“Succession Meets Megan Abbott in this seductive, technological suspense about the dramatic downfall of one of America’s most affluent families.”

A family drama akin to the award-winning streaming sensation, Succession, and writing compared to the suspense and horror author, Megan Abbott, who could resist? Not me! The promise of a thriller about rich people behaving badly, along with a captivating cover, Sara Silgar’s new release, Vantage Point, grabbed my attention, making it a must-read for me.

Vantage Point is told from the alternating POVs of two young women who have been friends since 4th grade. Clara and Jess, coming from completely different backgrounds, could not be any less alike. Even so, they each find a safety net in the other, which travels with them through childhood, adolescence and into adulthood. We meet Jess and Clara in present-day, in April, which is the month of “the curse” for Clara Wieland’s uber-wealthy family. Clara’s brother, Teddy, is running for Maine Senate, and all has been going according to plan, until a scathing video featuring Clara is released to the internet. From that point on, Clara, Jess and Teddy struggle to keep their lives in the balance, while also trying to uncover who or what has unleashed “the curse” upon them.

The back-stories of Clara, Jess and Teddy were especially compelling for me. Additionally, I enjoyed the alternating POV’s which contributed to the unsettling eeriness which lingered over the entire story. I did particularly enjoy the use of mixed media, via Wikipedia entries, as part of the structure of this book.

Vantage Point, was fairly propulsive, and should have been a win for my thriller-loving reading tastes. Although, I found it hard to put down most of the time, there were certain points throughout the book where the pacing was off and my interest would lag for a bit. Additionally, I figured out the twists early on, and found the reveals to be lacking.

Sadly, this was a bit of a miss for me, largely because my expectations were high with the comparison to Succession and Megan Abbott. I do think Vantage Point will appeal to many thriller readers, especially those that enjoy a story grounded in friendship and family.

Reader know thyself, as there are heavy themes of eating disorders and sexual trauma.

3.25 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the ARC of Vantage Point by Sara Sligar, in exchange for my honest review.

Political thrillers aren't typically my thing, but they are in Sara Slingar's hands. While I did find this highly unbelivable, that didn't matter, her writing and propulsive plot made this a page turner I couldn't look away from. AI is terrifying and Sligar reveals that fully here. This is gothic suspense dealing with a wealthy family/tech and I'm not sure I've read anything like it. Pick it up!

This is a complex story, one that if filled with themes on AI and gaslighting, on rich people problems and mental health and viral videos, and one that leans into the messy toxicity of famous, in the public eye family relationships. What stood out was the development of the story, how Silgar plays with Clara's storyline to twist and turn the story around to the reader as well as to her characters, and how the story leans into, more than expected, the role of deep fake videos, how harmful use of AI can wreck lives and cause those dominoes to fall as they will until more and more people are hurt. What worked less for me for the book was how really unlikable each character was , I felt no real connection to the characters, I wasn't sure I really cared enough to know what was going on even though the plot was though provoking... when I can't find myself really wanting redemption for anyone it's hard to really like a book. That being said, this is one read that is worth discussing for the bigger themes explored and introduced. 4 star plot, 3 star execution.

NOTE: themes on mental health, substance use, and eating disorders are present.

Vantage Point by Sara Sligar was a great gothic suspense novel.
I just loved the writing style done here it was lyrical and suspenseful. Which made for a gripping read.
I really enjoyed reading Take Me Apart so I was thrilled for a new novel. Which did not disappoint.
Sligar creates a haunting and decidedly literary thriller.

Curses, holograms, deepfakes…intriguing subjects that combined with a triad of siblings and a best friend, Clara and Teddy, and best friend /wife, Jess, made for an intriguing read. Not knowing much about deepfakes I had no clue they were as prevalent or convincing as they are after my limited research after reading this book. The concept was used in such a way, so devastatingly and yet so convincingly at first in Vantage Point, that certainly caught my attention. The dynamics between the three main characters were the heart of the story and Sara Sligar set it up so very beautifully, but also so very realistically. I found myself rooting for each one of them at various parts of the story.
The setting in Maine was very appealing to me as I grew up visiting Acadia, Mount Katahdin and Mount Desert throughout my childhood.
This was an engaging book for sure, Three and a half stars.

I was dying to read this after checking out the synopsis. Unfortunately, this book isn't really what I expected. I was under the impression this was a thriller with gothic themes. It's not. It was painfully slow, the plot was very convoluted, and it was much longer than it needed to be. Sadly, I wasn't a fan of this one.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sara Sligar for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Vantage Point coming out January 14, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. Thrillers can be a hit and miss with me. I love mysteries more. I thought the summary was really interesting. I love mysterious mansions and secrets. But this book wasn’t my cup of tea. I couldn’t really get into it. I couldn’t understand the characters. I do really love the show Succession, but this didn’t feel the same. So it just wasn’t for me. I would check out other books by this author though.

I was immediately intrigued by the pitch of Succession meets the unhinged elite of Saltburn combined into a "tech-thriller."  Sara Sligar is a very impressive writer. The characters here felt so well rounded and I kept wanting to turn the page. The structure of the novel was itself beautiful, with political plot lines and well planned character construction. This novel perfectly encapsulated what it's like to live in the Doom Scroll era, especially as a young woman surviving in an era of nude photos, sex tapes, eating disorders and embarrassing tags on social media. Loved this line: “I challenge you to find any former party girl not familiar with the morning-after Scroll of Shame. You can’t make a 30-hour-rave omelet without scrambling a few brain cells.” I can't wait to one day soon watch this as a limited series, because it's sure to be developed for the big screen. Thank you Net Galley for the early digital copy.

I lost sleep for this book and it was totally worth it.

I had no idea where this was going, although the tension that builds in the interpersonal space is so much heavier than what's happening to them all externally. If you get sucked into books and feelings, this one will have an impact.

The Wieland family is cursed - for the last century, every 5-10 years, a member of their family dies in the month of April. Brutally, often ironically. Like the first death, the steel magnate who made the Wieland name, being killed by the metal press that made them rich. It's been a long time since the curse took someone - the one that matters most to our story happened 16 years ago when the parents of Clara and Teddy Wieland were taken in a freak accident on the cliffs near their main estate in Maine, Vantage Point. It forced Teddy to be an adult and it sent Clara into a spiral that led to partying and an eating disorder.

Clara's best friend Jess was there for it, but drifted away from Clara. By the time they reunite when Clara nearly dies, it leads Jess into Teddy's arms, and eventually into marriage. Now, Clara is on the brink of falling apart again and Teddy is in the middle of the primary to run for US Senate. On top of that...someone now has it out for Clara, but really all of the Wielands. Clara starts seeing things, intimate videos of her are released, and the surprisingly fragile trust between the three is shattered.

I did not see the twists coming - who is going after the Wielands and why (the why is especially shattering...but so realistic it made it extra sharp), how they react to the stress and the eventual revelations, and what happens in the very end - the thing that makes it all especially tragic for everyone.

A thriller that starts slowly and then builds to a breakneck pace where at their rawest everyone is kind of terrible but also relatable. Gripping.

As a result, I'm going to read Sligar's first release. This was good enough I'm willing to add a book to my TBR.

My thanks to NetGalley and MCD/Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the ARC of 'Vantage Point' in exchange for an honest review.
This book pushed all the right buttons for me. If there's a powerful, wealthy family dynasty afflicted by accursed tragedies, you had me at 'accursed tragedies'. If they live on a fabulously massive estate that sits on a Maine island that they rule like a royal family,.....oh yes, sign me up. Throw in troubled family members living under the constant threat of the legendary curse that hovers over them, then I'm rubbing my hands in gleeful anticipation.
And 'Vantage Point' gets right to the point. Kennedy-esque Teddy Wieland is running for the U.S. Senate. By his side, his wife Jess, a lifelong friend of his emotionally tormented sister Clara. Clara's lived with agonizing guilt over the accidental death of her and Teddy's parents and she's spent her young lifetime in and out of eating disorder clinics. Unlike the Wielands, Jess came from a lower middle class upbringing and now she finds herself uncomfortable in her role as political helpmate to Teddy - she fears the press and public see her as an undeserving Grand Prize lottery winner of membership in a golden family.
The Wieland curse then goes into overdrive. Teddy's campaign is upended and sabotaged by release of embarrassing videos that seem to reveal Clara and himself as depraved, entitled wastrels.......images that'll no doubt repulse potential voters. His campaign manager/spin doctor wastes no time labeling the videos as deepfakes......and an increasingly unhinged Clara can't convince Teddy or Jess that these deepfakes tie into disturbing real sights now afflicting her, including appearances of her dead mother and father.
Author Sara Sigar brings in some sharp wit and well written insights into the family dynamics (and some dreaded secrets) of Teddy, Clara and Jess. And I thoroughly enjoyed how the book manages to make the very latest hi-tech factor into the story's creepy Gothic atmosphere.......as if it feels like 'Rebecca' with state-of-the-art CGI. (And the insert histories of previous Wieland family deaths are dark humored gems....)
A great overstuffed package of dynasty melodrama, political posturing and a properly traumatic finale.

A thriller that will have you asking whether Clara's mental illness is larger than it initially appears. Clara and Teddy Wieland are the last of the cursed Wieland family-members always die in April-and Clara. more than Teddy. has struggled with this. He's now running for office but someone doesn't want that. Deepfake videos first of Clara and then of Teddy's wife Jess (Clara's BFF) and then Teddy are eating at them. And then Clara thinks she sees their dead parents. It's an interesting look at the dangers of social media, among other things. No spoilers for this twisty one. Thanks to Netgalley for the Arc. A good read.

It was very interesting Book about this family who had a curse on them. The family was called WIE Lan D.
And they lived up i M a I n e at a place call D Anta GE point.. The book is based on Teddy who's running for the senate and his sister called c.L a r a. So was very interesting as you read the book.She put definitions on the bottom Explaining how this curse was really it took family. They all had Tragic Acciden T Through several generations. They also talked about fake videos of claire naked and this was the base of the book. Our best friend jessica eventually married Teddy. You also had projections of people claire where she really wasn't there. They talked about her eating habits as well in this book because she was doing with the death of her parents. This book had me thinking all different thoughts because you never knew what was going to happen next and it seemed all to be tied together. How media presentation of people can damage people as well. These people were very wealthy but they were not very happy. The ending We'll shock you but it all makes sense

In the digital age, what is truth?

The Wieland family has long been known for possessing many things...power, money, status, and a curse. Family members all seem to die too soon and in generally unusual ways. The latest generation, siblings Clara and Teddy, took shelter years ago on a small Maine island after witnessing their parents' untimely death. Clara is the more fragile of the two, struggling with mental health issues including an eating disorder, while Teddy takes charge of the family legacy. He is married to Clara's best friend Jess and has decided to run for political office, which in the current age is a proposition fraught with challenges even when one isn't part of a family as notorious as the Wielands. When explicit and disturbingly intimate videos of Clara appear online, ones of which she has no memories, her past and ongoing mental struggles render her denials of involvement moot, and Teddy's campaign is negatively impacted. Have the Wielands fallen victim to AI-generated deep fakes, or is Clara losing her battle for sanity? Is the curse real, or are there people out there who will stop at nothing to end the family dynasty for good?
A thriller that blends a somewhat Gothic narrative with cutting edge issues of technology, Vantage Point is a tense thriller that engages the reader quickly and keeps the suspense going as the novel unfolds. The characters, particularly that of the vulnerable Clara, are well-drawn and the plot is twisty enough to keep readers turning the pages. With the advent of AI and digitally altered and/or produced material a hot-button topic, this element of the story is timely (perhaps at times explained a bit too granularly for non-techies like myself). In today's day and age, one literally can not believe one's eyes and ears as the capabilities of digital manipulation improves at a furious pace. I didn't much care for the character of Teddy, and was a bit disappointed in the ending, but found the overall quality of writing and premise to be excellent. For readers of Mason Coile, Megan Abbott and Gillian Flynn (and as other reviewers have mentioned, fans of the HBO series Succession), this is a book that deserves a place on your TBR list. My thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Strauss and Giroux/MCD for allowing me early access to a copy of this atmospheric and timely novel of suspense.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc, I really liked this story. It was interesting and suspenseful. I rated this 4.5 stars.

I enjoyed this fast-paced thriller that dealt with so many themes that are highly relevant these days: ruthless ambition, deepfakes, emerging technology and toxic masculinity. It’s all centered around an old-money family whose favored son is running for Senate, and whose campaign starts to unravel when a graphic video of his sister (a “party girl” who suffers from an eating disorder) is dropped like a bomb on the Internet. Who did it? What do they want? It’s worth reading to find out, and I also enjoyed the setting (Kennedy compound vibes, but in Maine).

Thanks so much to Farrar, Straus & Giroux and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy!

Release date: Jan 14, 2025 🗓️

Vantage Point by Sara Sliger is a gripping blend of mystery and sci-fi that will have you hooked from the first page. The plot is well-paced, with twists and turns that kept me guessing and completely invested. Sliger weaves in the sci-fi elements so seamlessly that they feel natural, enhancing the story rather than overpowering it.

I couldn’t put this one down—it’s one of those books that you’ll race through, eager to see how it all comes together. If you’re a fan of smart, genre-blending reads, Vantage Point is absolutely worth your time. A thrilling and thought-provoking ride!

This book is like a black mirror episode. Thought provoking and high tech, this is definitely a very interesting read.

It was very well written, although a little slow throughout the first half of the book. There was almost too much back story and description that I felt like I was waiting for something interesting to happen for a while.

I liked having Clara and Jess’s POVs, two best friends turned sister in laws, caught in the middle of the crossfire of Teddy’s (Clara’s brother, Jess’s husband) senate campaign. The element of the wieland family curse was also very interesting throughout the story. It was amazing how quickly peoples trust turned, how quickly relationships burned, and how desperate everyone was to keep up an image.

I definitely recommend if you’re in the mood for a darker family drama!

This story hooked me so quickly! I loved the use of an unreliable narrator and the deepfake videos to keep me questioning throughout. Overall a really good thriller

I loved the dark secrets of the family, there was great suspense and tension throughout which made it easy to devour this book in one sitting.

I really don’t understand how the description of the book and the actual read played together. I was really bored and nothing was catching my attention throughout. I had to DNF