737 reviews for:

Six Years

Harlan Coben

3.59 AVERAGE

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
dark mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

This was a fast read with twists and turns, but I didn’t find the plot believable. This is an ok’ish palate cleanser for when you are in-between books, but nothing memorable and I doubt I will read books from this author again. I am sure others might like it, but it’s just not for me.

Zoals vrijwel altijd een intrigerend verhaal van Coben.

I don't really know where to start with this review. This book was one that I read fast, yes it is a page-turner, but not necessarily because I was loving it.
I have read one book by Coben before and I found that generally, it was very similar to this book. One man can't get over his lost partner, then embarks on a journey carrying out lots of crimes, learning that those he trusted weren't who they thought were, then to find that partner and live happily ever after. I'm not sure if this happens in other of his books but it definitely happens in Tell No One.
I know there are certain things that are required for a book to be a thriller, one of which being that there are reveals, but the ones in this book were mostly predictable.
I knew that Benedict was going to be somewhat involved for a big chunk of the book before it was revealed, so I definitely didn't feel shocked.
I also knew that his old mentor was involved rather heavliy so it was just frustrating that it took him so long to not only figure it out, but also to pay him a visit.
This was also the same with the 'charity' Fresh Start, it really took Jake far too long to look into that it was annoying.
There were also inconsistencies which bothered me. This was mainly with his phone. One second he had an iphone, then it was stolen, then he got a new one that he ended up burying because he was being tracked, then a burner that could somehow take detailed photos at distance (what burner can do this? I mean it wouldn't be a burner if it was that expensive a phone, right?), then suddenly he had his iphone again, then he bought two burners only to use one once and still use his iphone multiple times even though he knew it could be traced. The whole thing just seemed distracting and drawn out.
The thing that bothered me most though was that the reader was considered rather stupid. Multiple times Jake told the reader the same thing again. Sometimes this happened not that long after the first time but in all cases, it just made me feel angry. Why waste words telling the reader something they already know rather than using them to actually advance the story? I wouldn't have minded if these were used as a way to show that Jake was realising something new about the story (which did happen and I didn't mind those parts) but this was not the case.
I also hated the amount that Jake and Natalie just got away with at the end of the book. They faced no consequences for all of the people that they killed. They just got to walk away and be placed somewhere safe with a new identity. I really wasn't comfortable with this as I felt that it was suggesting that their killings were ok because they were 'nice people' but when 'bad people' kill then it's not okay. I know that most of them could possibly be explained as self-defence (although not really) but Natalie's killing of Minor definitely was murder no matter how you look at it, premeditated at that. Yet, she suffers no consequences for her decision.
Overall, I don't think I will be reading more of his books. At least not anytime soon. I know that some people love these types of books but I hate been made to feel as if I have not been paying attention and need my hand holding throughout the book. Maybe this is so that more casual readers don't forget important points but surely in a page turner, you shouldn't need these reminders.
challenging mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Coben keeps the twists and turns coming at such a fast pace, I raced through the whole book in one night. Fortunately, this didn't allow me much time to ponder the plausability of much of the story, which is an advantage with this type of thriller. A fast, fun read. Coben fans, who love his smart-alecky main characters, won't be disappointed.
emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

Another excellent suspense novel from Harlan Coben. I still want more Myron though.
dark tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Coben is a master at keeping you hooked and guessing, this book was no different. It was, however, 50% a romance novel or "love story" which was a nice change of pace for me, but I suspect most Coben fans will detest. This was my 6th book and would rank it somewhere in the middle.