*Thanks to NetGalley for a free e-copy in exchange for an honest review.*

Actual Rating: 2.75

The blurb for this sounded intriguing right off the bat. You wake up one day in your own bed. It feels like nothing's different, and yet as time passes you realize: you're not home at all. You're in a replica of it, and there's no way out. This is exactly what happened to Lily and her five-year-old daughter Maisie, one day after she sees someone standing in her garden, wearing a mask of Maisie's face.

Not only is the premise of the story just really original, but this story and the writing was undoubtedly the best part. From the very first page, I was hooked and it was the type of book where I couldn't put it down because I spent every page trying to figure out the mystery for myself. The whodunnit build-up was done really well, and it's satisfying to read an antagonist that acts smart.

As the mystery is actually revealed in the last 10%, however, a lot of the good things about the book — like the tension of secrets — just fall apart. It isn't just that the reveal and reasoning are unsatisfying; it's that it came completely out of nowhere. All that time I had spent trying to figure out the mystery from the hints that were dropped about other characters... but in the end, it felt like there actually hadn't been any clues at all, no build-up or logic whatsoever.

Another issue that I had was with the characters; Lily is alright, and under the circumstances, I think the way she acted was pretty smart at times and relatable. Maisie, however, really seems out of character. She was suspiciously coherent and logical for a five-year-old and honestly just sounded and acted like a child who was at least ten. It was really hard to square the dialogue that she had with her explicit characterization, which is something that probably just needs to be reworked a little.

Ultimately, I still enjoyed most of this reading experience, since I liked the feeling of tension and mystery that clouded everything that was going on. The basics of the characters and the plot definitely need some more fleshing out, but there's a LOT of potential here. ( )

Imagine having a stalker show up at your door while you are at work, in a mask with your 5 year old daughter's face. You call the police and they promise to keep an eye on your family and your house overnight, but you wake up the next morning in your own personal prison, which is an exact replica of your house, down to the books you own and the pictures on the wall. There are no good explanations, just a kidnapper that has complete control of your life, and they want you to pretend this is perfectly normal.

Welcome to the reality of Lily and Maisie Russell as they fight for understanding and their lives.
I enjoyed most, but not all of this book. Lily's ex Ewan would have been the obvious choice for the kidnapper, but it was far more sinister once you found out the who and why. I do not recall any mention of a deceased relative, so it was something that was simply thrown in to the story later and really didn't feel like it fit very well. The last sentence was a terrible way to end it and from my perspective, had incestuous implications and really did not wrap the entire story up. Thanks NetGalley once again for this book, all opinions are truly my own. ( )

First of all thank you to NetGalley!!!

This book took me about three hours to read, very easy and fast. Now the synopsis...

Lily is at work when she receives a notification on her cell phone from her home security app. There is a man in her backyard wearing a mask, a mask of her five year old daughter. Police are called and Maisie, the daughter, is picked up from school early to keep her safe and close. The police deemed is was someone that Lily knew and they were playing an evil trick. Next day, Lily awakes and goes about her normal day, until she realized it wasn’t. Her home seemed normal to her, but little clues threw her off, especially the window in the kitchen. The window is supposed to look out into her garden, but now it looks out to rubble. Lily and Maisie are kidnapped and are thrown into a personal jail which is the exact replica of their home for...comfort? The photo albums in their prison has photographs in them, but Lily didn’t take them, but they are replicas of the photos Lily has at home. How long has this person been watching them? How were they always so close? Who took them? Who wanted them to feel like they’re at home while prisoners?


So, I LOVED the concept. Super freaky right?? Can you imagine going about your day believing your home until you realize you’re not and you’re being held captive??
The reason I’m giving this book 3/5 is because it was so short and rushed to me. I feel like there could have been a little more in the history of the secondary characters (read and you’ll understand why I say this). The ending was completely out there! You never really know who is always watching you. ( )