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Don't Let Her Stay by Nicola Sanders
An unputdownable psychological thriller with a breathtaking twist
Hey, it’s Diego.
This week I’ve just completed reading Don’t Let Her Stay by Nicola Sanders.
And I have some strong opinions about this one.
Let me give you my spoiler-free unbiased review.
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Don't Let Her Stay by Nicola Sanders Review
"Don't Let Her Stay" introduces us to Joanne, who lives a seemingly peaceful life with her husband Richard and their baby in a quiet village. But things take a dark turn when Richard's estranged adult daughter, Chloe, moves in with them. From the moment Chloe steps into their home, it's clear she has sinister intentions that threaten to unravel their family.
Trigger Warnings: gaslighting, manipulation and emotional abuse, potential violence.
This book fits snugly into the Domestic Thriller genre, with most of the action unfolding inside the family home in the countryside.
Domestic thrillers: a subset of psychological thrillers that happen in a “domestic” location. This can be a family home or small town but can also be a hospital, prison, etc.
I found the writing fast-paced, but it still took me a good month to finish this book for reasons I’ll discuss below. I found the prose to be effective in its descriptions and very natural sounding when were are inside the character’s head as well as in dialogue. (I read The Perfect Marriage just after this one and I found it much more clunky than this book for example.)
The story is told exclusively from Joanne's point of view, in a linear timeline, which keeps the narrative straightforward and easy to follow. This singular perspective allowed me to experience her mounting anxiety firsthand. The story follows a classic flat plot structure of tension mounting throughout the book with very few twists and one big twist at the end.
The biggest issue I had with this book was the exaggerated amount of gaslighting the main character endures throughout the story. At one point I had to stop and read another book before I could continue because I was ready to throw this one out the window. I just wanted to slap every single character in the book. It didn’t help that none of the characters are all that likable.
There's no romance here, so if you're looking for a love story, this isn't it. The focus remains on the family dynamics and the psychological games at play. The book does have some swearing (but I must admit I did most of the swearing while reading this book) and scenes of violence, but nothing overly graphic.
So, what about the ending? (No spoilers obviously)
I love my stories to wrap up nicely, with a neat little bow at the end. I like to read a cathartic scene where everything our characters have been through finally pays off physically and emotionally. Then a denouement in another chapter (or chapters) following the characters decompress where things are resolved and I’m left delighted at how well things played out at the end, every plot thread resolved.
Believe it or not, I was invested during the ending of the book. I had endured so much gaslighting that I was all in with Joanne. The ending worked for me. And the denouement was good too. It even left it kind of open for a sequel.
Overall, Don’t Let Her Stay taught me where my limits to gaslighting lie. I’m able to endure some gaslighting like, say, in The Housemaid, but this was way too much for me. Enough that I couldn’t get past it to enjoy the other brilliant parts of it.
Similar Books to Don’t Let Her Stay
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
That’s all for this week.
See you next time.
— Diego Dunne
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