Behind Her Eyes: A Novel

I was looking forward to this book ever since I saw it being advertised, a few weeks before release. I had enjoyed Gone Girl and Girl on the Train, and this book was hailed as being similar to the two. While there were definitely similar elements, it was a whole another story. Glad I picked this one up, because once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down until the final page. One of the few books that lives up to the hype.The story is dark and twisted, and every time you think you know what's going on, the author throws in another wrench. Nothing is truly what it seems, and I didn't figure anything out until the end. Speaking of which, wow, that was a crazy ending. A little far-fetched, but crazy and unique all the same.Ms. Pinborough weaves us a tale of betrayal and mystery, among three broken people who get into one twisted love triangle (and *that* isn't even what it seems). She brought together all the pieces from the past and present and tied everything together at the end. I don't like when things are left unexplained, so this was refreshing. The story is told through both female MC's POV in first person, as well as weaving in the story of the wife's past in third person.The whole concept of lucid dreaming is quite interesting, and I'm interesting in learning more about it. It plays a bigger part in the characters' lives than it first lets on.I wouldn't be surprised if this were made into a movie at some point. Well done! I will be recommending this book to others, and will look for this author's future works.

The final twist got me, though I saw a version of it coming. It was a fun read. Probably would have been a 3 star but that last twist upped it.

The book kept me interested and curious as to what was going to happen the whole read. However I didn’t love the unrealistic theme on dreaming. Also then ending was not what I expected but made me so angry!

U sure how to describe this book. There was suspense, lying, cheating, sadness, happiness, though veiled. The characters were well played, until the very last pages, I did get a little confused on what happened, but enjoyed till the end.

It was good lost me at some points but in the end it does a twist and a twist again. Almost like the author didn't want you to figure out the story,so the ending really makes no sense and makes no sense for the characters. It's a evil won ending which in a way was a Little disappointing but interesting overall!!!

When every blurb on the front and rear cover of a novel mentions the 'final twist' and how it 'will leave you reeling' I have to make a decision as a reader. It sort of reminds me of every M. Night Shyamalan film after "The 6th Sense". That film had such a legendary twist that you find yourself looking for the twists in each successive film. This strategy takes away from fully allowing yourself to be immersed in the work and simply let the surprise, if any, happen as it was intended to.That is the challenge with the terrific new psychological thriller from Sarah Pinborough, BEHIND HER EYES. I made a mental note to drive through the novel and enjoy it as it was written, although I must admit to trying to piece together a few end game scenarios from what was unfolding before me.Before I jump into the set-up for this brilliant novel I must firmly aver that I am not a band-wagon jumper when it comes to Sarah Pinborough. Back when Leisure Books used to have a Horror Genre I was a club member who received two new or re-printed Horror paperbacks each month. This was how I was introduced to Ms. Pinborough as a slew of her horror novels were included as selections with the club. I really enjoyed her horror work and continued to seek out her other novels that included fantasy novels as well as a terrific exercise into grief entitled THE LANGUAGE OF DYING.BEHIND HER EYES unfolds like a classic love triangle thriller. Single mom Louise meets a stranger at a bar and the evening ends with a sultry kiss. Imagine how surprised she is to find that her boss at her new job is the very same man from the bar. She finds out that he is David Martin and he is married --- albeit, not happily.Things get complicated when she bumps into, quite literally, a woman on the street one morning who she strikes up a conversation with. This young woman is attractive and comes across as very lonely. She confesses that there are some distance issues with her husband --- a Psychologist named Dr. David Martin. Louise is in quite a predicament as she had a brief 'thing' with David yet really likes his wife, Adele, and also is in need of a female companion to befriend.Of course, Louise does not let on to Adele that she had a thing with her husband --- and that relationship begins to flower well beyond a mere kiss. She is really torn because she truly likes Adele. Things get really sticky when Adele declares that she feels her husband is seeing someone else. Rather than ending both relationships, she continues to move forward with each. It turns out that Adele and Louise have a lot more in common than just being attracted to the same man. They share similar anxieties that include suffering from severe night terrors. Adele is able to teach Louise a trick that allows a person to take command of their dream state and literally have out-of-body experiences that helps to prevent the dreaded night terrors.As expected, things begin to spiral out of control, especially when Louise reads the case file David kept in his office on Adele. She has many problems outside of mere nightmares and is heavily medicated. Adele paints a picture of David being super controlling and keeping her in check by knowing where she is at all times and staying on top of her daily pill intake.To go any further threatens to risk letting out critical information so I will leave things at that. The style of BEHIND HER EYES follows the scheme made uber-popular by Gillian Flynn in her novel GONE GIRL, where each chapter is told from a different characters perspective and forces the reader to make the connections. If one, or more, of the narrators turns out to be unreliable it makes things that much more interesting. The twist, when it comes, is a doozy and one I did not see coming. The best twist I have experienced since the terrific novel by Clair Mackintosh last year entitled I LET YOU GO. Sarah Pinborough deserves to be a household name internationally and I trust that BEHIND HER EYES raises her to that illustrious status.Reviewed by Ray Palen

Fairly new to the reading scene, but this book was recommended by BookTok so I gave it a whirl! Twists and turns throughout! A bit slow in the beginning, but definitely necessary for the story.

The book is a masterpiece. Don't even think, just buy it. The film (series) on Netflix is - amazingly - even better, which seldom happens. I feel jealous that you are in for such a delightful surprise!

Muy recomendado, el libro te da más detalles que la serie no te dió. 100% recomendado. Estoy satisfecha con mi compra.

Last year, a friend of mine recommended a great Netflix series with a twist I wouldn't see coming: 'Mon Amie Adèle.' I watched it, loved it, and was blown away by the totally unexpected twist. I also recommended it to other people. Then, I discovered it was based on a book and hated myself for a while because everyone knows that books are always better than movies. Having seen the show before reading the book will forever be on the list of the worst mistakes I ever made, but hey, I can't turn back time. Fortunately, the on-screen adaptation is very good. It's not better than the book itself—nothing can compare to Sarah Pinborough's insightful, sharp, and witty writing style—and the only way to truly experience it is to READ [preferably everything she's ever written]. However, the adaptation remains accurate and faithful to the original story, which eases a bit my pain! ;)If you are among the very few people on this planet who haven't either read the book or watched the show, and if you love well-crafted mysteries with unexpected twists, don't look any further: 'Behind Her Eyes' is the book you have been looking for! I can guarantee you won't be able to guess what's going on until the final revelation. The last chapter will leave you shaken and speechless.

Premetto che ho visto prima la serie e che per una volta sono rimasta stupita dal finale, tanto da voler leggere il libro da cui era tratta. L’ho letto in lingua originale perché la traduzione italiana non è presentabile, nemmeno google translate. Venendo al libro, l’ho trovato carino, intricato e chi non vede dove sta andando da prima della metà non lo ha letto con attenzione. Non si può rimanere delusi per il finale, che a me inquieta e non poco, perché è lì’ dall’inizio del libro. Insomma per me una lettura piacevole, forse le parti di Louise sono un po’ ripetitive, ma è un male sopportabile. Consigliato il libro e la serie.

This is one of the best thrillers I‘ve ever read so far. The plot twist is amazing which I can never guess exactly what is going to happen until the end. Thanks to Netflix brought me to this book (Yes, I‘ve watched the series first, and decided to read the book to compare, and they are both splendid). Sarah Pinborough‘s writing skill is excellent. I just order her two other books last week. I‘m excited.The quality of this pre-print version (printed in Poland) is also very good.