behind her eyes book reviews

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The instant New York Times and #1 international bestseller. “You should read Behind Her Eyes…It’s bloody brilliant.” ―Stephen King

"An eerie thriller…Pinborough keeps us guessing about just who’s manipulating whom – until the ending reveals that we’ve been wholly complicit in this terrifying mind game.” ―The New York Times Book Review

Why is everyone talking about the ending of Sarah Pinborough's Behind Her Eyes?

Louise is a single mom, a secretary, stuck in a modern-day rut. On a rare night out, she meets a man in a bar and sparks fly. Though he leaves after they kiss, she’s thrilled she finally connected with someone.

When Louise arrives at work on Monday, she meets her new boss, David. The man from the bar. The very married man from the bar…who says the kiss was a terrible mistake, but who still can’t keep his eyes off Louise.

And then Louise bumps into Adele, who’s new to town and in need of a friend. But she also just happens to be married to David. And if you think you know where this story is going, think again, because Behind Her Eyes is like no other book you’ve read before.

David and Adele look like the picture-perfect husband and wife. But then why is David so controlling? And why is Adele so scared of him?

As Louise is drawn into David and Adele’s orbit, she uncovers more puzzling questions than answers. The only thing that is crystal clear is that something in this marriage is very, very wrong. But Louise can’t guess how wrong―and how far a person might go to protect their marriage’s secrets.

In Behind Her Eyes, Sarah Pinborough has written a novel that takes the modern day love triangle and not only turns it on its head, but completely reinvents it in a way that will leave readers reeling.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Flatiron Books; Reprint edition (January 30, 2018)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1250111196
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1250111197
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.35 x 0.8 x 8.2 inches
Reviewer: Ray J. Palen Jr.
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Classic psychological love triangle with a doozy of an ending!
Review: When every blurb on the front and rear cover of a novel mentions the 'final twist' and how it 'will leave you reeling' I have to make a decision as a reader. It sort of reminds me of every M. Night Shyamalan film after "The 6th Sense". That film had such a legendary twist that you find yourself looking for the twists in each successive film. This strategy takes away from fully allowing yourself to be immersed in the work and simply let the surprise, if any, happen as it was intended to.That is the challenge with the terrific new psychological thriller from Sarah Pinborough, BEHIND HER EYES. I made a mental note to drive through the novel and enjoy it as it was written, although I must admit to trying to piece together a few end game scenarios from what was unfolding before me.Before I jump into the set-up for this brilliant novel I must firmly aver that I am not a band-wagon jumper when it comes to Sarah Pinborough. Back when Leisure Books used to have a Horror Genre I was a club member who received two new or re-printed Horror paperbacks each month. This was how I was introduced to Ms. Pinborough as a slew of her horror novels were included as selections with the club. I really enjoyed her horror work and continued to seek out her other novels that included fantasy novels as well as a terrific exercise into grief entitled THE LANGUAGE OF DYING.BEHIND HER EYES unfolds like a classic love triangle thriller. Single mom Louise meets a stranger at a bar and the evening ends with a sultry kiss. Imagine how surprised she is to find that her boss at her new job is the very same man from the bar. She finds out that he is David Martin and he is married --- albeit, not happily.Things get complicated when she bumps into, quite literally, a woman on the street one morning who she strikes up a conversation with. This young woman is attractive and comes across as very lonely. She confesses that there are some distance issues with her husband --- a Psychologist named Dr. David Martin. Louise is in quite a predicament as she had a brief 'thing' with David yet really likes his wife, Adele, and also is in need of a female companion to befriend.Of course, Louise does not let on to Adele that she had a thing with her husband --- and that relationship begins to flower well beyond a mere kiss. She is really torn because she truly likes Adele. Things get really sticky when Adele declares that she feels her husband is seeing someone else. Rather than ending both relationships, she continues to move forward with each. It turns out that Adele and Louise have a lot more in common than just being attracted to the same man. They share similar anxieties that include suffering from severe night terrors. Adele is able to teach Louise a trick that allows a person to take command of their dream state and literally have out-of-body experiences that helps to prevent the dreaded night terrors.As expected, things begin to spiral out of control, especially when Louise reads the case file David kept in his office on Adele. She has many problems outside of mere nightmares and is heavily medicated. Adele paints a picture of David being super controlling and keeping her in check by knowing where she is at all times and staying on top of her daily pill intake.To go any further threatens to risk letting out critical information so I will leave things at that. The style of BEHIND HER EYES follows the scheme made uber-popular by Gillian Flynn in her novel GONE GIRL, where each chapter is told from a different characters perspective and forces the reader to make the connections. If one, or more, of the narrators turns out to be unreliable it makes things that much more interesting. The twist, when it comes, is a doozy and one I did not see coming. The best twist I have experienced since the terrific novel by Clair Mackintosh last year entitled I LET YOU GO. Sarah Pinborough deserves to be a household name internationally and I trust that BEHIND HER EYES raises her to that illustrious status.Reviewed by Ray Palen

Reviewer: Hannah
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: agh
Review: I really don’t know what to think of this book. It made my heart race so many times. It was brilliantly written and so incredibly compelling. It is definitely more psychological horror to me than just a thriller - especially the end.I didn’t like how I felt like could predict most of it, but then the end threw me for a huge loop.Really this is a 5 star book, but the ending left me so unsettled that I don’t know if I like it. Is that okay? Is okay to just not like something because it unsettles you so much? even if that’s the point haha?Highly recommend this book if you are a fan of these

Reviewer: K.B.
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Read to see what everyone is talking about
Review: 3.5 starsI've been sitting around thinking about what I was going to write for this review for a few days now. I'm trying to watch my words because I do not want to give away the controversial ending as it's such a huge reason why the book has been hyped up. I also needed some time to contemplate just exactly how I felt about what happened and whether or not an ending can ruin a book. I came to the conclusion that even though I was somewhat disappointed in how things wrapped up, overall I had a fun time reading this one.Louise is a single mom enjoying a rare night out at a bar when she meets David. They share a brief kiss but go their separate ways. That is until Louise shows up at work and meets her new boss who oh my goodness turns out to be David. To complicate matters Louise has just made a new friend, Adele, who of course turns out to be married to David. Adele seems to be scared of her husband and one thing becomes clear to Louise, something ain't right with their marriage.I was so into the story I ended up finishing it in a day. This book has been hyped to have "the twist you didn't see coming" and this is one of the few times that claim is pretty accurate. My first reaction was the ending cheapened in otherwise really entertaining read. After thinking about it though I do appreciate when authors are willing to go off in a direction that might not please everyone. I guess you could say I have mixed feelings. I understand why people hate the book but I also get why some really loved it.Overall, I'm glad I read it as it was definitely memorable. I've also had a lot of fun reading other readers' reactions to the story. This is one of those you are just going to have to decide for yourself if it's worth taking a chance on.

Reviewer: J. Irvin
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Amazing plot and pacing
Review: Although the plot seems to drag a bit at first, it is really a subtle buildup to an amazing ending.

Reviewer: audra barr hawkins
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: like a comet in the night… never saw it coming
Review: Very detailed and descriptive, almost boring at times. Glad I stuck with it, the twist was interesting. Storyline seemed common for a while, predictable. Some supernatural elements emerged providing opportunities for the expected.

Reviewer: Janet
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: rollercoaster ride
Review: This book is amazing, twists and turns you cannot see coming. I was not able to put it down until completed.

Reviewer: Lauren LaFleur
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Speechless!
Review: What a journey this book took me on! I thought I had it figured out in each step but boy was I wrong! I don’t normally read thrillers. I’m more of a romance and dark romance girlie but I think this book added the thriller genre to my list of reads now. I loved the mystery of it all. Sarah Pinborough just gained another fan!

Reviewer: Elena Crenna
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: The book is a masterpiece. Don't even think, just buy it. The film (series) on Netflix is - amazingly - even better, which seldom happens. I feel jealous that you are in for such a delightful surprise!

Reviewer: Cielo Valdez
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Muy recomendado, el libro te da más detalles que la serie no te dió. 100% recomendado. Estoy satisfecha con mi compra.

Reviewer: Daniya
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Very well written book. Keeps you hooked and engaged and ending is really unexpected

Reviewer: koontzie
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Last year, a friend of mine recommended a great Netflix series with a twist I wouldn't see coming: 'Mon Amie Adèle.' I watched it, loved it, and was blown away by the totally unexpected twist. I also recommended it to other people. Then, I discovered it was based on a book and hated myself for a while because everyone knows that books are always better than movies. Having seen the show before reading the book will forever be on the list of the worst mistakes I ever made, but hey, I can't turn back time. Fortunately, the on-screen adaptation is very good. It's not better than the book itself—nothing can compare to Sarah Pinborough's insightful, sharp, and witty writing style—and the only way to truly experience it is to READ [preferably everything she's ever written]. However, the adaptation remains accurate and faithful to the original story, which eases a bit my pain! ;)If you are among the very few people on this planet who haven't either read the book or watched the show, and if you love well-crafted mysteries with unexpected twists, don't look any further: 'Behind Her Eyes' is the book you have been looking for! I can guarantee you won't be able to guess what's going on until the final revelation. The last chapter will leave you shaken and speechless.

Reviewer: Mircalla10
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Premetto che ho visto prima la serie e che per una volta sono rimasta stupita dal finale, tanto da voler leggere il libro da cui era tratta. L’ho letto in lingua originale perché la traduzione italiana non è presentabile, nemmeno google translate. Venendo al libro, l’ho trovato carino, intricato e chi non vede dove sta andando da prima della metà non lo ha letto con attenzione. Non si può rimanere delusi per il finale, che a me inquieta e non poco, perché è lì’ dall’inizio del libro. Insomma per me una lettura piacevole, forse le parti di Louise sono un po’ ripetitive, ma è un male sopportabile. Consigliato il libro e la serie.