Why The Exchange Student Didn’t Deliver the Suspense I Expected

Would you let a stranger into your home? That question lies at the eerie core of The Exchange Student, A.J. Carter’s latest psychological thriller. The premise is undeniably gripping—Alyssa, a concerned mother watching her teenage daughter Summer slip into isolation, jumps at a last-minute opportunity to send her abroad on a student exchange, hoping it will restore her confidence and zest for life. But what starts as a hopeful new chapter quickly spirals into a harrowing nightmare, both for Summer in Amsterdam and for the family she left behind.

Summer’s time in Amsterdam is bleak and terrifying. The man of the house, Aart, is no kind host; instead, he traps her in the home, his erratic, aggressive behaviour turning the exchange into a form of captivity. The psychological torment here should have been the backbone of a heart-pounding thriller, yet the tension often falls flat. Aart’s character lacks the depth to be truly menacing. Instead of a layered villain with motivations and complexities, he feels more like a blunt instrument—his threats and outbursts seeming contrived rather than organically terrifying. This diminishes the emotional impact of Summer’s ordeal, making it harder for the reader to invest fully in her plight.

Simultaneously, the story cuts back to the home Alyssa and Summer left behind, where an unsettling mystery unfolds: someone has taken Summer’s place. This doppelgänger plotline promises a chilling exploration of identity, deception, and the fracture of family trust. Unfortunately, it’s underdeveloped. The characters around Summer’s replacement, including her mother Alyssa, react in ways that stretch believability. Alyssa’s initial act of sending her daughter away feels impulsive but understandable; her later passivity and dismissiveness about Summer’s disappearance, however, seem out of character for a mother in such a crisis. This lack of urgency from Alyssa and the others weakens the story’s tension and undercuts the stakes.

Moreover, Summer’s isolation in Amsterdam feels strangely disconnected from the modern realities of a teenager’s life. It strains credibility that she is cut off so completely—no texts, no calls, no social media activity—which should have raised immediate red flags. Instead, the narrative glosses over these details, missing an opportunity to build suspense through the small but telling cracks in communication.

Pacing is another issue. Instead of escalating dread, the story drags in places, with long stretches of exposition and little action. This slow build might work if it were richer in character development or thematic complexity, but instead, it often feels like the plot is treading water. When the climactic twists arrive, they come too quickly and lack the subtle build-up that makes a reveal truly shocking. Predictability seeps in, diminishing the payoff.

Thematically, The Exchange Student touches on powerful ideas—the fear of the unknown, the fragility of family bonds, and the loss of control. Sadly, these themes never fully resonate because the characters and plot don’t feel authentic or compelling enough to carry the weight.

I had high hopes for this book. A.J. Carter has a reputation for dark, twisty storytelling, and the concept here is genuinely intriguing. But good ideas alone don’t make a thriller. It needs execution: complex characters, believable reactions, and escalating tension that hooks you from start to finish. The Exchange Student fell short on these fronts for me.

I’m committed to honesty in my reviews, and this one earns a 1 out of 5 stars. The storyline had all the ingredients for a gripping psychological thriller but got lost in underdeveloped characters, awkward pacing, and missed opportunities for genuine suspense.

If you’re new to thrillers and want something easy to digest, it might serve as light entertainment. But for those who crave smart, emotionally charged, and edge-of-your-seat thrillers like The Silent Patient, Gone Girl, or Behind Closed Doors, this one will likely disappoint.

Have you read The Exchange Student? Did it work for you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. And if you’ve got recommendations for thrillers that deliver real tension and unforgettable characters, send them my way—I’m always hunting for my next great read.