The book started out slow for me.  I did not care for the main characters Matthew and Gil.  The ending left me feeling like I was missing something.  The book just had too much anger for me.  Thank you #NetGalley, #PenguinRandomHouse, #NathanOates and  #AFlawintheDesign for the novel for my review.

Immersive and engaging. A recommended purchase for collections where psychological thrillers are popular.

This was such an odd book! I loved the way I shifted between oh Gil is definitely an unreliable narrator, to then questioning everything, and cycling through those two forever. What a great ending!

The Flaw in the design is a suspense novel about a college professor that takes in his teenage nephew after the boy’s parents are killed in a car accident. But their relationship becomes increasingly tense as he suspects that the teenager could have been involved in the accident. 

Gil has been estranged from his sister Sharon for years after he accused her eleven year old son (Matthew) of trying to drown his daughter. Now Sharon and her husband are dead and as Matthew’s godfather and closest living relative Gil and his family are expected to take the boy in. But Gil can’t get past Matthew’s previous actions and starts to convince himself that the boy has gotten away with murder. The reader watches as Mathew fans the flames of suspicion by implicating himself in creative writing assignments that he turns in to Gil’s writing class. But is Matthew taking advantage of his uncle’s past mental health issues by pushing him to the edge or is he really guilty of orchestrating the deaths of his wealthy parents? 

This is a well-written and smart slow burn domestic thriller. The reader is left to decipher if Gil’s suspicion is just the jealous paranoia of a middle-aged family man with tight finances who has never forgiven his wealthy and urbane teenage nephew or rooted in actual fact. I wouldn’t say this is the most fun novel (both Mathew and Gil are completely humorless) but felt more grounded in reality than most of the books within this genre. 

3.5 stars

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming  Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick. Our library purchased and our patrons have been checking out and and enjoying the book. I see it is a popular book club choice as well we hope to have more oppurtinies to support authors like them

I've heard it said before that books come to you at the right time. When I originally tried to read this book I ended up DNF'ing it. However, when I recently read a review about this book, I decided to give it another try - and it was finally the right time for me to enjoy this book. 

Gil and his wife have long suspected that their nephew Matthew put their daughter in a life threatening situation; but after losing both his parents Matthew comes to live with his aunt and uncle. It's been years since the incident with their daughter, so Gil and his wife are hoping to put the past behind them and start fresh with Matthew. After all, Matthew lost both of his parents and not only has to deal with their loss, but also needs to adjust to a simpler lifestyle than the life of privilege he is accustomed to. As Gil begins noticing inconsistencies with Matthew's words and actions, he begins to think something dark lies within Matthew. With those around him thinking that Gil is just not moving forward with his relationship with Matthew, he knows that he needs to take matters into his own hands before someone gets hurt. He quickly realizes that there is more behind Matthew's mask then even he had noticed.
I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. Filled with twists and turns this book kept me waffling between Matthew being a psychopath and Gil just being paranoid. This book ended with a bang that gives me hope that we haven't heard the last word of this tale just yet.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for the gifted copy of this book.

Interesting and well written I just personally couldn’t get into the story. Difficult to follow at times and a little slow. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This one was a bit rough for me. I ended up skimming the middle - I just really disliked the main character. Gil is pretty self-centered. And while Matt did seem like a conniving jerk, his evilness just didn't rise to a level where I cared, which is probably because I didn't like Gil. Definitely not an awful book, but not one of my best reads of the year either.

A Flaw in the Design is one you want to add to your reading list. This was a fun read, full of twists and turns and left me guessing. Can't wait to read more from the author.

I was excited to read this novel after reading the description.  A professor and his wife agree to take in their estranged seventeen-year-old nephew after the mysterious and tragic death of both of his parents.  

This wasn't a long novel but at times I found it dragged on. There was a lot of inner monologue and some of the characters really annoyed me. That being said, I was still intrigued and wanted to see how things turned out. I thought the ending was good though I was left with some questions. 

There were many readers who really loved this novel. Although I didn't end up enjoying this novel as much as I thought I would, I'm still glad I read it. Overall it was a decent debut. I would like to see what the author writes next. 

I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.

A Flaw In The Design is a suspense novel about what happens to a family when they allow their recently orphaned nephew come to live with them. I liked the character development but the plot wasn’t as strong as I thought it would be. Overall good writing and worth a read!

Including IG review: https://www.instagram.com/p/CqA5cwsrA83/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. 
Loved this thriller. Kept me interested and I finished it in two nights!

I loved "A Flaw in the Design" by Nathan Oates! A twisted mystery about a dangerous young man, and the family embracing him. Very good! Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

This story was pretty middle of the road for me. The writing was excellent but I didn’t feel very entertained. I was left with some questions by the end of it. Wish I enjoyed it more.

This definitely was sufficiently eerie, successfully communicating how disturbing and problematic Gil's nephew is, and the quiet upheaval he causes when he comes to live with Gil's family after the death of his parents. If you're considering reading this one, I'd suggest not reading the synopsis too closely as it really communicates almost the entire plot, which means there isn't much that is left to discover.

This book is awesome! Creative Writing professor, Gil and wife Molly have 2 lovely young girls when they are "forced" to take in nephew Matthew when his parents die in a gruesome car accident. Fortunately, Matthew is inheriting millions of dollars so that takes a little pressure off Gil and family who are struggling to make ends meet. But the events that follow Matthew's stay are anything but "fortunate," as Gil is swept up in a maelstrom of crazy decisions that affect his entire family as well as his class! The pacing is fast, dialogue is slick, and I couldn't tear myself away!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

This was a real quick read, I loved the flow of the book and found the pace to be almost perfect. It flew by and I wanted more when it ended. I would definately read Nathan again!

4 stars

This girl is catching up.,,

I’m a reader. I’ll read 3 books in day to soothe my soul and then I come across a banger like this one and I have to stop in my tracks and take a minute to brag.

This book is brag worthy and I am so here for it . 

I was about to tuck myself in and tell myself night night but I just had to pick up one last book. 

A Flaw In The Design 

Y’all! You need this book! My heart was racing my pulse couldn’t be found and I was so hear for it!!! 

I’m not one for spoilers but I will tell you, I’ve read it, I loved it and you need to read it for yourself : 

Teaser : 

A professor’s life is turned upside down when he takes in his charming, wildly dangerous nephew, whose wealthy parents have just died under mysterious circumstances, in this propulsive, edge-of-your-seat debut psychological thriller.

“An absolute page-turner . . . I read it in a single sitting.”—Miranda Cowley Heller, bestselling author of The Paper Palace
 
The cleverest psychopaths hide in plain sight.

Gil is living a quiet life as a creative writing professor in a bucolic Vermont town, when he receives some shocking news: His sister and her husband have been killed in a car accident, and their only son is coming to live with him and his family.
 
Gil and his wife are apprehensive about taking in seventeen-year-old Matthew. Yes, he has just lost both his parents, but they haven’t seen him in seven years—and the last time the families were together, Matthew lured their young daughter into a terrifying, life-threatening situation. Since that incident, Gil has been estranged from his sister and her flashy, wealthy banker husband. 

Now Matthew is their charge, living under their roof.
 
The boy seems charming, smart, and urbane, if strangely unaffected by his parents’ deaths. Gil hopes they can put the past behind them, though he’s surprised when Matthew signs up for his creative writing class. Then Matthew begins turning in chilling stories about the imagined deaths of Gil’s family and his own parents. Bewildered and panicked, Gil ultimately decides he must take matters into his own hands—before life imitates art.
 
Told in limber, mesmerizing prose, A Flaw in the Design is a twisting novel of suspense that brilliantly explores the tensions surrounding class, family, and the drive to control one’s own story.

Here’s a modern take on the proverbial Bad Seed, featuring an average, struggling-to-get-by family forced to take in a (possibly nefarious) teenager after his parents are killed. 
After a past family vacation is cut short by an alarming incident instigated by his nephew, Matthew, Gil has had no relationship with his sister or her family. This changes when his sister and her husband die unexpectedly and Matthew comes to live with them. Although the boy seems to be playing by the rules, and charming the pants off everyone around him, Gil is certain that Matthew is putting on an act and is on constant alert, watching and waiting for Matthew to eventually show his true, malevolent colors. 
I very much enjoyed this tale of family discord. The continual thrum of tension that ran throughout the story was well done and compelling. If you’re a fan of psychological dramas, I would recommend. 
Thanks to #netgalley and #randomhouse for this #arc of #aflawinthedesign by #nathanoates in exchange for an honest review.