Classic case of flight of fight. When Gem Golding is the victim of a carjacking, this novel tells two different stories - one in which she fights back, and one in which she surrenders. Reading about two different life plans was quite interesting although it became rather hard to keep track of which side I was reading sometimes. Was this the survivor or the victim? They both became too similar at times and just confused me. An okay read though.

A big part of the book was what if’s. Gem Golding is at a store and carjacked by a psychopath. The novel explored what happened if she gave in to the carjacker and if she fought back- however it was confusing keeping track because the author made the scenarios way too similar. I was lost during so many parts. It was thrilling to read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for a fair review.
3.5 /5 (rounded down because it was so dam confusing)

The premise of this book really drew me in. I suppose I was expecting more of a paranormal story. However, this read boggled my mind. I liked the idea of one moment of judgement steering you in a different life path - yet, should that affect all of the other characters in life, as well? I don't think anyone has an explanation for that. The story started off strongly and yes, I had to look back as to whether I was reading about the victim or the warrior. Both of Gem's persona seemed to be doomed, yet in different ways. The police were trying their best to crack open cases and yet they were not given the tools even the Daily News had access to.

Yes, I was confused, but I did get to the end of this read. The characters were developed well, but they were not "in character" as one would expect them to be. Regardless, I had to read to find out what happened to Norton.

An OK read.

Many Thanks to SOURCEBOOKS - Landmark and Netgalley for an interesting read.

An interesting read - giving 2 different possibilities of what could have happened. Questions that people ask themselves if they were ever in a similiar situation - fight or flight. Some of the characters not quite as believable, but still an enjoyable read.

I zoomed through this book in one snowy day.

Anyone who fondly remembers Sliding Doors, starring Gwyneth Paltrow, will love the premise of this page-turner. Gem Golding is the victim of a car-jacking; at this point she has to decide, will she fight her assailant or give in.

Decision made, the book splinters into two parallel universes, in alternating chapters. In one story we get to learn what happens to the Gem who fights back and how it affects her going forward and in alternating chapters we follow the Gem who chose not to fight.

I loved what the author did and wasn't confused by it as some report but I recognized the device immediately as the one in the movie I love so much.

This book was unique, interesting and very thought-provoking. I didn't even mind being in snowed in today to read it!

Thank you to Max Manning, SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and Netgalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

When you are ready to tackle a real thriller, give this one a try. It will confuse you, it will make you question everything you read. I actually went back several times to the beginning to re-read what I had read several times. I like a good thriller, but I do not like being confused! It took awhile for me to realize that there were two different stories going on in this book.
I have to admit I did not finish it, too exhausting trying to remember which story was being told and that kept me from really loving the book. The start is wonderful and entertaining, but when the police and journalist get involved I lost interest.
To those of you who can stick it out, good job!

If I could give The Victim 4.5 stars I would, I wasn't sure about the premise at first, but I wound up loving it. If you've seen the movie Sliding Doors, you will know what I am referring to. The author, Max Manning, gives the character two scenarios in which Gem Golding can react to when she is being attacked in a dark parking lot. Fight back or do as the attacker says? This is an intriguing premise for those of us who have always wondered- what would I do? I was hooked reading to find out what happens next. If you love a good thriller, you will love this book. I am still not 100% sure I figured out all the twists and turns between the two scenarios, but it was still a fun read!

A psychological thriller written in my favorite style - from multiple perspectives. Not only is The Victim written from multiple perspectives, it's written from parallel universes as well. This was a style that had me significantly confused, until it finally clicked about a third of the way into the book (and has to do with the killer's modus operandi).

While the parallel universe angle took me awhile to figure out, I really enjoyed The Victim. It was a little predictable on how the car-jacking came about (thanks to being a huge fan of Criminal Minds and Law and Order, among other crime dramas, haha) but watching as the story unfolded from the various perspectives kept me enthralled from the get go. Watching as all of the story lines were tied up was really interesting, particularly as the book began to come to a close and there were still what I thought were a lot of loose ends. As the police close in the pace of the book picks up as everything comes to a head and the carjacker must finish the game.

The Victim is full of action from the first page and Manning does an excellent job developing each of his characters - not an easy task when there are as many characters involved as there were in this story, along with the dual universes. Being able to feel the detective's frustration as the attacker always seems to be one step ahead, Gem's terror as she faces down her attacker, and in the next chapter the eerie calm that the perpetrator's perspective was told from was incredible. I would definitely recommend this book to friends (I've already told my mother-in-law to look into it when it comes out!).

Max Manning is out with The Victim a superb thriller that will keep you reading until the final page

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an advance read in exchange for this review.

Gem Golding is a victim of a carjacking.  In the moment, she must make a choice.  Does she fight back or does she surrender?  Her choices will impact the rest of her life.

What a cool concept!  The book alternates chapters with what happens in the aftermath had she fought back and had she surrendered.  At some point, I kind of wished that it was just one story because it was a little exhausting to start over with another plot.  It's still an interesting concept, and the writer just about pulls it off.   It does get a little confusing and hard to follow, and I sometimes wished for more character development.  Still, I give Max Manning tons of praise!

Gem Golding, a public relations executive, is working late one night and needs to make a quick stop at the store for pain medication. What she doesn't know, is she is about to become the victim of a carjacking. At that moment, she must decide if she is going to surrender or fight, neither choice is easy. The book continues as two different versions of that night...one where she surrenders, one where she fights her attacker. Although the scenarios are very different, many of the outcomes remain the same.

I was often confused by the parallel stories, not remembering if I was reading the surrender chapter or fight chapter. I really enjoyed the concept of the book, the characters were well defined, Gem seems to be a strong woman no matter which position she took. The attacker is a vicious person, and as the story unfolds and his past comes into focus, you will be surprised by the psychological twist of events.

I am giving The Victim a solid 3.5 stars. I really like the story, but I wasn't a fan of the presentation of the two scenarios. I would like to thank Netgalley and Sourcebooks for an advanced reader copy if this in exchange for an honest review.

thank you to Netgalley, source books and author Max Manning for this digital ARC in return for an unbiased review

here comes the blurb as they say it so much better than i can do! :)

When public relations executive Gem Golding becomes the victim of a carjacking at the hands of a dangerous criminal bent on her destruction, she must make a choice: Does she surrender to her attacker, or does she stand her ground and fight for her life? What follows are the two strands Gem’s life can take, and the chain of causes and effects that leads to Gem’s survival...or her eventual demise.

Emphasizing the power our choices have to determine who we become, The Victim is an ingenious high-concept psychological thriller following the devastating effects of two characters as they spiral toward their ultimate fates.

really enjoyed this book so many vibes of the old choose your own adventure books ihad as a child loved seeing the twists and turn the timelines gave, as this was a digital ARC i was on my KOBO and i feel this would be a much better book to read as a hard copy, i think you would understand the flow of the timelines so much more and i see others feel the same in there reviews so glad its not just me!

fantastic read!

This book was COOL y’all! Remember those books from your childhood where you would choose what path the story took? This one made me so nostalgic of that. The Victim is basically two stories wrapped into one, the outcome dependent on how our victim/fighter reacts to being in a very threatening and scary situation. In the beginning, I struggled a little bit with keeping track of which storyline was which but as soon as I got used to it, I was almost mesmerized by the uniqueness of it all. It was different than anything I have read in a long time. There were twists and turns, recipe for any good psychological thriller obviously, but my favorite part was the psychopath in this story. He was really interesting to get to know via the very descriptive words of this author and I felt like I was there witnessing his creepiness and disregard for human life.

This book comes out in August. Definitely add it to your TBR! Thanks to @netgalley and @sourcebooks for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Thank you to #NetGalley for this ARC of #TheVictim

The concept of this book was tremendously interesting however much was lost in the execution. While the book was true to genre with a constant anticipatory feel and plenty of twists and turns. The technique proved to be difficult to follow in some parts. While some readers may appreciate the effort to detail that is required and the sort of systematic approach the reading takes on, others may shy away from it. Parts of it were extremely enjoyable, while others took a few re-reads to thoroughly appreciate. Overall, an average but unique read. 3 stars.

I really enjoyed this book but did find it a bit hard to follow at times. I would recommend this book.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview The Victirm by Max Manning.
Are we defined by our choices - if we made a different choice for a different situation rather than the one we made, would our lives be changed - better, worse, the same?
Gem is in a life or death situation when she is the victim of a carjacking. Will she be a victim or will she survive.
There are two stories going on (at the same time? I think), and the plots interchange with each decision and storyline.
This is a different book that I did like. I had to re-read and go back a few times and that I didn't really like.
All in all, this is a different approach by this author and a good attempt to change things up in novels of this genre.
3 stars.

Make the wrong choice, and you won’t live to make another...
When public relations executive Gem Golding becomes the victim of a carjacking at the hands of a dangerous criminal bent on her destruction, she must make a choice: Does she surrender to her attacker, or does she stand her ground and fight for her life? What follows are the two strands Gem’s life can take, and the chain of causes and effects that leads to Gem’s survival...or her eventual demise.

Emphasizing the power our choices have to determine who we become, The Victim is an ingenious high-concept psychological thriller following the devastating effects of two characters as they spiral toward their ultimate fates.

This book had a good concept but at times I found it a little confusing. The ending didn't flow well for me either. I might reread it just to see if maybe I understand it a bit better the second time around.

Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC of The Victim
by Max Manning
Pub Date: 06 Aug 2019

The Victim
by Max Manning
Description
Make the wrong choice, and you won’t live to make another...
When public relations executive Gem Golding becomes the victim of a carjacking at the hands of a dangerous criminal bent on her destruction, she must make a choice: Does she surrender to her attacker, or does she stand her ground and fight for her life? What follows are the two strands Gem’s life can take, and the chain of causes and effects that leads to Gem’s survival...or her eventual demise.
Emphasizing the power our choices have to determine who we become, The Victim is an ingenious high-concept psychological thriller following the devastating effects of two characters as they spiral toward their ultimate fates.

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for a free copy of Max Manning’s book The Victim.
I enjoyed the book. It was a bit confusing at times. I did find it a bit hard to remember if I was in the fighter or surrender chapter. But, in the end, It was quite good.

Kept me in my toes with the back and forth of the character and her decisions! Quick read, which to me, is the sign that I wanted to keep reading because it was a good book - kept my attention and was suspenseful! Look forward to more.

This book had an interesting story but was difficult to follow story as one of characters appears to have been killed twice by different methods. Andrew Bentley was killed by subway train and then later in his office. I’m not sure if I’m missing something but it was very confusing. There were 2 different scenarios for conclusion also. I’m not sure this galley was ready.