DNF

This book made me want to reach inside, grab the character and stop him from what he was doing.
Angry, frustration, hurt, pain, fear and sadness were all felt while reading this book.
At times I found it difficult but ultimately I couldn't put it down and it didn't disappoint, right til the very end.

Before Catherine Bailey leaves her flat every morning to go to work, she leaves her curtains open to exactly the right width, and she makes sure all her doors are securely locked by turning her doorknobs six times. If it does not feel right, she will repeat the process all over again, even if it means being late for work by three hours. On odd-numbered days, she can go exercise, but cannot cook food. She can only do her groceries on even-numbered days. It's a daily physical and psychological struggle, her feeling that every move is being watched, her terror that her past has finally caught up with her and waiting for her at her flat every time she comes home.

She has not always been like this, though. Who would have thought that good-looking and mysterious Lee Brightman would turn out to be such a psycho? Had she known that he was capable of doing those terrible things to her, she would never have worn that sexy red dress, never would have gone to that bar, never would have gone back to her apartment with him, never would have let him take over her life...

This is a truly engrossing but very disturbing book. There were a few chapters that were a bit tough to read, but I couldn't put it down, and I was on edge the whole time I was reading it. One can really feel the terror and the struggle of our heroine Catherine as she picks up the pieces of her life and rejoins the real world. Oh, what a great read.

یه جا از کتاب میگه: همیشه فکر می‌کردم اینایی که مورد خشونت خونگی قرار می‌گیرن و میگن که هیچ راهی برای فرار نداشتن فقط بهونه میارن، مگه میشه راهی نداشته باشی؟ به محض اینکه روشو برگردوند بدو، فرار کن. چقدر احمق بودم که فکر می‌کردم راه فرار وجود داره.

هر بار که کتابی توی این زمینه می‌خونم از تصور اتفاقاتی که سر افراد میاد چه از احاظ روحی و روانی، و چه از لحاظ جسمی، رعشه به تنم میشینه.

Great! Loved piecing the story together with the past and present. Excellent portrayal of domestic abuse.

Perhaps the most horrifying thing about Into the Darkest Corner is how much it reminds me of what people are calling "intense" and "dark" New Adult romances. No exaggeration.

This book is a dark, psychological thriller that chronicles the tale of a relationship between the young Catherine Bailey and a handsome, charismatic man called Lee who slowly, gradually, turns into a monster. It's a disturbing story that doesn't skimp on violent details, which might make it something you'd want to avoid if you are particularly sensitive to scenes of domestic abuse and rape.

Haynes offers up one of the most effective uses of alternating past/present narratives that I've ever read. It's so... unsettling to see the character of Catherine as she was before and as she is now - it at first seems like you're reading the POVs of two different characters. But not only that, it's the development of Lee himself that is even worse.

Lee is presented as everything a young woman could want: good-looking, sexy, sweet, romantic and great in bed. The readers themselves might find they are falling slightly in love with him... and yet, bit by bit, he starts to change. His sweet protectiveness becomes controlling and possessive. His attentiveness turns to stalking. Soon Catherine doesn't know how to escape and she's too afraid to try.

I think it's the contrast between the now and then of the story that makes Into the Darkest Corner so powerful. I've read other books about domestic violence and abusive boyfriends, but none seem to have captured the complete shift in personality of the abuser quite like this one does. It's refreshing - though I cringe that I can say that - to see a controlling relationship and stalkery portrayed as something negative, not as symbolic of the deep, never-ending love the stalker feels.

And it is really creepy at times. The present part of the story is set after Catherine has escaped and Lee has been charged - but he has also just been released from prison. Afraid of her own shadow and caught up in her OCD, Catherine must try to continue with her life whilst knowing that Lee is out there somewhere. She wakes up every single day and wonders if he's found her... and so did I. It's an edge-of-your-seat kind of book and Haynes builds some fantastic tension.

Highly recommended.

Blog | Leafmarks | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr

Holy crap! I couldn't put this down and found myself keeping the lights on!

The protagonist thinks about men 24/7, then a man ruins her and then a man saves her. She has no hobbies outside of OCD and men. When she talks to other female characters she only talks about men. Super one dimensional, I was glad it was a short read.

I gave up on this book at the 70% mark. It felt like a book that could have been condensed to half of its size. It dragged on so much it became too painful to push on with. I ended up looking up a plot summary online and I'm glad that I quit when I did.

I wish I could have given this book a 3.5. I have mixed feelings. Overall, I enjoyed reading it. This is not a story that is packed with exciting events right from the beginning, however, it was well written, which kept me reading. There were periods of suspense that actually made me feel scared, which is rare for me when reading a book, but I liked that aspect. My main issue with this book is that I feel that the ending did not measure up to the suspense that was built throughout the story.