Member Reviews
Angela G, Reviewer
Woah! What a story! This was very cleverly told, setting the various scenes to pull the reader in. Although I had my suspicions about the truth of Lizzie and Ollys relationship the twist came out of the blue. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion. |
School should be the safest place for a child but in Don't Tell Teacher, Lizzie Riley is certain the school are to blame for her six-year-old son Tom who comes home exhausted and unable to remember his day. This isn't what Lizzie Riley expected from her fresh start, post-divorce. Considering the local academy's excellent reputation, she knows it's the safest place for her child. This book was excellent - I couldn't put it down! It's a fantastic thriller that keeps you completely hooked from the get go. Lizzie's character is really well written, I was really rooting for her and the frustration and fear shone in the book. I'd definitely recommend this book! I thought the transition to Lizzie, the social worker and other characters made it for an easy read and story to get to grips with. It's a great page-turner and I didn't expect the ending at all! |
'Don't Tell Teacher' is unsettling and kept me up all night because I had to find out how it ended. Disturbing and mysterious, it is a definite page turner and an excellent psychological thriller. The characters were written brilliantly and the different POVs really helped to see into their different lives. The book raced along on a bundle of nervous energy with the increasingly sickening feeling that time was running out. Brilliantly done. |
I enjoyed this book, it was rather different and it had a great surprise ending. It kept me in a state of complacency until the last few chapters. A good read. |
It was a little slow to start but glad I kept going as it got better. I love the characters especially Tom. And it had be intrigued until the last chapter when it all came together |
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy of this book in return for an honest review. I was excited to read this book based on the synopsis. It started off really well and drew me in instantly. The story did not go as I had predicted and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I couldn't predict what the outcome of this story was going to be. I am eagerly awaiting Suzy Quinn's next foray into the thriller genre. |
This is the first psychological thriller I have read in quite some time and wow, did I pick a banger! It was a manipulative page turner from start to finish, filled with all the creepy people, a creepy school and children who's personalities begun to change drastically. I couldn't put this book down and stayed up until all sorts of silly hours in the night to finish it (bad idea? that could be debated) and when I got to the final twist, I was at the time sat on a bus on my way home for work and once I had clicked on to what was happening, I slowly closed the book down and silently composed myself for five minutes before resuming. WHAT. A. TWIST! Suzy definitely knows how to manipulate us readers and if her other books are as mind-blowing as this one, I will be coming back for more very soon. |
Well this one certainly hits the mark for a compulsive page turner, creepy school filled with odd people and a child whose character and behaviour changes dramatically since starting this new school, what could be the cause !! This is what makes this book so good the need to get to the bottom of just what is happening makes it a quick and addictive read. Told from alternating points of view and a twist at the end which I had sort of guessed I can honestly say I found it to be an enjoyable read that I can recommend if you want an easy read to get your teeth into and would give it 4 stars. My thanks to NetGalley and HQ for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. |
This book was ok . A little bit predictable but still worth a read and with a happy ending. Funny how you can go from hating to loving a character well done on that. |
kathryn w, Reviewer
What a captivating read, once I started I could not put it down. Suzy Quinn has yet again delivered a brilliant psychological thriller. Lizzie, a mother who wants to protect her child Tom fless from her alleged abusive husband. She moves to a new area where Tom starts a new school which is unlike any other. Social services are involved in Lizzie's case and her case worker is Kate. Tom comes home from school tired, lethargic, sometimes bruised. The love of a mother can sometimes be obsessive in Lizzie's case fear of her husband finding them. This is a brilliant read and I would highly recommend it but make sure you have enough time as putting it down is really hard. |
#Don'tTellTeacher #netgalley, thank you for my advanced copy of this book. Lisa Riley a abused wife is trying to start over with her son Tom in a new home and new school. All seems good until Tom starts to feel unwell and coming home with bruises. Lisa is beside herself with worry and thinks something is happening at the school. Kate the social worker I loved. It was a great insight into how they are overworked and under funded and juggling that to put the kids first. I enjoyed this read, although hard to digest at times. A great rollercoaster of emotions and suspense. Would totally recommend. |
A slow burn, but addictive read. It will take hold of your imagination , plague you with questions until you gain all of the answers. |
Emily T, Reviewer
This was a rather slow-paced book for me personally. It wasn't particularly exciting and while I was certainly intrigued about what exactly was going on, it wasn't a couldn't-put-it-down type of thriller. The twist most certainly got me – I didn't expect it at all. But while it was definitely an interesting twist that shone a light on an uncomfortable subject, it just didn't wow me. It was also a bit bizarre that the story you think you're going to get from the blurb (and that I still think I actually would have prefered) isn't what you actually get. The author certainly writes well and I especially enjoyed the chapters written from Kate's POV as Lizzie began to grate on me fairly quickly. Worth a read for the twist but not one that I won't be able to stop thinking about days after reading. Thanks NetGalley for my ARC copy of this book. |
Wow. Started slow but after 25% I raced through this domestic thriller. Good twists, well written and satisfactory ending. |
Relatable characters in a real world setting - all too plausible. The shifting viewpoints are sometimes difficult to follow and perhaps don't leave room for enough depth per character, but overall the concept is good. The story draws you in and the pace of the writing tugs you along with it all the way to the end. Worth the read! |
Sara C, Educator
I started this book empathising with Lizzie; I ended this book feeling desperately sorry for her. So many twists in this book that I had to stay up and read into the early hours. A fantastic book with characters that you take to heart and want to know more about. |
This was an enjoyable read but for me personally it was very predictable. The book focuses on three main characters; mother and son Lizzie and Tom, and their social worker Kate. Lizzie and Tom are forced to move away from his abusive father, he starts a new school where strange things begin to happen. Kate is a newly married and overworked social worker with a domineering boss, Tessa. As the book progresses we learn about Lizzie’s past and how she met her husband Olly, and the troubles that led to her taking Tom away, but is this a true interpretation of her life? The ending wasn’t unexpected or a twist as others have said, but this is just my personal opinion. Still an enjoyable read, and great writing. |
Kath B, Reviewer
This is a great book with some complex and evolving characters in it. I read it in one sitting and enjoyed the twist when it came. I don’t want to spoil the story but I’ve encountered the condition outlined in the book through my work so can attest to it being presented realistically. I had just about worked out where the story was going from the clever clues the author set out. I particularly liked the character Tessa. I think I had more sympathy for her than Kate does in the book. I found her to be a good presentation of a long serving public sector worker in Children’s Services. Would really recommend this as a good read. Amazon review currently being processed |
Rating: 4.2 stars Lizzie Riley and her son, Tom, move to a new town to start afresh; though everything isn't as perfect as Lizzie would have hoped. Tom starts acting very strange... and everything seems to go back to the new school he started at, with bars on the windows and a suspicious hole in the fence. I don't know how to describe this book at all. It really took me on a journey throughout and somehow I really did not predict the end at all; it definitely came as a huge shock to me, but I loved it. If i were to read it again I think I would be able to see the hints towards this though, which makes the story much better. I would recommend for a great thriller that keeps you on your toes! |
Moving to a new town, after escaping an abusive relationship Lisa Riley brings her son Tom to a new school. Known to be one of the top schools in the town Tom is excited to make a fresh start. But when they get to the school, the school is not what they thought it was. The school has bars in the window and there is a padlock on the main gates. The children file in, in orderly fashion and the headmaster is not the friendlily of persons. It is like the school is hiding things from the outside world. The story also tells us of how Lisa meets Toms father Olly a snowboarder. First, they are inseparable but slightly controlling. Until Olly has an accident and his career dives. He gets Angier and becomes abusive and is caught supposedly hurting Tom. He is arrested and a restraining order is help upon him when he gets out. So, Lisa and Tom are moved away to a new town. A bit slow at first but this is a well written, gripping thriller that kept me wanting more. The story was made more believable by how the author described the hardships that social services have to deal with in the day to day lives and I wasn’t expecting the twist at the end. |




