Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this advanced copy. I love the premise of strangers together and a killer picking them off, one by one. It was definitely alot of POVs and I did get confused. The Beast was interesting.

WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS.

3 stars--I liked the book. Content warning (huge spoiler) for mental illness.

I'm torn on this one. It's a quick read that seems confusing at first, but if you stick with it, all becomes clear. I enjoyed the chaos of the plot (mirroring the chaos of the characters), and found myself reading quickly to see what would happen. Definitely a plot-driven novel.

On the other hand, the old trope of "he's crazy! It's all in his mind!" seems tired and potentially harmful in 2025. Still, I rushed through it and and enjoyed my time.

I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!

WOAH. This one was like Clue, And Then There Were None, and Saw all wrapped up into one. It was very interesting and kept me turning pages. I loved the variety of characters. They’re all so different and trying to figure out what they had in common (or not) was fun! I could see how some people will find it gimmicky, but I enjoyed it! I would also love to see it as a movie!

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @atriabooks for the ARC!

Ten strangers wake up in a strange house with no memory of how they got there. They soon begin to be picked off one by one while trying to find a missing woman.

I would suggest going into this one blind. I have seen many mixed reviews, some with minor to major spoilers so be warned! I personally really enjoyed it. There are many characters to keep straight, but I think the author did a great job of keeping them straight for the reader with just enough description and development of each. Despite the plot, it was a bit of a slow burn at times and I was really hoping it was leading up to something big, and it definitely did. However, it's either really going to work for you, or it won't at all. I loved it, and I'd certainly recommend giving it a try!

C.B. Everett's "The Other People" starts with an intriguing premise—a locked house, ten strangers, a ticking clock to save a missing girl, and a lurking killer—but unfortunately stumbles in execution. The standout aspect is its twist, which redefines the story in its final moments. It's clever and unexpected, but it can’t retroactively redeem the lackluster 95% of the book.

The characters are largely two-dimensional and unsympathetic, blending into a chorus of indistinguishable voices. Emotional arcs veer into melodrama, overshadowing the pressing urgency of the missing girl. Rather than propelling the narrative forward, much of the dialogue feels detached from the stakes.

While the meta-narrative elements hint at a more sophisticated exploration of genre tropes, these attempts often come across as overly self-aware rather than engaging. In the end, this thriller's inventive concept is weighed down by its flat characters and uneven pacing.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ten people from various locations find themselves in an old mansion in the middle of nowhere. A young woman is missing, and if they can't find her within 12 hours, they will be picked off one by one.

I personally feel as though this book is a good cross between the movies Shutter Island and Saw (both of which I loved), following characters who seem to be paying for their past mistakes and wrongs, with their secrets being exposed/ revealed throughout.

My biggest issue with the story, though, is the pace. I’m a type of reader that needs her attention stolen from the beginning and kept the entire way. However, the large amount of characters spreads the emotional depth thin, making it hard to fully invest in anyone.

I have to say I loved the premise! Which is why I deemed it a 3 stars read. While I didn’t absolutely love it, I didn’t dislike it either. Since reading is subjective, I would still recommend for readers who enjoy a slower pace. I respect the authors effort, but wish the novel was able to carve out its own uniqueness.

✨ FINAL RECOMMENDATION: 𝐈 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭! It wasn’t a bad read it just wasn’t memorable for me! ✨

I hate giving such a low rating for a book not released yet but wow - this really missed the mark for me. First off, I did like the there was a comment about how many characters there are in this story. But I still struggled with who was who. The beast was probably the only character I liked. The story felt drawn out and done before. The ending did have a twist but I had a feeling that was going to be the outcome.

Finished The Other People by C B Everett last night. This story follows a group of strangers who mysteriously awake in a house that they can’t escape from. They’re tasked with locating a girl who has been kidnapped and have only a few hours to find her before she dies. The strangers’ predicament becomes more dire as they are killed off one by one. Each chapter takes the pov of a different character and follows them as they try to survive the night. Unsure of the killer’s identity, the characters have to decide who to trust and when watch their backs. The house they are trapped in adds to the eerie atmosphere with its library of blank-paged books, kitchen with dollhouse fixtures and portraits of the characters that change when the subject dies.

Although the ending included a twist I wasn’t anticipating and some chapters were cleverly written, I was slightly disappointed by how bored I felt during part of this read. I confused some of the less memorable characters with each other and was reading on auto-pilot during the less exciting chapters. The premise was more intriguing and thrilling than the book ended up being, in my opinion. I was hoping for more twists and turns throughout, not just in the last 1/4 of the book. I still liked the short chapters, the shifting pov’s, and how the ending was totally unexpected. I’ll give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5! This book releases on March 25 of 2025, check it out if interested!

Reader's Review of The Other People by C.B. Everitt

So, I just finished The Other People by C.B. Everitt, and wow, what a ride! It’s got that perfect mix of creepy, thrilling, and just enough “wait, what?!” moments to keep you hooked. Honestly, I’m still processing the twisty, mind-bending ending.

The story kicks off with Gabe, who’s dealing with a mysterious tragedy in his life and starts seeing strange things—other people who shouldn’t be there. As he unravels what’s going on, things get more twisted, and you start questioning what’s real and what’s not. The pacing? Perfection. I couldn’t put it down because I needed to know what was going to happen next.

What I loved most about this book is how it keeps you on your toes. It’s like peeling an onion—just when you think you’ve figured it out, another layer of mystery gets peeled back. Everitt really knows how to keep you guessing, and the whole time I was thinking, “This can’t be what I think it is, right?!”

I’ll be honest, it’s one of those books that makes you want to stay up late and read just one more chapter (and then, surprise, you’ve finished the whole thing). The characters are all super intriguing, and Gabe is someone you really want to root for, even when everything around him feels off.

If you’re into psychological thrillers that mess with your head and make you second-guess everything, this is definitely one to pick up. Highly recommend!

10 strangers wake up trapped in a giant mansion with no memory of how they got there and no idea how they are connected. When they are told they must find a missing girl named Claire before 12 hours is up AND that someone is trying to kill them panic ensues. Why them? How are they all involved in the girls disappearance?

This is a one by one locked room murder mystery story with a twist. Readers bounce between perspectives of the 10 strangers and a cheeky rather self-aware character called the Beast in the Cellar. The Beast is very meta, talking directly to the readers, often making fun of the typical locked room tropes. It was a refreshing break from the tense meanderings of the strangers wandering through the mansion. The ending wasn't super original but i enjoyed the twist and how the author wrapped things up. Overall a decent read.

Okay, awesome premise...a group of strangers wakes up, individually, in a locked room, with no idea how they got there. Each has 12 hours save "the girl" or they will die.

With a few tweaks this could be everything it promises.

Thank you to the publisher for gifting me a copy. I loved locked room mysteries so I really enjoyed it!

I feel like theres been an uptick in locked in mystery style books as of late. Not complaining but just an observation. I really enjoyed this book. Towards the middle I just needed to know who this missing girl was. I also loved the suspense of it all.

"The Other People" began slowly, with extensive backstory and character development. Some of this felt unnecessary and contributed to a slow burn. However, once it started, it became a fast-paced thriller with many twists and turns that left my heart racing. The Agatha Christie-style super-sleuth mystery was enjoyable. Some of the drama was over the top, but I secretly enjoyed that too.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

This book is f#%*+#€^!*%ed up (complementary)! A race against the clock, 10 strangers, a missing girl who must be found, a killer picking people off one by one in creative and gory ways, a lock down murder mystery, and a heaping dose of gallows humor as a treat.

I could keep going on and on in this vein, but any more would risk giving things away and that would be terrible. This is a “go into it with no info and take the ride” kind of book.

Yes, if it sounds a bit like “And Then There Were None”, that’s because it is. The book even mentions the correlation. It’s ok. Just go with it.

This is definitely one of those books that will be very polarizing, you’ll either love it or hate it. But I personally had a great time with it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Other People.

I won't lie; I wasn't intrigued by the premise because my first thought was, "Another locked room mystery with a cast of strangers? Another Agatha Christie wannabe?"

This is the 10th book I've read with a blurb mentioning Agatha Christie.

Reviewers are comparing this to Shutter Island but I think it's most akin to the movie Identity. I began to have suspicions about the plot about 1/4 in when the characters started dropping like flies.

I'm not a fan of using DID or any form of mental illness as a literary device, especially when the author implies people with DID are violent.

There's so much exposition and info dumping you can skip pages and miss nothing.

The characters are all unlikable but that's not the point.

The point is, can you figure out the twists?

I did early on and I'm not impressed.

There's nothing new or original with this premise.

Some movies have used this technique in similar ways and told a better story. Like Identity.

I'm getting tired of these locked room mysteries and Agatha Christie knock-offs. But I know this trend will only get worse, not better.

I keep reading these books because I'm hoping I'll be surprised (in a good way) but so far, no dice.

Ten strangers find themselves trapped in a locked house where there is a serial killer on the loose and a missing girl they’re tasked with saving. What could possibly go wrong?

Much like And Then There We’re None, the characters are essentially being punished for their wrongdoings, which unfold throughout. However, there are too many of them to feel invested.

Many readers have drawn comparisons to Shutter Island, which is accurate, but I personally could not stop comparing it to the 2003 film Identity, starring John Cusack. It felt so similar in plot that the ending was revealed to me early on. It makes sense, as that movie was also inspired by the Agatha Christie novel.

I appreciate what Everett was attempting with this book, and there were intriguing elements throughout. Unfortunately, this book drew too much from inspiration without ever finding its own voice and, as a result, fell flat.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. I want to start by saying that I absolutely LOVE this book! I love how the characters are intro'd in the beginning; somehow it made it so easy to remember who is who. I love the different character's POV, including the Beast in the Cellar. The Beast is a wonderful addition to the narrative. This book is an ode to Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None" and the author does a fantastic job of honoring that book but also making the story his own. And the ending, my goodness the ending. I sure the heck didn't see THAT coming, but damn it was brilliant! Highly recommend this book; it's easily my favorite read this year.

I really enjoyed how this book started, I was quite invested in it, though it did remind me of a certain movie to some degree but that did not take away from the story. Ten people awake to find themselves in an old large house, they are all ushered into a dining room and told they have so long to find a woman who is missing, otherwise they will die. Keeping track of all ten people is a bit daunting so it's helpful that they get killed off fairly quickly, most of the time the rest of them are moving the dead bodies to hide them or roaming the house looking for this lost woman. There is also the beast in the basement, the fellow who has put this together and explaining, where he can, what's happening and why. A lot of what the beast says goes on for quite some time, I think a little brevity in some of those sections would have maintained the pace. And then there's the ending, which explained all of what had happened and why, but it too went on for quite some time, I did finish the story but I will admit to skimming some at the end. Overall an ok story, if you like books with multiple characters that could be the bad person, you would probably like this book. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Atria for the ARC.

the twist was unique. and unfortunately, i do not mean that in a good way. the characters were flat and monotonous, the chapters blended together, and the deaths were ominous but not great. 3 stars, i guess, but your experience may vary. tysm for the arc.