This is one of those books where you're asking yourself from the beginning: Is the main character the victim, or the villain? Because even she doesn't know.

Devon's relationship with Richard has been absolutely perfect for the last two years. A struggling artist with a dark childhood, she found solace in Richard's stable, successfully life. But when they get engaged, and it's time to meet Richard's family, things start to seem less happy. Has she been diluted to her own deteriorating mental health, or are the whispers coming from the Belmonts intended to errode her relationship with their son? Lies are being told, but by whom?

The idea of this book intrigued me, reminiscent of Black Swan or The Voices. I love the little hints here and there that make you think, "Is she being gaslit, or in desperate need of help?" Sanity and paranoia blend together like Devon's paintings, and the darker things get, the more you realize Devon is hiding important things from her past.

This whole book was very interesting, but the ending fell flat. I was waiting for the massive Gone Girl-esq twist, the Shutter Island-like ambiguous ending. But it didn't come. And it wasn't a "Could be this, could be that" type of thing, it was a, "What the heck even happened?" Without giving too much away, I'll just say that the conclusion was murky, and everything went to Happily Ever After too quickly. Four-point-five stars for the first 85% of the book, 4 for the last 15%.

It pains me to give this review, because I absolutely love this author and her previous books. I just couldn't ignore the inconsistencies, confusion, and message in the end to accept abuse. I think the premise was excellent, and I was gripped in the beginning. But overall, I think it needed more substance and editing.

The premise was good, but the writing style made it hard to connect to the story or the main character. The best parts of it were the bits of story about the MC and her mom, and that point of view on her trauma. However, as creepy or weird as the in-laws were supposed to be, the interactions didn’t help express that. I had a hard time caring about the story.

The tl;dr is that I wouldn’t recommend this book. It was forgettable in a world full of amazing psychological thrillers and family dramas. The characterization felt too shallow and there wasn’t enough intrigue to hold my interest, and by the end I wanted to skim. If I hadn’t gotten an ARC, I likely wouldn’t have finished this book. Thanks to NetGalley!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Little A for an ARC of Name Not Taken by Madeleine Henry in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I was not able to put this one down. I recently completed this amazing book that completely captivated me. What I particularly enjoyed was the constant uncertainty about whom to trust and what to believe throughout the storyline. Just when I believed I had figured out the twist, I found myself questioning my own conclusions, which, in my opinion, is the hallmark of an outstanding thriller novel. I enthusiastically plan to suggest this book to anyone seeking an engaging read filled with surprising plot developments.

Name Not Taken: A Gripping Domestic Thriller That Will Keep You on the Edge of Your Seat

If you’re in the mood for a psychological thriller that delves deep into the complexities of relationships and family dynamics, Name Not Taken is a must-read. This captivating novel tells the story of Devon, a passionate young artist, and her tumultuous journey as she becomes entangled with her fiancé Richard’s affluent and seemingly perfect family.

From the moment Devon meets Richard's family, there’s an unsettling vibe. It’s as if her arrival is less of a welcome and more of a disruption. As Richard's mother launches a covert campaign to paint Devon in a negative light, Devon finds herself battling not just the disapproval of her future in-laws but also the ghosts of her own past.

One of the standout elements of this book is how it intertwines Devon’s art with her emotional state. The way her artwork evolves in response to her experiences adds a fascinating layer to the narrative, reflecting her internal struggles and growth.

With an unreliable narrator and a cast of characters who are anything but straightforward, Name Not Taken keeps readers guessing from start to finish. The tension is palpable, and the plot twists will leave you reeling. If you love a story with complex characters and a gripping, unpredictable storyline, this one should definitely be on your reading list.

*Name Not Taken* by Madeleine Henry is a smart and engaging novel that delves into identity and reinvention with humor and heart. Henry’s sharp writing and memorable characters make the story both entertaining and thought-provoking. A delightful and insightful read that keeps you hooked until the end.

This book had a LOT of descriptions, a lot of "telling, not showing" which was fine. The story was interesting and wove very nice web of all these possible outcomes. However, I felt the ending lacked the "punch." There was just so much going on, things that never went anywhere, that the wrap-up was just lost. Great plot but lost me on the execution.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I was excited to read this as I enjoyed 'My Favorite Terrible Thing' earlier this year.

While not a perfect read (I found there was a lot of "tell, don't show" in this book), this is a solid 3.5 stars, rounded up. The plot took wild turns I wasn't expecting, and I even began to doubt myself at times as I read. I finished this in a couple of hours because I just had to know what was going to happen. I look forward to more twisted thrillers by Madeleine Henry!

I love a book that has you rooting for a character the whole time! Definitely a binge worthy book! Started and finished this in one day!

I could not flippin put this book down. I read during meetings. I read through lunch. Absolutely phenomenal! Will purchase for my libraries.

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC.

I couldn't put this book down! The author was amazing at having you second guess the way each character thinks.
The description is what caught my attention. Having in-laws who make you question yourself is such a toxic topic that not many people understand unless they've personally been through it.

Devon was the perfect character I never knew I needed to read. I kept rooting for her the whole book.

The whole book was fantastic. Definitely perfect for spooky season.

Thank you, netgalley for the eARC. first, I would like to say I enjoyed the writing style it was super easy to read and descriptive at first the plot had me wondering what was gonna happen and I couldn’t wait to finish. But it quickly got absurd and the female MC was so annoying. Some of her decisions were questionable and left me not knowing what really happened the ending was lackluster and left me wanting more and wondering, was this all inside of her head?

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.
It was difficult to put this book down, even though I found it depressing at times.
The way I understood it, the narrator was sliding into a mental breakdown after having been introduced to her in-laws to be. The mother-in-law did everything she could to drive her away, finally succeeding.
She's a devoted painter and throws herself into her art to the point where she barely eats, sleeps and lives in squalor. There were times I felt frustrated with the character.
The ending is good overall, although I was slightly confused. Did she or didn't she?
I did enjoy it though and definitely recommend it!
4 rounded up to 4.5 stars

I'm a huge fan of Madeleine Henry's and have enjoyed all of her previous books. So I jumped at the chance when "Name Not Taken" was offered as a "read now."

Henry's writing style is very descriptive and easy to read. She did a great job setting up Devon meeting her fiance Richard's well-to-do family who live in Greenwich, CT.

Despite a plot that becomes absurd, I kept reading hoping it would redeem itself. But it continues to get more and more ridiculous. Even Devon's friendship with Hunter turns negative without any real reason. It felt as if Henry was required to churn out another book for her contract and wasn't able to dedicate enough time to perfect the storyline.

I hope her next book will be much better executed.

2.5 ⭐️ rounded up

The synopsis for Name Not Taken drew me in, and I had hopeful expectations for this psychological thriller. Unfortunately, the execution of the plot left much to be desired.

The first 20 pages are riddled with exposition dumps and heavy descriptions, essentially lacking plot within these opening pages. However, I pushed through and as the plot started to unfold, I was hooked! The middle portion (second act) of the book was by far the best and most intriguing.

We follow main character Devon and witness her slip further and further into madness as she is egged on by in-laws who want her excluded. Devon’s relationship with her fiancé is pushed to its limits primarily due to their actions but also due to some of her own.

The main character is an unreliable narrator, in my opinion, becoming increasingly more unreliable the further along you get in the book. We are left questioning a lot of the things we see as we can no longer trust Devon, witnessing odd behaviors and having seeds of doubt planted by side characters.

Unfortunately, where the book really lacks is the ending (third act). Author Madeleine Henry creates an intricate spiderweb of a plot with some details and plot points contradicting each other. However, most of these plot threads are left loose — never getting a clear resolution. The ending overall felt rushed and muddied. Major questions are put before the reader and they are just never answered. By the end of the book we are left not knowing what’s true and what’s not, with no satisfactory explanation.

As for the characters, most, if not all, of the characters felt shallow and underdeveloped. Many of whom’s actions felt as though they may only serve the purpose of moving the book along. Even Devon, who is the most developed we see on page, felt a bit underdeveloped in certain aspects.

Overall, the premise of the plot could have been amazing with the proper execution. The ending was lackluster leaving me with more questions than answers and the characters all seemed to be lacking something.

I loved the use of art references throughout this story, and I enjoyed reading how Devon’s own art was changed by what she was going through.

This is a story with an unreliable narrator, twisted and complex characters, and the tension held up throughout the book.

Amazing book a story I struggled to put down every chapter having me hanging on the edge of my seat. As soon as I think I know what is going to happen next the story has a new secret to reveal.

Devon’s fiancé Richard introduces her to her in-laws for the first time. They are quite affluent and sophisticated and although she comes from a very different background, she’s hoping to be accepted with open arms. But she gets the sense that they don’t think she’s good enough for their son and their family. The thing is, they don’t seem that bad. I expected much worse from the blurb. It only gets worse after another visit or two, and the fact that Richard doesn’t stand up for her is the real issue. She consistently gives him the benefit of the doubt and when she doesn’t, she flips to raging out. Everything goes downhill after an event partway through the story, and she fears she’ll never be a part of Richard’s family.

So I think the author wants us to maybe doubt Devon’s perspective by showcasing her random anger and having her mother’s character come across nowhere as unbalanced as Devon believes she is. And there’s a lot of focus on her creating her art and how she shuts herself up in her studio. At one point, people kept commenting on the strong paint odors she doesn’t even recognize, and I was like, are we supposed to think she has been poisoned by the fumes somehow? But it’s mentioned twice and then never again so why include those comments in the first place?

It's hard to explain better without spoilers but it just seems like several plot points go nowhere, but then maybe that was the point – to throw in random red herrings. And then the ending..I was like what just happened? It got kind of muddled and honestly, I may not have really understood who did what. But I have to say, I like the way this author writes, and I flew through the story as I waited to see what was going on. I enjoyed her other stories, and I feel like this had the potential to be more but it just didn’t get there.

name not taken is a psychological thriller that explores the complexities of motherhood, intergenerational mental illness, internalised misogyny, and dysfunctional family dynamics through the eyes of a painter haunted by her past, perfect for fans of freida mcfadden and lucinda berry. 

i picked this book up because i was fascinated by the underlying concept. an unreliable narrator driven to the brink of sanity by her fiancée’s antagonistic family sounds like it would be amazing. and it likely would have been with a few more rounds of editing, deeper characterisation, better exposition, and more polished prose. unfortunately, although i was drawn into the story in the first chapter, it struggled to keep my attention as it went on and i found myself wanting to skim through the rest of it. there wasn’t enough of a set up of the plot before the conflict happened for me to feel very affected by it. the characters, especially the secondary characters, also felt quite empty and inauthentic so it was hard to connect. there were also some spelling and grammar mistakes but i’m sure these can be easily fixed and didn’t really impact my reading experience. 

in my opinion, the most compelling parts of the book were the relationship between devon and her mother, and devon’s reflections on her childhood. it felt really authentic and helped me connect with devon on a deeper level. there were also some captivating descriptions and insights on art and painting which i really liked. 

overall, the concept of this book was good but it missed the mark a bit for me when it came to the execution. 

thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the e-arc!