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heather3879's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This incredibly dark novel is classified as a “thriller” but I found it more horrifying and reflective than thrilling, in a good way. If that makes sense. Christie is a disturbed and neglected child desperate for love and attention who commits a horrific crime. Told in alternating timelines between Christie as a child and as an adult revisiting her home, the story demonstrates the power of a child’s environment on the psyche and the potential for change given the chance for a meaningful connection. It was heavy and horrific in its realism, but well worth the read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Murder, Child death, and Child abuse
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Addiction and Alcoholism
david_slack110507's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was definitely a heavy hitter of a book particularly with its themes and its take on the topic of nature vs nurture with the book taking a stance on the latter. The start of the book really took me along time to get through which was probably not helped by other factors such as reading other books at the time as well as having exams going on in school that limited my reading time particularly of this book however when I got to the latter half of this book it truly made up for the slow and somewhat boring start of the book, at that point I was fully engrossed in what was going on in a way that I hadn't been when I was reading the first half or so.
The premise of this book is really unique/original in not only having the book be from the killer's perspective but also having said killer be a child is very fascinating aa it opens for many discussions on the topic of nature vs nurture and in this case whether 8-year old Chrissie's murder of fellow child Steven was something that she was simply born to do or whether it was her surrounding environment such as a lack of attention, care (Both emotional and physical), and food at home that shaped her into a child capable of such a crime. It was really fascinating to read through especially as you see it through Chrissie's perspective as one part of the two perspectives, we follow throughout this book with the other being Julia, Chrissie grown up with a new identity and a daughter of her own named Molly who she fights to ensure does not end up like her.
Chrissie's perspective is purposely childlike and shows the harsh realities of life and how they are received by a child such as thinking that death is not permanent and not fully understanding the consequences of her actions and how they affected other until much later in her life. It's interesting to read through as while we get reasoning as to what drives Chrissie to do these things such as an emotionally abusive and toxic household, Chrissie is never absolved of her crimes and is fairly judged for the horrible things she did. Meanwhile, Julia is left picking up the pieces of her past actions as a new woman with a daughter who she fears will turn out just like her, I will admit that at the start of Julia's storyline, it was pretty boring to me as it was very exposition heavy as to how she got to this place in her life but after the exposition is placed on the backburner, the story becomes a lot more intriguing and we get to see Chrissie's growth as Julia such as when she recognises how good of a friend Linda was to her despite how horrible she was to Linda as a means of getting power in a life where it was scarcely at her disposal.
My only issues with the book is that the start is quite slow and does feel like it's being done simply to set up the second half and the main events of the book, but it does pay off eventually just acts as a potential discouragement to continue on if the reader finds it too boring. Also, on the blurb it states that there is a storyline featuring Julia being afraid to answer phone calls that come from someone who knows her past and going in I assumed that this would be a driving factor of conflict, yet this ends quite anticlimactically and so too does other parts of the book which could affect some reading experiences but i think the handling of the books themes more than make up for it.
The premise of this book is really unique/original in not only having the book be from the killer's perspective but also having said killer be a child is very fascinating aa it opens for many discussions on the topic of nature vs nurture and in this case whether 8-year old Chrissie's murder of fellow child Steven was something that she was simply born to do or whether it was her surrounding environment such as a lack of attention, care (Both emotional and physical), and food at home that shaped her into a child capable of such a crime. It was really fascinating to read through especially as you see it through Chrissie's perspective as one part of the two perspectives, we follow throughout this book with the other being Julia, Chrissie grown up with a new identity and a daughter of her own named Molly who she fights to ensure does not end up like her.
Chrissie's perspective is purposely childlike and shows the harsh realities of life and how they are received by a child such as thinking that death is not permanent and not fully understanding the consequences of her actions and how they affected other until much later in her life. It's interesting to read through as while we get reasoning as to what drives Chrissie to do these things such as an emotionally abusive and toxic household, Chrissie is never absolved of her crimes and is fairly judged for the horrible things she did. Meanwhile, Julia is left picking up the pieces of her past actions as a new woman with a daughter who she fears will turn out just like her, I will admit that at the start of Julia's storyline, it was pretty boring to me as it was very exposition heavy as to how she got to this place in her life but after the exposition is placed on the backburner, the story becomes a lot more intriguing and we get to see Chrissie's growth as Julia such as when she recognises how good of a friend Linda was to her despite how horrible she was to Linda as a means of getting power in a life where it was scarcely at her disposal.
My only issues with the book is that the start is quite slow and does feel like it's being done simply to set up the second half and the main events of the book, but it does pay off eventually just acts as a potential discouragement to continue on if the reader finds it too boring. Also, on the blurb it states that there is a storyline featuring Julia being afraid to answer phone calls that come from someone who knows her past and going in I assumed that this would be a driving factor of conflict, yet this ends quite anticlimactically and so too does other parts of the book which could affect some reading experiences but i think the handling of the books themes more than make up for it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Toxic relationship, Grief, Murder, Emotional abuse, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Child abuse, Fatphobia, Cursing, Vomit, Body shaming, Bullying, Abandonment, and Violence
Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, and Sexual content
blueyogi's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Child abuse, Murder, Child death, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Bullying and Domestic abuse
hayleyvharrington's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Suicide attempt, Violence, Kidnapping, Bullying, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Child death, Drug use, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Vomit
Moderate: Body shaming
Minor: Abortion
ashmarie166's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Death, Child abuse, Bullying, Child death, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Murder, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse
lilawsahar's review
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
I feel bad for Chrissie. She was given a poor childhood and she was neglected by the community. Her mother didn’t want her so she didn’t provide a safe environment, food, live, etc. She even tried to kill her. It’s a good book if you want to read about redemption. The last hundred pages made the rest of it worth it?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Child death, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness
Minor: Domestic abuse
bookedandbusy's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I really enjoyed this book! It was an eerie and unsettling book that left me on the edge of my seat!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Abandonment, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Murder, Child death, Vomit, and Bullying
Moderate: Death of parent
_leesey's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It’s just a sad book to read, and heavy content. The mix between Christie, Julia and Mollys chapters made the book flow quickly, but I felt like I couldn’t connect with any of the characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Abandonment, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Mental illness
dunningsk's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I read this book in one day, just couldn't put it down. Unfortunately, it hasn't really stuck with me since then. If I had written a review write after finishing it, I probably would have given it 4-4.5 stars. But a few weeks removed and its lustre has sort of dulled. Still, this book was suspenseful, dark, tender, and very, very human. It was very difficult for me to feel sympathy for the main character, even though I got the sense that the book was daring me to feel bad for her and be on her side. Was everything she did her fault? I don't know if I can honestly say yes to that. There was one moment when my heart truly ached for her, but when she committed her second murder, that ended for me. The suspense and tenseness of the book worked well for me, but ultimately, the message did not land.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Child death, Death, and Murder
lou_o_donnell's review
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Classism, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Child abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, and Confinement