Whenever I hear that one of my favorite authors is coming out with a new book, I immediately write the date on my calendar and count the days down. The waiting game is made easier when I get an ARC of the coveted book and can dive in months before it's released.
That's exactly what happened with Ruth Ware's latest book.
Zero Days was released yesterday, June 20th, 2023 and I read it a few weeks ago, after sitting on the ARC for a little bit; as I mentioned last week in my Happy Place review, when I finally get a book I've been looking forward to, something stops me from reading immediately. I can't help it!
With Zero Days, I thought I was going to get a typical run of the mill Ruth Ware novel. She is one of my favorite thriller/suspense authors and aside from one book (The Death of Mrs. Westaway which I could not finish), I've loved everything she writes.
Well, I might need to add Zero Days to that list. Let's get into the review!
Publisher's Summary
Suddenly on the run and quickly running out of options, Jack must decide who she can trust as she circles closer to the real killer in this unputdownable and heart-pounding mystery from an author whose “propulsive prose keeps readers on the hook and refuses to let anyone off until all has been revealed”
My Thoughts
The book started off strong, though a bit confusing. It was a lot of technology language right off the bat but then it leveled out as we got into the real meat of the story: who murdered Jack's husband Gabe?
You knew immediately that the police was going to try to pin this on Jack, especially after she's interviewed multiple times and it starts to be clear that she might be being framed. But who would frame her for Gabe's murder? It didn't make any sense to the reader or to Jack...
The rest of the book is filled with technological language that was deeply confusing. I started skimming the technology and computer packed pages because I just didn't feel like it was that central to the plot nor did it make any sense to me as a reader.
I was also deeply irritated by Jack; everything she was doing was so ridiculous. Why did she run? Why didn't she just call her lawyer like her sister told her too? It was very annoying and just not the way things would happen in the real world.
I was also very annoyed by the way Ware wrote Jack's injuries. She was running ragged by the end of the book with so many horrific injuries, such as sepsis and I'm supposed to believe she was running all around London, jumping out of trains and going days without eating or drinking anything and she's fine? It was so far fetched and took me out of the setting of the book.
There was also the subject of Jack's abusive cop ex-boyfriend; I didn't think that was a necessary subplot to add to the book. It felt oddly placed and didn't add anything to the real story of discovering the murderer.
The writing was of course, wonderful, as Ruth Ware is a talented writer. My issue was not with the writing or even the plot but the way we strayed so fast from what I think could've been a really interesting story. It was also slightly predictable or maybe it was just obvious but I called who the real suspect was in the middle of the book.
In all, I think if you're looking for a true crime, run of the mill thriller don't reach for Zero Days. If you want something more intricate, more detailed and different from the other thrillers on the book market, you might like Zero Days!
xoxo
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