Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra #bookreview #audiobook

I purchased this book for my own personal collection. I borrowed the audiobook from the library.

Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books / Penguin Audio

Published: February 6, 2024

Summary:

A mother is forced to the breaking point when her life and the lives of her children are threatened by an intruder

Home alone with her young children during a blizzard, a mother tucks her son back into bed in the middle of the night. She hears a noise—old houses are always making some kind of noise. But this sound is disturbingly familiar: it’s the tread of footsteps, unusually heavy and slow, coming up the stairs.

She sees the figure of a man appear down the hallway, shrouded in the shadows. Terrified, she quietly wakes her children and hustles them into the oldest part of the house, a tiny, secret room concealed behind a wall. There they hide as the man searches for them, trying to tempt the children out with promises and scare the mother into surrender.

In the suffocating darkness, the mother struggles to remain calm, to plan. Should she search for a weapon or attempt escape? But then she catches another glimpse of him. That face. That voice. And at once she knows her situation is even more dire than she’d feared, because she knows exactly who he is—and what he wants.

My thoughts:

This was easily a five-star read for me & it will definitely be making my list of top reads of the year! And the fact that it’s a debut is just mind-blowing…this is definitely an author to keep an eye out for!!!⁣
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To say this book is unsettling & intense would be an understatement. I felt like I was on the edge of my seat the entire time…right from the opening scene that puts us right into the action, all the way until the very end of the book. My jaw & neck muscles were actually a bit sore for how tense they were as I was listening to this one…that’s how good & engaged I was! ⁣
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But…this is also the type of book where the less YOU know going into it, the better. If you like claustrophobic, atmospheric reads set in isolated settings, this is for you! This is a home invasion story that not only keeps you wondering what is going to happen next but will also have you checking your own locks and doors. I loved the internal thought process of the main protagonist that we were privy to, as it had me wondering what I would do were I to ever find myself in her position. ⁣

This book manages to evoke strong emotion & terror. It also at times has you questioning whether you should trust certain things…& I loved that! ⁣
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I cannot recommend this book enough!!! It blew all my expectations out of the water & even though I just finished it, I already want to read it again…⁣
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Audio thoughts:

I listened to this one & loved the way the narrator, Emily Ellet, brought the story to life. She infused just the right amount of tension & suspense to her voice to make this listening experience just right. ⁣

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