Watching You by Lisa Jewell Book Review

Watching You by Lisa Jewell Book Review

The lowdown from Goodreads

Publication Date December 26, 2018

Melville Heights is one of the nicest neighbourhoods in Bristol, England; home to doctors and lawyers and old-money academics. It’s not the sort of place where people are brutally murdered in their own kitchens. But it is the sort of place where everyone has a secret. And everyone is watching you.

As the headmaster credited with turning around the local school, Tom Fitzwilliam is beloved by one and all—including Joey Mullen, his new neighbor, who quickly develops an intense infatuation with this thoroughly charming yet unavailable man. Joey thinks her crush is a secret, but Tom’s teenaged son Freddie—a prodigy with aspirations of becoming a spy for MI5—excels in observing people and has witnessed Joey behaving strangely around his father.

One of Tom’s students, Jenna Tripp, also lives on the same street, and she’s not convinced her teacher is as squeaky clean as he seems. For one thing, he has taken a particular liking to her best friend and fellow classmate, and Jenna’s mother—whose mental health has admittedly been deteriorating in recent years—is convinced that Mr. Fitzwilliam is stalking her.

Meanwhile, twenty years earlier, a schoolgirl writes in her diary, charting her doomed obsession with a handsome young English teacher named Mr. Fitzwilliam…

Watching You by Lisa Jewell Book Review

I expect thrills and turns from Ms. Lisa Jewell. I’m happy to say, she delivers all that matched with alternating timelines, gaslighting & a heck of an ending with Watching You. 

Getting to Know Lisa Jewell

This is my third novel by Lisa Jewell. A few years back, it seemed everyone & their mom read & loved I Found You. I read it & really enjoyed it but never wrote a review. For me, I Found You is haunting, thrilling & the ending really blindsided me. I still haven’t put together all my thoughts years later. 

Last year, I burned through Then She Was Gone is one sitting. The story is quick, thrilling & reminded me of a Lifetime movie; in the best way! 

Stalker Vibes

If there is one thing in this world that terrifies me, it’s the idea that someone is watching my every move. I’ll admit, I was a bit hesitant to dive into this one despite my love for Lisa Jewell. Jewell writes this tale in a Hitchcock type nature where the tension builds throughout & then the ending leaves your head in a tailspin.

There are definitely some topics & scenes that make me squirm. Thinking about them now, I’m pretty sure I’m grimacing. If you’re easily creeped out, this one may be too intense for you. As the synopsis alludes, there is a storyline that deals with men attracted to young girls. Like I talked about in my review for Little Liar by Lisa Ballantyne, these topics make me cringe. 

THE VERDICT

I am Really Into This book! I read it in one day, which may be the way I read all Lisa Jewell novels. It’s about impossible to put her books down! Read Watching You if you’re into slow burn thrillers, love twists & turns & you’re not easily creeped out. Skip it if you’re too squeamish & want a nice happy ending. 

Special thanks to Lisa Jewell , Atria Books & NetGalley for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.

You can read my full review for Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell here. 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: LISA JEWELL

Lisa Jewell was born and raised in north London, where she lives with her husband and two daughters. She is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA TODAY bestselling author of over twenty novels, including The Girls in the Garden, The House We Grew Up In, and The Third Wife. To find out more, visit Facebook.com/LisaJewellOfficial, or follow her on Twitter @LisaJewellUK.