I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
* * * *
This book was just as amazing as I was expecting it to be. Shannon Greenland is also the author of Shadow of a Girl which I read in 2016 and loved- I gave it 5 stars and it ended up being one of my favourite books of the year.
Watching You is a YA thriller with a little bit of romance and it is addictive! This book follows Viola, a girl desperate to escape her past and start the new life she's always dreamt of. But soon enough, weird things begin to happen. Misplaced personal items. Frightening messages. The unmistakable feeling of being watched. Viola no longer fights for her new life but to simply stay alive.
Watching You was entertaining from the very first page. The characters are really lovable, as are the relationships, the plot and... everything! I was gripped from the very first chapter and the ending was so brilliantly satisfying and exceeded all expectations. I'd definitely recommend it for any lovers of YA, thriller or romance- this book has it all!
Shadow of a Girl Book Talk
SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD
When I read that very first chapter in the perspective of the stalker, a stereotypical image of a middle aged man immediately came to mind and I hated myself for it. So, from the very first page, I was hoping- praying- Shannon Greenland would defy gender norms and expectations. Of course, that didn't stop me from suspecting every single male character that walked onto the page because my head has just been conditioned that way (and I hate it). I was so inexplicably happy that Abbie was the stalker. It was exactly the stereotype break that I wanted to see in thriller fiction and I love the idea of an unhinged, crazy rich bitch being the stalker. It made for one hell of a story.
My notes for every stalker chapter literally said, and I quote, "the stalker scares the crap out of me and I love it." Extensive notes, I know.
As a general character, I liked Viola. Sometimes it's nice to follow a logical, head-driven and smart character because so many protagonists in fiction are all too stupid- simply because they let their emotions rule them. Viola had a nice balance of compassion and logic which I really appreciated.
I also really liked her 'dark' past. The depth of her family situation and prejudice she'd always received because of it really enabled me to sympathise with her. While maybe not completely right, I understand her decision to lie on her essays to get the scholarship and, in the end, she was gonna do the right thing and confess everything but... in fiction, an honest confession is often scheduled too little too late.
Riel took a little bit of time to warm up to, if I'm being honest. At the beginning, I thought he was a little cold and harsh but that's understandable when you read on and discover his circumstances. But, after seeing how great he was with Mar that first time... I was in love. Why is it so attractive when guys are good with kids? Especially younger siblings?? Imagining him braiding Mar's hair and picking out skirts for her just melted my heart.
In my Shadow of a Girl Book Talk, I was obsessing over West and Shannon Greenland just has the natural ability to create irresistible men! If West is the definition of 'swoon-worthy', Riel is definitely the definition of 'dreamboat'.
I also happened to love every scene we had between Mar and Viola (let's face it, every scene with Mar was beyond adorable). They grew really close and it so sweet to see how much Mar looked up to Viola. It just made my little heart burst!
From the very beginning, we had this constant sense of unease with the thought of a stalker walking around but it gets truly serious when Viola gets a call from them. Viola has a strong suspicion that the stalker's Bud- the creepy bald guy- but, while I'd suspected him myself, I immediately ditched that thought when Viola turned to him. It would've been too obvious. I also have a slight theory that the reason Bud wears dark glasses all the time is because he's blind.... I just think that'd make all the suspicions over him quite hilarious.
I also didn't think it was Manny. While Manny sounds like an absolute ass (and that's actually too tame a word for a rapist and murderer), it felt a little too obvious to be him as well. And, despite me wanting the stalker to be a girl, it didn't stop me from suspecting every male character that walked onto the page... I hate myself for being so damn stereotypical.
We had the lightening scene on the boat and I really liked this one- it was the first time I think Riel and Viola truly bonded- or allowed themselves to get closer to each other. Before, there was this unspoken discomfort in the air between them because you could feel Riel's hesitation to get closer to the girl that had essentially stolen his scholarship. But, being in the boat during a lightening storm (which does sound terrifying), forced them to move past that.
Through the whole book, Abbie is a thorn in our sides (maybe an understatement...) but the first time she becomes truly bothersome is when she filmed Viola and Riel dancing. Can't the girl take a hint? It's so painfully obvious that Riel doesn't like her the way she likes him but she just doesn't give up! She blackmails Viola, threatening to expose her true past if she doesn't stay away from Riel. This should have been the first hint that she's absolutely crazy-pants and was a shoe in to become a stalker but... logical reasoning flew straight over my head.
After the stalker physically attacks Viola, Riel finds her and offers for her to stay with him during the school break which was sweet and I appreciate the sentiment but it was also incredibly stupid! I was surprised he wanted her to stay with him. Because leading a crazy stalker to your home where you also have a kid sister really isn't the best idea. And I didn't even need a fancy scholarship to Ponce de Leon Academy (the most pretentious sounding school ever) to figure that out.
They have a nice deep chat on the boat and this was maybe my favourite section from the book. Riel slowly forgives Viola and they really get to know each other on a much deeper level. I also highly appreciated reading this book on my kindle because I could highlight and translate all the Spanish things Riel said which made me fangirl so hard!
We have the final climactic sequence where we find out that Abbie's the stalker and where she kidnaps Viola and Mar. I was terrified for Mar the entire time- how anyone can even dare to harm a hair on that adorable girl's head is beyond me! But Mar was so brave the entire time and they finally fight their way out, with Riel coming in to save them as well.
The ending was really sweet- Viola getting her own cabin and all of them becoming this happy family. I'm also glad that Viola didn't get the scholarship back. There was a small part of me that was expecting a rose-tinted ending where an exception would get made and both Riel and Viola would end up with a scholarship but... that would've been too unrealistic and happily-ever-after, I think. I like the fact that Viola is being forced to truly fight and work hard for what she wants.
Overall, I absolutely loved this book. It had the romance, the thrill, the action and it ticked all the boxes for me.
Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment your thoughts. Stay amazing!
Chloe
No comments:
Post a Comment