Not precisely a page turner, but I did want to know how the story ended. More of a Psychological thriller, the story of a substitute teacher accused of killing a student is told in alternating view points: that of Warren, the socially awkward possibly on the spectrum, substitute teacher and an individual whose identity (and gender) is unknown. I found this narration by an unknown individual to be slightly annoying because I couldn't tell if the narration was in the past or present and it really unnerved me yet added to the suspense of the book.
It was so creepy and detached; finding out who that narrator was (the ending), was unexpected in a really good way.

I wasn't able to finish this book, so I decided not to review it on my site or any of the major retailers/Goodreads.

I usually only read for pleasure before going to sleep at night. That actually doesn't provide much reading time - lights are off and lids are closing. And, brain is shutting down. Those little snippets at the end of a day didn't provide enough continuity for my sleepy brain, so I want to go back (during the daylight hours) and reread some, but I really did enjoy this book. It was a bit slow going, but I was invested and wanted to know the outcome. Also, there were some very graphic, gruesome scenes. Be aware.

My Review:

What I Liked:

Writing style. The best part of the novel, besides the character develop and the suspense, was the writing style. I took my time with the novel but kept coming back because I enjoyed the Lundrigan's writing.

Mystery/Suspense. I felt that novel was not predicable and I had no idea who the killer was until the last few chapters. I suggest mainly picking this novel up for great twist at the end and the great build up to the big reveal.

Characters. The two main character duel points of view between each chapter were interesting because you knew the of one (Warren, the substitute) while the other one remained nameless and genderless. I enjoyed the fact that characters were flawed, it made them feel like real people, and made the reader question if they should like them or not.

What I Did Not Like:

Animal Cruelty. There were quite a few incidents of animal cruelty that were hard for me to read, and I nearly put it down after the first one.

POV. The altering POV between the killer and the main character was interesting but it was also confusing, at least it was for me. However, I did like the mystery surrounding the nameless point of view.

I recommend checking out this underrated thriller, it kept me guessing all the way through.

My Rating:

4 Stars Out of 5 Stars

This book was pretty good. It had a good twist. I would definitely recommend it to friends. It took a little time to get into it but once I did I really enjoyed the story.

The Substitute by Canadian author Nicole Lundrigan follows a reserved Ph.D. turned middle-school substitute teacher named Warren. When one of his students turns up dead in his backyard, all eyes turn to Warren as the probable murderer. Meanwhile, an unnamed narrator (who is clearly a child psychopath) tells another story entirely. It takes a long time for the two stories to intersect but when they do you’ll be glad you stuck with the novel through the slower Warren chapters. The ending is so unexpected, it had me going back to the beginning to check for clues! To be honest, I didn’t love the book until I realized at the end that it had me completely fooled. No question this speaks to the skillful writing of the author.

Published in the June 22, 2017 edition of The Napanee Beaver, pg. 8

I had heard nothing but good things about Nicole Lundrigan and her writing, so when I saw THE SUBSTITUTE on Netgalley I had to request it! The cover caught my eye and the brief synopsis I read was enough to pull me in. Talk about a creepy thriller that throws you into the mind of a psychopath.

Warren Botts is a Ph.D who is taking a break from his lab in order to teach middle school science. He's a very quiet, more of a loner, and keeps to himself. He innocently befriends one of his students, Amanda, with no sinister intentions. One morning, Amanda is found dead, but in his backyard. Upon discovering her body, Warren flees the scene.

The story is told through different perspectives, with one being that of an anonymous narrator. This narrator is incredibly intelligent, emotionally detached, and gives the reader insight into past events. As the suspense builds throughout the book, we begin to gain some insights and understanding of the power of secrets, memories, and the illusions in this story.

Lundrigan does an incredible job with developing the characters - you really get to know them. Some you love and some you hate. This is more of a slower building psychological thriller - but it packs a punch! Creepy, demented, and twisted, we get an intimate look inside of a psychopathic killer. I'll definitely be looking for her other books! It's so well written and it'll keep you guessing until the very end.

I give this 4.5/5 stars!

A big thanks to House of Anansi and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

As a huge fan of this author's other works, it was a real honour to have the opportunity to receive an ARC of her newest title. I had been anxiously awaiting another story from her since reading " The Widow Tree", and was intrigued when I learned that this one would be a thriller. I haven't read that genre in many years, and was curious to see how the author, who's stories are typically very character driven, would tell that sort of a tale. True to form, she does not disappoint.

In " The Substitute", Lundrigan weaves another magical story around characters who will leave an indelible mark on the reader's heart and mind long after putting the book down. I don't know how she does it, but she imbues every one of her characters with so much humanity that, even when you don't particularly like them, you can always connect with and relate to them on some level.

The pace of the story is languid for a thriller (all the better to soak in the delicious writing style), but the suspense is maintained and built through the shifting back and forth between the two main characters. Although I pride myself on being pretty adept at guessing who done it, I was completely blown away (and very impressed by the creativity) of the ending!

This book was ok. I found it really disturbing.. I usually love this author so I wanted to really like this book but it just made me uncomfortable

In the novel, Lundrigan balances two stories. In one, we follow Warren Botts, mild-mannered, eccentric who is out of place in contemporary society. A substitute teacher, he is baffled when one of his young students appears at his home to discuss her failing grade on a recent test. He asks her to leave but sees her later in his garden and ignores her without noticing that she has died. When he realizes the truth, he becomes a suspect in her murder.

The second story is narrated by an unknown person reflecting on a difficult childhood. Is it Warren? Is it someone else?

Lundrigan very cleverly presents this second story without giving much away about the narrator. Gender, time period and location are all kept secret from the reader.

Enjoyed this novel in that way of getting involved in a book that is creepy and disturbing, yet you have to keep reading to find out what is going on. Some perceptive characterization that added much to the story. Very engrossing with an ending that doesn't leave you hanging...

This book is EVERYTHING I wanted it to be and more. And because I loved it so much, I want to go back and read it again. To describe it in a few words I would have to say it is gripping, astonishing, and utterly creepy. The author knows how to shock her readers... It was just that good. You NEED this book like I need AIR to breathe. So give a new author a try and pick up this haunting read!

Please Note: My full review of this captivating novel will be published on my blog and other book retailers closer to release date. Thank you!

I have to admit, this one took me a lot longer to get through than my normal reading speed. I’m usually through a book either in 1-2 days barring my life getting complicated but this one took 5. It’s not that it was a bad book but there’s a lot of exposition making the story slowly drawn out so I found myself losing focus at times and needing to take lots of breaks. I was determined to finish it though because the murder was done interestingly enough I had to know who did it and why.

Another interesting aspect is that the chapters switch off between the 3rd person perspective of one main character, Mr. Botts, whose story is in the present and the first person point of view who we would later learn to be the murderer. You don’t find out who the murderer is until nearly the last page. The way those chapters are written it could be the first person point of view of the main character from the other chapters or someone he’s interacting with; there just isn’t a lot of help to figure it out until the end which is a good thing because it keeps your attention in needing to know.

The entire book I kept going back and forth whether I liked it because at times it felt like there was a lot of rambling and it felt like the characters were talking just to hear themselves talk but they weren’t providing any information I cared about. Mr. Botts also gets lost in his head quite often and counts random things which takes you off on more slow tangents.

I think the problem was I had expectations from the cover and description this was going to be a very fast paced crime thriller but it’s a lot subtler than that, more like a fine wine you let breathe before you can enjoy. When I realized it wasn’t going to be the stereotypical mystery book I started again and changed my expectations because I knew when I first started I had skimmed through quite a bit trying to get to the tension building action.

Once I stopped looking for that quick, heroin like fix of junkie thrills we normally get from fast paced mystery thrillers I discovered a book rich in character development that was trying to examine a very powerful aspect of society. It was heartbreaking to understand why the murder victim was chosen even to the point I could emphasize with the murderer.

I would recommend people read this and give it chance because it is a book with a lot to offer.

This is the first book I have read by this author. As I was reading, I was not putting the pieces together which kept me in suspense. However, once the pieces were put together near the end of the book I was disappointed. Not so much disappointed at the coming together of the parts, but more so that the pieces that led to the conclusion were not logically developed. Different names, etc. not good. The main theme of the dead girl was poorly developed which for me added to not predicting the outcome. Basically a school bully just does not form a relationship with a teacher, especially a dorky teacher. An interesting book but one I would not wholeheartily recommend to others.

Warren Botts, is a scientist who needs a break from his lab work and takes on a long-term sub position as a science teacher in a middle school . He’s a quiet, introverted man with the best of intentions who doesn’t always have an easy time dealing with his students, still he befriends a troubled young girl named Amanda. When Amanda is found dead in his backyard, Warren panics and takes flight. The small community is quick to vilify the teacher and brand him as both a pedophile and a murderer. Readers hear Warren’s story through a nameless narrator, who tells the story with great dispassion, leaving readers to guess at his identity. This is a heart pounding read that delivered more than a few surprises.