Scan barcode
kelsey1995we's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Moderate: Death of parent and Abandonment
cassidy_rain's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Death of parent and Abandonment
koplomps's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Alcohol
bookaddictlt's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Death of parent
rochelleisreading's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Stalking and Death of parent
Moderate: Gun violence
lexkazokas's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Death and Death of parent
euhlise's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Minor: Death of parent
viertelvorvier's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Graphic: Death of parent and Abandonment
savvyrosereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Hannah begins to investigate when her husband of one year goes missing, leaving behind only his sixteen-year-old daughter and a cryptic note.
This was my first time listening to a thriller on audio (I’ve always avoided it out of worry about my ability to follow the story) and the good news is the audio format worked really well. The bad news is it was probably because this book isn’t a thriller. I’m not usually a stickler for genre labels (I think they should be really broad and fluid!) but I don’t think this one qualified as a thriller almost any definition. It was, at best, a mystery, and really read to me as “vaguely mysterious contemporary fiction.” That’s a valid genre and even one I read, but I truly think the inaccurate marketing for this one affected my reading experience/perspective in a big way.
That said, there were a lot of positives about the book—I thought the writing itself was really good, the characters were likable and I enjoyed the relationship between Hannah and her step-daughter Bailey, and I thought the audio narration was very well done. Unfortunately, I didn’t like the ending and ultimately had more frustration with this book than I did enjoyment.
All of this with a giant caveat, though: I read this as a buddy read and at least one of my fellow readers LOVED this book and gave it five stars. So it definitely is for some people, even though it largely was not for me.
Recommended if you like: contemporary fiction with a dark edge, reflections on parenthood, missing person stories
CW: Loss of parent; abandonment
Graphic: Death of parent and Abandonment
uranaishi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Cancer, Death, Drug use, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Car accident, Pregnancy, and Classism