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And Then There Were Four
Let's not die today. Not even to make things easier for our parents.
When a building collapses around five teenagers--and they just barely escape--they know something strange is going on. Little by little, the group pieces together a theory: Their parents are working together to kill them all. Is it true? And if so, how did their parents come together--and why? And, most importantly, how can the five of them work together to save themselves?
When a building collapses around five teenagers--and they just barely escape--they know something strange is going on. Little by little, the group pieces together a theory: Their parents are working together to kill them all. Is it true? And if so, how did their parents come together--and why? And, most importantly, how can the five of them work together to save themselves?
416 pages, Hardcover
First published June 6, 2017
About the author
Nancy Werlin
21 books1,084 followersNancy Werlin writes young adult fiction: New York Times–bestselling fantasy, Edgar-award winning suspense, and National Book Award-honored realistic novels.
Nancy's newest book is the comedy ZOE ROSENTHAL IS NOT LAWFUL GOOD.
Nancy's newest book is the comedy ZOE ROSENTHAL IS NOT LAWFUL GOOD.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 328 reviews
August 7, 2017
Want an exercise in literary masochism? Read Nancy Werlin’s new YA thriller And Then There Were Four. With a title reminiscent of my all-time favorite mystery Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, I immediately gravitated towards this work. Then I read the premise: blood-thirsty parents seeking to bump-off their teenaged offspring. Fuck. Yes. Gimme now. But that’s where the fun ends, kiddos. The story itself is a condescending mess of irritating characters, ridiculous plot conventions, shoddy writing, and endless melodrama. I’ve had root canals that were more enjoyable.
The book opens with five teenagers coming together for a purported meeting of the “student leaders” club. A club to which none of them actively belong. But does that raise sufficient alarm? Of course not. Then there’s the location. A random outpost known to be IN CONSTRUCTION at their posh private school. Still….no alarm bells. At least, none loud enough for them to escape before the roof falls in. Thankfully all parties survive. That is, until a few days later when one dies under suspicious circumstance. From there, they leap (and by that I mean olympic style SPRINGVAULT) to the conclusion that their parents are trying to murder them. Cue action & drama.
To call the five teens above "characters" would be as generous as declaring 50 Shades of Grey the 21st century’s Greatest Literary Achievement. Because these aren’t characters. They’re simply a shitty rendition of The Breakfast Club. We’ve got The Outsider (Caleb), The Token Lesbian (Kenyon), The Cripple (Saralinda), The Mean Girl (Evangeline), and The Popular Kid (Antoine). Oh, I forgot. Each person also comes fresh with their own maudlin, hyper-dramatic backstory. Not only did Kenyon witness and film a gang rape, but then afterward, a crazy man broke into Kenyon’s house and shot her mom in the head. It isn’t enough for Saralinda to have a club foot--oh, no--she ALSO has diabetes. And Antoine? His father recently died and now he’s discovered he suffers the same disease. And don’t forget: ALL THEIR PARENTS ARE TRYING TO MURDER THEM. Fuck me. If Nicholas Sparks and Michael Bay wrote a book together, this monstrosity would be their satanic brainchild.
Chapters alternate between Saralinda and Caleb. And get this: Caleb’s chapters are written from a second-person point-of-view. WTF??!! WHO WRITES A YA THRILLER IN SECOND PERSON??? Why didn’t anyone tell me this was a choose-your-own-adventure book?
But despite my distaste for second-person narration, Caleb’s far less problematic than his partner-in-crime, Saralinda. Oh, how I despise Saralinda. She may be the single most annoying literary character I’ve ever had the displeasure of reading. Saralinda has the “oh golly gee,” sun-will-come-out-tomorrow, cloying earnestness of Shirley Temple. On METH. I get she was homeschooled and this is her first-year in the traditional educational system, but NO teenager acts like her. At least no teenager with their mental faculties intact. No wonder the girl has diabetes. The amount of overly saccharine BULLSHIT she spews is enough to put anyone in a sugar-induced coma. And speaking of diabetes, did you know Saralinda has it? Don’t worry if you forget because she’ll remind you on EVERY. FUCKING. PAGE.
Saralinda’s chapters are composed of entirely inane, nonsensical ramblings and run-on sentences. It’s like the ravings of an overly self-absorbed relative at Thanksgiving who never shuts up, filters themselves, or pauses for a breath. You’re both amazed at their verbosity and startled by their complete lack of self-awareness.
We should never be mad at our feet. They work hard and they are beautiful and I have taught myself never to say my “good foot” and my “bad foot” because they are both my feet equally. Thank you, feet. I also believe that it is a good idea to regularly say thank you to the rest of your body because really the whole system is a miracle. So even if your pancreas doesn’t work and you monitor your blood sugar and take insulin shots, you should not resent it, but be grateful.
“Also I have diabetes,” I say. “Which sucks.”
Not a word I normally say aloud even when I think it but it’s not every day that a roof collapses on you...
Saralinda used the word SUCKS. GASP. Get down with your bad self, Saralinda. Seriously, listening to Barney the Big Purple Dinosaur on repeat provides more intellectual stimulation than this drivel. This girl is supposed to be a TEENAGER. Not a ten-year-old debating the merits of Harry Styles’ solo career. Which--again--would be more intellectually stimulating than this shit.
And if at this point Saralinda wasn’t sufficiently infantilized, we also have her capricious love life. Insta-love is a vast understatement. She starts the book all hot and bothered over Antoine:
Okay I have the tiniest of crushes on Antoine and I even read the Wikipedia entry on Haiti which is where his parents emigrated from. In Haiti they speak French and Haitian Creole (which is a language based on French it turns out), it might possibly be that this is one reason why I picked French and not Spanish to study. I’d burst into song, but singing is not the best route to impressing anyone.
Then a mere 3-4 (very short) chapters later, Caleb is the object of Saralinda’s undying affection (or obsession). Sorry, Antoine. You’re toast. I guess all that French was for nothing??? Tweens display more loyalty to their fave 5 Seconds of Summer bandmember. FFS, Twihards with their Team Edward vs. Team Jacob nonsense are more faithful.
But the bad is not all Saralinda based. Really, the entire plot is horrifically managed from start to finish. It’s one of those stories fully dependent on the characters full and utter stupidity. Numerous times contacting the police is offered up as a suggestion. Do they follow-through? No. Because that would make sense. In the midst of helicopter chases and exploding cars, characters begin casually debating college choices. As if they’re at a tea party rather than...I dunno...RUNNING FOR THEIR LIVES.
In addition to completely nonsensical actions, we’re gifted the most melodramatic, overblown character reactions to ever occur on page.
“You thankless, self-absorbed, sullen little bitch….I’m sorry you were ever born. That’s what you’ve done to me. You’ve ruined my life….
You know what you are? You’re a slut…...You only have one thing to say, and it’s to defend your right to be a teenage whore!”
No, this isn’t a conversation between two boozed up teens outside the school dance fighting over some rando doucebag. It’s the utterings of a FIFTY YEAR OLD. I read this and I legit thought I was reading the script for a Lifetime movie. Actually no, that’s an insult to Lifetime movies. Seriously, does the book truly believe anyone is as stupid as any of these characters?
My largest problem though is that And Then There Were Four talks down to the reader. Teenagers aren’t stupid. And they don’t need every piece of information spoon-fed to them. I’m sure readers can puzzle out the definition of Stockholm Syndrome without it being literally spelled out. If you’re so dismissive of your audience’s intelligence, then maybe try a different genre. Or stop being a pretentious ass.
Reading this book is the precise situation where I wish goodreads granted negative stars. I have no earthly idea what editor, agent, or publisher considered this atrocity fit to print. There are so many people involved with a book’s launch. Wasn’t there someone with enough judgment to recognize this for the utter and complete crap that it is?
The book opens with five teenagers coming together for a purported meeting of the “student leaders” club. A club to which none of them actively belong. But does that raise sufficient alarm? Of course not. Then there’s the location. A random outpost known to be IN CONSTRUCTION at their posh private school. Still….no alarm bells. At least, none loud enough for them to escape before the roof falls in. Thankfully all parties survive. That is, until a few days later when one dies under suspicious circumstance. From there, they leap (and by that I mean olympic style SPRINGVAULT) to the conclusion that their parents are trying to murder them. Cue action & drama.
To call the five teens above "characters" would be as generous as declaring 50 Shades of Grey the 21st century’s Greatest Literary Achievement. Because these aren’t characters. They’re simply a shitty rendition of The Breakfast Club. We’ve got The Outsider (Caleb), The Token Lesbian (Kenyon), The Cripple (Saralinda), The Mean Girl (Evangeline), and The Popular Kid (Antoine). Oh, I forgot. Each person also comes fresh with their own maudlin, hyper-dramatic backstory. Not only did Kenyon witness and film a gang rape, but then afterward, a crazy man broke into Kenyon’s house and shot her mom in the head. It isn’t enough for Saralinda to have a club foot--oh, no--she ALSO has diabetes. And Antoine? His father recently died and now he’s discovered he suffers the same disease. And don’t forget: ALL THEIR PARENTS ARE TRYING TO MURDER THEM. Fuck me. If Nicholas Sparks and Michael Bay wrote a book together, this monstrosity would be their satanic brainchild.
Chapters alternate between Saralinda and Caleb. And get this: Caleb’s chapters are written from a second-person point-of-view. WTF??!! WHO WRITES A YA THRILLER IN SECOND PERSON??? Why didn’t anyone tell me this was a choose-your-own-adventure book?
But despite my distaste for second-person narration, Caleb’s far less problematic than his partner-in-crime, Saralinda. Oh, how I despise Saralinda. She may be the single most annoying literary character I’ve ever had the displeasure of reading. Saralinda has the “oh golly gee,” sun-will-come-out-tomorrow, cloying earnestness of Shirley Temple. On METH. I get she was homeschooled and this is her first-year in the traditional educational system, but NO teenager acts like her. At least no teenager with their mental faculties intact. No wonder the girl has diabetes. The amount of overly saccharine BULLSHIT she spews is enough to put anyone in a sugar-induced coma. And speaking of diabetes, did you know Saralinda has it? Don’t worry if you forget because she’ll remind you on EVERY. FUCKING. PAGE.
Saralinda’s chapters are composed of entirely inane, nonsensical ramblings and run-on sentences. It’s like the ravings of an overly self-absorbed relative at Thanksgiving who never shuts up, filters themselves, or pauses for a breath. You’re both amazed at their verbosity and startled by their complete lack of self-awareness.
We should never be mad at our feet. They work hard and they are beautiful and I have taught myself never to say my “good foot” and my “bad foot” because they are both my feet equally. Thank you, feet. I also believe that it is a good idea to regularly say thank you to the rest of your body because really the whole system is a miracle. So even if your pancreas doesn’t work and you monitor your blood sugar and take insulin shots, you should not resent it, but be grateful.
“Also I have diabetes,” I say. “Which sucks.”
Not a word I normally say aloud even when I think it but it’s not every day that a roof collapses on you...
Saralinda used the word SUCKS. GASP. Get down with your bad self, Saralinda. Seriously, listening to Barney the Big Purple Dinosaur on repeat provides more intellectual stimulation than this drivel. This girl is supposed to be a TEENAGER. Not a ten-year-old debating the merits of Harry Styles’ solo career. Which--again--would be more intellectually stimulating than this shit.
And if at this point Saralinda wasn’t sufficiently infantilized, we also have her capricious love life. Insta-love is a vast understatement. She starts the book all hot and bothered over Antoine:
Okay I have the tiniest of crushes on Antoine and I even read the Wikipedia entry on Haiti which is where his parents emigrated from. In Haiti they speak French and Haitian Creole (which is a language based on French it turns out), it might possibly be that this is one reason why I picked French and not Spanish to study. I’d burst into song, but singing is not the best route to impressing anyone.
Then a mere 3-4 (very short) chapters later, Caleb is the object of Saralinda’s undying affection (or obsession). Sorry, Antoine. You’re toast. I guess all that French was for nothing??? Tweens display more loyalty to their fave 5 Seconds of Summer bandmember. FFS, Twihards with their Team Edward vs. Team Jacob nonsense are more faithful.
But the bad is not all Saralinda based. Really, the entire plot is horrifically managed from start to finish. It’s one of those stories fully dependent on the characters full and utter stupidity. Numerous times contacting the police is offered up as a suggestion. Do they follow-through? No. Because that would make sense. In the midst of helicopter chases and exploding cars, characters begin casually debating college choices. As if they’re at a tea party rather than...I dunno...RUNNING FOR THEIR LIVES.
In addition to completely nonsensical actions, we’re gifted the most melodramatic, overblown character reactions to ever occur on page.
“You thankless, self-absorbed, sullen little bitch….I’m sorry you were ever born. That’s what you’ve done to me. You’ve ruined my life….
You know what you are? You’re a slut…...You only have one thing to say, and it’s to defend your right to be a teenage whore!”
No, this isn’t a conversation between two boozed up teens outside the school dance fighting over some rando doucebag. It’s the utterings of a FIFTY YEAR OLD. I read this and I legit thought I was reading the script for a Lifetime movie. Actually no, that’s an insult to Lifetime movies. Seriously, does the book truly believe anyone is as stupid as any of these characters?
My largest problem though is that And Then There Were Four talks down to the reader. Teenagers aren’t stupid. And they don’t need every piece of information spoon-fed to them. I’m sure readers can puzzle out the definition of Stockholm Syndrome without it being literally spelled out. If you’re so dismissive of your audience’s intelligence, then maybe try a different genre. Or stop being a pretentious ass.
Reading this book is the precise situation where I wish goodreads granted negative stars. I have no earthly idea what editor, agent, or publisher considered this atrocity fit to print. There are so many people involved with a book’s launch. Wasn’t there someone with enough judgment to recognize this for the utter and complete crap that it is?
May 5, 2024
so i um finished this in four and a half hours.. 🕺 i hope that says enough in my review ౨ৎ
June 4, 2017
I am 100% here for twisty and maybe murdery parents and this one didn't disappoint.
I really liked this group of characters. They're all unique and they mesh well together. We get two POVs in the story and I struggled with both of them. One POV is quite rambling and full! of! exclamation! points! The other is told is second person. The switch between them did make the flow a bit bumpy, but eventually I settled into it.
Plot wise, it was intriguing from the very start. There were a few things I wasn't expecting and it really kept me guessing.
Overall, it was a slightly creepy story that was fast paced and captivating. And yes, I'm being vague about everything on purpose because spoilers.
**Huge thanks to Dial Books for providing the arc free of charge**
I really liked this group of characters. They're all unique and they mesh well together. We get two POVs in the story and I struggled with both of them. One POV is quite rambling and full! of! exclamation! points! The other is told is second person. The switch between them did make the flow a bit bumpy, but eventually I settled into it.
Plot wise, it was intriguing from the very start. There were a few things I wasn't expecting and it really kept me guessing.
Overall, it was a slightly creepy story that was fast paced and captivating. And yes, I'm being vague about everything on purpose because spoilers.
**Huge thanks to Dial Books for providing the arc free of charge**
August 15, 2017
1 out of 5 stars.
What the hell did I just read?
I'm so torn. I really wanted to like And Then There Were Four. Of course, the title of this book was what made me read the blurb in the first place: And Then There Were None is one of my all time favorite books. I was so excited for this one, but it definitely let me down quite a bit.
And Then There Were Four is about five teenagers who survive a building collapse that probably should have killed them. Eventually, they realize something isn't right about this and come up with a theory: their parents are working together to kill them. After reading this book, I can't say I blame them.
I suppose I should start there. I hated all of these characters so much. None of them, in my opinion, were written well at all. The ones that did have personalities had horrible ones, and it took all the willpower I had not to DNF simply because of how much I couldn't stand Saralinda and Caleb. Saralinda more than Caleb - she was childish and annoying - and I had a very hard time remembering this girl is a teenager. We alternate between those two POVs, and while Saralinda's is in first person, Caleb's is in second, which made very little sense considering this book is meant to be a thriller. But go for it, I guess.
Speaking of which: I'm only calling this a thriller because it's classified as one. It was so boring. I only managed to finish it in a day because I read fast and it was extremely easy to read. The idea itself is completely far-fetched, but done right, I suppose it could've been interesting. However, I don't think I need to say that I don't think it was written well or was even suspenseful, I thought the whole thing was absolutely ridiculous. None of these parents really have any actual motive to want their own damn children dead, but that doesn't stop these kids from assuming that to be true.
This book, unfortunately, was flat and boring. And Then There Were Four could've been a really interesting book, but it definitely disappointed me.
What the hell did I just read?
I'm so torn. I really wanted to like And Then There Were Four. Of course, the title of this book was what made me read the blurb in the first place: And Then There Were None is one of my all time favorite books. I was so excited for this one, but it definitely let me down quite a bit.
And Then There Were Four is about five teenagers who survive a building collapse that probably should have killed them. Eventually, they realize something isn't right about this and come up with a theory: their parents are working together to kill them. After reading this book, I can't say I blame them.
I suppose I should start there. I hated all of these characters so much. None of them, in my opinion, were written well at all. The ones that did have personalities had horrible ones, and it took all the willpower I had not to DNF simply because of how much I couldn't stand Saralinda and Caleb. Saralinda more than Caleb - she was childish and annoying - and I had a very hard time remembering this girl is a teenager. We alternate between those two POVs, and while Saralinda's is in first person, Caleb's is in second, which made very little sense considering this book is meant to be a thriller. But go for it, I guess.
Speaking of which: I'm only calling this a thriller because it's classified as one. It was so boring. I only managed to finish it in a day because I read fast and it was extremely easy to read. The idea itself is completely far-fetched, but done right, I suppose it could've been interesting. However, I don't think I need to say that I don't think it was written well or was even suspenseful, I thought the whole thing was absolutely ridiculous. None of these parents really have any actual motive to want their own damn children dead, but that doesn't stop these kids from assuming that to be true.
This book, unfortunately, was flat and boring. And Then There Were Four could've been a really interesting book, but it definitely disappointed me.
August 25, 2018
I was looking for the book And Then There Were None in the library, but unfortunately, it wasn't available. This book was, though, and the titles were similar enough. So I decided to read it. Big mistake.
The writing is childish. The characters are simply a representation of pitiful stereotypical teens: the popular, cripple, isolated, edgy, and newbie, all with poor family relations. The storyline itself has potential: All five of the main characters' parents supposedly want them dead. But it is executed poorly. This book lacks suspense, a crucial aspect of thrillers.
The book is written in two perspectives: Saralinda, a diabetic teenage girl with a club foot, and Caleb, a troubled teenage boy with DID and is the son of a famous doctor. Saralinda's point of view is in the first person, while Caleb's is in the second person, which I just find confusing. Furthermore, Saralinda's personality is unrealistic, considering she is a teenager: rambling, overly optimistic, annoying. Overall an airhead. She's so extremely happy when she finally makes a friend I almost laughed. She doesn't have an isolated nature, so how could she have no experience in this field? All the characters act with nonsensible actions and rudimentary thought process, without caution nor suspicion, especially during the aftertaste of obstacles.
Feel free to read if you want something to rant about.
The writing is childish. The characters are simply a representation of pitiful stereotypical teens: the popular, cripple, isolated, edgy, and newbie, all with poor family relations. The storyline itself has potential: All five of the main characters' parents supposedly want them dead. But it is executed poorly. This book lacks suspense, a crucial aspect of thrillers.
The book is written in two perspectives: Saralinda, a diabetic teenage girl with a club foot, and Caleb, a troubled teenage boy with DID and is the son of a famous doctor. Saralinda's point of view is in the first person, while Caleb's is in the second person, which I just find confusing. Furthermore, Saralinda's personality is unrealistic, considering she is a teenager: rambling, overly optimistic, annoying. Overall an airhead. She's so extremely happy when she finally makes a friend I almost laughed. She doesn't have an isolated nature, so how could she have no experience in this field? All the characters act with nonsensible actions and rudimentary thought process, without caution nor suspicion, especially during the aftertaste of obstacles.
Feel free to read if you want something to rant about.
April 27, 2019
While I didn't intent to pick up a YA book, in the theme of adults reading Harry Potter, many may find gripping this suspenseful, Edgar-winning novel of five teenagers learning about, and escaping, the plot to kill them all.
Be aware that the targeted reader age range is 14, and indeed, the female protagonist sounds more like a 13- or 14-year-old than a 16-year-old. Yes, the book employs some of the usual attitudinal tropes--New York setting, bad psychiatrist, anti-Fox, pro-LGBTQ.
However, Werlin's expertise with the plot, action, and interactions of the five main characters makes this a very reader-friendly book. Her countdown suspense on one character's need for insulin is perfect. Then There Were Four is well worth adult readers' time, too.
A shout-out to the indie bookstore whose booksellers had read and recommended this book, and given it prominent store placement.
Be aware that the targeted reader age range is 14, and indeed, the female protagonist sounds more like a 13- or 14-year-old than a 16-year-old. Yes, the book employs some of the usual attitudinal tropes--New York setting, bad psychiatrist, anti-Fox, pro-LGBTQ.
However, Werlin's expertise with the plot, action, and interactions of the five main characters makes this a very reader-friendly book. Her countdown suspense on one character's need for insulin is perfect. Then There Were Four is well worth adult readers' time, too.
A shout-out to the indie bookstore whose booksellers had read and recommended this book, and given it prominent store placement.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 19, 2017
TLDR: boring, undeveloped, silly, meandering, bad
generally i thought there were a lot of underdeveloped, abrupt twists that had next to no emotional follow through. this ranged from deaths to romantic relationships (even more insta-love than the worst ya for both of the main relationships) to parental abuse (this last - the book ocassionally feels ike it's going to delve more deeply into discussing abuse dynamics, but it's all very very one-dimensional)
for example, one of the main characters dies really abruptly early in the book (i think around 100 pages in). in that time, some authors can pull off establishing a character compelling and real enough that it makes the audience feel something when they die, but not this author. THEN, there's literally no grieving from any character, even the dead character's extremely close best friend. the death is from then on brought up as a plot point with no more emotional significance than an item on a grocery list
also there's no fulfilling elements of a thriller. the only mind-boggling mystery here is how someone could take a plot like 'teenagers scramble to unravel their parents' conspiracy to murder them' and make it dull. i was mildly curious to see how it would play out but certainly not frantically turning pages as the reviews promise. one review actually says "don't expect to sleep tonight!" which is frankly ludicrous to me; i was barely conscious reading this, let alone ANYTHING approaching fear. this was much closer to a contemporary novel than a mystery or a thriller (and not a good one of those either)
like, at one point, one of the parents refers to the murder plot as "a game" saying "im curious to see if you [the teenagers] can figure it out" which totally hyped me up, because i thought the thriller part was about to start, right? that's some sherlock holmes meets gone girl shit! let's get to the cool part of the plot! but nope! it's literally never brought up again. the plot 'reveal' is the teenagers just assuming their parents are trying to kill them
the book is told from 2 alternating pov chapters, one of which is in 1st person, the other in 2nd person. i was initially intrigued by the use of 2nd person, but ultimately it serves no purpose other than as a gimmick. there was absolutely no reason (that i could tell) why 2nd person would be used in this book, and in only half the chapters. all perspectives serve different purposes and should be chosen wisely. im no english teacher, but i would imagine 2nd person is meant to create a stronger bond with the reader, pulling one in entirely to the narrative. this does not accomplish that, especially since one is pulled right out again with the next 1st person chapters!!
also, though one of the mains is physically disabled (and autistic imo) dont come to this book looking for respectful or even slightly educated treatment of mental illness
the one thing i did like were the characters (except caleb, the 2nd person pov, was boring tbh) but if im looking at it objectively theyre not interesting enough or written with enough strength to merit a higher rating
generally i thought there were a lot of underdeveloped, abrupt twists that had next to no emotional follow through. this ranged from deaths to romantic relationships (even more insta-love than the worst ya for both of the main relationships) to parental abuse (this last - the book ocassionally feels ike it's going to delve more deeply into discussing abuse dynamics, but it's all very very one-dimensional)
for example, one of the main characters dies really abruptly early in the book (i think around 100 pages in). in that time, some authors can pull off establishing a character compelling and real enough that it makes the audience feel something when they die, but not this author. THEN, there's literally no grieving from any character, even the dead character's extremely close best friend. the death is from then on brought up as a plot point with no more emotional significance than an item on a grocery list
also there's no fulfilling elements of a thriller. the only mind-boggling mystery here is how someone could take a plot like 'teenagers scramble to unravel their parents' conspiracy to murder them' and make it dull. i was mildly curious to see how it would play out but certainly not frantically turning pages as the reviews promise. one review actually says "don't expect to sleep tonight!" which is frankly ludicrous to me; i was barely conscious reading this, let alone ANYTHING approaching fear. this was much closer to a contemporary novel than a mystery or a thriller (and not a good one of those either)
like, at one point, one of the parents refers to the murder plot as "a game" saying "im curious to see if you [the teenagers] can figure it out" which totally hyped me up, because i thought the thriller part was about to start, right? that's some sherlock holmes meets gone girl shit! let's get to the cool part of the plot! but nope! it's literally never brought up again. the plot 'reveal' is the teenagers just assuming their parents are trying to kill them
the book is told from 2 alternating pov chapters, one of which is in 1st person, the other in 2nd person. i was initially intrigued by the use of 2nd person, but ultimately it serves no purpose other than as a gimmick. there was absolutely no reason (that i could tell) why 2nd person would be used in this book, and in only half the chapters. all perspectives serve different purposes and should be chosen wisely. im no english teacher, but i would imagine 2nd person is meant to create a stronger bond with the reader, pulling one in entirely to the narrative. this does not accomplish that, especially since one is pulled right out again with the next 1st person chapters!!
also, though one of the mains is physically disabled (and autistic imo) dont come to this book looking for respectful or even slightly educated treatment of mental illness
the one thing i did like were the characters (except caleb, the 2nd person pov, was boring tbh) but if im looking at it objectively theyre not interesting enough or written with enough strength to merit a higher rating
August 12, 2017
Do yourself a favor and DON'T read the synopsis.
4.5 Stars. So interesting and twisty-- took a while for me to get used to Saralinda's voice in her chapters, but once I did, I was HOOKED. I'm adding it to my YA Mystery recommendation list.
When I first started this book I wasn't sure-- I mean, it's over 400 pages and getting used to the voice the characters narrate in didn't come natural. BUT-- I flew through this book. Once I got used to the way Saralinda thinks inside her head, it was smooth sailing.
So, Saralinda-- she's our main character. The one you root for. But the girl doesn't like commas. Her sentences just run and run and run, and sometimes it was hard for me to figure out what the heck she was getting at. She definitely blabbers-- a lot. It took some getting used to, but once I did, I was fine, and she grew on me.
Next we have Caleb. He narrates the other half of the book and does it in second person, so it also takes getting used to because of the change. Caleb was interesting because he didn't trust himself, therefor, I didn't trust him-- and you have to have untrustworthy people in a mystery!!
I think the reason I clicked with this book so much was that I didn't read the synopsis very closely, so I didn't know where the story was headed. I don't know why they decided to tell the first big twist in the summary, and I think had I known that twist, I wouldn't have been so intrigued. You see, the first big twist was what made this book interesting. And not knowing it was coming was what hooked me.
There is a little bit of a drop-off in the middle of the book-- but then it picks right back up-- and there is a little bit of teenage romance that I didn't think was necessary (I mean, do we need everyone to have a romantic interest??), but I still super recommend this book to mystery-lovers out there, because the mystery was twisty and fun to unravel!!
OVERALL: After I got used to the narration, I was INTO this book. I'm a slow reader and I finished this FAST. I totally recommend it-- but don't read the Goodreads or jacket summary (it's sort of spoilery). Just know it's about 5 kids who are being targeted for an unknown reason.
My Blog:
4.5 Stars. So interesting and twisty-- took a while for me to get used to Saralinda's voice in her chapters, but once I did, I was HOOKED. I'm adding it to my YA Mystery recommendation list.
When I first started this book I wasn't sure-- I mean, it's over 400 pages and getting used to the voice the characters narrate in didn't come natural. BUT-- I flew through this book. Once I got used to the way Saralinda thinks inside her head, it was smooth sailing.
So, Saralinda-- she's our main character. The one you root for. But the girl doesn't like commas. Her sentences just run and run and run, and sometimes it was hard for me to figure out what the heck she was getting at. She definitely blabbers-- a lot. It took some getting used to, but once I did, I was fine, and she grew on me.
Next we have Caleb. He narrates the other half of the book and does it in second person, so it also takes getting used to because of the change. Caleb was interesting because he didn't trust himself, therefor, I didn't trust him-- and you have to have untrustworthy people in a mystery!!
I think the reason I clicked with this book so much was that I didn't read the synopsis very closely, so I didn't know where the story was headed. I don't know why they decided to tell the first big twist in the summary, and I think had I known that twist, I wouldn't have been so intrigued. You see, the first big twist was what made this book interesting. And not knowing it was coming was what hooked me.
There is a little bit of a drop-off in the middle of the book-- but then it picks right back up-- and there is a little bit of teenage romance that I didn't think was necessary (I mean, do we need everyone to have a romantic interest??), but I still super recommend this book to mystery-lovers out there, because the mystery was twisty and fun to unravel!!
OVERALL: After I got used to the narration, I was INTO this book. I'm a slow reader and I finished this FAST. I totally recommend it-- but don't read the Goodreads or jacket summary (it's sort of spoilery). Just know it's about 5 kids who are being targeted for an unknown reason.
My Blog:
June 17, 2017
Takei voice: oh myyy!
Review to come at a more appropriate hour of the day.
Review to come at a more appropriate hour of the day.
July 9, 2020
This monstrosity does not deserve to be called a book. And that’s if I’m being generous.
I hated all of the characters, as none of them were even slightly interesting or relatable. I couldn’t find myself liking them, therefore I didn’t feel any emotion for them while reading. Everything seemed predictable and very very very melodramatic.
We have two main POV characters: Saralinda and Caleb. In the beginning, I thought I was going to loathe Caleb so much more because his chapters are written in second person. (Or should I say your chapters are written in second person?) Second person in a thriller...???? Okay, why didn’t anyone tell me this was a choose your own adventure? (Of course, minus the part you get to chose what happens.) Caleb is kind of the bad-boy turned good-guy type—which, I adore that trope—but it’s executed poorly and I never feel any sympathy for him. Actually, Caleb was not even half as bad as Saralinda. She was so obnoxious, the kind of “I poop rainbows and everything is truly magical!” Kind of obnoxious. And she has to mention every other sentence that’s she diabetic. Oh and that she had a club foot, but it is okay because she had surgery. Oh did I mention she’s diabetic? Also this girl has never heard of the comma or anything besides awfully horrible run-on sentences.
Listen, even though the characters were one-sided and quite boring to read, I hated something even more: the forced romance. I LOVE romance, give me all the people falling in love. Give me the messy relationships. But, all the romance in this book seemed forced and most of it came out of nowhere...??? Also the POV characters made it very clear (and on a few occasions) that they were very straight. Straight. Straight. Which I kind of just accepted the author to be a touch homophobic, but then there was a lesbian relationship that just magically existed.... Lesbians need representation, but please, not like this.
If there were good characters, romance that made sense, and correct grammar usage, then this could’ve been an okay book. The plot would’ve been slightly more interesting if it had characters that I could get behind and actually like.
I can stand a bad plot with excellent characters. But an excellent plot with bad characters? Nope. No thank you, I’ll pass.
A plot doesn’t make a book, it’s characters do.
This review was going to be a lot more than it is, but I’m ready to be done thinking about this train wreck. The only reason you’d want to read it is to leave a review like this because, wow, it’s kind of enjoyable.
Pick up any other book. Please.
Have a nice day :)
Edit: 07.09.20 I’ve been thinking about this book recently (and my review) and while I personally didn’t enjoy it, that doesn’t mean other people will. I thought about how much reviews like this would hurt me if I ever wrote a book. While I think I did give some constructive criticism, some of this was just mean. This book did provide me with entertainment and I think I learned a lot from it. I really don’t know what compelled me to change my mind, but if you want to, maybe you should give this book a try. :)
(Also I’m sorry, it’s no fun to get yelled at by teenagers on the internet)
I hated all of the characters, as none of them were even slightly interesting or relatable. I couldn’t find myself liking them, therefore I didn’t feel any emotion for them while reading. Everything seemed predictable and very very very melodramatic.
We have two main POV characters: Saralinda and Caleb. In the beginning, I thought I was going to loathe Caleb so much more because his chapters are written in second person. (Or should I say your chapters are written in second person?) Second person in a thriller...???? Okay, why didn’t anyone tell me this was a choose your own adventure? (Of course, minus the part you get to chose what happens.) Caleb is kind of the bad-boy turned good-guy type—which, I adore that trope—but it’s executed poorly and I never feel any sympathy for him. Actually, Caleb was not even half as bad as Saralinda. She was so obnoxious, the kind of “I poop rainbows and everything is truly magical!” Kind of obnoxious. And she has to mention every other sentence that’s she diabetic. Oh and that she had a club foot, but it is okay because she had surgery. Oh did I mention she’s diabetic? Also this girl has never heard of the comma or anything besides awfully horrible run-on sentences.
Listen, even though the characters were one-sided and quite boring to read, I hated something even more: the forced romance. I LOVE romance, give me all the people falling in love. Give me the messy relationships. But, all the romance in this book seemed forced and most of it came out of nowhere...??? Also the POV characters made it very clear (and on a few occasions) that they were very straight. Straight. Straight. Which I kind of just accepted the author to be a touch homophobic, but then there was a lesbian relationship that just magically existed.... Lesbians need representation, but please, not like this.
If there were good characters, romance that made sense, and correct grammar usage, then this could’ve been an okay book. The plot would’ve been slightly more interesting if it had characters that I could get behind and actually like.
I can stand a bad plot with excellent characters. But an excellent plot with bad characters? Nope. No thank you, I’ll pass.
A plot doesn’t make a book, it’s characters do.
This review was going to be a lot more than it is, but I’m ready to be done thinking about this train wreck. The only reason you’d want to read it is to leave a review like this because, wow, it’s kind of enjoyable.
Pick up any other book. Please.
Have a nice day :)
Edit: 07.09.20 I’ve been thinking about this book recently (and my review) and while I personally didn’t enjoy it, that doesn’t mean other people will. I thought about how much reviews like this would hurt me if I ever wrote a book. While I think I did give some constructive criticism, some of this was just mean. This book did provide me with entertainment and I think I learned a lot from it. I really don’t know what compelled me to change my mind, but if you want to, maybe you should give this book a try. :)
(Also I’m sorry, it’s no fun to get yelled at by teenagers on the internet)
June 18, 2017
GRADE: C-
2 stars
After a building collapses on five boarding school students, they hypothesize their parents are trying to kill them.
AND THEN THERE WERE FOUR is told from Caleb's second person POV (he refers to himself as you) and Saralinda's first person POV. Nancy Werlin does a great job with Caleb's voice and using second person effectively. While her writing is pleasant, AND THEN THERE WERE FOUR isn't paced like a thriller and the story lacks much tension.
Werlin did create five unique characters with interesting backstories and personalities. They were all sympathetic.
AND THEN THERE WERE FOUR may have the worst premise of any book I've read in the past year or longer. I can't say why without too many spoilers. Even teens with contentious parental relationships probably won't buy into the plot.
Skip AND THEN THERE WERE FOUR, I don't recommend.
2 stars
After a building collapses on five boarding school students, they hypothesize their parents are trying to kill them.
AND THEN THERE WERE FOUR is told from Caleb's second person POV (he refers to himself as you) and Saralinda's first person POV. Nancy Werlin does a great job with Caleb's voice and using second person effectively. While her writing is pleasant, AND THEN THERE WERE FOUR isn't paced like a thriller and the story lacks much tension.
Werlin did create five unique characters with interesting backstories and personalities. They were all sympathetic.
AND THEN THERE WERE FOUR may have the worst premise of any book I've read in the past year or longer. I can't say why without too many spoilers. Even teens with contentious parental relationships probably won't buy into the plot.
Skip AND THEN THERE WERE FOUR, I don't recommend.
June 13, 2017
Super intriguing premise, very distinctive voice, a banter-y side f/f ship, thrills and chills for days, and A BEAUTIFUL ENDING
September 30, 2017
The book was 415 painstaking pages. Not sure why Goodreads says there's only 11 pages.
February 17, 2021
Always maintained a smile. Always gave off the sense of happiness, joy, love. That was the definition of Antoine Dubois, or from everyone else’s mouths, the flawless one. But was that his true form, or his mask shielding the concealed? His eyes glistened beneath the light like diamonds. Immaculate. But even diamonds possess tints of yellow, minuscule cracks. Underneath all the packaging, the cutting, the polishing, a diamond is just like any other rock. Far from perfection.
July 23, 2017
Summary: Five students at the prestigious Rockland Academy are summoned for a meeting of the Leaders Club in an empty campus building. During the meeting, the ceiling falls in and injures the students. Upon investigation, the students realize that there IS no such thing as the Leaders Club and that somebody hacked into an e-mail to impersonate messages about it. The students develop a theory …. Their parents and guardians want them dead.
Appeal: I’ve enjoyed Nancy Werlin’s previous thrillers like The Rules of Survival and Double Helix. She returns to familiar ideas here … Huntington’s Disease, psychological manipulation, and wealthy kids at boarding schools. The plot starts right away and there are no jumps in time, which is helpful for readers who have difficulty when plots skip around in location or time. Yes, there’s more melodrama here than three seasons of Grey’s Anatomy, but for what it’s worth I thought the narrators were well-voiced.
Possible issues with comprehension: Chapters alternate between two different students, Caleb, who is emotionally troubled and distant, and Saralinda, who is in need of friends. Readers might want to take notes on the five student characters who appear in the story, each character’s troubled family/guardian situation, and develop possible reasons why somebody might want that character to be killed. There’s a psychological element to understanding this story too -- it’s an extreme psychological element that’s introduced slowly towards the beginning of the story and then announces itself more explicitly at the end. I think developing readers will pick up on it quickly once it is established.
Recommended for: Readers who are into murder and mayhem and are willing to be patient with a longer story. Your Law and Order watching teens will find this book appealing, too, and will be guessing about motives and resolutions until the end. If I were to level this one on the Fountas and Pinnell system it definitely reads like a Y (characterizations can be a little slippery), but I believe W/X readers will successfully “stretch” up to this one for its appealing premise.
That said, I’d be selective about giving this to a student younger than grade 7 and probably wouldn’t book talk it earlier than mid-seventh grade.
Appeal: I’ve enjoyed Nancy Werlin’s previous thrillers like The Rules of Survival and Double Helix. She returns to familiar ideas here … Huntington’s Disease, psychological manipulation, and wealthy kids at boarding schools. The plot starts right away and there are no jumps in time, which is helpful for readers who have difficulty when plots skip around in location or time. Yes, there’s more melodrama here than three seasons of Grey’s Anatomy, but for what it’s worth I thought the narrators were well-voiced.
Possible issues with comprehension: Chapters alternate between two different students, Caleb, who is emotionally troubled and distant, and Saralinda, who is in need of friends. Readers might want to take notes on the five student characters who appear in the story, each character’s troubled family/guardian situation, and develop possible reasons why somebody might want that character to be killed. There’s a psychological element to understanding this story too -- it’s an extreme psychological element that’s introduced slowly towards the beginning of the story and then announces itself more explicitly at the end. I think developing readers will pick up on it quickly once it is established.
Recommended for: Readers who are into murder and mayhem and are willing to be patient with a longer story. Your Law and Order watching teens will find this book appealing, too, and will be guessing about motives and resolutions until the end. If I were to level this one on the Fountas and Pinnell system it definitely reads like a Y (characterizations can be a little slippery), but I believe W/X readers will successfully “stretch” up to this one for its appealing premise.
That said, I’d be selective about giving this to a student younger than grade 7 and probably wouldn’t book talk it earlier than mid-seventh grade.
June 6, 2017
4.5 Actual
WHOA.
What do you get when you cross an incredibly diverse cast of characters in a thriller with some incredibly unpredictable twists and turns? And Then There Were Four. I have to assume that the title of this book is an homage to Agatha Christie’s roller coaster murder mystery, And Then There Were None, and I definitely see why this is made due to the high stakes and the fast paced plot.
This is a novel you will not want to put down, and I read it in just around four hours.
Readers are immediately introduced to our wonderful characters, but the story is dual narration between two of the five main characters. I have to applaud Werlin for effectively using the second person for one of these narrators, because I have only read one another young adult novel that I found utilized this in a good way and that was Stolen by Lucy Christopher, and even then the “you” was referring to her kidnapper. Caleb, the character narrating in second person, uses the “you” in referring to himself. I believe Werlin did this to exemplify the amount of emotional and mental abuse that the character had suffered throughout his life.
The other narrator, Saralinda, is in first person. I will say, that I found her narration to be a bit annoying as it was very stream-of-consciousness. While this is effective and it really does clearly separate the two narrators well, it really just makes it hard to read in places due to the lack of grammatical marks and the sentence structure. That is probably my only critique of the novel because I found the book to be such a great story overall.
I also worry about giving too much away in this review, because it’s one of those narratives that you need to peel back like layers of an onion. Because almost every page is carefully crafted by Werlin to slowly build to the big reveal.
Trust me, you do NOT want to miss out on reading this phenomenal thriller.
WHOA.
What do you get when you cross an incredibly diverse cast of characters in a thriller with some incredibly unpredictable twists and turns? And Then There Were Four. I have to assume that the title of this book is an homage to Agatha Christie’s roller coaster murder mystery, And Then There Were None, and I definitely see why this is made due to the high stakes and the fast paced plot.
This is a novel you will not want to put down, and I read it in just around four hours.
Readers are immediately introduced to our wonderful characters, but the story is dual narration between two of the five main characters. I have to applaud Werlin for effectively using the second person for one of these narrators, because I have only read one another young adult novel that I found utilized this in a good way and that was Stolen by Lucy Christopher, and even then the “you” was referring to her kidnapper. Caleb, the character narrating in second person, uses the “you” in referring to himself. I believe Werlin did this to exemplify the amount of emotional and mental abuse that the character had suffered throughout his life.
The other narrator, Saralinda, is in first person. I will say, that I found her narration to be a bit annoying as it was very stream-of-consciousness. While this is effective and it really does clearly separate the two narrators well, it really just makes it hard to read in places due to the lack of grammatical marks and the sentence structure. That is probably my only critique of the novel because I found the book to be such a great story overall.
I also worry about giving too much away in this review, because it’s one of those narratives that you need to peel back like layers of an onion. Because almost every page is carefully crafted by Werlin to slowly build to the big reveal.
Trust me, you do NOT want to miss out on reading this phenomenal thriller.
July 31, 2017
Nancy Werlin’s book is a young adult fiction that is told between the first person (Saralinda) and the second person (Caleb) which jumps back and forth between these two points of view.
The book has remnants of the fantastic Neal Shusterman’s Unwind series without the science surrounding the near future existence of that book. The book is well written and the jumping back and forth between the two perspectives works extremely well.
Some of the plot devices found within the text sometimes feels a bit force and not totally clear of whether this is because of the story being told from the characters points of view or a thought process not totally thought through. Saying that, as the main narrative is from a teenagers point of view, then the plot suffices.
The paranoia state of the teens is very well handled and the romance sometimes feels out of place but is understandably the glue that really holds the work together. The characters are well developed and the pacing is very well handled. At times, the reasoning behind the action seems a little force but does not take away from the general action.
All the diversity and political correctness boxes are all ticked and she has woven these in very professionally. You tend to only pick up on this through hindsight and through discussion but whilst reading it really doesn’t jump out at you.
This is the first book that I have read by Nancy Werlin and I have to say that I am intrigued. I have added her other books to my reading cue and looking forward to reading her.
Overall, the book was an exciting and enjoyable read and for it’s the audience that it is intended for, I think it would be an excellent read as a mystery thriller. With an interesting plot device, characters and overall premise of the piece, it is a satisfying winner.
The book has remnants of the fantastic Neal Shusterman’s Unwind series without the science surrounding the near future existence of that book. The book is well written and the jumping back and forth between the two perspectives works extremely well.
Some of the plot devices found within the text sometimes feels a bit force and not totally clear of whether this is because of the story being told from the characters points of view or a thought process not totally thought through. Saying that, as the main narrative is from a teenagers point of view, then the plot suffices.
The paranoia state of the teens is very well handled and the romance sometimes feels out of place but is understandably the glue that really holds the work together. The characters are well developed and the pacing is very well handled. At times, the reasoning behind the action seems a little force but does not take away from the general action.
All the diversity and political correctness boxes are all ticked and she has woven these in very professionally. You tend to only pick up on this through hindsight and through discussion but whilst reading it really doesn’t jump out at you.
This is the first book that I have read by Nancy Werlin and I have to say that I am intrigued. I have added her other books to my reading cue and looking forward to reading her.
Overall, the book was an exciting and enjoyable read and for it’s the audience that it is intended for, I think it would be an excellent read as a mystery thriller. With an interesting plot device, characters and overall premise of the piece, it is a satisfying winner.
August 10, 2017
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would! I was intrigued by the POV - it alternates between Caleb in second person and Saralinda in first person. I had no issues keeping them straight or following either POV. Both were distinct enough for me. I wouldn't recommend this book to just anyone thought - the voices are distinctly YA and I can see people being annoyed by the slightly immature tone. I found it a little endearing, however, and really rooted for the kids' survival. I thought it was an interesting story that kept me engaged the whole time.
February 6, 2017
What a wild ride! Nancy Werlin is so good at writing psychological thrillers, and this one is intense and fascinating. There are two main narrators--Saralinda, who is almost healed from being born with a clubfoot, but must continue to deal with diabetes, and Caleb, who feels that he has dangerous Mr. Hyde locked up inside of him. Five teens in all come together under mysterious circumstances, and they must figure out how they are connected before another one of them dies.
April 20, 2017
Five teens are randomly called together in an abandoned house when the roof collapses. They escape but barely. When one of the dies by mysterious means the others begin to suspect one of their parents of trying to kill their friend. But then they become hunted.
Fun twists and turns in the not super realistic story which I thoroughly enjoyed
Fun twists and turns in the not super realistic story which I thoroughly enjoyed
June 14, 2017
Brutal and twisty. I skimmed through some of the middle to get to the intense and satisfying ending. (Language)
Read
January 7, 2019Don't be fooled.
Five teens enter a building. Suddenly the building collapses. The circumstances around the collapse seem extremely suspicious. Quickly they realize that their parents had something to do with it. This is only the start of their troubles.
Where do I even begin with this one? To be honest this was more of a mess of a book than I thought it was going to be.
Basically the initial concept is all there is to the book. Yes it was just as ridiculous as it sounds and it only got more ridiculous as it went on. After the initial incident it did not take long for the characters to start assuming things and quickly leaping to conclusions, extremely absurd conclusions for what little information they really had. Every time they even thought of doing something resembling common sense, it was immediately vetoed like nah, that'd be too easy and might actually fix the situation. Why would we want to do that?
Out of the five teens we had two main characters that narrated of the story. First we had Sarahlinda, a girl with a clubfoot and diabetes, who was formerly homeschooled. Oh boy did she get on my main nerve quick. Sarahlinda may have supposedly been a teenager, but all throughout the book whenever it was one of her chapters and even seeing her actions through the eyes of our other narrator Caleb, I consistently forgot that she wasn't five years old. I get it, she was sheltered and so, so, innocent. Honestly though there's a difference between innocent and acting like a five year old. She also seemed to have the hots for both of the guys in the story. There's nothing wrong with liking multiple people. However, Sarahlinda went from "being in love" with Antione to " being in love" with Caleb so quickly it made my head spin. After a few chapters, it was like Antione who?
Our second narrator was Caleb. He was supposed to be so mysterious and have such a shady background. He was meant to be intriguing. While in most thriller novels the characters have dubious motives and are unreliable, there's usually something that makes them stand out. Caleb lacked both of things and anything that may have made him stand out was negated by the fact that he was written in second person. What possessed do the author to do this I honestly have no idea because it was the most annoying thing to read in a thriller.
Along with Sarahlinda and Caleb, the rest of the characters were extremely lame stereotypes. Think a very bland version of The Breakfast Club.
The prose also left a lot to be desired. While Nancy Werlin may have intended to write an intriguing and different thriller for the young adult crowd, it did not work out at all. The drama was so melodramatic and overdone it just wasn't believable. I didn't find it at all creepy. Also the characters consistently it annoyed me. It also seemed to be apparent the author adores run on sentences and talking down to readers. May I just bring up context clues and subtle hinting? That's a couple suggestions I have that made made this book better.
I would also like to add that And Then There Were Four is not a good representation physical ailments, mental ailments, or mental health.
And Then There Were Four was about as good as the click bait article attached to the article you actually wanted to read - subpar and annoying.
Look, I feel kind of bad for writing this review because I am sure that this book is better than anything I will ever write. But this is my honest opinion and it was truly awful.
Unlike Agatha Christie's popular and interesting novel, And Then There Were None, And Then There Were Four who is simultaneously dull, outlandish, and condescending.
Five teens enter a building. Suddenly the building collapses. The circumstances around the collapse seem extremely suspicious. Quickly they realize that their parents had something to do with it. This is only the start of their troubles.
Where do I even begin with this one? To be honest this was more of a mess of a book than I thought it was going to be.
Basically the initial concept is all there is to the book. Yes it was just as ridiculous as it sounds and it only got more ridiculous as it went on. After the initial incident it did not take long for the characters to start assuming things and quickly leaping to conclusions, extremely absurd conclusions for what little information they really had. Every time they even thought of doing something resembling common sense, it was immediately vetoed like nah, that'd be too easy and might actually fix the situation. Why would we want to do that?
Out of the five teens we had two main characters that narrated of the story. First we had Sarahlinda, a girl with a clubfoot and diabetes, who was formerly homeschooled. Oh boy did she get on my main nerve quick. Sarahlinda may have supposedly been a teenager, but all throughout the book whenever it was one of her chapters and even seeing her actions through the eyes of our other narrator Caleb, I consistently forgot that she wasn't five years old. I get it, she was sheltered and so, so, innocent. Honestly though there's a difference between innocent and acting like a five year old. She also seemed to have the hots for both of the guys in the story. There's nothing wrong with liking multiple people. However, Sarahlinda went from "being in love" with Antione to " being in love" with Caleb so quickly it made my head spin. After a few chapters, it was like Antione who?
Our second narrator was Caleb. He was supposed to be so mysterious and have such a shady background. He was meant to be intriguing. While in most thriller novels the characters have dubious motives and are unreliable, there's usually something that makes them stand out. Caleb lacked both of things and anything that may have made him stand out was negated by the fact that he was written in second person. What possessed do the author to do this I honestly have no idea because it was the most annoying thing to read in a thriller.
Along with Sarahlinda and Caleb, the rest of the characters were extremely lame stereotypes. Think a very bland version of The Breakfast Club.
The prose also left a lot to be desired. While Nancy Werlin may have intended to write an intriguing and different thriller for the young adult crowd, it did not work out at all. The drama was so melodramatic and overdone it just wasn't believable. I didn't find it at all creepy. Also the characters consistently it annoyed me. It also seemed to be apparent the author adores run on sentences and talking down to readers. May I just bring up context clues and subtle hinting? That's a couple suggestions I have that made made this book better.
I would also like to add that And Then There Were Four is not a good representation physical ailments, mental ailments, or mental health.
And Then There Were Four was about as good as the click bait article attached to the article you actually wanted to read - subpar and annoying.
Look, I feel kind of bad for writing this review because I am sure that this book is better than anything I will ever write. But this is my honest opinion and it was truly awful.
Unlike Agatha Christie's popular and interesting novel, And Then There Were None, And Then There Were Four who is simultaneously dull, outlandish, and condescending.
June 30, 2017
And Then There Were Four begins with a murder attempt, and that pretty much sets the tone for the book. The plot is that these teens are being targeted by their own parents (various reasons for each) - which, in my opinion need not have been given away by the blurb, but oh well! The four surviving teens band together to figure out the why and how of the attempt on their lives, and how they can protect themselves against further attacks. We are given two POV in a diverse set of characters, Saralinda and Caleb, with the former in first person narrative and the latter in second person narrative.
Firstly, I want to say that the plot is certainly intriguing and in the first half of the book, with so much unknown variables, the stakes were high. But as the book progressed, it felt like the tension seeped out of the text and was shifting focus towards romance (why would you have romance in the middle of running for your lives?) and moving towards a climax that kind of plateaued out. There is mystery, sure, and figuring out the motives of the parents was enough to keep you hanging in there, but I place the blame of my not enjoying it fully on the way it is written.
Saralinda's first person POV comes across more like a preteen writing in her diary with a lot! of! emphasis! on the mundane. She comes across as extremely childish which I can partly understand due to her closeted life, but cannot condone when in the other POV she sounds pretty mature and holds her own. Of course, the other POV belongs to Caleb, who likes her, so maybe that changes how she is presented. His POV was strange to read through, mainly because it is in second person, which is quite rare enough in most YA books that it is unnerving at first. Coupled with that, his (possible) mental illness at first felt the reason for the odd second person narrative but then in the other POV he talks so much like a single person that it made no sense to have his narrative in second person. Still, between the two, the secondary characters Kenyon and Evangeline are fleshed out enough to have their own arcs.
As for diversity, with the exception of Kenyon, all characters are POC, and with Saralinda's disability and Evan's bi(or pan)sexuality, it is inter-sectional. On that aspect, I felt the rep was good. But as for the mental illness, which actually is the backbone of the plot, I felt the rep was calling upon too frequently used stereotypes - like Dissociate Identity Disorders patients having sociopathic tendencies or an 'evil' alter (which is what Caleb believes). Also, considering that there is manipulation thrown into the mix, it would have been good to have at least one positive rep for mental illness.
Finally, I would like to say I was conflicted about what to rate this book as. From a plot and diversity perspective, it checks the boxes. But the writing doesn't lend to an enjoyable reading experience (which I qualify as higher priority) so I brought it down to a 3.5 star rating.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Dial Books, via Netgalley.
Firstly, I want to say that the plot is certainly intriguing and in the first half of the book, with so much unknown variables, the stakes were high. But as the book progressed, it felt like the tension seeped out of the text and was shifting focus towards romance (why would you have romance in the middle of running for your lives?) and moving towards a climax that kind of plateaued out. There is mystery, sure, and figuring out the motives of the parents was enough to keep you hanging in there, but I place the blame of my not enjoying it fully on the way it is written.
Saralinda's first person POV comes across more like a preteen writing in her diary with a lot! of! emphasis! on the mundane. She comes across as extremely childish which I can partly understand due to her closeted life, but cannot condone when in the other POV she sounds pretty mature and holds her own. Of course, the other POV belongs to Caleb, who likes her, so maybe that changes how she is presented. His POV was strange to read through, mainly because it is in second person, which is quite rare enough in most YA books that it is unnerving at first. Coupled with that, his (possible) mental illness at first felt the reason for the odd second person narrative but then in the other POV he talks so much like a single person that it made no sense to have his narrative in second person. Still, between the two, the secondary characters Kenyon and Evangeline are fleshed out enough to have their own arcs.
As for diversity, with the exception of Kenyon, all characters are POC, and with Saralinda's disability and Evan's bi(or pan)sexuality, it is inter-sectional. On that aspect, I felt the rep was good. But as for the mental illness, which actually is the backbone of the plot, I felt the rep was calling upon too frequently used stereotypes - like Dissociate Identity Disorders patients having sociopathic tendencies or an 'evil' alter (which is what Caleb believes). Also, considering that there is manipulation thrown into the mix, it would have been good to have at least one positive rep for mental illness.
Finally, I would like to say I was conflicted about what to rate this book as. From a plot and diversity perspective, it checks the boxes. But the writing doesn't lend to an enjoyable reading experience (which I qualify as higher priority) so I brought it down to a 3.5 star rating.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Dial Books, via Netgalley.
July 12, 2017
A damn solid YA thriller with characters that don't grate on your nerves (too much) and an engaging mystery.
During ATTWF, all characters bring up the subject of their wants/needs many times, a concept that is essential in giving us a look at who they are. Saralinda wants love and everything to stay rose-tinted. Caleb wants to die (I would make a joke about how relatable he is, but come on). Kenyon wants to have a good future and find happiness. Evan wants everyone to leave her alone with her huge inheritance. Antoine wants to smile and be underdeveloped as a character.
Their parents want to kill them.
Werlin shows her range by writing teenagers that are vastly different, from angsty sad-sack Caleb (he has reasons for his depression, he isn't just whiny!) to awkward and, frankly, dumb Saralinda (it's like she's actually 11 years old) to mean/sweet Evangelina (the standard archetype, played well and with conviction). At times their teenage egos and thoughts may annoy the reader, but this always seems self-aware, like Werlin knows just how ridiculous the constant "I'm Mr. Hyde" talk sounds coming from Caleb and how insufferable Saralinda can be when she treats the situation she's in as if it's all going to be okay no matter what. As the plot progresses, there are more and more signs that the characters are growing and actually realizing how silly they can be and what they need to do to really mature and become adults.
The story is, surprisingly, kind of grounded for a mystery novel. None of the twists go into deus ex machina territory and the bulk of them is actually foreshadowed in very cool, subtle ways (Saralinda's obsession with Hobbit references? Notice it.)
The payoff is worth the journey, the villains are, for a change, not blabbering idiots. This all actually mashes together into a good, compelling action mystery.
During ATTWF, all characters bring up the subject of their wants/needs many times, a concept that is essential in giving us a look at who they are. Saralinda wants love and everything to stay rose-tinted. Caleb wants to die (I would make a joke about how relatable he is, but come on). Kenyon wants to have a good future and find happiness. Evan wants everyone to leave her alone with her huge inheritance. Antoine wants to smile and be underdeveloped as a character.
Their parents want to kill them.
Werlin shows her range by writing teenagers that are vastly different, from angsty sad-sack Caleb (he has reasons for his depression, he isn't just whiny!) to awkward and, frankly, dumb Saralinda (it's like she's actually 11 years old) to mean/sweet Evangelina (the standard archetype, played well and with conviction). At times their teenage egos and thoughts may annoy the reader, but this always seems self-aware, like Werlin knows just how ridiculous the constant "I'm Mr. Hyde" talk sounds coming from Caleb and how insufferable Saralinda can be when she treats the situation she's in as if it's all going to be okay no matter what. As the plot progresses, there are more and more signs that the characters are growing and actually realizing how silly they can be and what they need to do to really mature and become adults.
The story is, surprisingly, kind of grounded for a mystery novel. None of the twists go into deus ex machina territory and the bulk of them is actually foreshadowed in very cool, subtle ways (Saralinda's obsession with Hobbit references? Notice it.)
The payoff is worth the journey, the villains are, for a change, not blabbering idiots. This all actually mashes together into a good, compelling action mystery.
November 28, 2017
I mean, the whole point of the book -- parents conspiring to kill their children -- is ludicrously far-fetched, but it's not executed TERRIBLY. If you can look past that silliness, this isn't the worst book I've ever read. What did get on my nerves was the whole run-on sentences omg gaspy thoughts of our main character Saralinda by which I mean the girl with the cane and the panicky internal monologue which really did get pretty old after a while because I mean CALM. DOWN. Her running thoughts could easily be made much more readable with the addition of some damn SEMICOLONS. Those exist! Those are a thing!
Notes I took while reading:
*Why are Caleb's sections always in bizarro second-person?
*Okay, super irritating that after a computer running Windows 2000 crashes in this book, which is set in 2017, the response is "ughhh we should replace this with a Mac." Um, a Mac running a 17-year-old OS would also suck. Don't make this a Mac vs. PC thing, because it's not.
*Gratuitous girl-on-girl action.
*They buy a brand-new phone, unwrap it, and proceed to use it. It wouldn't have more than a marginal charge in real life.
*Lol, ain't no teenager says "sluttish" instead of "slutty."
Notes I took while reading:
*Why are Caleb's sections always in bizarro second-person?
*Okay, super irritating that after a computer running Windows 2000 crashes in this book, which is set in 2017, the response is "ughhh we should replace this with a Mac." Um, a Mac running a 17-year-old OS would also suck. Don't make this a Mac vs. PC thing, because it's not.
*Gratuitous girl-on-girl action.
*They buy a brand-new phone, unwrap it, and proceed to use it. It wouldn't have more than a marginal charge in real life.
*Lol, ain't no teenager says "sluttish" instead of "slutty."
July 26, 2017
Ooooh, loved this mystery! What an fascinating premise that all of the kids who have showed up at their prestigious academy's "Leadership Club" all have parents that want to kill them! And a ceiling falls! And the mystery of what they don't know moves along and alternates between the characters' viewpoints.
While there are some unnecessary additions between the dynamic among the teens, there is certainly a creep factor/thrill factor in what is happening to each of them. And there is blood and death!
An awesome new mystery/thriller to go alongside books like Shusterman's Unwind but also April Henry and the forensic mysteries of Alane Ferguson. So refreshing!
While there are some unnecessary additions between the dynamic among the teens, there is certainly a creep factor/thrill factor in what is happening to each of them. And there is blood and death!
An awesome new mystery/thriller to go alongside books like Shusterman's Unwind but also April Henry and the forensic mysteries of Alane Ferguson. So refreshing!
January 6, 2018
This one started out with a lot of promise, but went quickly down hill. I know that I am not the target audience, but I love finding YA adult novels that cross between kid and adult. This one is not it.
July 10, 2017
Lots of twists which was good, but the underlying theme was very twisted and sad.
January 13, 2018
A quick and fun read.
May 25, 2021
Is it possible to give a book zero stars? Holy mother Teresa it should be. What a shitshow. I read a review last night when I had like 50 pages left to see if I was the only one who felt this way and it is safe to say I was not. Kathryn's review was absolutely hilarious and made the rest of my book experience comical. The entire ending was so dramatic I was laughing out loud. The story itself is a montage of irritating characters, ridiculous scenes, and awful grammar. The grammar made the book hard to read itself with the disjointed and stiff dialogue. Take a look at this..."this is a theory I have which is mine." Is this supposed to be quirky? It just sounds utterly stupid and was painful to read. Saralinda, sorry to break it to you, but you're not some medieval courtier, you are 16 year old girl.
Also, WTF! I hated how Caleb's chapters were written from a second person point of view. SO fucking weird. And DO NOT get me started on Saralinda. As Kathryn said "the single most annoying literary character I’ve ever had the displeasure of reading. Saralinda has the “oh golly gee,” sun-will-come-out-tomorrow, cloying earnestness of Shirley Temple. On METH. I get she was homeschooled and this is her first-year in the traditional educational system, but NO teenager acts like her." No more words needed.
I read this 400 pg book in one day for the sole reason to finish it as soon as possible (I can not leave books unfinished, no matter how much I dislike them). The torture I put myself through was worth it.
Also, WTF! I hated how Caleb's chapters were written from a second person point of view. SO fucking weird. And DO NOT get me started on Saralinda. As Kathryn said "the single most annoying literary character I’ve ever had the displeasure of reading. Saralinda has the “oh golly gee,” sun-will-come-out-tomorrow, cloying earnestness of Shirley Temple. On METH. I get she was homeschooled and this is her first-year in the traditional educational system, but NO teenager acts like her." No more words needed.
I read this 400 pg book in one day for the sole reason to finish it as soon as possible (I can not leave books unfinished, no matter how much I dislike them). The torture I put myself through was worth it.
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