This book gave me flashbacks to the case of Amanda Knox. A very sexually driven book that put the male weakness of sick love on display. The main character's obsession with V, is like reading about a car crash and continuing to want all the gory details. I found the most interesting part of the book was the author's acknowledgement. What she wrote in it was a burst full of fire that could have been put into more play in the book itself. Thank you to Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the e-copy arc.

This book was odd. Not bad, but not great. I expected it to be darker. This is not one I'll be suggesting to people as anything other than a light average read.

The psychological thriller market is currently flooded with books that are becoming indistinguishable from one another. This novel stands out as it is not just a thriller about a psychopathic stalker. It also a wonderful illustration of how people can share the same experiences but experience two completely different realities. It's a wonderful insight on how the mind of a predator works, and the mental gymnastics they will do in order to keep their reality intact. I also see social commentary about the perils for women who are trying to be "nice" and "kind" in the face of male abuse that is occurring under the guise of being a "nice guy".

This is a hard one to rate, and part of me wants to give it a 2 while another part of me wants to give it a 4. My problem is that it’s super original and thought provoking, but something about the execution left me wanting. It wasn’t poor writing or anything, I just felt like there was *more* that could have been done with the story somehow. Still, I would be super curious to see what else could come from the author, Hall’s, brain next.

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

This book has what I would say is a text book example of an unreliable narrator. Mike is our narrator throughout the whole book and there are multiple examples of scenes that are told from his point of view that I'm sure are not actually how it happened. Which ended up being frustrating for me only because there was a lack of closure in the end with not knowing which items were true and which were entirely false based on Mike's perspective. It was hard as a reader to determine the truth from the lies, I know this is something that appeals to some readers but it has never been one of my favorite things. Beyond that the plot itself was just so very sad and to be honest disturbing. Mike was obviously mentally unstable and really needed help. He was delusional in many of his thoughts and beliefs and he seemed so emotionally detached from humanity outside of how he felt about V. This book was too dark for me, but it did have an interesting plot line and I can see how it would be very popular. I would recommend giving it a read, it didn't work for me but I think it would appeal to a large majority of suspense readers.

I have such a fascination with creepy boyfriends and unreliable narrators that this book was a no-brainer for me to pick up. The blurb makes it clear enough that Mike is the voice of the story, and he does tell it like he sees it all the way through.

Mike describes the game Crave that he and V used to play, going to bars or clubs, letting V get chatted up by some guy, and then Mike would step in and stop it. His show of manliness often turned them both on, sometimes to the point where they couldn't even wait to leave the bar in order to hook up.

After 7 years, V calls it quits, turning Mike into a mess. At first, he constantly emails her, trying to apologize for his behavior and get V to come back. Suddenly, the emails stop - he realizes that she is embarking on a large-scale game of Crave, and he needs to perform the way she wants in order to win her back. Even when V invites Mike to her wedding with someone else, he remains convinced that V is just trying to get him to behave in such a way that he can win her back.

This book was a very interesting take on what it means to be a woman that isn't heard. V often made it clear to Mike that she wasn't interested in getting back with him, she loved Angus, and she wanted to be friends at best. However, Mike refuses to listen and takes his own meanings out of everything that V says. As a reader, I was often frustrated with him as a character because he was being completely obtuse! But that is part of the appeal, because he hears only what he wants to, as often happens to women. (I'm sure it happens to men as well, but for the purpose of the novel, I'm focusing on women.)

V could be any one of us - she met someone, fell in love, had a good relationship that went bad, ended it, and still couldn't get rid of him. I think one thing that's so appealing about this novel is that I had many moments where I thought to myself, "I could have been V." Any boyfriend of mine could have turned into Mike, following me, keeping watch outside my workplace, refusing to listen when I moved on.

The novel does take a turn as it is revealed early on that Mike is in jail and awaiting trial for murder. (Not a spoiler as this is revealed in the first pages of the novel.) Part Three of the novel covers the trial and reveals a lot about V and Mike, and the ways in which V allowed her kindheartedness toward Mike to put her in a difficult position.

I really enjoyed this book. It was definitely often creepy and sometimes frustrating, but that was what made it so appealing. I would definitely recommend to anyone who is interested in reading suspense/thriller novels with a psychological twist.

⚠️Warning: You will be sleeping with the lights on after reading this book!
Welcome to the dark, obsessive mind of Michael Hayes.

Mike and Verity (known as V) had an intense relationship, to put it mildly! Their favorite past-time? Frequenting the local bar scene to “Crave”.
What is crave, you ask? Well, in order to avoid spoiling the party, I’ll just say it’s an adult game played that somehow proves their love and desire for one another.

When their relationship eventually fractures, one partner moves on. But the other is not so quick to give up their little game of “crave.”

One of the darkest, most up-ending thrillers I’ve ever read. Can you call it a love story? Personally, I would call it an insatiable, psychotic obsession.

Told from his POV, I was glued to the pages wondering just how far he would go to have and hold the love of his life. And what is V’s role in this on-going love affair? Very good question.

This thriller is not for everyone but I just loved it! From the moment I saw this book I knew I had to read it, knowing it would work its way to the top of my favorites list!
If you are into creepy...don’t miss this one!

Thank you to NetGalley, Farrar, Straus and Giroux and Araminta Hall for an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review

A creepy, dark tale of obsession! I thought this book was about a game called The Crave, played by Mike and Verity, who were deeply in love but had some kinky sexual interests. Thriller and intriguing!

The ending of the book and actions by certain characters is left open to interpretation by the reader. This doesn't make you feel cheated though. I did have a little trouble getting through the book as it was a little monotonous at times.

For the most part, The Mars Room and Our Kind of Cruelty are two very different books. One has a female narrator, one a male. One takes place in the United States, the other in the United Kingdom. One involves people with little to nothing, the other involves people who have more money than they can spend. One reads like a memoir, the other reads like a love letter. There should be nothing that connects these two very different stories to one another, except there is one key element in both. The portrayal of the women, their supposed crimes, and subsequent punishments are unfair and but unfortunately all too commonplace in society's ongoing perpetuation of rape culture.

In The Mars Room, we get a down-and-dirty look at prison life for women and a glimpse into the milieu for which prison is one of the only options available to them. For those readers like me who grew up with a modicum of privilege, Romy's life before her sentencing is an eye-opening experience. Ms. Kushner portrays the downtrodden - the homeless, the junkies, the alcoholics, the poorest of the poor - with dedication and delicacy, neither making excuses for them nor softening the harsh truths of their existence but doing so in a way that is not exploitative nor sensationalized. She portrays Romy's life with empathy and an attention to detail that highlights her detailed research into the California prison system and experience of life on the streets. Given her careful research, it makes Romy's case that much more infuriating - because you know this is one novel in which fiction is fact and that there is someone in Romy's exact situation sitting in jail for the wrong reason and with no recourse for justice. The Mars Room is by no means an easy read, nor should it be for those who will never be forced to sell their body for money or who will never know what it feels like to literally have no food and no money to buy some. However, it is a book which should be required reading as it shines a light on the prison system and the prejudices and discrimination that exist for women within it.

While The Mars Room is a hard-hitting, behind-the-scenes true story type novel, Our Kind of Cruelty reminds me of Caroline Kepnes' You. The problem is that Mike is no Joe, neither as well-read nor as charming. Mike's tragic childhood does make him a sympathetic character and his love for V is as open and honest as you can get. Even while you start harboring doubts about Mike's version of reality, you still want him to get the girl in the end. That is right until you realize towards what Ms. Hall is driving. By then, all bets are off.

Both novels are important in the light they shine on women and the justice system. The lack of justice in both novels is infuriating, which is exactly the point. In this era of heightened awareness of gender treatment, we should be outraged by the injustice both Romy and V experience because Romy and V are all women. Novels like The Mars Room and Our Kind of Cruelty are vital for increasing awareness even further and providing avenues of dialogue necessary to make much-needed changes. Women are angry, and our anger is beginning to trickle into the arts in greater numbers in hopes of fostering such dialogue. The Mars Room and Our Kind of Cruelty are two new examples of women using their anger for good and provide two fantastic examples of gender bias to use in our arguments challenging it.

After reading so many great mystery and/or thrillers this year, my last two have been big duds. If you’re looking for a creepy stalkerish type character, I recommend Caroline Kepnes’ You over this one.

I knew this was going to be a read that I enjoyed right off the bat! This story follows this sick game of love that Mike and Verity have/had when they were together. The plot follows Mike playing what he thinks is Verity way of showing that she wants him to "fight for her" very much so reminded me of Joe from You by Caroline Kepnes.

DNF at like 100 pages. It was so dry and boring, I could barely get into it :(. I wish I could, but it just wasn't for me.

4 Stars.

Creepy and Freaky and Crazy Intense.

“I Crave You.” It’s a game that Mike and Verity used to play while they were dating. They’d go to a bar, pretend that they weren’t together, and Mike would watch while another man hit on Verity and then he would pounce. Both would get off on it. Mike never dreamed that anything would come between them.

Until the day that V broke up with him and became engaged to someone else. Mike, knows it’s not real, however. It’s just the game she’s playing. A Crave. Their feelings for each other, their need for each other. No one else understands. But he knows. Even when it all goes wrong, he knows it’s all for the best, that she wants the same thing he does and that their bond will endure. Always.

Told from Mike’s perspective, “Our Kind of Cruelty” by Araminta Hall is a psychological suspense that hooked me with its intensity and disturbing nature. I was all in even though there were times when the hair on the back of my neck stood up and my skin was crawling - I simply couldn’t stop reading. This was captivating, compelling and obsessively good.

This was a sister read with Kaceey. Both of us really liked “Our Kind of Cruelty” and can’t wait to see what Ms. Hall comes out with next.

Thank you to NetGalley, Farrar, Straus and Giroux and Aramanita Hall for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on NetGalley, Goodreads and Twitter on 6.3.18.

Thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus, and Giroux Publisher for an ARC of this book!

This book was CRAZY. The first person narrative really added so much to the story, getting inside Mike’s twisted head. It was so interesting because while you know that Mike was in the wrong the entire time, stalking V, making up fantasies in his head, and ultimately taking drastic steps on his own... the way it is written truly makes you wonder at V’s part in the whole thing.

It’s easy to see both sides, looking at things from the outside you see Mike’s guilt, but looking at things from inside Mike’s head makes you wonder if he’s not the only guilty one. The court drama really does make you question both V and Mike. What really is the truth of it all? From V’s perspective you can see that Mike is crazy and delusional and that it was never a healthy relationship. But still at the same time from Mike’s perspective I was sometimes mad at V, because I think she did overreact (or sometimes under-react) and lead him on and generally didn’t handle things in the right way. And it led to devastating consequences.

That’s about all I can say without spoilers.

Every part was compelling, the beginning with Mike’s stalking leading up to the court drama which had me on the edge of my seat wondering how it would all play out. As I said, being inside Mike’s head, seeing his twisted reasoning, was entertaining and scary at the same time.

I really enjoyed this book throughout and would be interested in reading anything from this author again!

not usually one to read thrillers, but this was a solid foray into the genre...would recommend for a summer/beach book pile

The entire time I was reading this book I was wondering if I was in an alternate reality or if the narrator was actually crazy, if his girlfriend was emotionally manipulating him, if there was a mental game these two were playing. I questioned it the entire book. This book made you question everything and see things from the narrators point of view which was sometimes very messed up. I don’t want to give anything away and ruin anyone else’s experience of the book but a must-read for psychological thriller lovers.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.

3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was a good debut novel. I will definitely read this author’s next book. I enjoyed this book, but I wanted to like it more than I actually did. It was fast-paced in parts and very slow in others. I found myself very bored during parts of it and then racing through other parts of it. One character’s obsessiveness drove me a bit nuts—although I didn’t dislike either of the main characters. Both were sympathetic in different ways. I genuinely cared about Mike given his broken childhood, and I felt annoyed with Verity when I saw her through Mike’s eyes. Although the more I learned about her, the less I disliked her. The trial felt repetitive of the 100s of pages I already read, revealing only a few things I hadn’t already learned. The trial was certainly unfair to her and shed light on the stereotypes that women have to overcome. I kept hoping for an exciting twist that never happened, and I felt the ending was disappointing. The author did a great job in making the plot seem realistic. This was not a far-fetched type of book, which I appreciated. However, for me, the way it ended left me annoyed. If the ending had of been different then I think this could have easily been a 4.0-4.5/5 starred review. Overall, it was pretty good for a debut novel.

This is such a delightful twisty novel that I was glad to see it gaining recognition, picked up by Book of the Month. A great novel for those who love suspense.

What happens when love turns to obsession? Through the eyes of a delusional male lead, Araminta Hall explores a complicated relationship that delves into dark corners. Disturbing and dark, I enjoyed reading this well-written thriller because of Mikey's sometimes terrifying internal monologue but found the trial portion of the novel to be monotonous.

Mike and Verity were together for more than 8 years. But the "December incident" marked the end of their relationship, something Mikey likes to play off as a small hiccup. Months later, he's back in London after living in the United States for a short time. He's convinced he and Verity will be together again, so much so that every part of his life in planned with her as if she were in it—going as far to tell people she's his live-in girlfriend. But the reality is that she's very much engaged and then married. But that's not a deterrent because he's certain that her marriage is all part of a game they both used to play. Everyone has a breaking point and Mikey reaches his. What follows is death and destruction.
"I read somewhere that the reason humans are so tragic is because we are only one half of a whole and most of us spend all our lives desperately searching for that missing person to make us completely whole. But because the universe finds it amusing to watch us suffer, most of us never meet this elusive other half because they have been born on the other side of the world. But you keep searching, not even knowing what you're looking for, or even that you're searching, because that is your biological imperative."

My favorite part of this book was diving inside Mikey's delusional mind. Araminta Hall did a fantastic job with his characterization. His horrific upbringing and the trauma he suffered clearly affected him, and I felt like it was portrayed in a real and respectful way. The reader is getting his story through his own filter and perspective, but even so you can see how ill he is. I was amused and disturbed reading this story because Mike would be describing his house and in the next breath casually mention how he wanted to bash a person's brains in. What he sees as unfiltered love is really obsession and I loved seeing how he processed his own emotions.
"...this world isn't yet ready to appreciate love in its purest, simplest form. This world deals in violence and lies, deceit and deception. It cannot see purity even when it it placed in front of its nose, choosing instead to turn away and scoff. Well, let them. We don't care, do we, V. We are so much more than that."

Once we got to the trial portion of the book, I the ever present drive that was present in first two parts slowed down. Throughout the court proceedings, there was a lot of repetition and less action. It was much easier to put the book down at this point because I wasn't as interested.

I'd recommend this book for lovers of thrillers with unreliable narrators. This one is a bit refreshing because the protagonist is a male, like Carline Kepnes's You. Even though he's mentally ill and self-destructive, Mike is human and there was a vulnerability that I connected to. The writing was very good and quite sharp as well.

* Thanks to Macmillan for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.