A family moves to a planned community on a far away continent looking for a fresh start. When they arrive, things aren't what they seem. All aspects of your life are monitored down to your moods and emotions. The neighbors are creepy and guards at the gate keep you inside. The main character, Julia, will risk everything to escape the nightmare. This book would make a fantastic movie or TV series

What a great read! It was full of suspense & intrigue. I had a hard time putting it down. Definitely recommend reading!!!

This was a gripping read if a bit of a weird one. When James gets a wonderful new job abroad with housing, schools and childcare included Julia agrees to give it a try. On paper it seems perfect but when she arrives she feels as if she has landed in a giant theme park. The house is beautiful, the neighbours are friendly and she even has a housekeeper but Julia feels as though she is waiting for the bubble to burst. Her husband couldn't be happier but one man's utopia can be someone else's nightmare. And the nightmare has only just begun.
I couldn't put this down. Every time I thought things had got as sinister as possible there was a darker twist on the horizon. Very different but very good.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book

Sinister, claustrophobic and absolutely gripping!
I couldn’t put this book down! Read in just one weekend I thoroughly enjoyed this terrifying thriller.

A gripping read that kept me hooked from the very first page. A book I found very hard to put down.
Total rating 4.5 stars

I read this in a single day! Couldn't put it down and that ending - WOW! This thriller went in several directions I didn't expect. I really enjoyed the main character in this book, too.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

Will definitely review in my upcoming reading wrap-up and future recommendation videos!

Wow, the premise of this book is diabolical. I would hate to move into this type of neighborhood! Sinister happenings, controlled behavior, being trapped. Yikes. Kept my reading until the very last page, for sure.

This was a scary story of a development where families are controlled by a watch and not allowed to leave without permission. They are punished if they deviate from the expected. Very dramatic conclusion.

Julia, her husband James, and their two young sons move away to start a new life in the picture-perfect Haven – a residential community that at first glance seems idyllic. But Julia senses from the start that something is not right. The place is strangely sterile, the residents' behaviour seems forced, and there is some complex set of rules that seem to control the whole place.

The way you collect "gratitude points" to gain progress, the strange bracelet that changes colour based on your mood – these details only add to the tension. As Julia begins to question what's going on around her, the realisation becomes more and more distressing: this community is not only tightly controlled, but is actually a golden cage with no way out. Even when families literally disappear and a body is found in the pool – neighbours continue to behave as if it's the most natural thing in the world.

From the very first chapters, there is a gut-wrenching feeling that something is seriously wrong. This unease is with us all the way through, as Julia gradually loses her grip on reality, unable to decide whether it is her own guilt, perhaps paranoia, or a real threat hanging over her family. And what makes the book particularly powerful: you can never be sure who you can trust.

The story is gripping all the way through, keeping the suspense constant. Just when you think you've seen everything, another twist comes along that pulls you deeper and raises new questions. The chilling atmosphere, typical of the thriller genre, works brilliantly – the book really does feel like you're in a slowly unfolding nightmare.

S.J. King's novel is not only exciting and twisty, but also makes us think: what do we sacrifice for the illusion of safety? And how long do we allow others to control our lives – even if they claim it is 'for us'?

Thank you to Netgalley, it’s publishing house and author for the opportunity to read and give my thoughts.

I will start by saying that I enjoyed the ending a lot, a big twist I didn’t see coming. This book was relatable in the beginning, a wife that is successful at her career but recognizes that it’s her husbands time to shine and have a new opportunity to advance as well even if it means moving and leaving what you’ve grown to know.
At times through out this book I felt it was predictable and slow at times (had “filler” in it) and I wish character development was a little better but I did like this book. It definitely has a sense of things are not what they seem, it has an element of paranoia and self doubt which I found relatable- how many times have we all been left second/triple guessing and wondering if we read too much into it.
overall, check it out. I’m interested in what other books the author has.

I’m not sure about this book. I thought it was a bit predictable and all I wanted to do was rush through it to find out how it ended.
The characters weren’t very interesting and needed their personalities expanding on a bit. It was an ok read.

This is a hard one to rate. At first I wasn’t really into it and it didn’t seem like a psychological thriller like I thought. Then the story grabbed me so forcefully, I could not stop turning pages. I was dying to know what was going on and what Julia would uncover. The beginning of the end is really good and had me captivated but it slowed way down and took a strange turn. The twist is good but I didn’t like how the end was written or how Julia ended up where she did. Overall it was a unique book and worth the read.

A cleverly written book. I have some mixed feelings. I found it a little predictable and my main interest was in how it would finish! I could have believed it more if the characters were better developed. However there were some great ideas in there which could have been developed further and the high tech was very scary. Nevertheless it was a good read.

What a ride this one was!!! I absolutely enjoyed how the way the story unfolded!! It was twisty, it was creepy, it was so good!!! I loved how I did not see it coming at all!!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy in return for my honest opinion!

This was a do not finish for me. It started out strong and then was too drawn out for my liking. The storyline seemed predictable and not as engaging as I originally thought it would be.

Creepy and Compelling

This book had serious Don’t Worry Darling energy—a seemingly perfect, gated community where nothing is quite as it seems. The main character moves in hoping for a fresh start, but quickly senses that something is off… especially after a neighbor is found dead during a party, and rumors swirl about a family that mysteriously vanished from her house.

The story builds slowly but keeps you hooked with all the secrets, tension, and growing paranoia. Some parts felt a little far-fetched, but overall it was a fast, fun read with a chilling atmosphere. Solid 4 stars!

I absolutely adored this book. I devoured it in one sitting, frantically rushing through the pages. And yet, I did not want it to end because it was just SO good. A wonderful read.

creepy, unsettling but I read it in one sitting, ending was underwhelming but I still enjoyed very much

Quite sinister and creepy, this is an interesting and terrifying concept. I do have to wonder how many places like this exist in the world, more than we'd care to know about, of that I'm certain. 3 & 1/2 stars.

This was creepy and unsettling! The characters had me invested and I had a hard time putting this down! The ending was good! I would recommend this! Special Thank You to S.J. King,Storm Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.