Enjoyed the first 2/3rds but then it kind of ran off the rails. Lovely writing and I'll definitely keep Sligar on my list.

Vantage Point was an excellent read. The writing was propulsive and the character development was rich. I would read more from this author.

TW: eating disorders, cyber bullying

This is a distinctive and gripping tech thriller that blends deepfake technology and holograms with a legendary family curse.

The concept of the book was intriguing, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I expected. The story felt lacking, and I was hoping for more unsettling events. It also felt a bit slow-paced. I struggled to connect with the characters, as they seemed unlikable to me.

The ending was questionable

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced copy to honestly review.

Vantage Point by Sara Sligar is a captivating domestic thriller that combines family drama, suspense, and modern concerns about privacy and technology. Set against the backdrop of Maine’s wealthy Wieland family, the story follows Clara Wieland, who returns to her family’s estate, Vantage Point, after a period of personal turmoil. Along with her brother Teddy, who is vying for a Senate seat, and her best friend Jess, Clara’s life is upended when an intimate video of her surfaces online—one she has no memory of creating. As the family grapples with the scandal, they are forced to face the unsettling possibility of deepfake technology and the darker side of digital manipulation.

Sligar’s storytelling is both sharp and engaging, weaving together themes of identity, family loyalty, and the intrusiveness of technology. The tension builds as Clara navigates the murky waters of her public and private selves, all while uncovering family secrets that threaten to destroy everything she knows. The novel’s exploration of the digital age’s impact on privacy and perception feels timely and relevant, making it not only an intriguing thriller but also a thought-provoking commentary on our current societal climate.

With well-developed characters and a plot filled with twists, Vantage Point is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a suspenseful narrative that challenges our understanding of truth and identity in an increasingly digital world. Sligar’s debut novel offers an exciting mix of mystery and emotional depth, leaving readers hooked from start to finish.

I just honestly did not like this book at all. I was intrigued by the premise but felt the story was so drawn out and boring. The characters lacked a certain depth that made them hard to care about.

I’ve seen comparisons to Succession with this type of bad rich people, but definitely wouldn’t say so myself.

The Wieland Curse follows a wealthy family haunted by misfortune. Clara Wieland, the troubled outcast, is thrown into chaos when a sex tape surfaces—one she has no memory of. Her brother Teddy and his wife Jess try to help, but soon they too become victims of a sinister game. Someone is watching, recording, and pulling the Wielands into a mystery they can’t escape. Twisting family drama with a creeping sense of dread, this is a thriller that keeps you guessing.

Interesting storyline. Holograms, cursed family, deepfake videos. A page - turning thriller with a lot going on.

Vantage Point is an interesting exploration of paranoia, wealth, privilege, and trauma. We follow Clara Wieland, her brother Teddy, and her best friend turned sister in law Jess. The month of April has always been cursed for the Wieland family and this April seems no different when a leaked sex tape is released of Clara that she has no memory of. Problem is, Clara is troubled and there is much she can’t remember. Is the video faked? Is this an example of the curse coming back to haunt the family?

I thought this was a unique, tech-savvy family drama. The characters were likable, but this was by design. I loved bouncing between Jess and Clara’s POVs and getting glimpses of the family’s past. The brief interludes of ways the curse has resulted in family deaths were a nice touch.

I’d recommend this novel to fans of family-focused dramas.

Thank you to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for access to this work. All opinions are my own.

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.

Vantage Point by Sara Sligar was fantastic!! This book had small island mystery, a rich family, scandal, mystery, and suspense.

The Wieland family is a wealthy, prominent family, who are cursed. Teddy and Carla lost their parents, fourteen years later they have moved on from the tragedy. Teddy is running for a seat in the senate. Carla is dealing with a sex tape scandal. I enjoyed the Wikipedia facts on the April curse. This book shows how easily reality can be skewed. I enjoyed this read ,it had great storyline, plot, mystery, lies, suspense, and plenty of family drama. Thank you to Farrar, Straus, Giroux and NetGalley for letting me read this arc in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions.

Vantage Point had a lot of potential but ultimately it just didn't make it for me. There's a lot of topics covered but not all of them are explored in depth enough. Many elements were underdeveloped. The story spends much of its focus on advanced technology and deepfakes, and reads more like a tech-driven thriller.

This is the story of a love triangle between Frank, Beth and Gabriel. It’s a heart wrenching story. It moves back and forth in time, which was a bit disruptive for me. It’s a passionate story full of drama, romance, love, family tensions, grief and loss. It’s a captivating must read

Vantage Point is the name of the mansion that brother Teddy and sister Clara have inherited after their parents murder. Teddy has since married Jess and the three of them live in the mansion in Maine. Teddy decides to run for Senator, but suddenly the past seems to catch up with them as Clara gets pictures and videos of herself that she cannot remember being taken Is this all linked to her parents death?
Quite an intriguing story and I thank the author, Netgalley and publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review

OK this was GOOD! Vantage Point by Sara Sligar is a tense and sharp psychological thriller with intriguing characters. I love an unreliable interpretation of events and this book was giving it to me in spades. The pacing was great—kept you reading without being so twisty that it came at the expense of character development. The role of media in public perception was explored in very interesting ways, and in our current time period (cough cough) the journalism and ethics elements were certainly resonant. Loved the ending as well!

3⭐️ I actually liked this book a bit more than I anticipated. At first, I was not really sure what to expect. The only thing I knew going into it was that it was being compared to the TV show “Succession” which I’ve never watched but slightly knew what it was about. This was a bit different than the typical thriller books I usually read since this book has a lot of political/business aspects and themes but I still enjoyed it. At times I felt like the book lulled and other times the book seemed very fast paced and some chapters ended on some good cliffhangers that kept me intrigued. Overall, I would recommend if you are into thrillers dealing with rich family drama!

Sara Sligar delivers a mesmerizing, intricately woven thriller with Vantage Point, a novel that expertly balances psychological tension, razor-sharp storytelling, and deeply compelling characters. From the very first page, the book establishes a gripping sense of unease, pulling the reader into a world where truth and perception constantly shift.

What stands out most is Sligar’s ability to craft a mystery that feels both cerebral and deeply emotional. The protagonist is richly drawn, and the narrative skillfully unravels layers of secrets, deception, and hidden motivations. The book’s structure and pacing keep the suspense high, with revelations landing at just the right moments to keep the tension simmering.

Sligar’s writing is both elegant and immersive, making even the quieter moments feel charged with significance. The themes of memory, trust, and manipulation are handled with nuance, elevating the novel beyond a standard thriller into something more thought-provoking. Every detail matters, and by the time the final twists unfold, it’s clear just how masterfully everything was set into place.

Sara Sligar’s Vantage Point is a brilliant retelling of Charles Brockden Brown’s 1798 novel, “Wieland, or The Transformation.” Perhaps the first American Gothic novel, Wieland — like Vantage Point— is a novel of the cursed Wieland family. The novel is narrated by Clara Wieland, the sister of Theodore Wieland, and the childhood friend of Catherine Pleyel who is also Theodore’s wife. Theodore hears voices of other people who he believes tell him to kill his family. These voices are generated by a mysterious stranger named Carwin, who is a ventriloquist able to speak in different voices. One of the themes of the novel is the inability to find the truth simply by relying on sensory evidence.

As in Wieland, Vantage point is primarily narrated by Clara Wieland. Clara suffers from an eating disorder and has been in and out of multiple treatment facilities. Her brother Teddy is running for U.S. Senator, and he is married to Clara’s childhood friend, Jess Pleyel, who is also a narrator of the novel. Having both Clara and Jess narrate the novel provides dueling perspectives proving the point that we all bring our own limited perspectives to our perceptions of the truth.

These modern day Wieland’s also suffer under a curse, in which family members die in bizarre ways during the month of April. And strange events akin to hearing voices begin to take place. The ghosts of Clare and Teddy’s dead parents appear, as do embarrassing videos that no one can recall ever making. Are they as real as they appear to be, or are they the sinister work of human hands?

Sligar held my interest throughout the novel, and she does an excellent job with character development, at least with respect to the two characters we are able to see through their narratives. Sligar also does an outstanding job with her source material, deftly asking the same questions that Brown did about the nature of truth based solely on sensory perception. I can’t recommend this novel highly enough.

Thanks to MCD/Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary advance copy of this book.

I do not understand how I'm going to find anything else this twisty, twisted and compelling this year. It's dark, it's for those of us who like it REALLY REALLY REALLY dark.

It took me a minute to get into it but once I did, what a ride. Unreliable narrators and shifting viewpoints, and that last line - whew.

There are so many content warnings here, that I feel like unlisted half of them put in StoryGraph and likely missed some. Eating disorder, cyber bullying, gaslighting, death of parents, sexual assault, and toxic relationships are at the front, but honestly, I’d approach with care if reading about dark content and topics can be challenging for you - this might not be your book.

A wild ride from start to finish. Very page turning. I love a rich family behaving badly storyline and this one has it in spades, with some twists. I enjoyed the gothic vibes as well! Kind of gave me Kennedy Family Curse vibes and kept me engaged all the way through.