The Chemist is not a new book, but for some reason, I had never picked it up. I have previously read The Host like so many other Twilight fans, and I enjoyed that one okay. (Though to be honest, I read it so long ago, I don't quite remember it.) This book turned out to be much more of a spy thriller than I had anticipated. In fact, when I finished the last page, I picked up my phone to see who owned the movie rights to the book. I'm honestly surprised that this one hasn't found it's way to the big screen. (It's likely that The Host was such a box-office bust that no one wanted to take a chance on this one.) 

While Stephenie Meyer does the typical lack of character-building with her main character, I still really enjoyed following the main character's story. The story was interesting from page one. It's a bigger book which seemed like it would take me a little bit longer, but it wasn't a particularly challenging read which made it go quick. 

Like many readers, I was encouraged to read The Girl on the Train after I finished Gone Girl. The two seem to be natural comparisons, though I'm not totally sure why. When I saw this on the shelves right after its release, I wanted to read it. I passed it in Target many, many times, so I was overjoyed when the library had it in. However, I was really disappointed because it took me SO LONG to finally get into this one. It was a super slow build, and I was juggling over half a dozen characters that I didn't know or understand. 

I stuck with it because I hate to abandon a book. I especially hate to abandon a book that I had wanted to read for so long. Eventually, I got about 60-70% done, and I found myself unable to put it down. I began to see the connections to all the story threads. Paula Hawkins definitely knows how to work the long game. While I wouldn't suggest this to a causal reader, I would say frequent fiction readers would probably enjoy this one. 

I have never read anything by Kate White before, and I didn't realize who she was before I picked this up. Honestly, I picked this book because of the way the cover looked. It reminded me of a Gone Girl style cover. I really enjoyed this one. I didn't pick up on all the twists and turns, so it was a pleasant thriller. 

Reading this one and "Every Last Lie" back to back was strange because they have very similar themes of a lying spouse. However, this one, for some reason, felt more empowering. 

This is the second Mary Kubica book that I have read, and I have to say that I really enjoy Mary Kubica's back and forth narration style. The way that she tells the story in the present and the past from the point of view of different characters. I have previously read The Good Girl, and I didn't realize that this style would exist in more of her work. I want to read another of her books to see if the style is the same. 

Overall, this book was an easy and mostly enjoyable read. The topic of death of a spouse was a little heavy for me. I had a hard time separating myself from the wife in the book and putting myself in her shoes. I guess that is the mark of good writing, though.