Thank you NetGalley and Shane W O’Haire for the arc copy of The Sound of Tuning Out for an honest review.

The Sound of Tuning Out is about Caleb following his brother’s death that was initially ruled an accident but then information comes out that rules it a murder.

This book sounded interesting and I really wanted to love this book but some parts were hard to follow. I understood the chapters and could follow those but then the extra mini chapters that start with #1 at the end of one of the chapters and then continue on where hard to follow and were sometimes confusing to me. I could have done without them and I think the rating would have been higher for me if those were not in the book.

The very last number chapter I still have no idea what it meant, so if someone has some incite I wouldn’t mind if you shared it. I think I missed something along the way. I felt they could have ended it with the chapter on Caleb.

Over all though I thought the story was interesting and look forward to more work from Shane.

I was intrigued by the premise here but couldn't get into the writing unfortunately. I'm not a huge fan of the mixed media storytelling style, and found the writing a little all over the place for my personal taste. There were also an extremely unusual number of exclamation points... This one just wasn't for me.

Tragic stories
Multiple pov
TWs
Mixed media
Short chapters
Very dark

Steady paced thriller that begs the question of if these 2 bizarre events are some how connected or just weird coincidences?
This one starts to drop off with suspense around the middle of the book. There's still and underlying mystery that Caleb is bound to find out how his brother dies and Donna is connected.

Once the multiple povs is done it switched to a viewpoint from the book of a jury member. Which is odd but interesting.
The ending didn't surprise me like I hoped it would. But this is a solid read.

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!

Love the story and the writing. Love short chapter always even story was quite engaging and fast paced and twist was amazing

Teenage musician Jake Bodkin dies while performing a stunt for an online video. After his death, some details emerge that imply it might not have been an accident. Meanwhile, his neighbor - fellow teenager Donna Howe, who is troubled and suffers from mental health issues - goes missing. Jake's family and detectives find a link between the two

The story is told through many POVs:
- Jake's brother Caleb who is trying to hold everything together while dealing with his brother's death, guilt over feeling like he didn't know him as well as he should have, a falling apart family, and his own medical issues.
- The unnamed killer, who has unlabeled chapters, and goes through some struggles of their own.
- Message board posts from Donna's father Brett. He posts to a forum for parents struggling to raise troubled children.
- An obnoxious podcaster named Trish who has her own forum, where people comment on threads about various crimes. These chapters were all a really accurate portrayal of the various (annoying) personas you see on message boards/social media/comment sections.
- Texts between Donna and Jake
- One of the jurors during a trial at the end

I thought this was a good premise for a novel and I was mostly interested in what was going to happen, but some of it fell short for me. I found the overuse of exclamation points! during regular narrative chapters kind of odd. Who talks like that? Also some of the writing felt repetitive. Something would be said and then it'd be repeated a page or two later in a different way. This happened multiple times throughout the book and made the writing feel a little clumsy. Occasionally the plot seemed to get muddled and confusing.

I'm not sure why this is marked as horror - maybe in reference to Caleb's sleep paralysis stuff, and possibly the last chapter? wouldn't classify it as a thriller either. It's definitely a mystery though.

Recommended for those who like multi-POV mysteries with a modern touch, and if you like stories about the aftermath of death and the toll it can take on a family.

Thank you NetGalley and Shane O'Haire for the ARC.

I really and truly tried to get into this but ended up not being able to finish it. I was not invested in the storyline or characters.

Shane W. O’Haire’s The Sound of Tuning Out is a gripping debut that explores grief, family, and the impact of social media after a teen dies filming a YouTube stunt. Told through multiple POVs and digital formats, the story feels timely and emotionally resonant. While the ending is predictable and the pacing lags at times, the writing is addictive and the themes are handled with surprising depth. Looking forward to see what O’Haire writes next after this start.

What seems like a straight forward tragic accident starts to evolve into a sinister mystery.

I did find that the plot meandered at times, and would’ve liked to see more detail from some of the main characters. The fluff could’ve been cut down in the narrative to make this read more smoothly.

What I really enjoyed was the mixed media used to convey the story as well: news reports, diary entries, letters, etc.

Thank you to NetGalley & the author for a copy!

Propelling and entertaining story that I devoured quickly. However, the writing style didn’t exactly draw me in and I didn’t feel a distinct voice was developed for each character. A multi-POV story tends to fall flat where the characters all sound like they’ve been written by the same person.

This was a very strong debut novel with such addictive writing. Even though I early on figured out the killer, but it still kept me intrigued! I don’t normally enjoy stories with a lot of grief focus, but this one was well done. Not too brutal. I’m looking forward to reading more by this author.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book early in exchange for a review! Now while I did enjoy the story, I found it hard at times to stick with it and stay engaged.

Thanks to the publishers and netgalley for the free e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
The Sound of Tuning Out by Shane W. O'Haire attempts to craft a compelling mystery but falls a bit flat in execution. The premise, involving intricate twists and dark secrets, has potential, but the writing really lets it down. While the characters are developed with some care, they lack the depth and complexity needed to truly draw the reader in. The mystery itself holds some intrigue, but the resolution feels somewhat predictable, and the writing style doesn't add much flair to elevate the overall experience. It’s a halfway decent read for fans of the genre, but it doesn't quite stand out among other crime thrillers.

Not my kind of book at all. I didn't like the layout - the blog aspect. It was a good story, with lots of intrigue, but I found it hard to engage.

The Sound of Tuning Out is an intriguing psychological drama with a sharp, contemporary edge. The premise is layered and thought-provoking, with a dark, slow-burn mystery at its core. The writing style feels fresh, and the alternating perspectives add complexity as the story explores themes like mental health, social media influence, and the often-hidden struggles within suburban life.

Some parts may feel a bit meandering or emotionally heavy, but that seems intentional — the book isn’t just telling a story, it’s unpacking the emotional fallout behind the headlines. It’s one of those reads that rewards patience and reflection.

Overall, an atmospheric and compelling story that lingers in your mind long after the final moments.

This is a wild mix of mystery, tragedy, and internet culture wrapped up in a multi-POV thriller. Told through everything from social media posts to journal entries, the shifting perspectives keep things fresh and make for an addictive read.

The way O’Haire plays with perception is one of the best parts, what characters think of themselves vs. how others see them adds so much depth. It’s marketed as horror, but I think it leans more toward a psychological thriller with some dark, and emotional moments.

The pacing is tight, the twists hit hard, and the story sticks with you long after you’re done. If you are a fan of layered mysteries with a unique storytelling approach, this one’s worth picking up.

Shane W. O'Haire's debut novel, The Sound of Tuning Out, offers a compelling exploration of grief, family dynamics, and the influence of social media. The story revolves around the tragic death of seventeen-year-old Jake Bodkin, who dies while performing a stunt for his YouTube channel, leaving his family devastated. As they try to piece together the events surrounding his death, they begin to question whether it was truly an accident.

O'Haire uses multiple perspectives and diverse formats, such as social media posts, journal entries, and forum discussions, to unfold the mystery of Jake's death. This approach effectively captures the complexities of the digital age and highlights how online personas can often hide deeper issues.

The pacing is engaging, with alternating viewpoints that maintain the reader's interest in uncovering the truth. Although some plot developments may feel predictable, the emotional depth and exploration of modern themes offer a fresh take on the thriller genre.

Overall, The Sound of Tuning Out is a thought-provoking debut that blends mystery and psychological thriller elements. O'Haire's examination of the intersection between online fame and personal tragedy creates a narrative that resonates with contemporary readers. While it may be slightly predictable at times, the novel’s emotional depth and relevance make it an enjoyable and worthwhile read.

I was immediately drawn into The Sound of Tuning Out by its captivating premise, which promised a thrilling exploration of secrets and lies in a quiet suburban community. I found myself struggling with some aspects of the storytelling. There were too many "mysterious voices" woven into the narrative, which often left me feeling confused rather than intrigued. There were just enough clues presented to intrigue me to figure out the mystery. There were some surprises and it has been cleverly written in parts.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley.

"I continue to breathe, but I am dead."

The Sound of Tuning Out mainly follows two people, Caleb Bodkin and Brett Howe. Caleb's brother, Jake has just died a horrific death that leaves more questions than answers and Brett's daughter, Donna has vanished, leaving behind vague clues. As the story progresses, we see how their lives are affected, how relationships change and how secrets slowly reveal themselves.

Trigger warnings: Addiction, Death, Suicide, Murder, Abuse, Violence, mental health.

I did enjoy elements of this book. The plot was very interesting and pulled me in from the start. I really liked the characters, they felt realistic and well-established from the beginning. I really enjoyed the concept of 'LIV' the social media app talked about through and its role in the whole plot. That felt fresh and original.

I did find the pacing to be a bit weird, which threw me off at times. Sometimes I was flying through the chapters and super engaged. Other parts felt long and drawn-out when it didn't have to be, which made me lose engagement. I did pick the book back up every night, it just wasn't completed as fast as my previous reads this year.

The ending just missed for me. I liked the final section with Caleb, as all the pieces are put together very simply and transparently. This helped as the section before, told from a totally new POV was interesting but again, threw me off and lost the pacing/impact it could have had. I didn't enjoy the unnamed POV sections throughout the book and found myself having to re-read to try and absorb the information it was telling me - so having this POV for the last line of the book felt disappointing.

Overall, I am giving the book 3/5 stars and would recommend this book to others who are interested in very modern thrillers. I am excited to see what is next for Shane W. O'Haire and would definitely pick up his next novel, I'm interested to study his writing style further.

Thank you Shane W O'Haire, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

2.5 stars rounded up. I was immediately drawn into The Sound of Tuning Out by its captivating premise, which promised a thrilling exploration of secrets and lies in a quiet suburban community. The author’s ability to weave together complex themes and characters is commendable, and there’s no doubt that the story has a lot of potential.

One area where the book could be improved is in its narrative structure. The use of multiple points of view, while ambitious, sometimes made it challenging to follow the story’s flow. Especially with the introduction of a new perspective towards the end. It felt a bit unexpected and unnecessary.

In terms of pacing, there were moments where the narrative felt a bit slow. Trimming some sections could help maintain a more consistent momentum.

Despite these areas for improvement, the author shows a keen insight into human nature and the dynamics of small communities. The writing is engaging, and the mystery is intriguing enough to keep you curious until the very end.

Overall, it’s a promising debut with a lot of heart, and with some refinement, it could truly shine. I look forward to seeing how the author grows and develops in future works!

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley and am leaving this honest review voluntarily.