I've seen sleight references to Kepnes's You and Montes's Perfect Days in reviews of this novel and I think that it does a little bit of a disservice to this novel. While there are similar undertones, in those two books we see obsession and stalkerish behavior from men who focus in on a woman they either don't know or barely know. (Don't worry, this doesn't spoil either of those books.) What this book does differently is take a man who had a nine year relationship that ends.... and THEN his obsession begins/worsens. With the woman he fell in love with. The woman he thought he was going to spend the rest of his life with. The only other person who understood and liked to play the same games that he did. He would do anything for her. Wouldn't you, for the one you love?

I can tell this is probably going to be a very divisive book. While we have seen stories similar to this with obsessive boyfriends/husbands, etc., this one doesn't quite hook you right in like the others have... or at least not in the same fashion. Instead, Hall takes us straight into Mike's mind. What we get is three parts of Mike's inner thoughts and feelings and not much else.

Have you ever sat and told a story to a group of friends and one of your friends in the group was in that same situation WITH you and told it differently? Whether that difference was minute or vastly different, it's all about the way we perceive the situation at the time. I'm sure we tend to skew some stories to suit ourselves and eventually end up believing this new version because you've told the story over and over again.

This is a straight up character study of Mike and his obsession in getting his ex back. I'll admit it did lull for me in quite a few sections - there's only so much of his inner monologue I could take at times - wash, rinse, repeat. However, I know it just gives more credence to how an obsessive person thinks and how they manipulate the situations to suit them.

What saved this book at the end for me was Part Three when they're in court. Certain parts angered me in the sexist views and fighting of the lawyers and how (whether true or not) the sexual behaviors of Mike and V, though the same, was less of a bad impression for Mike since he is a man. *puke* But let's not go there or I'd be writing all night long. The battle in how lawyers can manipulate the situation to suit their case always fascinates me. It's also a constant reminder that sometimes it's just guilty until proven innocent and our system isn't the greatest... sometimes.

In any case, I'm torn in what I feel about this book. As a character study delving deep into Mike's psyche, I LOVED it. Did it pull me in or make me scream at the top of my lungs? No, but it's definitely well done in showing how this type of personality works. What you see isn't always what you get... and in this case what Mike thinks he's seeing ... well, we don't REALLY know, or do we?

While reading Our Kind of Cruelty I kept having flashbacks to similar books I've read about unhinged men in and out of relationships. Although I did feel that dark inkling of a similarity to You by Caroline Kepnes, I never really found myself comparing the two. I also thought that Mike's character was incredibly different from anything I've ever read and I almost felt sympathy for him by the end of the novel.

I don't really know how to explain the complexity of the characters in this novel because I feel like I'm still shaking my head and trying to work it out. I loved the gritty and dark details that Hall included and it really gave the story an extra edge. It was disturbing and suspenseful from start to finish and I had a hard time guessing what Mike would do next. His unpredictable nature really added to the plot of the book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I also loved how it kept me guessing while I was reading and still reeling long after the story was finished. I would highly recommend this to readers who enjoyed You by Caroline Kepnes and Perfect Days by Raphael Montes.

Thank you to NetGalley and MCD/FSG for sending this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Rating 4/5

I am really struggling with this review and rating. I read Our Kind of Cruelty at a break neck pace and up until the last 15-20%, I was on track to give this a 4 star review. I couldn’t get enough. I know some people complained about the “slowness” of part 1, but I was completely captivated from the start.

I read this book with a couple of my besties, and we were constantly texting our theories and ideas to each other. Having discussions after each Part. I didn’t mind being inside the mind of Mike, I actually found it quite fascinating. And I really wanted to know more about Crave and was dying to know more about Verity and what role she was playing in all of this.

Although what I am about to write in this next paragraph isn’t really a spoiler, I am going to go ahead and put the spoiler tag on it anyway, just in case.

<spoiler>And then, suddenly, I realized how the whole thing was going to end and I was just so disappointed. I know that I am in the minority with my low rating, but I just couldn’t believe that this was all there was to it. I mean, this book had it all. Delusional psycho, stalking, sex games, Crave. And the set up. OMG, the set up. It was there for the taking. There were so many paths for Hall to take us on, so many ways for her to blow our minds. And yet, mind not blown. I kept waiting for that one moment when everything that you think you know is blown to bits. And you are reading the story with a fresh pair of eyes. But sadly, that never happened for me here.</spoiler>

I am going to go ahead and recommend this book anyway because I am in the clear minority here. I did read this at a record pace and was so completely and utterly hooked. But in the end (quite literally) it just all fell flat for me.

I think I just have had my quota on obsession stories lately. The male pov makes me just outright not like him at all.

This book was dark and had you placed in the mind of a stalking man, Mike, with obsessive, crazy ideations. The story begins with Mike writing out his story for his barrister. He doesn’t see himself as a stalker and truly believes his ex wants him back and she’s going to make him work for it. That’s how he sees it. You will soon get the feeling that that’s not at all the case. He was just creepy.

The first half of the book was okay- seemed to get a little repetitive with his crazy thoughts which were gross to me. I feel like the book picked up for me for the last half and enjoyed that portion much more. Just a warning: you won’t care for any main characters. I reminded me of how I felt reading Gone Girl- dark tone and POV from a creepy character.

Hmm I cannot decide on this one... the first couple of chapters were intriguing, especially with such a crazy and problematic character like Mike. I wanted more from V's character, I thought the book could have gone a whole different direction if we were able to read more from her perspective. I think that would have made it easier for the reader to become engrossed in the novel. All in all I would recommend it to those who like dark and twisty reads but also do not mind thinking a bit while reading.

4.5
Was absolutely blown away by this one! The perfect definition of compulsively readable! I simply could not stop, the craziness oozes through the pages and grabs you before you know what hit you. A definite must read!!

Wow, this guy Mike was definitely cray, cray. The whole book was about him and Verity (V). The author really only showed us things from his point of view. And, his point of view IMO delved way into the fantastical.

The author never tells you what V is thinking until she makes her statement at trial.

I've read reviews where people are blaming either V or Mike and why they they feel that why. Here's mine, for what it's worth.

I think Mike is pretty much delusional in his thoughts and V did not know how to handle him. Every time she told him that she loved someone else, he would dismiss it and carry on as if she had said nothing.

I think everyone is going to see something different in their regard to this question.

An interesting book that will be debated by everyone who reads it. It had me shaking my head many times and saying "unbelievable, how he sees things". I can only say, read it and see what you think.

Thanks to Farrar, Strous & Giroux and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

In theory, this novel really caught my attention. The description really called to me and I was excited to get inside the main character's head. However, this was a slow and drawn out narrative about his obsession with V. Even the end was anticlimactic.

Our Kind of Cruelty by Araminta Hall was a book that quickly grabbed my attention. The main characters Mike and Verity are both real pieces of work, and play a wicked game that amuses only themselves. This book soon turns into a stalker-ish fixation with Mike clamoring for Verity's attention, even though she meets someone else, Angus, and soon will marry him. The first part of the book was the best and was pretty entertaining, however the second part of the book devolved into a courtroom drama, and immediately I was not intrigued. I was left wanting more from the story. It lost my interest at that point.

Twisty, spellbinding, electric. I couldn't put this down! Mike is a character the likes of which you will not soon forget.

I just could NOT get into this one - from the opening pages I was turned off by the protagonist in every way. I get that this may be the point, but still couldn't engage enough to keep reading... There was nothing about the writing that was problematic; I just didn't like him and could not generate interest in his tale. I don't know why it didn't appeal. I have no problem with unreliable or sketchy narrators as a general rule. The blurb description is accurate, as far as it goes. I guess I expected dark humor, but the book didn't feel like that at all to me. Rather, Mike just gave off a mid-weight depressing off-putting-ness, and I couldn't find myself caring what V was really up to or whether he'd snap into his right mind at some point (or else snap so far out that I'd be breathlessly turning pages to see what horrors he had up his sleeve next). He just wore on me, and that's when I realized I could either struggle along with him or call this a "not for me" - and I opted for the latter. It has quite a lot of favorable reviews; I'm just in the minority camp this time...

This is an ok book but not the 'thriller' I expected. Maybe I expected too much thanks to the glowing blurbs of anticipation in the advertising (I think these kind of blurbs sometimes do more harm than good). The writing seemed repetitive and the characters certainly weren't easy to like.

This wasn't exactly a bad book - just didn't click with me.

I think this was an okay read. I was expecting something more creepy by the synopsis but instead, I just got a guy who was a stalker. I think he was just a guy who couldn't deal with a breakup. I mean the author puts out this theory of them getting off by going to bars and luring guys in order to amp up their sex lives, which is crazy but I mean if you're going to go there then go there. I just think this couldnt been something so much better. The one thing I didnt enjoy was that after the ending which left you still guessing the author added her views on the ending. I didnt like this I rather have had it left alone, I love when we are left to have our own theory on the ending. In the end this was an aveage read that had the potiential but fell flat.

The story surrounds itself around a very disturbed and dilutional individual. Away from the norm, this novel is not made up of true chapters, but I actually enjoyed this setup which gave a sense of ease when putting it down and picking it up. Especially in my life of chasing a very active toddler around. Made up of three-part over 288 pages, this was a quick and easy read. While I enjoyed the banter more than being trapped in Mike Hayes head with him, it was an interesting premise and I rather enjoy stories told in the first person.

I have read reviews where readers suggest this novel reminded them of Joe from one of my absolute favorite books, YOU… well, I am sorry, but I am in complete disagreement. Aside from the obsessive feel, and of course, this story is told in the first person, I just don’t see it. I don’t believe Michael Hayes lived up to Joseph Goldberg at all. Even with his sociopathic nature, I craved Joe… I did not, however, care much for Mike. I did start this with the expectation of that familiarity, but I am also not upset with the outcome of it not living up to YOU. In truth, that’s a difficult feat to live up to.

As far as the downsides that dropped this bad boy a star for me… for starters, there were times where I felt the writing diverged into far too much, and at times stomach-turning, details that I could have easily gone without and didn’t need to fully paint the picture. Also, the repetitiveness of the word “crave” began to wear thin drawing toward the halfway point. I get it, I totally get it, but I have an issue with things being repeated and that’s probably just me.

Araminta did a great job of making her reader feel for the story’s main character. From the tragedies that make up Mike’s adolescence to his complete instability, it really pulls at your heart and it’s difficult not to feel an array of emotion for/towards him. Mike is obsessive, compulsive, and very unpredictable, which is a recipe for a juicy and enthralling story. I really enjoyed Part III the most. Something about a courtroom drama is always a major win for me. Hmm, I wonder. I do not want to divulge too much as the story really takes off at Part II and all the pieces come together nicely throughout the proceedings that take place in Part III.

Overall, I enjoyed the total mindf*** that Araminta sought out to do with this novel and fully accomplished. This story was told with an underlying message that is not only important but well received. I hope Araminta has plans to give us readers a Cruelty #2 that offers the same story told from Verity’s perspective. I would pick that up in a heartbeat!

Perhaps I liked this so much because I haven’t read many books like this, so it doesn’t feel derivative to me. This was a really engaging thriller and a deep look into the brain of a highly delusional man. Mike and Verity dated for seven long years. Then they broke up. Now Verity is getting married. Mike isn’t convinced that it’s real; he believes that this is all part of the game he and Verity used to play. They’ll end up together, he believes. It doesn’t matter what Verity says. She doesn’t mean anything she says.

Mike lives in his own little world. It’s obvious he’s completely delusional, but I think the skill of the author shines in the moments where she makes you doubt whether Mike is delusional or whether Verity is in fact sending mixed signals. She writes Mike very convincingly and being in his head is an absolute trip.

This book is also a look at misogyny and the way we see women and how we don’t believe the things they say. I can’t say too much so as not to spoil anything, but I think that the way the book played out, with the court case in the final half, was ugly and all too realistic. It was a reflection of how we are prone to disbelieve women and give men the benefit of the doubt. It was a look at how one man’s obsession can utterly destroy a woman’s life because she is too kind and too caring of his feelings to rightly tell him to fuck off. It was also an interesting examination of how the types of men who think they are better than other men, who are so convinced of their superiority they fail to see the times they are being horrible.

I don’t think this book is a masterpiece or anything but it was a really addicting read and I enjoyed it very much.

[Part of a longer piece on works that just didn't hit the mark with me]
I was so in for this one. I admit it, the Gillian Flynn blurb got me. I'm not even sure where/when I saw it, because I am not a blurb-reader. Weird as it may seem, I love spending time in the mind of a well-written narcissistic sociopath. [Deleted great line about the biggest one in my life]. I found Mike Hayes fascinating and was impressed with the job Hall did writing from his head. Here's the gist: Mike and his ex-girlfriend V played a game called Crave. They would go out, super attractive V would sit by herself until someone hit on her, at which time Mike would intercede and they would go off to have hot sex somewhere nearby. When V breaks up with Mike and becomes engaged to another man, he is certain she has just taken the game to the next level and he continues to play. It's a fantastic concept and for the first half of the book I was transfixed. But by 3/4 of the way through it felt a bit old and the twist I was hoping for never really twisted. The ultimate question of "Was she playing or wasn't she?" aside, it felt like it went off into a statement on victim-shaming that didn't really fit for me.

This book is stupendous and should be a massive success. I’ve told everyone to buy it, and read in one sitting. It’s so creepy and terrific. The thing I find the most compelling is the fact of taking an unreliable narrator to the next level. You have no idea where irs going, until the final page. Intelligent and twisted. Bravo indeed.

It is scary to think there are people out there, looking normal, acting normal and certainly not thinking normal thoughts. How many do we know are just like Mike and we don't know it until too late?

Mike and V have had an exciting sex based relationship, but now it is over, at least to V, who has moved on. Mike doesn't see it that way. He is looking forward to when, not if, they get back together to the point where he has bought and decorated a home just for V's tastes, though she has not seen it or even knows about it. V has moved on and made a new life... or so she thinks.

Thanks NetGalley for the chance to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end. I found myself trying to squeeze in extra time during the day to keep reading to find out what happened next with Mike and Verity. During Mike and Verity’s relationship they created a game called the Crave that involved Mike rescuing Verity from being hit on by random men when they would be out at bars. Fast forward and Verity is getting married to someone else but Mike is convinced this is just another round of their game they used to play. Lines get blurred and love turns to obsession in this book that is told from Mike’s perspective. This book had some twists that I did not see coming! Mike’s thoughts and perspective often left me unsettled but it was interesting getting an inside look into what was going on in his head. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of psychological thrillers and is looking for a fast read that is creepy and disturbing. Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this!