
Hi everyone! Today I’m going to be reviewing That Weekend by Kara Thomas.
Rating: ✯✯✯✯✯
That Weekend follows our protagonist, Claire, and her journey for answers after a fun prom getaway takes a deadly turn. After waking up alone on a mountain with a head injury and no recollection of the last forty eight hours, Claire’s hunt for the truth begins – starting with where her two best friends are. Who would want to hurt Kat and Jesse – and where are they now?
Ever since I read The Cheerleaders back in May I’ve been desperate to read more of Thomas’ books, and it’s safe to say that this didn’t disappoint. That Weekend was everything I could ask for in a mystery: action, twists, character development and, of course, some drama. I went into this book with really high expectations but Thomas still managed to exceed them, which is definitely a real talent. I can’t wait to read Little Monsters soon, too, which I purchased last month!
I think it’s safe to say that the premise of the book was absolutely superb! Three friends on a secret camping trip over a weekend… Sign me up! Add in the issues of Claire’s memory loss and the deadly turn it takes for Kat and Jesse and I was a goner. I knew as soon as I read the blurb that I would fall in love with this book, and I was right!
I think the aspect which I loved the most about That Weekend was definitely the huge amount of twists and turns. Every time I thought the constant surprises were over, Thomas threw another one at me, which I really appreciated. I loved how intricate the mystery was as well as all of the side plotlines. The last twist was unveiled in literally the last ten or so pages so I think it’s safe to say that this book kept me guessing until the very end!
Of course, twists alone don’t make a good mystery – you need action, too. When I read The Cheerleaders, my main critique was that it lacked a lot of action, but it’s safe to say that this wasn’t the case with That Weekend. Thomas struck just the right balance between action and day to day scenes, which I really appreciated. The action definitely helped to drive the plot forward!
Of course, Claire herself really helped to drive the plot forward. She was extremely determined to find the truth, searching for answers in any way she could and refused to just leave things be. I really enjoyed reading about Claire’s character and her struggle for the truth – reading about her bravery and everything that she went through was really interesting.
I also really liked Claire’s amazing character development. At the start of the novel, she was left a shell of a person following the accident, but by the end she was confident and self-assured. I really enjoyed watching her progress and come to terms with what had happened. It was lovely to watch her development and only added to my enjoyment of the book!
The different parts and POVs also really increased my enjoyment. The whole book was divided into five different parts, which really helped to split up the story and worked really well. That Weekend was also written using multiple different POVs, but, unlike different books, it wasn’t as simple as just alternating every chapter – Thomas just used whichever voice was best suited to tell the story. I thought this was really effective and really appreciated this decision of Thomas’!
Of course, another marvelous skill of Thomas is her excellent writing style. There’s something about it which just flows so effortlessly, and it’s really refreshing to read. I love the ease of readability her books have too – they’re perfect for more reluctant readers! I whizzed through That Weekend due to this, as it was really easy to read but still nearly impossible to put down. I think that goes to show how much talent Thomas has!
The ending also demonstrated this. I don’t want to give away too much but let’s just say it will leave you reeling. I for one know that it completely took me by surprise and the final twist was the last thing I expected. The ending was really action packed but it also really did the job of tying up any of the loose ends, which was the perfect combination!
Overall, I would recommend That Weekend for any fan of Kara Thomas – despite only having read one of her other books before this That Weekend was easily my favourite of hers! I’d also recommend it for any mystery fan, as this is remarkably twisty and the surprises keep on coming! I think it’s safe to say that Thomas has a real way with words, and the way she crafts mysteries is truly amazing.
I hope you enjoyed this review!
Ceri
This book sounds really good, I’ll have to check it out!
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It definitely is, hope you enjoy!
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Great review Ceri!! This seems to be an very interesting book 👍
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Thank you! It definitely is, it’s got so many great aspects!
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This sounds like a great read for those that enjoy this genre! Thanks for sharing.
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It definitely is, it’s such a great mystery! Thanks for commenting.
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I was just reading another blogger’s post about how they’re using this book for their book club this month so it must be a popular one! I’m not a fan of thrillers because I spook far too easily, but the concept of this story definitely sounds intriguing. I can always appreciate a good mystery. I’m really glad you enjoyed this!
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Yeah, it was only recently on June 29th so that might be it! It definitely is – it has such a promising premise! So can I, it’s definitely up there with my favourite genres. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment your thoughts!
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I haven’t heard of this before. It sounds like an interesting read to keep guessing. It is not my genre but it sounds good. Thank you for sharing a well written review.
Lauren -bournemouthgirl.com
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It definitely is, there’s so many twists! I’m glad it still sounds interesting despite not being your usual scene. Thanks for commenting!
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Ooo, I love the sound of this book, especially the mystery in it! Books that have lots of twists are great, aren’t they? I am going to be adding this to my list to read!
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Aimsy xoxo
Aimsy’s Antics
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Yeah, I love twisty mysteries – they’re truly brilliant! I’m so glad to hear that, hope you enjoy. Thanks for commenting 🙂 xx
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I love a good mystery and this one sounds like a really gripping story! So great to learn about it. Thanks for sharing!
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So do I, mysteries are brilliant! It definitely is. Thanks for commenting!
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This sounds very much up my street. I like mystery and twists, they really keep me engaged in the plot as I tend to have a wandering mind haha. It’s great to hear Claire helped drive the plot, love characters like that.
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I’m so glad to hear that! Me too, twisty mysteries are great – I find they’re also really good when you need a distraction. Characters like that are truly brilliant!
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Oooh this sounds interesting! Thanks for the suggestion!
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It definitely is – it’s so twisty! Thanks for commenting!
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This sounds like an interesting read. Mystery stories are fab. I would love to give it a try.
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It really is – there’s so many twists! They really are, I love mysteries. Hope you enjoy if you do!
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Oh wow. This sounds like such a great and suspenseful read! Thanks for sharing!
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It really is – there’s so much action! Thanks for commenting.
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This sounds like a book I would enjoy! Suspense is my jam! Thank you for the recommendation!
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I’m glad to hear that! I love suspense too. No worries, thanks for commenting!
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I don’t know the author but wow, this was a brilliant review – so detailed but you don’t give anything away either – kudos! Sounds like a must for the TBR pile, thank you 🙂
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Thank you so much – I always try and make a point not to include any spoilers! Hope you enjoy, thanks for commenting 🙂
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Now this looks like it belongs right up my street! The cover, the title and the tag line already drew me in so I know I’ll be keeping an eye out for this one!
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I’m so glad to hear that it appeals to you – those things all drew me in, too! Hope you enjoy if you get to reading, thanks for commenting.
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This sounds right up my street! Your review is brilliant too xx
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I’m glad that it sounds like something you’d enjoy! Thank you so much xx
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Love the mystery that this book comes with! I am getting very much into audiobooks lately so I will get this on my to be heard list and hopefully get on it soon Ceri x
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Same – I love a good mystery! I have to admit I’m not big on audiobooks but I think the one for this one will be great. Hope you enjoy when you get to it Simona x
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Great review! Glad you enjoyed this one. It’s definitely one of my favourite mystery novels so far this year and I really liked Claire’s character arc too!
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Thank you so much! Same, it really stood out to me – I’m glad it was up there for you too! Her arc really was amazing.
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Oo, I’m adding this to my TBR immediately! Fab review, I’m so intrigued now! x
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I’m glad, hope you enjoy! Thank you x
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Fab review. I love reading thrillers & good can definitely be a fitting read. Thanks for the review.
https://momkidlife.com
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Thank you! I love thrillers too – they’re definitely one of my favourite genres! Thanks for commenting.
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Wow it seems so catchy! I wanna read it ASAP.. I love how you review your books.
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It definitely is – it’s super fast paced! Hope you enjoy. Thank you so much!
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great review! this book seems like something I would love, I’ll definitely add it to my tbr 👍
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Thank you! I’m glad it appeals to you, hope you enjoy 🙂
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I love a story with plenty of twists.
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Same, they’re brilliant!
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This sounds like such a great book, I’ve been looking for something new to read so this review came at the perfect time 🙂
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It definitely is, I really recommend it 🙂
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What a great review! I’ve been looking for a new book to read and love mystery and action. Thank you for the recommendation, can’t wait to check it out!
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Thank you so much! I love mystery and action too, and this is certainly perfect for that. Thank you for commenting, hope you enjoy!
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I love such books which have plot twists. I am definitely adding this to my reading list. Thank you for this amazing review!!
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Same, plot twists are so important, particularly in mysteries! Hope you enjoy, thanks for commenting.
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Such a mysterious read, very enigmatic. Sounds pretty interesting
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It definitely is, it has such a great mystery and overall feel to it!
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This is definitely going on my reading list, thanks for bringing this book to my attention, it sounds as though it would be a great read.
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Hope you enjoy, thanks for commenting!
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Thank you for sharing an amazing review! Considering Claire’s character development, it makes me want to grab this book as soon as I can. I’m all up for some twists and turns haha x
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Thank you so much! This book is definitely great for character development and twists x
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Thanks for this. I enjoyed readying your review. Sounds like a perfect beach read!
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Thank you! It definitely is, thanks for commenting!
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