clara wieland has worked hard to get her act together, and just when she's starting to get into a rhythm, her life is turned upside down when someone posts an explicit video of her that she doesn't remember filming. is it real? is it fake? is it a sign that she's the next target of her wealthy family's long-standing curse?

if you want a book that will make you mad and scare the bejesus out of you, this might be the one! when i say it's scary, i'm not talking about horror or gore, but about the very terrifying reality of deepfakes. the idea that a jilted weirdo with a keyboard can ruin your life forever is not a new one. the threat looms over all of us, all the time, just for simply existing (am i right, ladies??). add old money, power, and status to that equation and you've got the grounds for something huge. even worse, if you do know for a fact that it's false, how do you make anyone else believe you over what they're seeing with their own eyes? how do you keep your sanity intact when everyone else is telling you that you're insane?

i really ripped through this one once it started. the relationships were interesting, the writing was lovely (i also learned a handful of new words!), and the last two pages were everything. to. me.

there were a few minor points that i had trouble accepting/believing (don't blame me, blame how batshit insane the political system is) about the politics as well as the technology (no spoilers here!). i also thought it was fairly simple to figure out the whodunnit of it all. overall, though, i thought this one was really, really good! it must have been, because i basically devoured it in one sitting.

thanks to fsg books & mcd books for the digital copy of this book on netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

While I am not a fan of this cover, I really enjoyed this one. Rich dysfunctional family with a curse, one member of the family running for office (hello, Connor Roy), and some mysterious goings-on. It reminded me a good bit of We Were Liars. It's an interesting blend of the human (family drama and trauma) with the futuristic (deep fake technology).

This book was wild!

I love a good family drama/thriller, and this was that but more. We have the rich political campaign aspect, the multiple POV, dual timelines, and to top it off, weird/messy dynamics between the 3 MCs. For most of this book, none of those characters were very likable to me. However, Clara started off as my least favorite, but by the end I was 100% behind her.

The plot of this one started off a little slow, but as the story progressed, different threads started sprouting off and weaving together in such an engrossing way. There were times where things felt kinda like a fever dream, and getting caught up in the “what’s real, what’s not?” was fun.

I’ve never read a story involving possible deepfake/hologram stuff before, but I really liked how it was done here. It worked well in a thriller/mystery book, and how it guided the plot was so interesting. Things picked up a lot in the last 1/3; sh*t really started hitting the fan, and I loved the spiral that ensued. I was glued to my seat until I got to the end, which was both shocking and satisfying.

I wouldn’t say this was my usual type of book, but I’m so glad I read it. If you’re in the mood for a different kind of thriller, grab this one!

Vantage Point by Sarah Sligger, the Wiggins family or Uber rich and live on an island in Maine, but they’re also cursed. It seems in April every few years a Wiggins dies a tragic death and when we meet the characters, it is the day before April 1. Jesse and Claire became best friends in the fourth grade. Claire was Uber rich Jesse was super poor. when they grow up, Claire is a raging anorexic drug addict party girl etc Jesse married Golden boy and her best friend’s brother, Teddy Wiggins. he’s also running for Senate and he and his political manager are doing their best to make Jesse the perfect political wife. While sister Claire is becoming the perfect political scandal. especially when a tape is released with her ravaged anorexic body on view and a man having sex with her. At first, Teddy tries to be understanding, but when she doesn’t want to divulge any details, it doesn’t help Claire’s case nor his political fight. on top of that Jesse is becoming road weary of all the political events and rallies. She must attend for Teddy‘s campaign. The fact that they seem to be growing apart, doesn’t help either. it seems everyone is seeing each other differently and the ones close trio are becoming solo camps. Claire is the most unstable and keeps telling Jesse and Teddy about seeing things, but sometimes proof isn’t proof at all and you have to throw a twist in the mix to get the result you want. I really enjoyed this book. I do wish the ending would’ve been shaped differently, especially the whole thing with the perpetrator but either way I found it satisfying in a very good read. It’s almost a futuristic tale, but still one I thoroughly enjoyed. I could’ve done without the million different ways you describe water because it seems every other sentence. The water was mentioned and it’s glassy top clear aesthetic, etc I was just so over it not to mention her overzealous pros were a bit much but even though I didn’t like these couple of things and found the whole thing with the water annoying I still didn’t put this very long book down because I wanted to know how it ended and boy am. I glad I finished it. although I do think had she used moderate pros without the example preamble the book would’ve been much shorter, but then it may have been a different book. #NetGalley,#Sarah FSS, Sligger, #VantagePoint,

I have a hard time rating this. On the one hand, the several timelines of the narrative are skillfully juggled, the characters are (mostly) well-developed and interesting, and the plot is propulsive (I zoomed through the last 80 pages or so in less than half an hour, a blistering pace for me). On the other hand, the "mystery" side of things was a little lackluster: at various times characters find evidence that Something Is Up (deepfakes, techno-gaslighting, uncharacteristic or unexplained behavior, etc.), and either withhold this evidence for no reason or present this evidence to other characters only to have the others ignore and dismiss this evidence likewise for no particularly good reason. It makes what could be an exciting "solving the mystery" sequence of events frequently more frustrating than satisfying and drags out events far longer than they should reasonably have been.

That said, it shows promise for only Sara Sligar's second novel. I'll have to keep her on my radar for what she does next.

A dramatic story which weaves in past tragedy following two siblings whose family is cursed in the month of April. Is it truly the curse or the human nature of the family that causes tragedy to occur as they hurt others along the way?

Clara and Teddy have always been very close and even more after the death of their parents. He leaves a successful banking career to be near her who has an eating disorder. Her best friend Jess gets involved (and later marries Teddy) during one of her visits to Clara she sees her best friend have a health breakdown and takes her to a hospital and later on to a center for treatment of addictions. Their life keeps being the ideal one, except for Clara, who is always wandering in the border of sanity. She feels guilty for their parents death and starts to have allucinations, however, these are fabricated images and sounds and the reasons behind them are mean and perverse and the culprit is someone they know and trust. A good plot, full of mystery, suspense, family drama, deceit and lies. Great entertainment.
I thank the author, her publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

This is a chilling, tech-driven horror that remains firmly grounded in reality. As deepfake technology continues to advance, its potential consequences become increasingly terrifying. The more realistic these manipulated images and videos become, the more we are forced to confront the unsettling possibilities of what could happen if they fall into the wrong hands. Sara Sligar had given the readers a fast paced character driving novel that walks the very thin line between reality and deep fake.

Labeled as a mystery/thriller and the synopsis also calls it a “gothic mystery”….gurl where?! It’s so painfully slow and overly descriptive. The writing style is not at all my taste and for a mystery or thriller there should be something to grab you but it’s all meandering thoughts. I couldn’t care less about these people despite being excited to read about a cursed family many reviews say it doesn’t really place much of a role so I’m DNFing

The Wiseland family is cursed. It took out their parents and how it's coming for Clara. She and her brother Teddy have gotten past the tragic deaths of their parents and have built a good life for themselves. When Teddy runs for Senate, it begins. Can they survive the curse and live out their lives?

The Wieland family is one of the richest in the world. They reside on an island off the coast of Maine and like many wealthy families they feel cursed. The last two of the bloodline, Clara and Teddy, are left on the island, along with Jess, Clara's best friend turned Teddy's wife. As with most wealthy families the siblings are insufferable. When videos begin to surface showing the family in a bad light the internet eats them up. But are they real?
The story is told in alternating POVs between Clara and Jess. I usually enjoy this format, but this one needed either only one POV or to add Teddy in the mix. Clara and Jess felt like the same person to me. This is brought up at the end of the story and ties into the idea of deep fakes and AI becoming more prevalent in society. How can we spot what is real and what is manufactured by artificial intelligence? Often you know something feels off, but you can't put your finger on what it is and that is how this story felt to me.
If you enjoy psychological thrillers that are a bit claustrophobic this is the perfect read for you! While it was not my cup of tea I will still check out other books but this author. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I found this to be quite slow moving for the first half, not much happened and I couldn’t quite figure out the direction of the story. I felt like the twist with the holograms was fairly easy to figure out but I didn’t love the way it all came together. I also found that Teddy’s character lacked a lot of depth and development. Very interesting storyline and concept though!

This was totally suspenseful and utterly character driven. I really enjoyed this one and this definitely won't be my last Sligar book.

Unfortunately, I wasn't crazy for this one, I never finished a chapter wanting to keep reading, desperate to find out what happens next. I couldn't connect to any one character and felt not much happened until the very, very end. What I did feel most out of this was the terrifying aspect of how strong of a hold the internet has on the world as well as technology in general and what may come of it. The storyline was okay, and I am going to leave it at that since I am not one for giving negative reviews. Two and a half stars rounded up because the writing was well done.

Thank you, Netgalley and Farrar, Straus, and Giroux for this ARC.

Holy shit this book was an awesome ride. I loved it. I thought the characters, plot, and scenery were perfectly crafted. I liked that it look place in Maine too. I only deducted a star because I thought the disordered eating was a bit much, and I’m not even triggered by the topic.

The Wielands are one of America’s most prominent families — known for their wealth, status, and, most famously, for the curse that has bedeviled them for generations. Clara and her older brother Teddy grew up in a small Maine town in the home that has long been in their family, known as Vantage Point. Their parents were seemingly the latest victims of the family curse, dying in a freak accident fourteen years ago.

Now, Clara and Teddy’s lives seem steady. Teddy married Clara’s best friend Jess, and Clara and Teddy are working together at the family foundation. Teddy decides to run for Senate, and at first the campaign gets off to a good start. But then shocking videos of Clara leak online, threatening the campaign. Clara, though, can’t remember filming any of them. And no one believes her when Clara tries to convince them the videos are deepfakes. Teddy and Jess suspect that Clara is spiraling. Clara is sure that the videos are the curse coming for her. Who is right? And what will be left of the Wielands once the truth is revealed?

This was an interesting and creative novel, deftly combining a thriller with an insightful examination of family, friendship, and ambition. It also explores timely themes of how to know what is real in the modern age.

Highly recommended.

Thank you to net galley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This fast paced thriller centred around a familial curse quickly became a book I couldn't put down. Exploring concepts and themes such as mental health, addiction and the very real threats posed to us by the advancement of technology, Vantage Point was easily one of my top reads of 2024.

The characters, the pacing and the red-herrings provided had me on the edge of my seat and although I wasn't one hundred percent sold on the ending, understood the author's choice and felt that it fit with the rest of the book.

The inclusion of the curse and the way it was fed to the reader was a perfect addition and really added a bit of a unique twist to the novel.

the drama and intrigue kept me hooked in the first half but then as the truth was revealed all thrill and surprise were just lost... i kept waiting for another twist but that was just it? tagging this a gothic thriller seems misleading

An interesting concept to combine technology and, essentially, the torture of an innocent person. I wish there was more of a punch when it came to the climax of this story.

Sligar has delivered a fun, fast-paced techno-thriller with Vantage Point. If you're someone who enjoys stories about dramatic uber-rich families (and their equally dramatic downfalls) this one will be right up your alley. I really enjoyed the premise, as well as the remote Maine island setting, and the book certainly managed to keep my attention. However there were certain aspects of the book that just didn't work well for me. The book delved more towards sci-fi in the second half, which could have been great if it were fleshed out a bit better. But as is, I just couldn't buy into what the author was selling with some of the technology involved. I also felt like the 'family curse' element was not utilized well. Despite being a major plot point, the book fails to introduce many members of the family in question, which makes the whole concept feel very removed. I also struggled to accept the motives behind one of the main characters actions, although that's all I'll say, in order to stay away from spoilers.

All together, this book was a bit 'take it or leave it's for me. If you need to kill some time with a quick thriller that doesn't require too much deeper thought, this book will do just fine.