It’s Behind You Book Review

Posted byreadandreviewit1Posted inMYSTERY/THRILLER, REVIEWSTags:, , , , , , , , , , ,

Hi everyone! Today I’m going to be reviewing It’s Behind You by Kathryn Foxfield.

Rating: ✯✯✯✯

It’s Behind You follows five teenagers participating in a reality TV show where they have to spend twenty four hours in a haunted cave in a bid to win their share of £10,000. Things start out with the usual scares but before long things take a turn for the worst and they’re locked in, with twists and turns around every corner and the teenagers’ hidden motives and secrets being dramatically unveiled.

I think it’s safe to say It’s Behind You was completely different to anything else I’ve read this year. Foxfield successfully combined multiple original elements and it all came together to make a really wonderful and enjoyable book. I really loved reading it all come together and watching the mystery unfold before me as I read.

Of course, the main thing which made this book stand out was the reality TV show aspect. I’ve never actually read any books that have used this tool before, and I found it really interesting to read. The TV show aspect really added an extra something as well as more direction and an extra dimension to the book – it definitely gave Foxfield more of a story to tell as well as making the reader guess what was real, and what was just the production team trying to mix things up.

The reality TV show also provided a great way to break things up, by means of the interviews. The interviews were such a good tool of Foxfield’s – in addition to splitting the story up, they also provided the reader with more information, providing some answers but also giving me more questions, which were all answered by the end. The interviews were definitely really helpful in terms of finding out more about contestants and guessing what they might’ve been hiding, and I really think that they were all placed perfectly.

I also loved the characters. I think the characters really made the book for me, as they were all incredibly different and had such strong personalities. Although I did kind of hate both the protagonist (Lex) and a couple of the other teenagers at the beginning, they definitely grew on me, and it was really nice watching them mature more. This was particularly true of Lex, who was incredibly defensive, brazen and selfish at the beginning, but did something incredibly selfless at the end.

Leading on from that, I also really enjoyed the really strong friendships. I really enjoyed the dynamic in the group and found it really interesting watching them interact. By far my favourite friendship was Lex and Python’s, who, despite their initial bickering, actually developed a really lovely friendship and had a great bond. I really loved the humour between them and their overall exchanges.

Of course, all of the humour in this book was brilliant. It was a really stark contrast to the dark, terrifying moments when they were trapped and all the horror going on around them, but I really enjoyed reading it. It stopped the book from getting too dark and also really helped break up the tense moments . The humour was definitely one of the things which really stood out to me in It’s Behind You!

Anyone who’s previously read my past thriller/mystery reveals will also know how important action is for me in this genre, and it’s safe to say this didn’t disappoint. Although the first 100 or so pages didn’t have that much action, the rest of the book more than made up for it, with action literally up until the very last pages. There was never a dull moment and I really enjoyed all the jump scares and other tense moments when they were exploring the cave – I feel like it could be made into a really great movie someday, too!

I also really enjoyed the number of twists and turns. Just when I thought they were over, Foxfield hit me with another one, which I really appreciated. It literally kept me guessing until the end and I really enjoyed it. Although I did guess the main twist at the end, by the time it came around I was still really shocked as I’d changed my mind again due to all the other turns the story took.

I think the one thing which I wasn’t a fan of was the ending. Although Foxfield did provide an epilogue to answer some of the inevitable questions that would’ve came up, she still didn’t address the major one, which was really annoying. I know some readers like it when things are left open to interpretation, but I personally really don’t like this. The only possible thing I can think of would be that Foxfield was setting up for a sequel, although I’m not entirely sure where this would go.

I also would’ve liked it if this story followed multiple POVs, as Lex really annoyed me at the start, and there were also moments where it would’ve been nice to see someone else’s perspective (for example when the group accidently split). Altogether, though, I suppose this is quite a minor point, and definitely not necessary to enjoy the book.

Overall, I would recommend this for anyone looking for a suspenseful thriller with bold characters and a multitude of twists and turns. I would also recommend it for anyone searching for thriller which really stands out the rest – the drama and reality show aspects truly made this an exceptional read!

I hope you enjoyed this review!

Ceri

89 thoughts on “It’s Behind You Book Review”

  2. Yikes! I’m such a scaredy cat I don’t know if this is for me haha! But I do love that it incorporates the whole reality tv show concept in the book. I’ve not seen that done before. Your review is so well written, I can’t wait to check out more of your reviews 🙂

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  3. I can’t remember the last time I read a good thriller! This sounds so extraordinary, I’ve never read anything similar to this book, but I love the idea of combining a book and a reality show, especially if it’s a thriller, so I will add this book to my wish list. Thank you for the review!

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    1. I’m so glad you like the sound of it! It’s such a great combination, it really makes it stand out from other thrillers and I really loved it! Hope you enjoy, thank you so much for the kind words and for commenting!

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  4. I love the reality show setting for this book and your great review has me so intrigued! Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this one.

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  9. I really want to read this book! I have Good Girls Die First by Kathryn Froxfield and loved it. I remember reading the back of It’s behind you but thought I would try the other book first. I’ll have to get my hands on this! Thanks for sharing your review

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    1. I’m so glad to hear you loved Good Girls Die First – that one’s also on my TBR, so I’m glad you enjoyed it! I’d really recommend this. Hope you enjoy, thanks for commenting!

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  11. This sounds like something I’d really enjoy! I love that it mixes the dark with the lighter/ funny moments. And the concept sounds like it could be really interesting. It’s a shame the ending was a bit disappointing though x

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    1. I’m so glad it sounds like something you’d like! Same, it’s such an interesting combination, and something I haven’t actually read much of before. The ending was definitely very ambiguous. Thanks so much for your kind words and for commenting x

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  12. Sounds super interesting! A written reality tv show ? So unexpected! I kinda like reality TV show so I am sure I will enjoy this one if it doesn’t turn out too scary. Thanks for sharing!

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  15. This book sounds interesting! I like mystery genre and the reality show concept is something unique. Looking forward to read this. Thanks for sharing this great review 🙂

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  17. I absolutely love the sound of this! It sounds SO original and definitely unlike any other Thriller / Mystery I’ve read before. I also love the idea of the TV show aspect, too. I’ll definitely be adding this to my TBR list!

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  18. I have not personally dived into any thriller style books before but I have been wanting to try and this one seems like the perfect starting point and sounds interesting, thanks for sharing your review x

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  20. The reality TV angle is so interesting! It sounds kind of claustrophobic, but in a good, spooky way. I’m intrigued and think I might give this one a go – thanks for the great review! x

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  24. This seems very interesting with the reality show and everything. Usually this is something I rather watch than read but your review got my attention. I love the fact that you mentioned about the characters becoming more mature. I actually don’t like movies/books where kids just screams for their lives at every 10 seconds. I love that you see them growing in maturity.

    I love your input on what you wanted to see (the group splitting up) that seems like a great idea x) I love suspense and thriller so I definitely agree with most of your thoughts. Thank you for reviewing this novel, glad you find it enjoyable.

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    1. The show definitely made it extremely interesting! I’m so glad you agree with that – there were definitely moments where they were screaming like kids but they were near the beginning and they really did mature!

      Thank you! I always try and make sure I offer suggestions for things which could be improved too in the hopes someone might find it helpful. They really are amazing, aren’t they?! Thank you so much for reading and taking the time to write such a long and lovely comment, I really appreciate it! 💗

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  25. Thriller is my favourite book genre so this is definitely up my street! Great review, I’m going adding this to my basket on Amazon ASAP!

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  31. I love a good thriller! I haven’t read one for a little while though (been into historical fiction of late) so you have thoroughly tempted me to try “It’s Behind You”! Thank you for yet again another great review! x

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  32. Ooooh, this sounds like a great read! Most of all, your review was brilliant. Wow, you do such an amazing job capturing all the little nuances of the characters and the plot itself. The twists in this one do sound unique, which is always a nice surprise. Love It! ♥ You’ve made me want to pick up a copy. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

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    1. It definitely is! Thank you so much, I’m so glad you liked my review! The twists were definitely very unexpected and different. I really hope you enjoy if you do, thank you so much for taking the time to read and comment! 🙂

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  33. I am 100% not at all someone who enjoys thrillers because I scare WAY too easily, but the plot and humor in this one sounds so interesting that I might wind up picking it up anyways. I really loved reading your review!

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    1. I completely understand that – if I remember correctly this one wasn’t too bad so if you like the sound of it it might be worth giving it a go anyway! The plot and humour were definitely some of my favourite features, it really made it stand out! Thank you so much for taking the time to read and comment your thoughts, I hope you enjoy if you do end up reading!

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  35. This sounds brilliant! I love the sound of it and think I’d be a bit less scared reading the book as I would if there were a film to be made – thanks so much for sharing!

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    1. It really is! I definitely agree with that haha, I feel like a film of this would terrify me but the book was definitely manageable! Thanks for taking the time to read and comment your thoughts!

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  39. The title of this book caught me instantly! I also love the cover- there’s something about dimly lit lightbulbs in the dark that’s such a nice image- as well as the premise. I kind of enjoy when characters act a little selfish and are annoying, as they are teenagers and it’s common to be a little awful at that stage, but also growing to love a character in the end is also a fun thing. I’m also surprised this book wasn’t from multiple points of view! it sounds like the perfect type of book for it. But otherwise, this sounds like an amazing read!

    Thanks for sharing this review!
    Alexis| http://cafe-beauty.com

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    1. It definitely drew me in too! I really agree with that, I can’t quite pinpoint what it is about that image but it really stands out! That’s definitely true, it certainly made the characters more realistic and relatable! It really would have elevated that book just that much more, but it was still amazing. Thank you so much for taking the time to read and comment your thoughts!

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  40. Hello! Wow what an incredible review! I am not always a fan of horror and thriller books, I do prefer them as movies because I find it difficult to imagine a horror senario in my head when reading but I love your views as they are always so detailed and never give away too much detail so it’s still an enjoyable read. Alicia

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    1. Thank you so much, I’m really glad you’re enjoying my reviews! That’s completely understandable, I would definitely recommend watching this if it’s ever made into a movie though! Thank you so much for taking the time to read and comment.

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