I saw that Behind Her Eyes was a new series on Netflix and remembered that it was a book on my TBR (to be read) pile. So, before indulging myself in the television series I got into the book first.
I listened to Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinbourough on Audible. Links in my post are affiliate links and may earn me some money if you click through and buy, but they won’t cost you any extra so thank you for your support.
Narrated by: Anna Bentinck, Josie Dunn, Bea Holland, Huw Parmenter
Length: 11 hrs and 45 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 26-01-17
Language: English
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Limited
Behind Her Eyes The Blurb
Exploring the dichotomy between one’s inner and outer self is central to Behind Her Eyes. When a vulnerable woman is drawn into the lives of an enigmatic couple, she finds it hard to differentiate between reality and what truly lies beneath a seemingly perfect exterior.
Don’t trust this book,
Don’t trust these people.
Don’t trust yourself.
And whatever you do, don’t give away that ending….
Louise
Since her husband walked out, Louise has made her son her world, supporting them both with her part-time job. But all that changes when she meets….
David
Young, successful and charming – Louise cannot believe a man like him would look at her twice, let alone be attracted to her. But that all comes to a grinding halt when she meets his wife….
Adele
Beautiful, elegant and sweet – Louise’s new friend seems perfect in every way. As she becomes obsessed by this flawless couple, entangled in the intricate web of their marriage, they each in turn reach out to her. But only when she gets to know them both does she begin to see the cracks…. Is David really the man she thought she knew, and is Adele as vulnerable as she appears? Just what terrible secrets are they both hiding, and how far will they go to keep them?
My Review
As it says above…don’t give away the ending…so I’ll do my best not to.
A lot of people have said they were disappointed with the ending but those are the ones that have seen the television series. I’ve not seen it yet, so I don’t know how much of it is the same, or if it comes across the same.
Basically, if you are looking for a bunny boiler type novel, this isn’t it. If you are looking for a murder/thriller novel, this isn’t it. If you are looking for a book that will confuse and confound you then you may be on the right tracks. It’s focuses a lot on Lucid Dreaming and some people find this easy to believe, some difficult. I have experienced lucid dreaming but not in the sense that you can actually spy on people. In Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels, one of his characters, Granny Weatherwax, is superb at lucid dreaming. She’s so good she has to wear a placard which says ‘I ainten’t Dead’ while she’s away from her body.
But I digress, whether you believe in lucid dreaming or not, this book has a strong storyline based on it. So don’t get into it if you are not prepared to believe the impossible (or possible, whichever way you look at it.)
The characters are all very different but likeable in their own ways. Even Adele, perceived as the baddie, will have you feeling sorry for her. David is just totally caught in the middle, he feels trapped by the woman he once loved but he doesn’t understand why she is so different to the girl he once loved so much. Louise is the most ‘normal’ character but even she is tinged with betrayal.
In the book the events all happen very quickly, in the space of just over a month, which doesn’t seem to tally with all the things that happen. The lives of the characters change drastically in such a short space of time. I guess we know deception of this degree can’t go on for so long, but I found the fact that Louise had given up smoking and slimmed down so much even more unbelievable than the fact that she could master lucid dreaming. Maybe it’s different in the television series?
The ending is a bit of a shocker, especially in the book. You kind of know Adele’s plans, but do you know what has really happened? I don’t want to give any more away.
If you are intrigued then I will say that I got through this book very quickly and I did enjoy it. The ending totally baffled me and I’m still not sure it actually worked as a story on the whole. But, suspend belief in normal things and you will enjoy this book.
Now, to watch the television series.
You can buy the book on Amazon
Or in My Bookshop
Wow! Since my reading isn’t back to where it should be, I watched the Netflix series based on a recommendation.
The first few episodes really pulled me in although the raunchy scenes at the start made me wonder what the hell I was watching! LOL.
I liked it but hated the ending bit. Once the out of body things (is that lucid dreaming? I didn’t know the term before.
I thought all the actors and actresses did a great job.
This one is really what you call a psychological thriller. I couldn’t stop thinking about that confusing ending for days!
Would love to hear what you think about the series when you watch it.
That sounds like an interesting book. I often prefer to read the book behind a TV series before watching it too. The lucid dreaming thing sounds confusing. I thought it was when you were aware you were dreaming and were able to direct the dream, which is something I frequently experience, rather than an out-of-body experience which sounds more like what happens in the book. Maybe I’ll have to read it to find out more! #MMBC
Oh, we’ve just finished watching the series. I quite liked that it was very different to what we would normally watch. The ending had a good twist, albeit a very dark one! x