So this starts off exciting, Jules is desperately trying to save her son Gabe from the icy lake they've crashed in, only to find out the boy she rescued was his friend Isaac instead. Flash forward, and Isaac has gone missing, and his mom is convinced that Jules kidnapped him.
*
I think the best thing about this book is the title. Every character in it has truly gone off the deep end. And you find that out basically immediately. Which made it really hard to feel any empathy whatsoever for the situation they're all in. Jules's behavior is disturbing at best, and Isaac's mom Amber was just exhausting how much she was obsessed with Jules. Most of the book ended up being really repetitive with both of them being completely insufferable.
*
The ending was good, I will give you that. If the way it ended had been the only plotline, I think this could have been a really powerful book. But the other plot just ended up being so completely unnecessary, and instead of leading to a creative twist it just detracted from the parts that could have been good.
*
I think this had a lot of potential, especially seeing where the story ended up going, but there was too much that took away from it unfortunately.

Off the Deep End started off action-packed and I was ready to be submerged (pun intended) in the story. I’m a sucker for psych thrillers but I love it even more when therapy sessions are included! 😌 In this case it was an investigation that included a forensic psychologist.

This book is told in two POVs between two mothers- Jules and Amber. The plot centers around the aftermath of an accident which lead Jules to drive into the lake, aka The Deep End, with both her own son and Amber’s. But she only managed to save one of them.

Lucinda is a top author of mine and I will read anything she’ll publish, but this must be my least favorite book of hers. This one wasn’t nearly as thrilling as the others and more of a slower burn. I couldn’t connect with any of the characters (mostly unlikeable) and found myself not as invested in the story. I also would have preferred the POV of Amber’s son Isaac instead of her own. The beginning was gripping but I didn’t enjoy where things lead to and ended up at. I found the ending chaotic and, though fictional, too far fetched.

Many thanks to @netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the advanced copy!

📖 Read if you enjoy:
•investigative psych thrillers
•dual POVs
•dark books/topics
•maternal bonds
•therapy session conversations

Aptly-named Off the Deep End is a harrowing thriller chock full of grief, suspense, tension, paranoia and angst. No wonder, though, as the characters experience indescribable grief. Jules Hart's car plunges into an icy Minnesota lake and the intense description, both mental and physical, of desperately trying to get out of the water felt so real. There were two other passengers, both teenaged boys, but in the weeds and icy blackness Jules could only find one. After saving "the wrong one", guilt and grief take over her life. As Jules was a therapist earlier in life, she knew the signs, psychologist speak and was impressed when her psychologist used the terminology with her. Jules' son Gabe was her world and she lost her self that day.

Meanwhile, Amber's son Isaac is paralyzed with shame and guilt and deals with it in the only way he feels he can. When he goes missing like other boys in the region, his parents are frantic. Marriages and lives are torn apart as murder not only affects families but also communities. Author Lucinda Berry's psychological background adds great insight into psychologist/client relationships and therapy sessions as well as the gamut of emotions.

The tension and pain and torment were engrossing but the ending felt like an addition. I'm all for surprise endings but this one conflicted me. Still, Thriller fans should seek this one out, well worth reading. Lucinda Berry writes with engaging clarity and has a very special way using words.

My sincere thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this incredible book.

In true Lucinda Berry fashion this is a faced paced thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. As a parent you can relate Jule's struggles after her sons death, and the guilt that she feels for not saving him. With well written characters, this story kept me engaged and turning the page.
Another quick and fun read from Lucinda Berry.

Lucinda Berry can truly do no wrong. The stories she crafts are so intense and downright stressful but I can’t get enough. This new story delivers just like her others have and it’ll be on my mind for a long time!

Lucinda Berry is one of my all time favorite authors. I have read and loved everything she has written, but unfortunately this one just didn’t hit the mark for me. I have been in a major reading slump so that might be coloring my opinion a little bit, but I just didn’t feel like this had all the twists and turns that her books normally do. I did enjoy the twist at the end and didn’t see it coming.

I definitely recommend this to fans of Lucinda Berry or more of a popcorn thriller reader.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lucinda Berry pulls you slowly into the tragic story of Jules who has tragically lost her only son due to a car accident in which she was driving

Off the Deep End is a dark yet somehow very compelling read that once you are hooked you will race to the last page.

Jules like any mother just cant cope always blaming herself that her son wasn't the one she was able to rescue.

Isaac the other teen in the car also has survivor's guilt and now he has disappeared.

Fingers are pointing at Jules but she is institutionalized trying to get better.

The twists and turns are plenty and the big one at the end of the book had my totally surprised.

Off the Deep End might be a dark story but it is oh so good.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for a compelling read.

Quick read, but not because I enjoyed it. Ugh, both of the main women (Jules and Amber) were absolutely insufferable. I cannot even put into words how much they annoyed me because of how idiotic, naive, and downright foolish they were. Also, this plot had such potential, but it felt like Berry was confused about what she wanted the story to be. Not to mention, the whole Jules/Isaac relationship was just f*cking WEIRD and I couldn’t get into it or rationalize it whatsoever. Berry knows how to keep you hooked, sure — but I think because of her experience as a child psychologist, she’s absolutely awful at creating adult characters without having them sound like children. (And what adult “giggles”?! Hated that; she had them “giggling” all the time and it annoyed the hell out of me.)

Anyways, thank you nonetheless to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first book by this author and I am pleasantly surprised. This is one of the best psychological thrillers I've read recently.

Jules Hart's life ended when her car, in which she was traveling with her beloved son and his schoolmate, fell into a frozen lake. Jules was able to save one of the boys. Unfortunately, it was not her son but Isaac, his friend. Jules has completely broken down and is now in a mental institution. And when Isaac suddenly disappears, she becomes the prime suspect. Her very strange relationship with the rescued boy raises many questions.

It's actually a story about two mothers. Jules, who had already lost her beloved only son, and that drove her crazy. And Amber - the mother of the missing Isaac, who will do anything to find her son safe and sound. It is somewhat of a paradox that after all they both saw only the best in their children (as many mothers do I believe, so not so strange). But I think it adds an interesting psychological twist to the story.

This story has a really great pace. There is not a single redundant scene or dialogue here, everything together builds a really fascinating story. There are so many interesting elements and questions. After all, everyone is hiding something. And, of course, we are questioning Jules' motives through the whole book. The ending is original and quite surprising. Certainly darker than I expected. But I definitely enjoyed it for its uniqueness.

I usually don't like it when a story is told from more than one perspective, but in this case, I think it all worked really well. On the one hand, because we only have two points of view, Amber and Jules. And on the other, because these two looks complement each other perfectly and allow us to really enjoy this story. Everything we need to know, we learn from them. And it's really thanks to Amber that we discover what happened.

I recommend this book to everyone who is looking for something new in a book about the mother of a missing child and a story that does not necessarily end the way we always expect.

Berry writes such interesting and bingeable psychological stories, and this was no exception for me. I enjoy the way she writes such insufferable narrators (it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea), and this one deals with a missing teen. I had a hunch where the ‘reveal’ was heading but she gives so many surprises along the way. The only misstep for me was that the actual conclusion almost came out of left field - we don’t really start understanding until the final 20% of the book and then something happens suddenly to culminate the story, and i feel like it would’ve benefited from a bit more exploration, and maybe even getting an additional narrator in Isaac.

I found this book drew me in from the first page. It's basically a twisted thriller that will keep the reader turning the page and staying up late to finish. I can easily see this book becoming a Netflix movie. It has all the elements of a good thriller and touches on many aspects of todays world...including gaming. Lots of psychological elements since the author is a former psychologist. She delves into the minds of a teenage boy and his family. The tragic event that stirs this novel happens quickly so the reader is determined to see what happens next
I recommend this book and say......., Netflix get going....

3.5/5

I always know when I start one of the authors books that I’m gonna want to do nothing but sit and read it until I’m finished and this was no exception. She always tends to mix really emotional situations with darkness and that’s what she did here as well. The loss of a child is just such an awful thing to even think about and Jules son has already passed away when the book begins so this is super heavy. The author’s psychological insights are also very apparent as she really knows what she’s talking about based on her own experiences and I love that side of all of her books. This one mostly worked for me, lots of unlikable characters, some decent twists and a nice pace but in the end things went a little odd. I’m not sure I liked the explanation given for Issac’s disappearance but it wasn’t the worst I’ve read. Overall if you like bingeable thriller that really look at the psychological side of things try this.

This was a real slow burn for me. I kept picking it up and dropping it shortly after as is was boring and not a thriller at all. But as my OCD predicts I finally finished it and found the last few chapters way better than the first lot. I think if the major points that come across in the last few chapters were brought forward a bit it would have been way better. This story lacks actual sense and direction. It almost feel's like the author was trying to pull off a multiple plot line saga, which did not work at all.

I'm so disappointed as Lucinda is one of my favorite authors.

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read review this ARC

Lucinda has done it again! Another jaw dropping thriller with a twist I never saw coming!! Are her books dark, a little depraved and not for the faint of heart… yes. Are they brilliant, moving, captivating and unique… ALSO YES! I agree her books aren’t for “everyone” but for avid thriller readers she offers a fresh, new take on psychological thrillers that will leave you shocked every single time. Dark thrillers are making a comeback and Lucinda is leading the charge. I loved this book!

I love Lucinda Berry's books and I think it has a lot to do that she a former psychologist and writes amazing psychological thrillers! Off the Deep End features main character Jules Hart - a stay at home mom who was forced to make a choice when her car is thrown into an icy lake. WIth only seconds to make a decision, she reaches for one of the two boys in her car, and it was not her son....que the drama! While she deals with the aftermath of the death of her son, the boy was saved, Isaac disappears. Was he taken by a serial killer? Is he fleeing from bullies? Where did he go and is Jules at the center of it all?A crazy, hold on to your seat thriller - if you love a psychological thriller, a real life situation that you can imagine, or just a story, Off the Deep End is For You #LucindaBerry

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for allowing us to read and review this digital ARC

LUCINDA BERRY IS INSANE. Reading a book of hers has never taken me longer than 24 hours, and that's about the highest compliment I can give to a book.
like literally i started reading this at 1am last night and i swear i was about to shit my pants.
twisted. fast paced. thrilling. overall amazing job

only taking a star off because it wasn't as good as The Perfect Child, and because it didn't have a really shocking twist like i was expecting

this was a suspenseful tale that i really enjoyed. one thing about lucinda, is she can take any character and turn them into the villain.

you never know how her stories are going to go, or what the end result will be. i just wish she wrapped things up better. the ambiguous endings always get me.

the characters in this story were written well, and i enjoyed the way it was broken up. i liked the aspect of following the case from two point of views. i also liked the different theories that played out from the serial killer aspect to jules.
i truly believe isaac was failed by every single person in his life.

i think the sub plot with the psychologist and jules was really interested. i kept wanting to read more from her pov, and watch how she evolved and her thoughts changed.

it was a really quick, and fast paced read with a lot of plot twists.

i deff recommend!

- i received an arc from netgalley. all thoughts are my own!

Off the Deep End - Lucinda Berry
Life can change in an instant and that's what happens in Off the Deep End by Lucinda Berry. In this book we meet Jules, who, while driving with her son and his friend, gets into an accident. Jules's son dies but his friend does not. Then the boy disappears, and people think he's been a victim of a serial killer. Though the boy's mother thinks Jules has everything to do with it. I enjoyed this fast-paced psychological thriller!

Off The Deep End by Lucinda Berry - Honest Book Review

I have enjoyed many books by the talented author Lucinda Berry, but
Off The Deep End was not one of my favorites. I was drawn in by the premise of the story, but soon had difficulty connecting with the characters.

Synopsis:
As a result of losing her son Gabe in a tragic accident, Jules falls into an uncontrollable mental state. Ten months after Jules rescued Gabe's friend Isaac Greer from their car crash, he vanished without a trace. She still struggles to cope with the fact that she rescued another woman's child and not Gabe.

Isaac is missing. Was he kidnapped? Police question Jules about her involvement...

Warning: The following contains spoilers....

Pros: I have empathy for the loss of Gabe and the trauma of the wreck. The ending was unique and unexpected.

Cons: Isaac, 15-years-old is missing and his parents are constantly fighting. Why are they not organizing search parties, putting up missing posters, or searching for their son? Is there a reason why the police didn't take his computer? Hard drive history can never be completely erased. Experts can retrieve the information.

I appreciate the author's diligence, work and dedication. We all have different tastes in books. Please do not let my opinion of it stop you from reading it.

Off the Deep End is available on January 10th.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for sharing this book with me. Your kindness is appreciated.

#OffTheDeepEnd

4.5 stars rounded up to 5!

If you've read any of Lucinda Berry's previous work it's no secret that she refuses to skirt around the darker issues in life and just nose dives straight into them, and Off The Deep End was no different. It was devastating, heart-wrenching and suspenseful in simultaneously the best and worst ways.

While I agree with some other early reviews that both of the main character POV's that we read from were both relatively insufferable, I fully believe that was part of the point. Not all characters in fiction are going to be likeable and even more so in fiction that explores such realistic life tragedies, especially when written by someone who has intense clinical experience helping others to navigate this trauma. I felt the dual POV's that were relatively opposing to each other really kept the intensity up throughout the story and you never fully knew who to trust. This book was very unique in it's plot and the way it dives head first into some extremely dark topics - so I recommend looking up trigger warnings before going into it if need be.

Lucinda Berry is by far the queen of extremely dark and twisty thrillers and I can not wait to get my hands on more of her work. Thank you so much to Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer and Lucinda for my early review copy!