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bea_reads_books's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Murder, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Addiction, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Animal death, Alcohol, and Suicide
elwirax's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
"Nothing will change if we stay quiet"
I'm a sucker for close knit communities and the small town vibes in this book were great. I liked that although this is a Young Adult novel there was a strong sense of female impowerment and girls supporting eachother while also leaning towards the more mature side, dealing with issues such as drug addiction and sexual assault. There was no romance in this books which I always greatly appreciate as well as the fact that there were reliable male characters who weren't all "villains".
However, I think this would appeal more to people who are new to the mystery/ thriller genre and don't know which tropes to expect. It didn't have the thrill factor I usually look for and everything seemed to be resolved too quickly by the end of the book.
Overall, "Don't Tell a Soul" wasn't a bad read by any means. There were definitely aspects which were interesting, I was just expecting a little more.
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Forced institutionalization
catgirl_luna's review
Minor: Drug use, Addiction, Death of parent, Rape, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Mental illness, and Stalking
horsecube's review
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The story starts with Bram arriving in Louth, New York after a very long journey from Manhattan. She's come to stay with her uncle at a large manor house he's remodeling. There's a blizzard outside and she doesn't she feels like she's been forgotten. Eventually, she's picked up by a man her uncle hired to pick her up, which puts her on edge even though she's armed herself with a newly bought box cutter and bear repellant. She states vaguely that she's come to Louth in search of answers, but it also is hinted at that something or someone has chased her away from New York and there's something or someone preventing her from returning.
I was hooked from the first chapter. I didn't know which characters to trust, and I didn't know how they were all tied into the mystery. I didn't know what the past and three dead girls had to do with the present. I didn't know (but had suspicions) about what had happened to Bram to make her distrust people so much, especially men. I didn't know why she was in Louth, and what had happened in NYC to force her there. I loved her resourcefulness, drive, and determination. I loved the sleepy, wintery, slightly gothic atmosphere.
Don't Tell A Soul is one of those YA books that are YA because of the main character's age and less so because of the content: there was some dark, enraging stuff going on. I haven't read many mysteries or thrillers but this one has your typical mystery-thriller trigger warnings, detailed in the content warning section.
Graphic: Drug abuse and Sexual assault
Moderate: Addiction and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, and Forced institutionalization