This book was misrepresented as a thriller. I probably would not have read it without that description. It’s really a character study of a woman struggling with her mental health after experiencing infertility and then a failed marriage. There really isn’t a single thrilling thing about this story; just many cringeworthy moments. It was a quick read, just not what I expected.

This book was hard to read. Very depressing as a whole. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the arc of this book in return for my honest review. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on this review.

The unnamed narrator of this story is struggling. She is obsessed with her neighbor, “the actress” and her perfect life. Jealousy controls her and she basically stalks the actress. The narrator’s life is falling apart, so she is fixating on the actress and obsessing over the life that she feels she deserves. She is in the midst of a very bitter divorce, and she isn’t happy or doing well with her job either.

This book was an intense read. Dark, heavy, and sad. This woman is dealing with the loss of her marriage after struggling with infertility. As the story goes on, you see her unraveling more and more. You can’t help but feel for her as she’s struggling with infertility, loss, loneliness, depression, trying to find her new place in the world after her recent divorce, and you can see how easy it is to obsess over someone else’s seemingly perfect life because they appear to have all of the things that you wish you had. This was a very quick read and though it was dark and serious (and I’m sure it could hit a little too close to home for almost everyone because I’m sure everyone can relate to at least one of her many issues). I’m glad I took the time to read it.

While I enjoyed this quick read, I found it to be mismarketed. It was far from a woman being obsessed with an actress living on her street. It just follows the narrator's life and how her life falls apart. It's not as dark as I thought it would be, well not until the end.

Thank you Scribner and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to read this as it was/is getting so much acclaim. I am afraid I don’t get it. The main character’s actions made no sense to me. Perhaps that is the point? I don’t understand all the hype.

This book definitely sounds better in the blurb. This was honestly, a tough book to get through simply because how it is described is not how it reads and I neither liked nor cared about any of the characters so that didn't help. Just wasn't a good read for me.

This book was short, it was very hard to get into. The story was ok. For me there was no mystery at all , it was all about this lady's obsession with her famous neighbor, her divorce and her bad choices. The ending was just ok. I wish the author the best of luck with this book but it was not for me.

I had been hearing a lot about this book, and was excited to read it- a psychological thriller about a woman, whose marriage has just fell apart, and her growing obsession with the famous actress who lives down the street from her. The more her life unravels- her inability to conceive a child, the end of her marriage, problems with her job- the more, and deeper, her obsession grows. The book is strictly told through the point-of-view of the obsessed woman, as she is the narrator, thus giving the reader a good view of her slide deeper into mental illness. While this is normally the type of story that I would enjoy reading, this one just didn't do it for me. Some parts I found myself rushing to get through, and there is not a whole lot plot-wide- it is definitely more of a character study. The story ends quite abruptly, with little closure. Putting out a warning that there is a depiction of animal cruelty by the narrator, which I know is difficult for a lot of people to read through.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for providing me with an advanced copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.

While I enjoyed her writing style, I did not particularly enjoy this book. There wasn't a substantial plot, and the character wasn't very likeable.
The chapters were really long and since there wasn't a stopping point most times I had to stop myself from skimming to get to the end of the chapters.
Also, I didn't like the fact that her neighbor wasn't named. I felt no connection with her either.
I'm not sure why I was under the impression that this was a thriller. This is not a thriller.

In Looker, the debut novel from Laura Sims, our unnamed narrator fixates on a successful actress who lives with her husband and children in her brownstone neighbourhood. At first, I thought I was going to read a story about some crazy stalker who goes off the rails, but this is a very interior novel narrated by a bitterly unhappy (I could just as well say ‘bitter’) teacher whose husband Nathan, has walked out.

looker

Everything in this woman’s trainwreck of a life is a toxic disaster: from her relationship to her neighbors, her envy that other women have children, to her painful vicious ruminations about her childlessness and IVF treatments. Her venom even extends to the cat, who becomes a chess piece in the divorce war. Nathan dumped his cat with the narrator, and even though she dislikes the cat, she’s not about to give Nathan the satisfaction of letting him have his cat back.

I return home, exhausted and emptied out. Fitting my key in the lock, a wave of absolute terror washes over me: this is where my phone and computer live. This is how all the poisonous others reach me, infect me, ruin my days.

I’m not a therapist, so I’m not going to try and place terms on what is wrong with this woman, but she’s a mess. We can sympathize with people when they are unhappy, but when they are unhappy and want that unhappiness to spread to YOU, sympathy trickles and runs out the door….

With a first person narrator, we are placed in that person’s head. In the case of Looker, the narrator’s head feels as if it’s about to explode with hatred and rage and so the read is wearing and depressing. This is marketed as a thriller and even a crime novel, and that’s unfortunate because the book draws a crowd that is bound to be disappointed. This is a psychological novel, and in its construction of a woman who needs HELP ASAP, I think it succeeds, however, that said, this isn’t an easy book to read as being inside this woman’s head is torturous. At one point, she says “here I am, back in my lonesome, loathsome reality.” And I couldn’t agree more. Finally for cat lovers, I’ll add a warning.

Review copy

I did not enjoy this book. I don't know if it was the character or her actions or just the general sadness of her life. And maybe it's because I'm single, but it was a miserable read and a terrible way to treat this character.

<b>One sentence summary</b>
Laura Sims has a unique and interesting writing style.

<b>My thoughts</b>
I felt this book deserved more than 3⭐️’s, but less than 4. The story held my interest, but I was anticipating more suspense. I’ll admit sometimes it takes some twisted thrills to keep me flipping pages! Although I enjoyed the book, I would have devoured it in one sitting with more suspense/thrills.

<b>Likes</b>
I was hooked by the cover...FABULOUS...and pulled in by the description. This was a debut, so I’d like to see what else Ms. Sims comes out with.

The storyline of a woman just abandoned by her husband, fixated on her neighbor, as she’s bitterly reminded of the life she imagined for herself...sounds pretty serious, but bits of humor added appeal to the story.

<b>Dislikes</b>
One thing I didn’t care for was the fact that it ran on, as one long chapter. I need chapters...and shorter ones are better. I need a clear stopping point when I put the book aside. Chapters make me feel like I’ve accomplished something. But that is a personal quirk and shouldn’t reflect on the book or author!

I also yearned to give this unstable stalker a name. It’s easier to picture the character.

The book had many great reviews, so I think my opinions are in the minority.

<b>Recommend:</b> Yes...it’s short and worth trying!

<b>My Rating: </b> 3 ⭐️’s

<b>Published:</b> January 8th 2019 by Scribner <b>Pages:<b/> 182

Thank you to NetGalley / Scribner / Laura Sims for this digital ARC, in exchange for my honest review!
#NetGalley #Looker #Debut

<b>Book Blurb</b>
A dazzling, razor-sharp debut novel about a woman whose obsession with the beautiful actress on her block drives her to the edge.

I’ve never crossed their little fenced-in garden, of course. I stand on the sidewalk in front of the fern-and-ivy-filled planter that hangs from the fence—placed there as a sort of screen, I’m sure—and have a direct line of view into the kitchen at night. I’m grateful they’ve never thought to install blinds. That’s how confident they are. No one would dare stand in front of our house and watch us, they think. And they’re probably right: except for me.

In this taut and thrilling debut, an unraveling woman, unhappily childless and recently separated, becomes fixated on her neighbor—the actress. The unnamed narrator can’t help noticing with wry irony that, though she and the actress live just a few doors apart, a chasm of professional success and personal fulfillment lies between them. The actress, a celebrity with her face on the side of every bus, shares a gleaming brownstone with her handsome husband and their three adorable children, while the narrator, working in a dead-end job, lives in a run-down, three-story walk-up with her ex-husband’s cat.

When an interaction with the actress at the annual block party takes a disastrous turn, what began as an innocent preoccupation spirals quickly, and lethally, into a frightening and irretrievable madness. Searing and darkly witty, Looker is enormously entertaining—a psychologically suspenseful and fearlessly original portrait of the perils of envy.

There ought to be a special category for misdirection in marketing of books. This so-called thriller has no thrills, unless you are on the edge of your seat when an unhappy woman becomes a stalker. Did I say unhappy? Yes. Also deranged, infertile, self-destructive and boring. The plot swirls around her obsession with a well-known actress who lives close by. Neither the stalker, nor her husband, nor the actress is well-developed; the most interesting character is a neighbor who only gets an initial. There's an expression about boastfulness or raising expectations but failing to deliver: All hat and no cattle. This non-thriller is all prattle. Oh, and cat lovers beware!!

I really was not sure I would enjoy this book but I am so glad I gave it the chance. The plot was great, the characters were amazing, and the ending really got me! I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good thriller. The main character in this book had me feeling sorry for her and at the same time disgusted. I can not wait to find more by this author. This is the first book I have read by Laura Sims and I am so glad that I did! Enjoy!!

3 Stars
Review by Heather
Late Night Reviewer
Up All Night w/ Books Blog

Looker is the debut novel by author Laura Sims. This novel is being marketed as a psychological thriller. I don’t feel like that is quite accurate. It is definitely psychological, but I never felt like it was a “thriller”. I was nearly halfway through before I realized that nothing “thrilling” was going to happen. However, it becomes apparent the narrator (not named) is going through some kind of mental breakdown, which makes the book more like a character study. From that perspective, it is much more interesting to read.

The narrator has separated from her husband after years of unsuccessful attempts to have a baby. She now lives alone, in the affluent New York City neighborhood that she shared with her husband, but only because he prepaid the rent before leaving her. He leaves his cat, Cat, with her, but she doesn’t seem to care about the pet until her husband indicates he wants the cat with him. Then, she lavishes affection on her. She becomes obsessed with a young actress who has moved into the neighborhood with her husband and children.

She seems to hate and resent anyone and everyone she encounters. People that she calls friends to seem to attract much of her disdain. Makes the reader wonder if she were to have her heart’s desire, a baby, would she even be capable of loving it.

If I could suckle a child myself, would I feel the same? Maternally virtuous, like I was growing a future citizen of the nation, but simultaneously disgusted and trapped, clamoring to be free from the leech at my breast?

Looker was interesting but difficult to get into. Ultimately, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys psychological character studies, but wouldn’t characterize it as a thriller.

**ARC provided for an honest review**

From the beginning of Looker, there's a sense of dread as the unnamed woman at the center of the story becomes less and less attached to her own life as she filters her reality through the life and movie roles of the (also unnamed) actress in the brownstone two doors down: the beautiful, confident woman with a doting husband and three perfect children (was Nathan ever “doting,” even before the years of failed fertility treatments wore them out and reminded them both of how useless she was as a woman, as a potential mother)? She remembers (doesn't she?) the joy of the love they had, before Nathan left, abandoning her to a life alone, with her students and the cat (Nathan's cat, really, but he must not have cared about Cat, since he didn't even give her a name). She's sure, really sure, that if she studies the actress intently enough, she will become the woman the actress needs her to be, so that she, too, can become perfect.
This short novel packs a real punch, as we watch the unraveling of this woman's identity as her obsession grows. A perfectly crafted psychological thriller!
Reviewer:
Nancy
www.nancysbooknook.com

Such a good book that I would recommend picking up now. Make sure that you have plenty of time to read this heart pounding roller coaster of a book. Happy reading!

Looker is an excellent read, very disturbing and very real... almost too real. The main character (no name is ever revealed for her) has recently been left by her husband and she lives alone with her husband’s cat, who she love/hates. She is a professor at a local college. She is also obsessed with a famous actress living in the brownstone across the street from her. The entire story revolves around her innermost thoughts and her obsession with the actress. In between her obsession, she also continues to live her life - teaching, venturing out, etc. - but as the story goes on, you can see that this woman is deeply burdened by her past and is most likely going through the motions as she tries to figure out who she is. What we do know is that she is a very bold stalker, with many of her actions making it so obvious that she either thinks it is perfectly normal to behave as she is, or she is just oblivious to what she does. Looker is well written and gives an inside look into the mind of someone who at first you think is mostly stable (although traumatized and pained by the course her life has taken her on), but you later become convinced she is over the top crazy with her fantasies and thoughts and actions. The story moves along quickly and is very fascinating and disturbing, all of which leads up to a finale that you will never in a million years see coming.

Thanks NetGalley for the advance read. Looker by Laura Sims.
Well, hmm. It was just not a book I would recommend. A woman’s obsession with her celebrity neighbor and total off the hinges of any type of sanity. It just did not work for me. A bitter, creepy one.
I completed the novel to give an HONEST review. Let me shaking my head wondering what others thought all 5 was about.

“Looker” is a deep look at a woman’s loneliness as she loses her husband, her dream of becoming a mother, her self-esteem, and her sense of reality. Her life is falling apart and she is sinking into hopelessness. She directs her unhappiness and fury at her neighbor, the actress, whose life has every blessing that her own life is lacking. It’s a dark story of one woman's descent into madness. It was hard reading about her plight but I kept reading to find out what happens to her. I didn’t like the ending. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this book in exchange for an honest review.