still didn't make this any less shocking to find out. We find out more about the characters as the story progresses. The fantastic ending to this well written book was worth waiting for.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #PenguinMkichaelJosephUK and the author #KarenPerry for my ARC of #Stranger in exchange for an honest review. -
This is my third read from joint authors Paul Perry and Karen Gillece who write under the pen name Karen Perry. I really enjoyed the two previous books, especially ‘Girl unknown’ but unfortunately for me I struggled to get into this one. I still enjoyed it but didn’t feel the buzz of excitement I had with the other two books.
Abi Holland is happily married, daughter Eva is doing well and set for university but Abi can’t help worrying about her younger daughter Beth. Beth is a bit of a loner and Abi is hoping that when foreign exchange student Corinne comes to stay that Beth will have someone to talk to. But unfortunately things don’t always go to plan and Beth starts to act wayward and Abi suspects that her behaviour may have a lot to do with their guest Corinnne.
Corinne is listening to all the family secrets and once they come out, there’s no going back.
Maybe I am being a little harsh with a 3 star rating because it is still a good read but this writing duo had set the bar so high.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Penguin Michael Joseph for supplying a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. -
Abi and Mark are happily married with two teenage daughters; Eva who is on her way to uni and Beth, still at school and a bit of a loner after an incident the previous year.
So when Corinne, a foreign exchange student comes over from France to stay, Abi can’t help feeling relieved that Beth will have a friend and be less lonely. It’s not until Corinne has firmly settled in that Abi starts to wonder if this has all been a big mistake. Corinne is always there; observant, cunning and clever. She notices everything and gives away nothing.
This was a really unnerving, fast paced thriller. I loved the premise; a relatively intimidating and aloof young girl entering your home and making it her own, what’s not to love? But there were actually so many other sub plots simmering alongside this, which really enhanced the tension and thrills.
I’ve read a few books by this author and I think this may be my favourite. She’s getting better and better at this game. -
Stranger is a believable, complex domestic thriller from writing partnership Karen Perry, who show their skill in crafting a disturbing and compulsive tale set in a normal family environment. This is a really sinister tale of the cataclysmic effect that Corinne, a teenage French exchange student, has on an apparently normal Dublin family when she comes to stay. We know from the start that someone is going to die, but that adds to the tension as it’s not obvious right until the end who or why.
Beth is a troubled 15-year-old living at home while Eva is a high-flyer at university, so their mother Abi is pleased — at first — that Beth has a new friend. Abi’s house-husband, Mark, has his own problems and is dealing with the recent death of his sister. It’s Corinne’s gift for enticing everyone to tell her their deepest secrets that drives the story towards its shocking and unexpected conclusion. Assured storytelling and neat twists. A complex story with plenty of intensity, action, twists and an explosive and satisfying conclusion. -
Stranger is a very different book from many I've read before and is certainly amongst the best thrillers I've read to date.
The Holland family are seemingly perfect; Abi has a high-flying job and her husband is a happy stay at home dad, their eldest daughter, Eva is about to start university. It's only their youngest, Beth who worries her parents. She's being bullied, she's sullen and has no friends, so, when her school sets up an exchange programme, her parents are thrilled, believing it'll be the chance for her to make a new friend.
When Corinne arrives from France, she and Beth become very close, but after a while, Abi begins to have concerns over their friendship; Corinne has a hold over Beth that worries her.
There is so much more to this story than the close, obsessive relationship between the two girls, as Corinne sets her sights on a new friend and Beth begins to feel desperate and unwanted, tempers simmer as people reach breaking point.
The characters are all imperfect, making them all the more interesting; they resent one another and keep huge secrets from each other as well and as the reader slowly discovers all these deep, dark secrets within this family, sometimes it's hard to find a character to root for. I actually really liked this, but know it won't be for everyone.
This is a fantastically unique thriller which kept me guessing until the very end. This is the type of book I won't forget for a long time. -
This is a good read but a bit of a slow burner.
Beth is a lonely teenager who has been dropped by all her friends so her family are happy when an exchange student comes to stay.
Corinne is a bit of a strange one but her and Beth become close friends.
It’s a bit hard to summarise the book as it will give away the main points of the story but I can say there’s a lot of secrets that come to the surface, and Corinne always seems to be part of it.
I think I struggled a bit with this book as I didn’t like any of the characters so there was no-one I wanted to support.
This is a good read but it took a while to get into.
Thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. -
Reading Stuff 'n' Things
I am sad to say that I couldn't get into this at all and found my mind wandering to other things. I have read
Your Closest Friend by Karen Perry and enjoyed it but this one just didn't do it for me unfortunately, however it won't put me off reading more from these authors. Not sure why it didn't grab me but sometimes it just doesn't happen.
Thank you to Penguin Michael Joseph and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review. -
I found Stranger to be quite slow going at first and struggled thinking it wasn’t for me. You’re given a lot of information but it feels like the plot doesn’t back it up. However I persevered and found the book did improve and the story started to weave together. It’s a tale of secrets and lies and I found the last third to be quite gripping. Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Michael Joseph and the author for the chance to review.
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I found this to be a very good read and as the story progressed I could tell that the ending was going to have some type of twist definitely worth reading
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Wow, this was my first Karen Perry book and I loved it. I loved the idea of the foreign exchange student as I always thought it would have been great to be one myself but after reading this book I'm not so sure anymore. I did not like Corinne at all, she was a bit creepy in how she interacted with the adults and other characters in the book. My heart went out to Beth as I wanted to know what was wrong with her, what happened before...
As the story progresses we find out more about all the characters. I enjoyed the book as well as the ending. Great writing by Karen Perry. -
This is very clever and twisty and kept me guessing right to the end. No character particularly likeable which leads to suspect anyone. Excellent final few scenes and my heart wouldnt stop thumping.
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A dark and shocking story about the secrets that hide within families
Abi Holland has always loved both her teenage daughters, but whilst bright, popular Eva seems set for great things in life, her youngest daughter Beth is quiet and lonely. When her and her husband Mark welcome Corrine, a confident and enigmatic French exchange student, into their home, her and Beth quickly form a firm friendship. At first, Abi is delighted that her shy daughter has found a friend to bring her out of her shell, but after a while Beth starts behaving strangely. As Corrine becomes more and more of a presence in the family and starts to insert herself into Beth, Eva and even Mark’s lives, Abi begins to question who exactly they have let into their home - and in on all their many secrets.
This was a brilliant, twist-packed, and tense domestic thriller that had me hooked right from the first few pages. The opening scene is set in the present, right after some sort of terrible incident, and then the narrative jumps back in time to the evening before Corrinne’s arrival to explain the sinister events that led up to the tragedy. The whole book has a chilling and foreboding atmosphere as the reader knows right from the start that something horrific is going to happen, but the author does an excellent job of keeping us guessing what it is right until the end, building up the drama and tension to an explosive end. The characters were all multi-layered and complex, and I found Corrine and Beth to be believable portrayals of teenagers with their complex emotions, dealing with relatable struggles and issues of teenage life. The author manages to craftily foreshadow dark events to come with little clues that pack a huge punch when you finally realise what they were hinting at, and the story builds to a genuinely shocking and unexpected conclusion that stayed in my head for days after I finished reading.
It is genuinely difficult for me to find fault with this book. My only negative comments would be that it is quite a dark story and touches on some elements that may be triggering for some people. Additionally, jumping back and forth in time might be a little confusing for some readers.
I absolutely loved this book – I literally couldn’t put it down and in fact, I read the whole thing in just under a day. It is one of my favourite books that I have read this year, and I will be sure to seek out more by this excellent author.
Daenerys
Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of this book to review. -
Wow that's one heck of a ride, Beth is lonely and bullied she is having a real bad time but then she makes friends with Corinne a French exchange student. They hit it of straight away but things get a little strange ...,.... you will have to read this for yourself.
This has a big punch i feel that Beth gets a real rough ride but what do I know and the ending wayhey is several shocks and unexpected. Beth goes to France then her parents and sister join her, somethings come out of the woodwork wouldn't be a thriller if they didn't then a massive shock this is a thriller that hits you. There are several layers the teenage hormones the awaking coming of age sort of. But the parents the successful Mum stay at home Dad all have major parts to play the neighbourhood. You get to meet a number of worthy characters.
Before the story starts Beths Aunt has died no reveal you get to hear this very early. There is a lot of tension in the house as the punches come the tension builds it knocked me over several times. I hope when you read this you understand what I mean.
For me there is a massive message bullying has effects it will build you or destroy you and its easy to give in but easier to stand or survive if your not on your own. But for me this is a subject that is personal so maybe I'm over the top but the damage to others or the bullied can be life altering and often is, I don't think anyone can be unaffected by it. I'm getting of my soap box now.
I do recommend this great book yes it hit me harder than I expected but it is close to how life can be but I'm glad that it's not always the same ending, mine isn't but this would make great TV as that's were I see all my films as well I'm covering all angles. -
This book took me on one hell of a ride! It took me a little while to get into it as the beginning is quite slow but I am so glad I persevered and didn’t give up on it! Now that I have finished the book I can see why it was necessary for the slow start, it misleads you into a false sense of knowing.
The book starts with one of the characters being led into a police interview room, covered in blood and clearly in shock following some tragic event that has not long occurred, while keeping from giving much away. It then moves back in time, to the beginning of the events leading up to the resulting tragedy. It is very cleverly done. The author has you thinking you know the characters, when in fact, you realise you didn’t really know them well at all. I was thinking badly of a particular character for pretty much a majority of the book.
Following many twists and turns, manipulation and deception, secrets and lies. The book finally concludes with a bang! Unveiling shocking truths and tragedies that brings everything together, resulting in a HUGE SHOCKER of an ending!
Although I found it slow to begin with, once I managed to get past that, the book had me hooked! The character are well written and their development through the book is good. The characters on the pages create the atmosphere for what you are reading and you can really get a good sense of the emotions of the characters, especially Beth.
A domestic thriller that although slow to start, will keep you guessing and have you shocked to your core with its final events! Wow!
** I received an advanced copy of this ebook to read and review. Thank you NetGalley, the authors and publisher for allowing me the opportunity. What an intense read! ** -
I received this book as an ARC via netgalley in an exchange for an honest review. I am grateful for the opportunity. Karen Perry is the pen name of Dublin-based authors Paul Perry and Karen Gillece.
The action in this book centres around the visits of a French Exchange student(Corrine) to a family in Dublin and the way that the youngest daughter (Beth) in that family reacts. From the outset the reader is aware that the narrative has ended in tragedy, that someone has been murdered. The reality is much more than that.
I struggled with this book for almost the first half. It felt disorganised and in some parts contradictory - some of that I have to admit as being due to my misinterpretation. However it does feel unnecessarily complex, just when i felt I had grasped what was going on the author(s) introduced something new. In truth the author(s) have thrown everything they have at this book; LGBT, mind control and bullying to name just some that won't give the storyline away.
I very nearly gave up but WOW i have to admit that the final sections more than made up for this. The gathering together of threads and more new threads - all drawn in so that i was holding my breath to see what on earth would happen next. The ending made me both gasp and cry.
I have read 2 others by this pair of writers one i really liked and one i felt a bit bland. This has elements of both previous reads but it's rating rivals the better of the two. I think I will be reading more by them.
I would love to know how they write together - does they take a chapter each or deal with separate elements of the narrative. Do they both know how it is going to end? or is it a surprise? -
Apart from being a bit hit and miss with pacing throughout, it piqued my interest from the first page and sucked me in with some rather interesting intrigue - how did we get to this point ?
It centres around Corinne, a young French exchange student that comes to stay with the Holland's. Specifically with their youngest daughter Beth. A good thing really as, after a incident, Beth had really turned in on herself. Despite not being around as much as her husband Mark, mother Abi starts to notice Beth being influenced by Corinne, and not in a good way. But the rest of the visit rubs along and it isn't until tragedy strikes when both families get together in France that Corinne's true nature starts to really come to a head. And, to be honest, that's really all I can say here without possibly giving stuff away... Less is more going in... Although I do have to add that it is very slow in places, and not always in a good way and I did struggle a bit at times but that beginning is so explosive that I really wanted to see how we got to that point. And when we eventually got there, it was worth it.
It helped also that the characters were on the whole able to hold the story up in the places it needed it! It's not necessarily what I would call a wholly character driven book but nearly. And I did feel for the characters as the author had put them through quite a lot before the book even begins and then heaps the pain on as the book progresses.
All in all, not the strongest book I have read by this writing duo but a decent enough read in itself if you can read through the slow bits. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. -
All is relatively well in the Holland family until fifteen year old Beth’s French Exchange student, Corinne, comes to stay. Her parents, Abi and Mark, are pleased to welcome Corrine as Beth has been isolated for about a year since an incident at her school. Beth's best friend Liz and the others in the class have been ignoring or bullying her since. Mark has been the stay at home parent while Abi’s career has gone well but is now Beth is older and their elder daughter, Eva, is about to go to university, he hopeful of picking up some interesting work back in his old industry.
Later in the summer the whole family join Beth in France as guest of Corrine’s family and things start to unravel as a shocking incident happens and secrets from the past come to light. The relationship between Beth and Corrine becomes very intense as Corrine seems to have more and more influence over the lives of those she befriends. Plenty of twists and turns follow with a good paced plot. There were chapters throughout that signalled the end so the reader knows to expect a dramatic outcome. Personally I would have preferred this book to be chronological without these flash forwards interspersed as they lessened the impact of the ending for me. This is a still a great read though.
With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. -
This is the story of the Howard family. Abi, is a workaholic mother and is married to Mark, who is a stay at home father. They have two daughters Eva, who is seventeen years old and Beth who is thirteen years old. We also learn that Mark’s sister recently committed suicide and has left her house just to Beth, which has caused tension in the family. Since an incident at school Beth is dealing with bullies and has become very withdrawn and lonely. When the school takes part in a foreign exchange programme Abi decides it would be good for Beth to take part, but little does she realise how Corinne, the french exchange student, will affect all their lives. Beth becomes obsessed with her and Corinne is a very good listener but is also very controlling and manipulative. Abi looks forward to Corinne going back to France as she realises how she is dominating and changing Beth. The family are persuaded to visit Corinne and her family in France when tragedy strikes and Corinne’s true nature really starts to surface, Corinne has been listening to all the family secrets and lies and that drives this book to a shocking and unexpected conclusion. It is a compelling and disturbing read, full of lies, secrets, bullying, abuse and heartache. A real rollercoaster of a read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. -
As the synopsis informs us ‘ Abi Holland considers herself lucky’. She is a very busy business woman, who is able to enjoy her fantastic job, which includes travel, whilst her husband has sacrificed his career in order to be the homemaker and carer of their two daughters Eva and Beth. They live in a beautiful home in a good neighbourhood, private schooling - a good life!
Eva is beautiful and is about to go to University. Beth, on the other hand, is not as fortunate. In reality she is going through some stressful situations – mostly to do with school. She has lost her best friend, and she is somewhat ostracised and is lonely.
The opening finds Abi ready to host a French exchange student who will be in Beth’s class. Corinne is somewhat of a surprise; from her pink hair to her forthright manner – but the girls seem to hit it off and the family are relieved that Beth now has someone to talk to.
Absolutely brilliant. Well-written, with great characters and multi-layered situations relating to various members of the cast of characters. Fascinating but oh so chilling – you can feel the drama developing.
Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review. -
This has a very slow burn and is more character analysis than a fast paced twisty thriller. From the outset the reader finds out something bad has happened. The narrative peels back the layers and months before the tragic accident which uncovers the cracks in this family which Corinne is quietly observing and listening to.
I wouldn’t say any of the characters are likable. They are all flawed and complex dealing with their own individual insecurities. The secrets that unfold become darker and more sinister. It becomes difficult to know who is telling the truth and who to trust.
I enjoyed this story but did find the pace a little too slow for me (surprising as I love slow burn books) and felt it could have been a shorter read (this is almost 400 pages). While this was also a character driven book I didn’t feel like I really got inside the head of any of the characters to feel a deep set emotion over, whether love or repulsion, which meant I wasn’t immersed in this read as I wanted. Corinne is a weird and unsettling character who was the most interesting for me.
Despite my own personal observations, I think this is worth trying if you enjoy character focussed books with a particular focus on a domestic family setting. -
Thanks to the publisher, NetGalley and Karen Perry for the advance review copy of Stranger.
Stranger is a disturbing and believable tale of the dangerous impact that bullies and relationships can have on a teenagers life and well-being.
Beth is a insular teenager, she rarely socialises and keeps herself to herself, especially after 'the incident' at school last year. This is alluded to at the beginning, but we don't know what happened or why. When the school offers the ability to take part in a French exchange where a student comes to stay - her Mum feels it would be good for Beth. The chance to make a new friend and feel less alone at school.
When Corinne arrives however, she is not quite the character they were expecting. Confident and overbearing, she begins to manipulate and control Beth, telling her what to wear and what to do.
With a number of sub plots occurring simultaneously, Corrinne begins to worm her way into the family life - soon there are no secrets, and the danger of the truth coming out is huge - for all of them,
With a shocking ending that takes the story full circle - this is an intense and dark psychological thriller, -
Book reviews on
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Another gripping, chilling read from my favourite writing partnership, Karen Perry.
The book follows the Holland family, about to welcome their daughter Beth's French exchange student, Corinne, to come and stay with them. We quickly learn that something awful has happened, but we're not sure what exactly, and we then go back in time to the 'beginning' as they first meet Corinne...
The book is a skilful domestic thriller and though a lot focuses on the characters, I never felt impatient for more 'action'. I found myself completely gripped as we discovered more about Corinne's weird ways and the way she interacts with others, and as her and Beth's relationship grows. Beth's sister Eva, seemingly on the sidelines of the plot to start with, becomes more and more important, and parents Abi and Mark's struggling marriage creates a perfect storm of tension which I enjoyed (if 'enjoyed' is the right word...) every minute of!
There are some dramatic moments that perhaps require a small amount of suspending your disbelief, but to me, it didn't feel too over the top or ridiculous, just entertaining and gripping.
