FOOL ME ONCE
Author: Harlan Coben
Year: 2016
Edition: 2021 Paperback
Pages: 387
Genre: Thriller
Additional info: #1 New York Times Bestseller
A Netflix Series
Summary
You think you know the truth. The truth is, you know nothing.
Former special-ops pilot Maya, home from the war, sees an unthinkable image captures by her nanny cam while she is at work: her two-year-old daughter playing with Maya’s husband, Joe – who was brutally murdered two weeks earlier. The provocative question at the heart of the mystery: Can you believe everything you see with your own eyes, even when you desperately want to? To find the answer, Maya must finally come to terms with deep secrets and deceit in her own past before she can face the unbelievable truth about her husband – and herself.
Why I chose to read this book
After watching the intriguing Netflix series trailer for Fool Me Once, I added it to my watchlist. Once I found out it was based on a book, I knew I had to read it first!
Thoughts & Opinions
This was my first Harlan Coben novel. It has an easy vocabulary, it’s fast-paced, and definitely a page-turner. With that being said, my review unfortunately is not a glowing one. Maya, the main character, was so unlikeable. She is brazen, aggressive, and unpleasant (and yes, I would say the same thing if she were a man). She lives in her own world, unwilling to get the help she so desperately needs. She represents a wretched and eye-opening portrait of soldiers with untreated PTSD.
“Maya woke up to the sounds again – the screams, the rotors, the gunfire. She grabbed the pillow and wrapped it around her head, covering her ears, trying to muffle the terrible noise. She knew, of course, that it would do no good, that the sounds were coming from inside her head and, if anything, her efforts would keep them locked there.”- Harlan Coben, Fool Me Once
In Fool Me Once, Maya is on the hunt for her husband – who was killed in front of her very own eyes, yet she later sees him on a nanny cam. Readers are led on a wild goose chase and as the story progresses, more and more information is discovered and you’re guessing, along with the main character, as to where the story leads. The story is a little all over the place, with Maya taking things into her own hands and playing detective. She often takes things way too far. I found Fool Me Once to be such a typical American story, with guns at the forefront.
Lastly, I’m not trying to mom-shame but I AM JUDGING YOU HARD, MAYA, for all the terrible decisions you made despite having a 2-year-old daughter. The ending left me sad, angry, and uneasy. Knowing that I didn’t like the ending, I am no longer interested in watching the Netflix series.
Check out my other thriller reviews:
Discussion Points
- Have you read this book? If so, what did you think?
- Were you able to guess the ending?
- What do you think of unlikeable characters? Do they make your reading experience more interesting?
- I’d love to discuss this book with you in the comments below, looking forward to reading you!
- Which book should I review next?