Name: lisa's review of The Window by Amelia Brunskill
Item: The Window
Rating: 4
Author: lisa

Amelia Brunskill

"A gripping tale of suspense, secrets, and the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood."—Karen M. McManus, New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying If you loved The Third Twin and One of Us Is Lying and binge-watched Thirteen Reasons Why, get ready for a heart-wrenching psychological thriller about a girl who knows her twin sister better than anyone . . . or does she? Taut and atmospheric, The Window will keep you guessing until the end. Secrets have a way of getting out. . . . Anna is everything her identical twin is not. Outgoing and athletic, she is the opposite of quiet introvert Jess. The same on the outside, yet so completely different inside--it's hard to believe the girls are sisters, let alone twins. But they are. And they tell each other everything. Or so Jess thought. After Anna falls to her death while sneaking out her bedroom window, Jess's life begins to unravel. Everyone says it was an accident, but to Jess, that doesn't add up. Where was Anna going? Who was she meeting? And how long had Anna been lying to her? Jess is compelled to learn everything she can about the sister she thought she knew. At first it's a way to stay busy and find closure . . . but Jess soon discovers that her twin kept a lot of secrets. And as she digs deeper, she learns that the answers she's looking for may be truths that no one wants her to uncover. Because Anna wasn't the only one with secrets. "Layered and compelling, THE WINDOW is a fast-paced mystery anchored by a bold and intriguing protagonist, and you won’t want to put it down until you’ve uncovered every last one of its secrets!"—Caleb Roehrig, author of Last Seen Leaving "Lyrical and haunting, with plenty of twists that kept me reading long into the night.”—Kara Thomas, author of The Darkest Corners

The Window

lisa

Corrie White 

Wow, that was a really enjoyable and hard hitting read.

Jessica Nottingham

Well now, this was a pleasant surprise! I don't think I've read too many YA mystery novels, or if I have I don't quite remember them, so this was a nice place to settle in. My first thought is that Amelia Brunskill has quite a talent for pacing, which I'll expand on in a bit. The Window drew me in, and I ran through it so quickly that it actually surprised me. I love effortless reads, and this book definitely fits that bill.

Jess and Anna. Anna and Jess. The twin angle was a beautiful addition to this story, because of the even sharper contrast between their two personalities. The same on the outside, but so very different in all other aspects. I loved how Brunskill slowly unveiled Anna's thoughts and feelings, as Jess slowly dove further and further into her sister's life. I think it's such a truth that we never really know someone, even an identical sibling, as much as we think we did. For Jess, Anna's life is this enigma. It takes her death to change to that at all.

I usually hesitate to the use the phrase "compulsively readable", because it's one of those phrases that's tossed casually around the book world and shows up endlessly on covers. However, I can honestly say that this phrase applies to this book. Reading The Window is effortless. Maybe not content wise, since Jess' hurt is palpable and tough to read at times. Plot wise though, this book pulls you along in its wake. I found myself having to forcefully put this book down at bedtime, because I just kept wanting to know what would happen next. Brunskill has this beautiful slow burn going through this story. It gives you just enough to tempt you to the next chapter, and then does it all over again. I didn't mind one bit.

My only complaint, and the reason I gave this book 4 stars rather than 5, is the fact that it felt a bit anti-climactic to me. Now, again, I'm used to reading this genre in the more adult section of things. So I had to step back and remind myself that this book is written for a younger set of readers, and features a much younger protagonist. I had to point out to myself that many of the scenarios in other books I've read wouldn't play out in the life of a high school student. So, just take this as my personal preference more than anything. I enjoyed this book immensely. I powered through it like a madwoman. It just didn't hit that unforgettable mark that I look for in a 5 star book, and that's totally okay.

Long story short, read this. It's excellent.

Charlot van Dijk

Ik heb een boek gelezen wat een echte contemporary is, ik heb gelachen, gehuild, mezelf afgevraagd wat er nu eigenlijk allemaal gaande was en gehoopt op een grotere plottwist dan degene die er nu in zat. Ik vind het heerlijk om deze boeken tussendoor te lezen en dit maakte me niet veel anders erover denken. Het is een snelle read, waarbij je meeleeft met Jess. Jess is een karakter waarvan ikzelf het idee had dat ze soms wat autistisch handelde, maar ik weet niet of dat de intentie was van de schrijfster. Al met al een tussendoor boekje om even lekker niet teveel bij hoeven na te denken.

After her twin sister Anna falls to her death while sneaking out her bedroom window, high school sophomore Jess tries to learn everything she can about the sister she thought she knew and soon discovers that her twin kept many dark secrets.

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The Window by Amelia Brunskill

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