Everett: A Dark Psychological Suspense Novel perfect for fans of ‘You’ and ‘Dexter’
Perfection has a dark side at Everett.
Those intrigued by the minds of growing sociopaths will love this book.
Hello, readers!
I hope this post finds you well!
My energy has been flagging of late, I’ve found it difficult to concentrate for long periods of time, and it’s slowed down my reading more than I’d like. Perhaps it’s time for a slight change? A comforting reread of an old favorite, perhaps? (Give murderers and madness a small break..) Who knows!
Until then.. Onwards!
If you enjoyed ‘You’, the ever popular television show based on Caroline Kepnes’ thriller novel, this may just be what you’re looking for.
Enjoy!
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Warning: Spoilers ahead!
Everett: A Dark Psychological Suspense Novel by Jenifer Ruff
First line: Everett offered a clean slate for Brooke Waldon, a chance to leave her past behind.
Everett is chance for Brooke to start over.
Intelligent.
Beautiful.
Dangerous.
New to Everett and looking to start over, Brooke has one goal: Graduate summa cum laude and become a top surgeon. She has no time for distractions or social formalities, even if they do come in the form of Ethan Altman. Attractive. Rich. And a total goner. Ethan’s immediately smitten with this stunning, mysterious girl.
In constant need of physical and mental stimulation, Brooke begins teaching exercise classes for the students and professors of Everett, gaining quite a following in a short amount of time. Using her knowledge of human anatomy she custom builds intense, and highly effective work out routines.
Brooke’s not stupid.
She knows others find her strange and that is a very dangerous thing when you have something to hide.. and she does. The truth of what happened at her last school could destroy her chances at a bright future in the medical field.. but Ethan might just be useful.
After all, you have to fit in to blend in.
Four Stars!
About the book:
After an incident at her last college, Cedarhurst, Brooke still has every intention of graduating summa cum laude and becoming a top surgeon.
With more difficult courses leaving very little room for distractions, outside of her almost constant need to stay physically active, Brooke sees no value in the social side of college. She’s there to learn and will not tolerate failure.
But, as with most stories, there’s a boy.
Ethan Altman is handsome and immediately drawn to this beautiful enigma. Despite the sense of unease others may seem to feel around her, and Brooke’s lack of enthusiasm towards him, he’s not dissuaded from attempting to win her over.
Like a snake in the grass, this young woman creeps through the lives of those on campus, a threat without warning. Will anyone see the danger before it’s too late?
Liked:
Serial killers and psychopaths hold a lot of interest for me.. Probably not the healthiest thing but that’s for a therapist to worry about.
Anyway!
I found this book to be simultaneously amusing and frustrating. Like a train wreck, you simply must keep watching. Brooke’s a fascinating character and I think the author did a great job bringing her to life. Intelligent and manipulative, she’s easily believable, and that’s a little creepy.. How many people who walk beside us hold back their own twisted urges?
The writing was a little slow at times but picked up in all the right places and I found myself enjoying an almost dark sense of humor as our protagonist ran into one complication after another. In the vein of ‘You,’ Brooke’s plans don’t always succeed without a hitch, leading to some pretty decent entertainment.
Disliked:
I always love the slow building tension that creeps through the pages of a good suspense novel and, while the atmosphere is dark here, I’m not sure I would say the author succeeded in accomplishing that. This is the first in a series though.. so a lot of what you end up reading is setting up the world, characters, and storyline.
I’m a little disappointed that not a single character becomes appropriately suspicious of Brooke’s unusual behavior, then again, that tends to be the way of things. I also felt that there were a few instances where the author lost traction by giving to much detail towards (what I believe were) insignificant and unnecessary things.
Overall?
I liked this book and am curious to see where the author goes with it. One I would certainly recommend to anyone intrigued by such things.
Alright! I hope you enjoyed my review, thank you so much for stopping by and, until next time..
Happy Reading!
What is something unusual that fascinates you?
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Oooo…I do love a close up look at psychopaths and sociopaths. They are so fascinating. I think it’s because they are master manipulators and rarely reflect the darkness that’s on the inside. They are like a walking, talking mystery waiting to be solved. Excellent review!
Agreed! But that’s also what’s unsettling.. that they’re so good at fooling you. It could make a person paranoid really quickly. 😆
It’s also the puzzle. I get so intrigued by how all these different pieces fit together. You want to know how it does what it does, why, and for what purpose.
Thanks so much, Tessa! This one was interesting but.. I think it has the potential to be better in the next books as the characters and story develops.
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