Thank you to MCD for the free ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is out on 1/14/25!

Family Drama/Suspense. The Weiland family has been one of the wealthiest families in America, and also one of the most cursed. The Wielands tend to die in tragic and unexpected ways, and Clara and Teddy’s parents are no exception. In the wake of their parents death. Clara struggled for years with eating disorders and substance abuse. 14 years later, Clara has gained more stability after moving into their sprawling mansion and childhood home with Teddy and his wife, Jess, who is also her best friend. But when Teddy runs for senate and someone posts graphic intimate videos of Clara, their lives are upended. Clara can’t even remember making the video, and questions if they are deepfakes. But as more videos are released, Clara can’t help but feel like she is losing her grasp on reality - and that the curse has come for her at last.

I *mostly* really enjoyed this one. The pacing was great and the New England setting really added to the mounting dread throughout. The characters are all pretty unlikable, but it’s a testament to the strength of Sligar’s writing that it still kept me engaged. The only thing I have a BIG qualm with is some of the technology discussed - SO many plot holes that I can’t really talk about since it’s pretty integral to the story, but COME ON. I’ll update this review after the book’s release to list them. That being said - I still really enjoyed the book and love rich people problems and this one delivered.

Wooooow talk about a wild and original ride!!!

Vantage Point is a mix of familial curses and artificial intelligence sprinkled with ambition and lots of unraveling.

Clara and Teddy are siblings who grew up on a sprawling island estate off of the coast of Maine. Vantage Point has been home to their family for generations. Unfortunately, it’s also home to lots of tragedy and heartache. When Teddy decides to run for senate, awful things begin happening to Clara specifically, and the family will struggle to recover.

This is a story of what’s real and what’s not. Deep fakes, political aspirations, vendettas, and so much more! You will be guessing the entire time!

I ended up rating this book five stars because it was so original! Vantage Point kept my interest throughout, had me constantly guessing, and introduced new topics that I had never read before (and am now terrified of!)

Thank you to NetGalley and MCD Publishing for the opportunity to enjoy this ARC before its intended release date of January 14, 25.

I enjoyed this. I thought that the rich family secrets, the thrilling plot, the different themes explored, it was all good. I think that the dual POV actually added a lot to this story, and kept the pacing really fast for me, which isn't typical for my experience with multiple POV books. This was really solid all around, and also has a really cool cover to boot.

I am a huge fan of succession, so when this book was compared to that show, I knew I had to read it. So glad I did! This book is everything that succession is Rich family lots of secrets and so suspenseful I absolutely loved it!

Thrilling, non-stop ride that explores mental health, addiction, deeeeep family issues, political ambition, the scariest part of the internet and friendship. I loved the dual perspectives, and the pacing of this book just raced. Great endin, readers will be more than satisfied.

Vantage Point is a thriller/mystery novel that takes place on a fictional island off the coast of Maine. Much of the novel focuses on a supposed curse that affects a wealthy, prominent family that to me, seemed similar to the Kennedy family. Told in the dual perspectives of Carla and her best friend Jess, who is married to Carla’s brother, Teddy, the novel explores the blurry lines between reality and illusion. There are also several intervals of Wikipedia articles that explain the backstory of the curse.

This was an engaging book with an interesting perspective on how easily reality can be manipulated. The characters of Carla and Jess were well developed and showed the flaws of each. In my opinion, there wasn’t much of a mystery but that didn’t affect my enjoyment of the story. And the last 15% was action packed!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and Farris, Straus and Giroux/ MCD for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for an advance egalley in exchange for my honest review.

I really had to sit on providing feedback for this one. I enjoyed it, but it succeeded a little too well in confusing and manipulating me.

Both of the main characters, Clara and Jess, are fleshed out and unique. You can feel the historical comfort that lies between them which is riddled with a newer unease. I was really excited to read a fraught, emotional story which has been compared to Succession, and simultaneously take in an exploration of deepfakes and the impact of artificial intelligence on women.

But then the problem was that the “red herring” wasn’t a red herring, and it took an approach which, let’s say, shredded my suspension of disbelief.

I thought I was reading something grounded in reality, only for the technology mentioned to be non-existent light years away.

I thought I was reading a “woman goes down rabbit hole and doesn’t come back up” kind of story, which did an excellent job of showing me, the reader, how easy it is to dismiss a woman’s concerns as cuckoo bananas when she’s 100% correct about what’s happening. It did a great job of turning the mirror on yourself. But it wasn’t a rabbit hole story. There are descents into madness, but they aren’t where you hope or expect them to be.

And that’s because you expect the cuckoo bananas red herring to be a cuckoo bananas red herring. I got lost wondering “is this actually happening?”

Maybe that was the point though.

3.5 stars? For making me think.

"Vantage Point" by Sara Sligar presents an intriguing premise with a strong focus on personal growth and self-discovery. The narrative is engaging, featuring relatable characters navigating their complexities and relationships. However, the pacing can be uneven, leading to moments where the story feels drawn out or lacking in tension. Overall, while it offers some insightful themes and enjoyable, charming moments.

I was hooked on this one until I wasn't. About the dramatic downfall of one town's wealthiest families, the twists just felt a little too convenient for me. I absolutely LOVED Sligar's debut, TAKE ME APART.

Vantage Point begins like any good book, with a wealthy family. Cara and Teddy are adult siblings who inherited a boatload of money after their parents died in a truly tragic way. Clara dealt with it by being the family screw up and Teddy became the protector. Life seemed to carry on with Teddy managing the family affairs and dragging Clara with him until Teddy decided to run for Senate. Clara expected some family scrutiny, maybe even mention of the family curse (curse you say...just wait until you read the book). What Clara didn't expect was videos of her in compromising positions to leak on the internet. Embarrassing...yet. Detrimental to Teddy's career....TBD. Creepier is that Clara isn't sure that they are real. But if they are deepfakes who would make them? Why? And does this have to do with the family curse?

Vantage Point is like nothing I've ever read in the best possible way. Think classic mystery....a rich family on a small island, stand-up brother who appears to have it all together and a sister who manages to always make the wrong choice. Then you throw in a family curse.....what more could you ask for? I'll tell you. You could ask for modern-day AI warfare in the scariest way possible. Throw all of this together and you have a truly exciting novel.

What I love about Vantage Point is it is everything you want and everything you didn't know you needed. I was left grasping for what was true and what was fake in the story. How do I know who is telling the truth? Is there a curse? Is AI the devil? Who knows. You will have to read this unique book to find out.

I really enjoyed this book. I am sure that as new technology continues to evolve, we can look forward to reading more books with themes like this one. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this. The premise behind the mystery I would never have imagined. It’s all woven together perfectly with fantastic character development at the same time. Definitely recommend!

I finished Vantage Point several days ago and cannot stop thinking about it. This forthcoming novel from Sara Sligar offers a suspense-filled story centered around tech. I was incredibly impressed by how Sligar uses deepfakes and holograms to create an unreliable narrative. We often think we can outsmart advancements in digital tech, but Vantage Point left me doubting characters, perspectives, and events.

The first third of the novel is somewhat difficult to read because it deals with a lot of heavy subject matter, including sexual violence and eating disorders. While these themes reappear later in the novel, the focus shifts, and the pace of the novel rapidly progresses, making it difficult to put down.

I quite enjoyed the way the author utilizes multiple perspectives throughout the novel. We are forced to favor interpretations of events based on our connections to the characters, and the amount of trust (or lack thereof) they generate for us as readers. There is a lot of good commentary to be found in Vantage Point on how we traditionally view women’s voices and memories as less credit-worthy.

In summary, I would recommend this book to lovers of suspense and digital ethics, with the caveat that some topics will be sensitive and difficult to read. A huge thank you to FSG and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Vantage Point will be published on January 14, 2025.

3.5 rounded up

This was an interesting book and not what I expected at all. The comparison to Succession, I did not see though. The character development was great and you really do feel sorry for Clara and Jess. Overall an interesting read but trigger warring for eating disorders and sexual assault.

A wealthy family curse. This book takes on many social topics including cyberbullying, body shaming. It also covers a range of technical issues such as AI and deep fake video. The family curse (steer clear of the month of April). Perceived reality is also touched on in the story. A slow burn thriller.

4 Stars

Wow, this book was one of those books that I didn't expect to love so much!
Sara Sligar is in full form with this one! Wrapping each character up in deception and lies, the way a spider spins her web around an unsuspecting victim!

I still can't stop thinking about it and I finished it a couple days ago!

But don't just take my word for it. Read it yourself and get the same experience I did!

Vantage Point by @sarasligar
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

(AD/PR product)
A huge thank you to @netgalley and @mcdbooks for sending me an eARC of this brilliant book!
Set on the impressive Wieland Estate on an island off Maine, the story follows the Wieland siblings Clara and Teddy along with Teddy’s wife Jess during their family’s historically cursed month of April.
Leaked videos, a jeopardied mayoral campaign, deepfakes and holograms add to the strain of this infamous month for the three as we follow the fast paced story through all three of their perspectives.
The Wieland Curse is weaved throughout the stories using Wikipedia pages detailing other untimely Wieland deaths in Aprils past adding to the drama of the storyline.
This unique story touches on so many different topics such as manipulation, eating disorders, body shaming, grief, friendship and the misuse of technology all intertwined with themes of wealth, power and social influence. A really enjoyable read that kept me hooked until the end!
Make sure to grab a copy when it hits shelves in January 📚

Super intriguing book in a genre I don’t usually explore, but definitely worth a try if you're into Succession and family drama vibes, highly recommend giving it a shot!

This book gripped me from the beginning. It involves members of an extremely wealthy family that has been “cursed” over the years. One of the members runs for political office and compromising videos begin to be released to the public. Are they real or deepfakes?

In a world where AI is becoming widespread, I thought this was such a clever and terrifying thriller.

Read if you like:
✨books about family curses
✨dual POVs
✨unreliable narration

Thank you NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Will post review on publication day.

Clara and Teddy grew up wealthy, but their family has long been cursed with strange deaths, usually during the month of April. They lost their parents to an odd tragedy. The trauma seems to have made a greater impact on Clara’s mental health than Teddy’s. Clara has battled a life-threatening eating disorder for years, but her mental stability has often been questioned for other reasons.

Growing up, Clara and Jess were best friends and are still friends since Jess became Teddy’s wife. All three of them have returned to the small island of Maine where their remote family mansion resides. Teddy is running for Senate, and that’s when videos start to come out. The first is a sex tape of Clara. She has no memory of the man or the sex. When the second video is leaked, Jess and Clara begin to wonder if it’s a deepfake. More things start going wrong.

Initially, I didn’t mind any of these characters, but I began to dislike them all more and more as the novel went on.

NetGalley provided an advance copy of this novel, which RELEASES JANUARY 14, 2024.