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vesperbell's review against another edition
2.0
I received my copy of this book for free through a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
From the comparisons to Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl and the blurb I was expecting something similar to ABC’s Pretty Little Liars, but more grounded in reality. That’s not what this book turned out to be at all, so I wouldn’t recommend it if you wanted to read a novel which really delves into the daughters personal life, and the lives of her friends.
What we are primarily presented with instead is a mother dealing with the events of her life before her daughter was born, and it is in these moments where The Accident’s strengths lie. The flashback diary entries are harrowing and incredibly uncomfortable to read, and make Sue's fear feel very real in the present day.
The plot twists and turns felt more conveniently placed to extend the story than cleverly executed, with the outcomes relatively predictable. I would not recommend reading the blurb on the back of the book prior to reading, as it caused me to work out the ending within around 60 pages or so. I’m unsure whether to level this as a complaint towards the book for having predictable plot tropes inspiring its ending, or place blame on whoever wrote the blurb and book descriptions, but it did make the rest of the book feel like a chore to complete and led to a very unsatisfying conclusion when I wasn’t left shocked or surprised by the ending. The book is not redeemed by fantastic writing, and lacks side characters who have any depth to give them life outside of their purpose in the narrative. Overall, an unfortunately disappointing read.
From the comparisons to Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl and the blurb I was expecting something similar to ABC’s Pretty Little Liars, but more grounded in reality. That’s not what this book turned out to be at all, so I wouldn’t recommend it if you wanted to read a novel which really delves into the daughters personal life, and the lives of her friends.
What we are primarily presented with instead is a mother dealing with the events of her life before her daughter was born, and it is in these moments where The Accident’s strengths lie. The flashback diary entries are harrowing and incredibly uncomfortable to read, and make Sue's fear feel very real in the present day.
The plot twists and turns felt more conveniently placed to extend the story than cleverly executed, with the outcomes relatively predictable. I would not recommend reading the blurb on the back of the book prior to reading, as it caused me to work out the ending within around 60 pages or so. I’m unsure whether to level this as a complaint towards the book for having predictable plot tropes inspiring its ending, or place blame on whoever wrote the blurb and book descriptions, but it did make the rest of the book feel like a chore to complete and led to a very unsatisfying conclusion when I wasn’t left shocked or surprised by the ending. The book is not redeemed by fantastic writing, and lacks side characters who have any depth to give them life outside of their purpose in the narrative. Overall, an unfortunately disappointing read.
littlemissbooklover's review against another edition
5.0
I love CL Taylor’s books, they suck me in and keep me on the edge of my seat. This one has been no different. I guessed the ending incorrectly so many times. But I have loved the twists and turns. My only complaint is the abrupt ending and not knowing what happened to Charlotte. A fantastic read which I’d highly recommend ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
al_davies's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
ashscosybookcorner's review against another edition
4.0
One day it took me to read The Accident. I loved the fast pace of this book and the twists and turns of the story.
I didnt want to put it down and had to know what was going to happen to Sue and Charlotte in the end.
I didnt want to put it down and had to know what was going to happen to Sue and Charlotte in the end.
sandragreads's review against another edition
5.0
This was an audible read for me and i really enjoyed it. It kept me wanting more with each chapter.
robertjackson's review against another edition
4.0
Entertaining and enjoyable. I am pretty sure I enjoyed the book overall but some of the characters were quite disappointing
celjla212's review against another edition
3.0
This is yet another story that has been novelized from WattPad, and I have yet to read one of these that has been spectacular and truly deserving of the exposure it is getting.
Sue Jackson is a woman who has escaped a horrific, abusive past to seemingly have it all with her new husband and family. But Sue is still haunted by what happened to her more than twenty years ago, and when her daughter Charlotte is in a long term coma because of a bus accident, Sue's ever paranoid mind begins to think maybe it wasn't such an accident after all.
The novel goes back and forth between present day and Sue's past, where she was in a relationship with a man who physically and mentally abused her and kept her captive. It's not clear at all how these two worlds are connected until the very end of the book, but the diary chapters give some insight onto just how and why Sue came to be as screwed up as she is.
Sue did have some absolutely unimaginable things happen to her, and it's understandable that she would have PTSD even after so many years. But it's clear that she has never exactly been stable in her life, and probably because of this is exactly why her daughter was keeping so many secrets from her. It's hard enough for a teenage girl to open up to her mother--much less one who seems to be crazy.
The things Sue does to find out the truth about what Charlotte was hiding are a little ridiculous. It is also the height of irony that Sue has so little trust in her husband, when she is actually the one who is not divulging everything to him.
By the end of the book, you are ready for something big to happen, and while I wasn't necessarily let down, I did think things happened very quickly. The end also seemed to wrap up too quickly with so very many unanswered questions.
If you are a fan of thrillers that make you feel like someone is watching you, give his book a try...just don't say I didn't warn you about the book having an incomplete ending.
Sue Jackson is a woman who has escaped a horrific, abusive past to seemingly have it all with her new husband and family. But Sue is still haunted by what happened to her more than twenty years ago, and when her daughter Charlotte is in a long term coma because of a bus accident, Sue's ever paranoid mind begins to think maybe it wasn't such an accident after all.
The novel goes back and forth between present day and Sue's past, where she was in a relationship with a man who physically and mentally abused her and kept her captive. It's not clear at all how these two worlds are connected until the very end of the book, but the diary chapters give some insight onto just how and why Sue came to be as screwed up as she is.
Sue did have some absolutely unimaginable things happen to her, and it's understandable that she would have PTSD even after so many years. But it's clear that she has never exactly been stable in her life, and probably because of this is exactly why her daughter was keeping so many secrets from her. It's hard enough for a teenage girl to open up to her mother--much less one who seems to be crazy.
The things Sue does to find out the truth about what Charlotte was hiding are a little ridiculous. It is also the height of irony that Sue has so little trust in her husband, when she is actually the one who is not divulging everything to him.
By the end of the book, you are ready for something big to happen, and while I wasn't necessarily let down, I did think things happened very quickly. The end also seemed to wrap up too quickly with so very many unanswered questions.
If you are a fan of thrillers that make you feel like someone is watching you, give his book a try...just don't say I didn't warn you about the book having an incomplete ending.