I struggled with reading The Gift by Sebastian Fitzek. I believe it was my mistake as I Stop-Started and read this book for a long time in between other books. However, I believe there were some good parts that did keep you hooked. I didn’t have a feeling like I have done other books by the same author. My suspicions are that this one just wasn’t my cup of tea but that’s not to say it won’t be for you!

I’m a huge fan of Sebastian Fitzek and I would never stop reading his work based off one book.

I felt that there was good awareness raised of people who are illiterate and reading the acknowledgments and seeing the statistics educated me so much! Although The Gift is fictional the point the book makes is one that definitely speaks out and has given me some education into a matter I wasn’t aware was so widespread.

The story itself was definitely one that messed with my mind and is just signature to Sebastian Fitzek. A couple of the characters frustrated me but it all fitted within the storyline. I did get confused in parts but eventually everything came together and I often thought to myself “ohhhhh, that’s why”. I definitely think that Fitzek has a talent in the way he writes and I have never come across another author like him.

He will remain a favourite author and I am always happy to read more from this literary genius!

4.5 stars!!
I honestly don't even have words?
This book has CONTINUOUS plot twists up until the very last page. Every time you think you're getting answers, you're wrong. I absolutely loved this book and felt like I was compelled to keep reading because I HAD to get to the bottom of the story. I was so completely invested and completely shocked? This was nothing like what I expected from the description and I absolutely loved that. This book is what l've been searching for in a thriller for so long
A big thank you to NetGalley for allowing me an ARC of this in return for an honest review!

In all reviews and blurbs for books there are numerous adjectives used, The Gift has too many adjectives to describe it. A truly unpredictable ride that exhausts slightly by the numerous twists and turns. Now, those words are used of many other books, but few seem to live up to the type of story The Gift gives us. At no point was there any guarantee of what was to come next and when you reach the 50% mark it's easy to think most big reveals have taken only to have lots more slap you in the face.

I've taken a couple of days trying to process this book after finishing it. I both love and dislike some aspects of it. Firstly, for the love. Fitzek gives a fast paced, and at times, cerebral story. He doesn't offer a conventional story where the beats are routine. It's clear he wants to make the reader feel disoriented, at times it feels like mental whiplash coping with all the revelations. Also, there are discussions on evil, original sin (not mentioned by name though), and nurture Vs nature which means this book is one to engage with actively and not simply reading it passively.

Dislike- there's nothing I despise about The Gift but there are some distracting moments. The opening to the story feels unnecessary and at worst seems to be a bland way to begin the story. What comes afterwards doesn't need the type of beginning we are given. I don't mind a "how did I get here" approach but I'm not convinced it fully works in The Gift. Also, there are some questionable movements in the story where it seems to jump in an incohesive fashion, this could be due to the translation though. Then there's the strange decision to use the Greek alphabet to spell out English words. Now none of these issues overtook my enjoyment of the book but they are noticeable due to their prominence.

If you are a fan of the films Memento or The Game and enjoy not knowing what revelations are about to come your way then this is well worth reading. If you find those stories infuriating, then The Gift may be too frustrating a read.

This took me quite a few false starters to finally get through. It's well written but feels like so much is going on that it's a bit confusing and I kept getting lost. I tend to read and also have background noise so maybe I just want focusing enough to keep up but it all just seemed way to much effort and I didn't really connect to anyone

This was a pretty engaging, enjoyable story

In some places, it seemed disjointed and jerky and just maybe the German translation spoilt it alittle

Thank you to Netgalley and Head of Zeus

My first Sebastian Fitzek novel and I found it a difficult read. The story was full of twists and turns but despite this I failed to finish.

Unfortunately, this one wasn’t for me. I couldn’t get behind the characters so I wasn’t bothered about how everything would work out. I usually love this author, so sadly a little disappointed.

My rating: 4 ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Read in: 9 days & 🇬🇧 & 📱

Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review! Ok, Sebastian Fitzek has officially earned a spot on my favorite authors list after reading The Inmate. This is the second book I’ve read from him, and while The Gift didn’t impress me as much as The Inmate, it was still an amazing read! It blew my mind how I could instantly recognize Fitzek’s style. His writing is intense, full of plot twists, with that dark humor that catches you off guard. The premise hooked me right from the start—Milan, a guy who can’t read, somehow realizes that a girl who flashes him a note for just a few seconds is in danger. I liked the different characters, but I felt like this book had too many layers. I kind of got lost in the plot, and not in a good way... It just became... confusing? I don’t know if it was the way everything was intertwined or if I just wasn’t keeping up, but I felt a bit overwhelmed by all the information. Still, credit where it’s due—the story was absolutely wild, and the twists were amazing. Fitzek really knows how to keep you guessing until the end! I want to read his entire backlist!!!

Thank you NetGalley and Head of Zeus for providing me with an eArc in exchange for my honest review! To say I was excited (and grateful) to be able to read this book and review it, is an understatement. And boy, this did not disappoint!!

The story revolves around Milan, an illiterate man who finds himself in a dangerous mystery after deciphering a message held up by a terrified girl in a passing car. The stakes quickly escalate as Milan is drawn deeper into a web of lies, violence, and trauma.

This was my first book by Sebastian Fitzek but it certainly won't be my last. Fitzek knows how to build tension and keep his readers on edge (my heart 🥲). There's plot twist after plot twist after plot twist and my brain kept trying to understand what the heck was going on.
This book was so good! The flow was good. The story was good. The plots were good. The humor was (so so) good!

Overall, The Gift is an intense, page-turning thriller that will appeal to fans of psychological mysteries who appreciate unexpected turns, like me!

On a last note: can we all take a minute to appreciate the acknowledgements? Some authors are really talented at making you connect with them in just a few pages and Sebastian Fitzek is one of them !

Dnf found this difficult to get into could pick up a pace set it down then discover i was totally lost again. I dont know if its mean to confuse to make you read a bit deeper but with this i gave up.

The Gift - Sebastian Fitzek
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Sometimes ignorance is the greatest gift of them all.”

The Gift follows Milan, a very intelligent man who is hiding a secret: he has alexia and therefore cannot read or comprehend a written word. He manages to navigate life keeping his secret, until stuck in traffic he sees a girl holding a note - and he knows she’s in mortal danger without even being able to read the plea for help.

I flew through this book and enjoyed it in all its thrill, gore and horror. I loved the uniqueness of the concept and plot and found I was kept on my toes from the very dark first page and then consistently throughout.

There are multiple POV’s and twists which personally I sometimes found confusing, but the plot is neatly wrapped up in the end and it all comes together in a somewhat ironic full circle. I would definitely say each character and twist was necessary for the whole picture, so I’m glad I persevered, and some of the twists I definitely did not see coming!

The book in general is very cleverly written, however the characters in particular are brilliant. Milan’s character is complex and I found myself rooting for him, despite his flaws - although there are plenty of other characters designed to make you feel empathy, frustration and disgust to keep you engaged and invested.

Overall I really enjoyed this read and recognised and appreciated the research the author has done into the book topics. I will definitely be reading some of his other work.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sebastian Fitzek and Head of Zeus for sending this advanced copy of The Gift in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

No solté el libro hasta terminarlo, me encantó.


Todo empieza cuando Milan ve a una chica en un auto con un cartel que dice que esos no son sus padres. A partir ocurren una serie de acontecimientos que hacen que Milan dude de todos, incluido él.

Me gustó que todo el tiempo están pasando cosas que aparentemente son para despistar, pero en realidad son pistas.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love Sebastian Fitzek!

I have read so many of his books.

The Gift is an a amzing story, I couln't stop reading and finish it in less than 24hrs. There´s always a plot twist and this one caught me by surprise.

I would strongly reccomend it to everybody.

This is my first Sebastian Fitzek read, some of the twists were predictable, and i had a bit of a problem with the translation, i think they could have done a better job with it but overall i did enjoy it. I like reading thriller books that are heavier so this was an enjoyable read even with its flaws.
Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

Having previously read and enjoyed 'The Package' by this author I knew I wanted to read more of their work.

This started off really strong. The book synopsis and first chapter drew me in instantly.

This main character was a great narrator and enjoyed other characters having chapters dotted in to add different views and perspectives.

'The Gift' had so many twists and turns, many of which I didn't guess! The slow build to some of them was great as it really made me try and connect the dots.

Unfortunately at times I did get a little confused. Some parts felt like far too much was going on and it was hard to keep track of what was happening.

Overall though this was a great twisty book and followed a plot I hadn't really come across before. I enjoyed the authors wiring style and definitely plan to read more in the future!

It's engaging, like all of Fitzek's books, but it's true that it didn't tell me much, although it has many twists and turns and, like all of his books, you don't know if what you're reading is a product of the characters' imagination or paranoia or if it's really happening. It's a book that I recommend to pass the time, but it doesn't have much more to offer, I haven't really gotten along with the characters. However, when I do research after reading, it's surprising to see the number of illiterate people we have in developed countries.

I usually like books by Sebastian Fitzek and was keen to read this. Sadly, I found it disappointing and hard to get into. I persevered only to write the review.
Apart from providing some interesting insights into illiiteracy, I found the main character unlikeable and not easy to relate to. The other characters were extreme versions of the type they portrayed and the whole book seemed to require the reader to 'suspend disbelief' to the point usually reserved for fairy tales.

The Gift is a crude and brutal book that begins with a violent prison rape. It tells the story of Milan Berg, narrated as he lies bleeding from the rape on a prison floor. Like most pathways to prison, Milan’s story is steeped in adversity. Milan’s mother dies horribly in a house fire that sees him also get injured. He’s also illiterate. The plight of the illiterate seems to be the author’s crusade, so it’s a bit perplexing to find Sebastian Fitzek even loosely connect it with psychopathy. I don’t know if this book will change anyone’s perception of illiteracy.

I can’t say I enjoyed reading The Gift. In some part that might be the flow of the book being impacted by being translated from German, as it felt jerky and disjointed in places. It’s hard to know if that is the work of the translation or the author’s style as it is the first book by Fitzek I have read.

Absolutely riveting from the first page to the very last. I thoroughly enjoyed this read - I couldn't have expected anything less from Sebastian Fitzek who time and time again blesses us with these gold nuggets in book form.

This story has great twists and turns right from the very beginning. Getting plot twists in the most unexpected places had me entirely drawn in and I *could not stop* reading! I binged this whole book in one sitting because *I did not know what to expect, I did not know what to believe, and I did not know who to trust* and I just NEEDED the answers to all of my questions!

There is so much going on in this book right from the beginning, normally this would feel overwhelming, confusing, and often times when this happens character development is sacrificed -- that is NOT the case with this read! Sebastian Fitzek has taken the thriller genre, thrown a bucket full of originality into it, turned it into an actual art, and absolutely run with it. The plot is so clearly and well developed, there is not a single point which falls off in terms of interest, action, and thrills! I genuinely love all the Sebastian Fitzek (S.F) books I've read because of this. S.F is absolutely not your typical thriller author. The plots always feel new, original, not overdone, and absolutely unpredictable. S.F goes against the grain of the genre and produces truly outstanding reads! I cannot wait to acquire the published book for my trophy shelf!

I really love how S.F diligently and thoroughly researches the topics, subjects, objects, and so on. that are brought into the stories, and because of this they come absolutely alive. They don't feel absolutely unreal, unrealistic, misunderstood, incorrect, etc. They feel RIGHT. One thing I loved the absolute most was how S.F did not reduce complex psychological and physiological phenomena down to a black and white simplicity, i.e., there are no "clear cut" claims made which occurs in many, MANY books of this genre and often increases stigma or misunderstandings around certain topics. This is really an important thing for me, that that kind of harm is avoided. Thank you S.F for doing this well, AGAIN!

I also appreciated the inclusion of technical terms and plot points which require some brain work to get through - in other more recent reads I have had this kind of feeling that authors don't feel as though the reader is intelligent enough to understand what is going on, nor that they'll be able to figure things out themselves; it feels condescending. S.F does not assume their readers are unintelligent or incapable. Nothing is broken down to a ridiculously blatant point and, honestly, I think that might have been my most favourite thing about this read. I could bring in my own understandings, my own knowledge, my own interpretations, and I felt like I was actually able to use my brain through this read - THANK YOU FOR LEAVING US THAT AGENCY, S.F!

Another thing I enjoyed was how S.F doesn't just simply portray characters as monsters through and through, we are always given a little tidbit of background or insight into the kind of lifestyle they have had which helps to make more sense of the things in life which might drive people to these means - e.g., trauma, abuse, disability, etc. This building of characters into tangible beings with recognition of those life circumstances enhances the experience of 'knowing' and mitigates the potential to increase harm and stigma.

This book elicited all kinds of emotions, too. It was sad at points, heartbreaking at others, funny here and there, anxiety-inducing, heart-racing, empathy-provoking [...]. This one LITERALLY had me at the edge of my seat, on the verge of tears, and so much more!

The only noticeable thing was some grammatical errors here and there, but I do believe this might be an unproofed version. However, if any help is needed with identifying those errors, I am absolutely happy to provide that insight.

I have so much more to say, but I will leave it at this!

This has gone right onto my FAVOURITES shelf. I will be buying the published book. I will be re-reading. And I will be HOPING for more (hint, hint S.F ;] !!!)

Thank you NetGalley, Head of Zeus, and Sebastian Fitzek for offering me the amazing opportunity to read and review this book. I absolutely enjoyed this and am forever grateful. What an absolute blessing.

Reading mystery thrillers is not my forte, but this was pretty engaging and thrilling. The only thing that set me off at the begging was when they mentioned that Milan is Illiterate, which is not true as illiteracy is not a disorder. He has a rear condition, but this is clarified 14% in and until then I was just convinced that the translation was wrong and it made no sense. Milan as a character is the only one that I sympathized with. I also predicted some of the twist but that doesn’t mean that they were badly executed. If you love mystery thrillers you should most definitely give it a try.
Big thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for providing me with the ARC.