Close To Me: Now a major TV series

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Ma. Reynolds has something to say and I look forward to her future works. In CLOSE TO ME she blows the door wide open on familial issues: indifference in relationships, the solitary life couples lead once they are empty nesters, realizing the family glue is the children and no effort has been taken to preserve the first love. Strong, thought provoking messages, unraveled in a tragic setting, but is is an important read. After forgiving her father, Jo returned home to her family. She then overheard Rob – in an obvious attempt to gaslight her – telling their kids Sass and Finn that he was concerned that she had been imagining things. Despite him repeatedly trying to stop her speaking, Jo then firmly told her kids that she was leaving their father because of his affair. The story moves easily from past to present and it really worked as the reader gets to learn the events of the past year before Jo actually remembers it and this really adds to the momentum and tense atmosphere of the book overall. There were a few times where I felt that the story dragged out just a little bit, but overall it was a well-paced and riveting read. If you like psychological thrillers with plenty of creepy undertones, then you should definitely read CLOSE TO ME by Amanda Reynolds. This is a very addictive read. It isn’t as original as some of the books in it’s genre but the writing is fabulous - engaging and engrossing. Really looking forward to Amanda Reynolds’ next book! This engrossing story of lies,families,secrets and betrayals is voiced entirely by Jo in the third person pov.It unfolds in chapters that alternate between before and after the fall,the chapters are clearly headed and the story flows along nicely.The characters are well developed and realistic but mostly unlikable apart from Jo`s son Fin and Rose who works in the drop out centre where Jo volunteers.It must be absolutely terrifying to lose a whole chunk of your life and the authors portrayal of Jo`s fear,frustration and confusion was believable and realistic but I found it hard to feel any sympathy for her because of some of her thoughts and actions as the story unfolded.

CLOSE TO ME | Kirkus Reviews CLOSE TO ME | Kirkus Reviews

Instantly hooked, CLOSE TO ME by Amanda Reynolds threw me into the story and I didn't resurface until I had reached the end - and boy, what an ending! I did kind of guess where this was going but it didn't detract from my overall enjoyment reading this. A tasty, if not always tasteful, tale of supernatural mayhem that fans of King and Crichton alike will enjoy. Close To Me tells the story of Jo Harding after she falls down stairs hitting her head and losing her memory of the past year. Overall, this was a solid debut. It felt a little slow in parts, but that's expected when it's a more character focused suspense. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for more from Amanda Reynolds in the future!Really enjoyed Close To Me by Amanda Reynolds, wasn't sure what to expect this being a debut author but I certainly wasn't disappointed. The book is told in alternating chapters of the days following Jo's accident and the year leading up to it. It works so well, as the reader discovers what led to the breakdown of her family at the same time as Jo. You get to know Jo almost as she gets to know herself and I found I really connected to her and could relate to some of what she is experiencing in the early days before her fall. Jo is going through a time of change, her youngest child has just left home for university and she needs to redefine herself and purpose - something familiar to me as both my children begin to move on. But unlike myself, Jo is surrounded by manipulating people, taken advantage of by her husband, her kids and then others who sense her vulnerability. I loved the subtle development of her character right through the book, and by the end felt satisfied that this now strong and purposeful woman was going to be ok. I liked the family drama portions much more than the mystery element (did she fall or was she pushed) especially the relationship Rob and Jo have with their two children, growing pains for everyone as they leave home and make questionable choices. I had a great difficulty connecting with Jo. She wasn't a likable character at all. Truth is, I had a hard time finding any likable character in the book. I found the dialogue frustrating at times. Everyone talking but with no urgency to fill in the gaps of her memory! With this same behavior repeated over and over with very little progress, the book seemed to slow to a crawl. Another sweltering month in Charlotte, another boatload of mysteries past and present for overworked, overstressed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan.

Close to Me ending explained | What happened in Christopher

Close to me is told in two parts, real-time and snippets of the past year, though it has a slow build this is not a bad thing as you get to understand Jo's life and how she is the person she is. Now everyone knows I LOVE a dysfunctional family (rumours that this is because it shows my own family in a slightly better light are of course unfounded!!) so I was totally tempted by the blurb of Close To Me which seemed right up my street, with family secrets lying at the heart of this memory loss suspense. The plot is fast-paced, the drama superb, and the twists and turns in this novel are all excellent and are sure to keep you on your toes. While the characters are not exactly likeable, they are compelling, and as different scenarios ran through my head I wasn't sure which way the story was going to go - and I love the fact that I was kept guessing!And then there's the mystery of her mobile phone. Jo is sure that she didn't break it during her fall. But she has no reason to believe that anything her husband is telling her isn't the truth. Close to Me is a British television psychological drama based on the book of the same name by Amanda Reynolds. It stars Connie Nielsen as a Danish translator who loses a year of her memory following a fall. Christopher Eccleston, Susan Lynch, Leanne Best, Rosy McEwen, Tom Taylor, and Ellie Haddington also star. The six-part series commenced on Channel 4 in November 2021, with all episodes made available for streaming concurrently. [1] Synopsis [ edit ] I myself have grown up children there is no way on this planet I would be paying for their accommodation. Rob denied pushing her, and then begged her not to leave him. He confessed that they had argued (and said some pretty awful things to each other) and that she had stumbled near the top of the stairs as she went to leave him but he had caught her, before she slipped out of his grasp. Jo realised he was lying to her – and that on that fateful night he had let go of her hand on purpose. I turn away from my husband, shifting my weight on to my side, as far from him as the bed will allow. The movement is instinctive, dulled by the fact I'm only half awake, in the place between reality and unreality."