Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

One of Us Is Back by Karen M. McManus

7 reviews

melodyseestrees's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

The characters are diverse in that there are LGBTQ+ characters. All characters feel very white, even though some of them may not be. This may just be an error in reading on my part or some sort of internalized stereotype however. 
This book starts as possibly the slowest and most boring book of the trilogy. The first forty percent of the book contains a lot of set up and very little suspense. The characters also feel like they should all be in their late twenties, even though two of them are in their late teens. They don't feel old in the way most other traumatized characters do either. They seem mostly unphased by the events of the last two books other than when there is an active threat. 
There are several potential antagonists being hinted at throughout the novel.  This is often a very nice technique however I felt the technique was a bit fumbled upon the reveal.

It winds up being none of them. It is two characters, one who shares a work place with one of our main characters and another character you lowkey forget exists until the reveal.

 
The world is also unrealistic in how it handles certain events

Owen being revealed to be complicit in the actions of Jared in book 2. The whole town just seems to shrug and go 'huh. okay.' The town also seems fine with revealed accusations that Jake's legal father killed his biological father.

There was also very unrealistic use of an ankle monitor. This is partially justified by the incompetence of the local police.

You have only a few minutes before the ankle monitor alerts the police of any potential tampering. Jake would have been found before he even had a chance to be missing.

 
The ending is a happy one with promises at a good future for all of them. Well for everyone who survives. Hooray for therapy!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Death, Confinement, Car accident, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Murder, Blood, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Violence, Gun violence, and Alcohol

Moderate: Cursing, Addiction, and Alcoholism

Minor: Toxic friendship, Bullying, and Toxic relationship

Drug use due to the drugging and kidnap of several characters, past and present. There is also mild discussion of the nonconsensual recording of characters during sex acts.

amberlfaris's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Violence

Minor: Sexual assault

mmalone's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Sexual assault, Car accident, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Stalking, Bullying, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Rape, and Torture

calamitywindpetal's review against another edition

mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gun violence, Murder, Kidnapping, Sexism, Suicide, Misogyny, Alcohol, Death, Blood, and Sexual assault

Minor: Grief, Death of parent, Cancer, and Alcoholism

bella_cavicchi's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I am what one might call a... sucker... for a teenage murder mystery. The drama! The suspense! The implausibility! I love it all, and Karen McManus does it best.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Murder, Death of parent, Grief, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Death, Car accident, Kidnapping, and Violence

vigilante_sh's review against another edition

tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

boring & really slow it took like 100 pages until sonething happened, then ANOTHER 100 or so pages until another thing happened.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence and Sexual assault

tswanson103's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

An excellent (final?) edition in this series, even though I would love to spend more time with Nate Macauley. The plot was surprising, and the characters heartfelt. The climax felt slightly skipped over, but the closure felt at the end of the story is exactly what this trilogy deserved.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Violence, Alcohol, and Sexual assault