Finished reading: August 10th 2023

I KNEW that I could count on Will Dean to deliver a story that would keep me fully intrigued! There is just something about his writing style that draws you right in, and First Born is no exception. I've been wanting to read this story ever since it was published last year, and I'm still not sure why it took me this long... But it couldn't have come at a better time. I love a good murder mystery; add in the whole twin connection and things only get more interesting. Sure, things can be said about the credibility of certain twists and especially the second half can get a bit over the top, but I personally didn't mind. If you are able to suspend your belief and just enjoy whatever twist is thrown at you next, you will be in for a treat! I confess that I did see some of the twists coming, but I was still very much invested in discovering what really happened that day. As for the characters... Molly is without doubt a quirky character, and while she is not exactly likeable, I was also fully intrigued by her. And then I'm not talking about a certain reveal near the end that will put the whole story on its head... There are so many suspects for Katie's murder, and I enjoyed following the clues and see where everybody stood. As a whole, I ended up having an excellent time reading First Born, and it has made me even more excited to read his newest story some time soon. 

The beginning third of the book follows the typical thriller blueprint with relatively bland and flat characters. Then, it takes a turn and that's when the story really starts. From there, the plot takes you on a wild ride and is completely unpredictable, leaving you guessing until the very end. It balances who- mystery with a psychological thriller. The writing was weaker than the story. It took too long to pick up, and the character motives and decisions aren't always clear or strong. There's a lot of unrealized plots and quick, jumpy shifts in the narrative that are hard to follow. For a thriller, the reading pace is slow.

If you have a lot of anxiety and agoraphobia, stay away. The protagonist is a very anxious person, and as a narrator, shares all her woes and worries. It makes you think about what could be dangerous in the mundane. 

2.5/5☆~
CW: death, murder, blood, violence, casual ableism, mental illness, inappropriate student/teacher relationship (college, not a minor), adultery, sexual content, sexism


here's the breakdown of my personal experience:

beginning half: meh
the middle: ok, im in!
the end:.........ughhhhhhhh no

i will give the book points for being a relatively quick read, but the first half was not memorable for me. i felt that barely anything had happened, then suddenly we got a half-way twist. immediately following the twist, i was a bit more invested watching the MC make certain decisions. once we got closer to the end, however, it all fell apart for me. it felt completely implausible & the author essentially ended with a villain monologue explaining things but that explanation was an absolute nonsense cop-out. in my opinion, of course.

others may enjoy it more than i did, but i really am not too big a fan of how Dean approached female characters here or the idea of incels, youtubers, or even men. probably just me, but parts read like someone trying too hard to be all "see, ladies? i get it! thats why im a feminist!" but what do i know. im just a perpetually online afab enby who watches way too much youtube.

like, im sorry, but 'molly' actually being katie the whole book while we are actively in her head/thoughts the whole time was absolutely ridiculous. putting in the end your explaining that "when i was young, i learn you have to fully become the person youre pretending to be, even to think like them at all times" is bullshit and i hate it. there's a difference between an unreliable narrator and you just straight up lying to your audience the entire book.

don't get me started on her traveling in dog crates with sound boxes that make dog sounds to travel secretly. that was just hilarious. what even!

Out now! [Thank you to the publisher for providing a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review! Note that my review is of my BOTM finished copy rather than the ARC, though I cherish my twins equally]

Rating: 4/5 stars

Molly Raven is leading a quiet life in London when she gets a call she never expected—her twin sister, Katie, has been found dead in New York. But the journey to discovering what happened to Katie might be a lot more complicated than it seems…

I really enjoyed this book! It’s a bit of a quieter thriller in some ways (I wasn’t scared at any point), but was engaging and entertaining the whole time. I immediately felt connected to Molly and her anxieties and couldn’t wait to find out what would happen—it was definitely the kind of book I breezed through super quickly because I needed to know what happened next!

I also had so much trouble predicting the twists, even though they all made sense in hindsight. I love when a thriller can keep me on my toes but not feel like it’s bringing things in from left field, and this one rode that line so perfectly.

Finally, having been to New York quite a few times despite never living there, I loved how the city is, in some ways, an extra character here, and the location descriptions were spot-on and added to the atmosphere of the whole book.

Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: detailed settings; plausible but still shocking twists; complicated family dynamics.

CW: Murder/death/blood; anxiety/mental illness; grief/loss of loved one.