3.5 stars, actually.

If I've learned anything after reading several books in which a villain "captures" a character or group of characters and challenges them in some way to get out alive (think: escape rooms and elevators), it's that they grab you by the teeth from the git-go. But there's a catch: that kind of a start requires an in-your-face ending as well; when that doesn't happen - and for me it didn't here - a good bit of that early magic disappears.

Anyway, here's the deal: Ryan Cloverhill, a sort of blend between Elon Musk and Bill Gates with a touch of Larry Ellison, has invited six close friends from college to stay on his private island in the Puget Sound area. It's to be a great reunion with all expenses paid - but the guests must leave all their electronic devices at the door. With so much to see, do and talk about, no one seems to care about staying connected; until, that is, the second day of their somewhat mysterious adventure when Ryan has gone missing and they realize they're isolated from all other humankind.

Finally, Ryan touches base (by way of extremely high-tech equipment he's installed in the mansion in which they're all imprisoned) and hints at what's to come. At first, it all sounds like some kind of game (Clue, perhaps?); but it soon becomes clear something far more macabre is in the works. Collectively, Ryan informs them, they must make a decision that has no "good" outcome.

There's no shortage of action, some of it devastating, but as the story progressed it began to challenge believability. With the possible exception of one character, I never really warmed up to any of the college buddies - especially after details of their private lives began to be revealed. And besides wondering how in the world Ryan could possibly have pulled all this off, I kept hoping he'd somehow get bumped off and the story would end happily ever after.

Stuck in between is a ton of technology explanations, most above my intellectual pay grade. The actual ending, which did wrap things up somewhat neat and tidy, seemed more of a rationalization for the chaos Ryan's actions unleashed than any retribution he (IMHO) deserved. Despite all my misgivings, though, I'll say this is a well-written, well-thought-out book worth reading; if nothing else, it highlights the seedier side that technological advances can bring - and looking at those from both sides now really isn't a bad idea. Thanks go to the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with a pre-release copy to read and review. Oh, and to the author: This former copy editor says you need that hyphen.

Seven friends reunite with their billionaire tech giant friend hosting. The catch? No devices allowed for the weekend. Just a chance to relive and reminisce about their college days where they were known as the Stillwater Seven. What could go wrong?

For starters, their host secretly discloses to his former college roommate that he has pancreatic cancer and doesn’t have much more time. Then, the host disappears and the house is encased with security measures where those inside aren’t getting out. Unfortunately, the host didn’t plan on two friends being outside when this happened.

Why would he go to such lengths with his friends, the only people he has said he trusts? What follows is a mixed bag of everyday middle aged friends trying to decipher what all the hidden messages they are told mean and make a life or death decision in order to earn their freedom and quite a monetary reward. Device Free Weekend is an interesting premise with a new thriller twist. Admittedly, some of the technology terminology and advances discussed were over my head, but once I got to the house being shut down, the story took off. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the advanced copy. Opinions expressed are my own. This book is set for publication on February 27, 2023.

#netgalley #arc #seandoolittle #devicefreeweekend #grandcentralpub

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an ARC of Device Free Weekend. I was really looking forward to reading this book. The concept of college friends invited to a weekend away on a remote island to reconnect was intriguing, especially because the owner of the island was requiring his fiends to put their phones and any devices that they brought into a locked cabinet. Ryan, invited his friends to the island to help him make a big decision. I wont go into too much detail, as I don't want to spoil the plot. The title did not correspond with the story. While the friends all had to give up their devices, Ryan was using devices through out the whole story.

When a giant social media owner decides to get his college pals back together on a private Seattle area island he asks them to make a group decision about the tech giant. You might recognize it?

I love these newer thrillers using modern social media plots because you an actually see where they might be going. Doolittle does an excellent job in detailing how nuts social media truly is. Unfortunately all seemed possible. Highly recommend.

Leaving devices behind for the weekend is exactly what social media founder, Link, Ryan asks his old best friends to do on their weekend get-away. After they all fall into a drug induced sleep they wake up, with Ryan gone, and a tablet to unlock. They work together to unlock the device…but they’d rather have not figured out what awaits them. Two decisions with horrifying choices, and they are the ones who decide. Can they work together to solve this riddle or will the unthinkable happen?

I love a good weekend away thriller and this one delivered. The rich guy, bad guy trope is also always fun. One thing I appreciated about this book was the accuracy of the setting. I always hate it when a book is based around where I live, and so many things are wrong – but this one got things right! Private islands exist, our airport kinda sucks, and the coast guard does tour the sound regularly. This book was gripping and held my attention the entire time. My biggest gripe with this one was the chapters. When we are dealing with multiple points of views (which I enjoy) I think it should be made very clear who’s POV we are in. This wasn’t clearly labeled in this book. While the author did do a decent job of setting each chapter up, and I eventually figured it out, my brain would have appreciated a chapter heading. This was my first book with this author, but it won’t be the last!

Check out this solid gripping weekend getaway thriller February 28th! Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher, Grand Central Publishing, @grandcentralpub for this e-arc in exchange for this honest review.

Seven friends re-enter each other's lives when billionaire and founder of a massive social media platform Ryan Cloverhill invites them for a weekend away on his private island. Things quickly take a turn for the worse as they hand over their devices, Cloverhill makes a mad dash, and the group is faced with a real trolley problem.

DEVICE FREE WEEKEND by Sean Doolittle was a fun locked room vacation thriller with a cast of quite unlikable characters.

This one borders on sci-fi when it comes to the tech, but I found myself leaning into that element and really enjoying the ride! The use of alternating timelines and POVs kept the story engaging and gave just a hint at what these characters have been through to lead them to this very moment they find themselves in.

So glad to have had a chance to read an early copy of this one thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing!

Publication Date: February 28, 2023

Billionaire Ryan Cloverhill invites his 6 best friends from college to his remote island for a weekend to catch up. Things don’t turn out as the friends expect. They are there for a reason, to make a decision, neither choice is good. Things go even further off the rails when things Ryan didn’t plan for take place. This was definitely a unique plot and a page turner. I wasn’t sure how it was going to end. Thank you tonet galley for an advanced readers copy.

📚: Device Free Weekend by Sean Doolittle
⭐️: 2.75/5 (rounding up on #goodreads)

Meet Ryan. A social media mogul and self-made bazillionaire. He bought his own private island, and invited his six closest (yet, somewhat estranged) friends from college for an unplugged, all expenses paid, device free weekend. (Yup, all devices go straight into wicker basket upon arrival.)

Clearly, everything goes awry and is completely unhinged.

I flew through this book in a single sitting, not because I necessarily loved it, but simply to find out how it ends. It’s a gripping core plot that hooks the reader, and overall wasn’t at all what I expected when I first started to read. But, overall with unlikeable characters and parallels too close to real life social media woes in the world just missed the mark for me.

Thanks to @grandcentralpub via @netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Device Free Weekend is out on February 28th! #gifted

I had high hopes for this one because the premise sounded interesting but in the end it wasn’t for me. The writing and dialogue in particular just felt weird, I don’t think this authors style is for me. None of it seemed even remotely plausible either

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Device Free Weekend.

I love thrillers set on remote islands so the premise was right up my alley.

It started off well, the introduction of the characters, the island, the setup, but quickly, it took a turn for the worse, into the ridiculous.

I'm not sure what Ryan Cloverhill's problem is but he's no Tyler Durden. I'm not even sure what set him off.

He's mad at social media? Does he think people are spying on him?

He seems in need of mental health professionals than anything else, and his ruse and motive on getting his college friends together is not only beyond the ability to suspend disbelief for, it's sillier than a bag of monkeys.

The writing was good, but the techno babble went over my head, and made me wonder if the author just wanted to show off and use technical and wordy buzzwords.

Character development is also an issue, but when the premise is absurd, I guess characters you can relate and/or empathize with is a moot point.

The narrative was short, but because of the techno talk, the pacing dragged, and for a story that included domestic terrorism and explosions, the story lacked suspense and urgency.

Device Free Weekend wasn't for me but thanks for the opportunity to read and review before publiication.

Device Free Weekend by Sean Doolittle hit my reading queue this month after I saw it listed as a 2023 Goodreads book that fans are eagerly awaiting, plus I noticed it on NetGalley, so I wanted to give it a chance. Love the premise - a friend who's been distant for about two decades invites 6 other friends to his remote island near Seattle. Everyone misses him, but once they arrive and get thru the first night of reconnection, things go awry. The mysterious friend is missing in the morning, and when they uncover what's happened, it feels much like a game. He's alive and hiding, telling them they must crack a code to get released. But then he reveals a much more sinister plot. Too bad not everyone is willing to cooperate. As a plot, this had tons of appeal and merit. I really loved the first 50%.

It began to wane a bit in the middle when the story got too philosophical and technical. So much of the action was tied to how technology worked, and I'm a technology guy. I followed most of it, but it caused me to think way too hard for a book. I wanted to enjoy the dialog, the friendly drama, the mystery of how to solve the puzzles, etc. I found myself skimming a bit when it went off the rails and I struggled to care how the characters got out of it alive. It pulled me back in a few times, especially when someone died, but by the end, I felt a bit mixed on this one. Doolittle's writing style was great, and the overall story was fairly strong. Just needed more emotional connection to the characters and a bit less complexity on how the technology worked for me. Will try more from the author in the future tho!

Overall feel: A locked-room suspense thriller that you’ll find hard to put down. This story is captivating and just as equally intriguing. A ride you won’t want to get off once it’s over.

A lil’ preview: A group of friends are invited to a private island for a weekend away- but there’s a catch - it’s a device free weekend. Leave your phones at the entrance. Old college friends are about to become closer than they’ve ever been and be challenged in ways they’ve never been.

I can’t express enough how much fun this book was to read. It is well-written and holds your attention. It’s my first time reading this author and now I’m buying all his previous work!

So many good quotes I’ll be posting Feb 28 - Release day. I received an ARC version of this book and leave this review of my own accord.

Self-made billionaire, Ryan Cloverhill invites his six closest classmates for a weekend retreat on his private island. The purpose was to have fun and reconnect with his friends that he hasn’t seen in years. It’s a very welcome surprise for Ryan’s friends. Six of them got an invitation for an all expense paid and all inclusive stay at the island.

Upon arrival on the island, the invitees are given a grand tour of the campus and facilities. Everyone is awestruck until they are asked to relinquish all of their electronic devices. There is to be no contact with the outside world — no streaming videos, no pics, no social media posts, and no phone calls. It’s a pretty bold request, but everyone complies.

Unbeknownst to Ryan’s friends, Ryan has a sinister agenda. A plan that has been in the making for several years. A plan that will surely affect the island’s guests, inhabitants and potentially Ryan’s empire around the world.

Device Free Weekend started out as a taut suspense novel. But as the story unfolded, the narrative became increasingly unbelievable, where it bordered on science fiction. There is a lot of action that takes place. However, what overshadows the action is whether any of it could occur.

The characters weren’t that noteworthy and none of them stood out as likable or unlikeable. Though I’m leaning toward all of them as being unlikeable given the fact that they were all leaches — preying on the generosity of their estranged but successful classmate.

There are a number of potential scenarios that could have played out in this locked room mystery, but the existing scenario leaves a lot to be desired. Two and a half stars satisfactory stars, rounded up.

I received a digital ARC from Grand Central Publishing through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

WOW!! Read this in one sitting!! I love stories set in such a way that the protagonists are seemingly trapped by the setting by geography or weather, etc and as this story takes off that is how we find the main characters. Although I enjoyed the cat and mouse games that Ryan plays with his friends, the captives on the boat and how the very sick Ryan was able to subdue them all did not necessarily ring true. But I was willing to put that aside to immerse myself in the wild story that unfolds over a long weekend. The explosive climax brings an ending I did not see coming and I admit I am a sucker for an epilogue that wraps things up for me. Overall., a great ride and a fun read.

The ending of this left something to be desired.

It reminded me of Influencer Island a bit.

Six college friends meet up on their old friend's island (think mark Zuckerberg type) and chaos ensues. The book is told in third person and at times I found the narration confusing.

Thank you so much to @grandcentralpub for sending me Device Free Weekend by Sean Doolittle. I totally related with these friends being in college in the 90’s, as I was also. I was completely intrigued with how the layers of this story played out and made the characters more complex. This was really well written and although I figured out the ending, it didn’t take away from any of the enjoyment. This was a great book as one of my last of the year.

Will be reviewing a physical copy of this one. Thank you again for the ARC and hopefully this opens up a space for someone else.

Well, that went in a direction I didn't expect! Six college friends are invited to their tech billionaire friend Ryan's private island for Labor Day weekend. Their devices are confiscated for a low-tech reunion and the first day is awesome. Things take a turn the next morning when they wake up dazed and confused with their host missing and a computer left for them to unlock with instructions on what they must accomplish. The story then goes into an over-the-top insane arc. Ryan's grandiose plans are left in their hands and the stakes are high. Fun if you suspend your disbelief and just go with it.

I was so intrigued by the premise of this one but wowsers did it go off the rails! I'm all about a locked room mystery but this was over the top and unbelievable. Plus side, it’s a fast read and I did want to finish it even after I realized it wasn’t getting back on track.

“Device Free Weekend” by Sean Doolittle is a reunion between seven college friends, with an extreme twist: one of them is a billionaire with a terrible plan for the future of his company and the rest are locked in his high tech home to make a choice on how the plan plays out. Extreme and adventurous, this thriller was not only a puzzle, but a critique on social media itself.

A trip to a boujie island by one of your good, rich friends always sounds like a good idea, right? WRONG. This trip was one of those trips that you could never imagine would happen. Especially when you think you know your friends, but you must not really. Watching these friendships unravel was interesting and horrifying at the same time. Especially after you hear the plan.

It felt like this book through the Ryan Cloverhill character is really professing the evils of technology, which is what he made his living on. You could feel the various inspirations for his character and it created a combination that I didn’t really like. In fact, there wasn’t one character in particular that I felt overly invested in.

However, this book did keep me guessing and had an interesting take on a “And Then There Were None” scenario, minus people dying one by one. Overall, I think this was a 4 star read, with the story really taking off in the second half.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book releases February 28th!