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nordenosten's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Stalking, Violence, Child abuse, Rape, and Trafficking
_adelete_'s review against another edition
- 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
0.25
Graphic: Alcohol, Body horror, Body shaming, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Violence, Rape, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Misogyny, Murder, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, and Torture
megreads12's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Rape, Pedophilia, Torture, Murder, Infidelity, Cursing, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Death, Trafficking, Stalking, Child death, Blood, and Sexual content
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Car accident
rantsandreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Stalking, and Murder
slswarner's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Stalking, Violence, Child abuse, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Torture, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Rape, Blood, and Pedophilia
smyser627's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Rape, Sexual content, Murder, Sexual assault, and Stalking
Moderate: Trafficking, Gore, and Kidnapping
floorsalad's review against another edition
Graphic: Stalking, Rape, Murder, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Trafficking, and Toxic relationship
littlered22'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: Murder, Blood, Stalking, and Trafficking
Moderate: Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Car accident
lattelibrarian's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
The good: there were some parts of this book that I fully agreed with. YES, Adeline, what Zade is doing to you IS stalking and rape and abuse. And YES Zade, how ARE you going to reckon your actions against your morals of saving innocent boys and girls from pedophile rings?? The bad? So much cognitive dissonance.
The good: Parsons Manor. Oh my god YES we love a creepy old mansion. The bad? Unfortunately, not actually haunted. I genuinely thought that Zade was going to be a ghost; perhaps the same ghost (until I was otherwise proven wrong) that haunted Adeline's great-grandmother. I was like hell yeah, multi-generational ghost-fucking? Let's GO. Nope, just a really creepy dude. Also the bad? Why must this take place in Seattle :( (which also, there's a LOT of woods in the setting for a book that takes place in an extremely urban area...Seattle is green but it ain't THAT green haha)
The good: Daya. Great best friend energy, the conversations with her were SO FUNNY. And she was a great reality check for Adeline. The bad? Y'know, I don't think there is a bad. I REALLY liked Daya. Personally, I imagined her in my head as Vella Lovell.
Okay, now for some general 'bad's:
Zade--oh my goddd he is so cocky and in such a small dick energy kind of way. BUT I liked his coworkers, Jay and Ruby, whenever they were around.
Lots of telling and not showing. Also, some of the comparisons were so out of left field that I was truly wondering about the points of reference for these characters.
It was also so incredibly trope-y. As someone who loves a good trope, I can recognize that sometimes the plot exists just for the sex and the tropes. The chances of being in the same place as your stalker and someone from whom he's trying to protect you? Getting invited to a gala and NEEDING to wear a beautiful dress? Again, I love a good trope, but you do have to have some substance behind it to make it believable in a novel kind of way, and not a fanfiction kind of way.
Also, Sibby. While I enjoyed her plenty in the second book (review to come), this first book posits her and maniacal and deeply unsound. Which, to be fair, she is. But Zade (or the author) is very ableist when discussing her character. Sibby suffers from delusions--many of which I think are constructed to make her 'edgy'--and she kills everyone she thinks is a total creep. But Zade is willing to let her take the fall for him and consistently labels her as crazy.
So, all in all, this was an entertaining read. But was it a good one?
Graphic: Gun violence, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Murder, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Violence, Rape, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
Minor: Alcohol
scarle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death and Blood
Minor: Murder, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Violence