The Promise is a psychological thriller by the author of I Am Watching You. It's about three schoolgirls that have kept a promise about a dark and terrible secret for thirty years, but something unfolds which means that their truth may be unearthed.
The story follows the characters of Beth, Sally, and Carol (the three, now adult, schoolgirls) and Matthew - a private investigator that they hire. Beth occupied the majority of the chapters, writing in the first person, then Matthew's chapters were written in the third person, and Carol's chapters were written in the first person, but in italics. I would have liked to see Sally having her own chapters, too, because I didn't particularly relate to Beth. I think she seemed a bit irresponsible considering that she is meant to be a mother of two and hold a decent job, therefore not very realistic. Having said that, I was compelled to turn those pages. There was even one point where the book did send a shiver down my spine!
I have to say, I enjoy reading books like this. The chapters are short, it's a standard three-hundred pages long, and I don't really have to think while I'm reading it. It's just what you need to unwind and give you a sense of achievement as you finish five chapters in twenty minutes.
"Their darkest secret... Their biggest regret"
I love dramatic hints of a dark secret, but when I found out what they were, I was slightly underwhelmed and it wasn't quite as 'shocking' as I had hoped. Despite this, it is just an easy read and I can't deny that I did enjoy it quite a lot.
If you're looking for an easy read that requires little concentration, this is the book for you. If you want something with a bit more substance and thought, maybe not. Overall, I did enjoy this book, but I wouldn't read it again.
As this is my first review, and I have nothing to compare it to, I will give it a neutral rating of 5/10.
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