56 Days

Honestly, I freaking loved this book and the story! This was my first pandemic thriller and I thought that it might be too soon but the story sounded really good and I just couldn't wait to read it. Talk about a rollercoaster ride! About halfway through I was certain I knew who the killer is and all the reveals and what not and it turns out I knew almost absolutely nothing. This book might tempt you to assume about what's coming up and what has really happened and let me give you some advice, fight that temptation. I wasn't sure I was going to like the ending because everything seemed pretty laid out in front of us and already fully revealed and boy was I wrong. The twists and turns kept coming until the very end and I was there for it all.

To begin with, 56 Days is about a couple who meet a few days before lockdown begins due to Covid-19 and they are instantly smitten with each other so they decide to move in together for the duration of lockdown in order to maintain their blossoming relationship. However, a short time after, one person in the relationship is found murdered. What really happened? Man, this plot was twisty and stressful as all else. Having lived through lockdown not too long ago with two little kids, the stress that caused at the time is still pretty fresh in my mind so I had to hold my breath as I was reading this. It definitely brought up a lot of emotions and I wasn't sure I would be able to stomach the time period of this thriller and yet I was completely hooked from the very beginning. There were so many twists and turns and the plot had so many different layers that were revealed all throughout the book that I just couldn't put it down. If it wasn't for my dog tragically dying last weekend, I would have probably finished it in two days. Something very different, that is for sure.

Secondly, the characterization was pretty good and I don't have many complaints about it. The characters were very dynamic and I enjoyed reading about how their relationships to each other developed and changed all throughout the book as well. They were very complex characters with flaws and their own agendas and I was here for it. This book is definitely not afraid to go there, it gets pretty dark and has plenty of trigger warnings that you should look up if you're worried it might affect you in a negative way.

Finally, the writing style is probably the only reason I gave this book four stars and not five. Because let me be completely honest, the writing style is definitely not my favorite. It feels like an endless continuation of run-on sentences and felt very choppy to me as I was reading it. Once I got used to it, it wasn't much of an issue anymore but it never felt smooth and wasn't a joy to read. The plot and the characters made up for that though. Also, the book skips around a lot and it was confusing keeping track of what we were reading about and when at times and we would get the same scene from the two different characters' perspectives and even though at times it helped to understand what actually happened, sometimes it felt rather redundant and the full length of the retelling didn't feel completely necessary.

In conclusion, I would definitely recommend this book to all my fellow thriller lovers who don't mind reading a thriller that takes place during Covid-19, more specifically in lockdown. It will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat and if you're not afraid of the writing being a bit choppy and wordy, it's easy to get past that fact and get fully immersed in the story. Definitely a treat!