What Have We Done by Alex Finlay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Twenty-five years ago, when Ben, Art, Jenna, Donny and Nico, were kids, they all lived together in a group home called Savior House. As is sometimes the case, their time there was fraught with abuse and neglect.
Unsurprisingly, through the hardship, they bonded. They were best friends. Their bond took on an even more ominous tone, however, after a particularly traumatic incident occurred in which they all played a part.
In spite of their early traumas, they all grew up to lead fairly successful lives. Forging their own paths, in a variety of different fields, far away from one another.
As our story begins, these kids are now adults. We follow Jenna, Donny and Nico as crazy things start happening to them. Someone is trying to take them out, but why? Could this be linked to their shared past?
We follow them as they start to reconnect and put together what is happening to them, all while on the run, trying to stay two steps ahead from their would-be killers.
In addition to the current action, we also get a past timeline that reveals a lot of the truth behind their time at Savior House, and the event that would ultimately lead to the pickle they find themselves in today.
From the beginning, I was fascinated by this group of characters. Each of them felt unique and compelling. I particularly enjoyed Jenna’s and Donny’s perspectives. They really got this story off on the right foot for me.
I totally understand that this might not work for everyone, but it was so different from other Thrillers I’ve read lately, it honestly felt like a breath of fresh air.
Admittedly, I’m a huge fan of the trope that is like a group of individuals who grew up together, who had something happen many years ago, who reunite as adults to investigate, or put to bed some sort of issue that has plagued them since they were kids.
So, out of the box, this was most likely going to work for me. I just love that vibe. It was giving me It, or even Black Mouth by Ronald Malfi, except for instead of supernatural forces we’re tackling, we have a full-fledged Action Thriller.
Is this OTT? Absolutely, it is, but I didn’t mind at all. I felt like the characters and the backstory were so well done that the OTT-narrative didn’t make me flinch for even a moment.
I listened to the audiobook and would recommend that format. The narration was fabulous and kept me 100%-focused the whole way through.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes action-packed Thrillers. If you enjoyed things like Adrian McKinty’s, The Island, or Falling by T.J. Newman, you should absolutely check this one out.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I was really looking forward to this and it didn’t disappoint.
I feel like all of Finlay’s books have been so different. I’m really looking forward to seeing what he serves us next!