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saxrinet's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
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
A complex yet accurate description of the power of privilege.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Classism
born_reading's review
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
, rape,
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Incest, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Rape, Violence, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Infidelity, Death of parent, Cursing, and Adult/minor relationship
belleslibrary1012's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
As someone who has always loved print, I failed to see or understand the appeal of audiobooks. Then, I had a baby who turned into a toddler and I realized if I wanted adequate reading time for myself, I was going to have to put books in my ears. This is my second one ever and I will say the narrator really does make or break a story in an audiobook. This narrator was incredible and sucked me in whether in the kitchen, at the store, or amidst a hailstorm of flying toys and loud noises.
I will also say I never truly understood the need for trigger warnings because don't you know what you're reading already? Why is it necessary? This book drastically and forever changed that for me, given it did not have one and absolutely should. The author does a tremendous job don't get me wrong, but she purposefully buries the lead and heads the reader off to expect what they see in front of them as the focal point and that is just not true. The true crime in this crime story is not the one written in the back cover blurb, but instead lies just above the words, pulling you in and then just when you start to believe it, takes it away making you think you're reading into things. This was sad and tragic and beautiful and terrifying in so many ways. Though it is not a book I can revisit again, it is one that was very well written.
I will also say I never truly understood the need for trigger warnings because don't you know what you're reading already? Why is it necessary? This book drastically and forever changed that for me, given it did not have one and absolutely should. The author does a tremendous job don't get me wrong, but she purposefully buries the lead and heads the reader off to expect what they see in front of them as the focal point and that is just not true. The true crime in this crime story is not the one written in the back cover blurb, but instead lies just above the words, pulling you in and then just when you start to believe it, takes it away making you think you're reading into things. This was sad and tragic and beautiful and terrifying in so many ways. Though it is not a book I can revisit again, it is one that was very well written.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Violence, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Child abuse, Classism, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, and Sexual violence
katiejohns's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Rape, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Classism and Grief
saramoser's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
<spoilers>A extremely troubling and tough read about sexual assault, statutory rape, child abuse and grooming. Told from the view of the accused rapists sister, who sustained abuse most of her childhood and into adulthood and had covered this traumatic upbringing with falsified stories that she had conjured in her mind-to protect herself and her family. This read takes you inside the mind of the victim, while looking at how a family can react when they have abusers and trauma deep rooted in the family, but are able to cover this up with money. A lot of reviews low stars simply because they don’t like the ending, the ending lacked justice. But in the world we live in, isn’t that often the case? <spoilers>
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Classism, Infidelity, Sexual content, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Drug use, Cursing, Violence, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Car accident, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Grief, and Rape
meeklovestoread's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
3.5
I went into this book thinking it was going to be much different than it was. I thought Billy's case would take center stage and that we were going to see how we got here and how things unfolded and although that is what happened, I still can't help but think Billy's case took a back seat to Cassie's emotional issues (ofc they're more complex than emotional issues, but I don't want to give anything away). I'd first like to start by saying that I think the author is a good writer. There were some great quotes in here such as "Tap deeply enough, and you'll find we're all monsters below the surface" (236). I do like how this book was written and I do appreciate the author's attempt to tackle such a troubling issue; however, I don't like how the author formatted the story.
I do see what the author was going for by having Billy's case coincide with Cassie's own internal issues, however, I think the author should've just stuck to one topic because I feel like it all becomes a bit convoluted as the book goes on. Although the case is centered on Billy and his actions I still don't feel like Billy's character was flushed out enough for us (the reader) to make the assertion of his guilt or innocent. All we had was Cassie's biased depiction of who Billy was and not much from him directly. And based on their interactions, Billy seems to contradict the perception that Cassie has in her head (maybe that was the point, I'm not sure). I also feel like the true facts of the case and Billy's relationship with Diana were also unclear, especially toward the end. I'm still not sure what really happened.
Similar to Billy, many of the characters are so unlikeable which isn't a determining factor for me in terms of classifying a good book; however, not only were the characters unlikeable but they were also flat. There still wasn't much depth to them which is jarring considering the pacing of this book is so slow you'd think it would give time to flesh out the characters. In the end, I felt no sympathy toward anyone (minus Cassie). I already figured the verdict was going to give Billy a not guilty plea just based on how the book was going so I wasn't surprised when that happened, but what annoys me is that not only did Billy receive a "not guilty" verdict he also went on to live his life and went back to his regular routine as if the past couple months were just some bump in the round that he encountered. Billy does no self-reflection and seems to not feel an ounce of remorse for what he's done. So, what was this supposed to portray that the rich always win? I don't see what the author was going for when she made this decision.
I do appreciate Cassie's internal conflicts. I found them to be quite a realistic approach to how someone in her situation would approach and view things. Also, I reveal that Lawerence is the whole that abused Cassie was very underwhelming only because I felt like it wasn't built up properly. If he was the perpetrator all along then why did she keep referring to him as "Marcus Silver" in the beginning even in her internal monologues? Was this supposed to represent some form of dissociation or denial? And also her mom (Eleanor) what was that about? She still seems manipulative to me. Honestly in the end I was hoping Cassie would leave all of them and start fresh.
I do see what the author was going for by having Billy's case coincide with Cassie's own internal issues, however, I think the author should've just stuck to one topic because I feel like it all becomes a bit convoluted as the book goes on. Although the case is centered on Billy and his actions I still don't feel like Billy's character was flushed out enough for us (the reader) to make the assertion of his guilt or innocent. All we had was Cassie's biased depiction of who Billy was and not much from him directly. And based on their interactions, Billy seems to contradict the perception that Cassie has in her head (maybe that was the point, I'm not sure). I also feel like the true facts of the case and Billy's relationship with Diana were also unclear, especially toward the end. I'm still not sure what really happened.
Similar to Billy, many of the characters are so unlikeable which isn't a determining factor for me in terms of classifying a good book; however, not only were the characters unlikeable but they were also flat. There still wasn't much depth to them which is jarring considering the pacing of this book is so slow you'd think it would give time to flesh out the characters. In the end, I felt no sympathy toward anyone (minus Cassie).
I do appreciate Cassie's internal conflicts. I found them to be quite a realistic approach to how someone in her situation would approach and view things.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Rape, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Addiction, Death of parent, Classism, and Pedophilia
Minor: Cursing, Drug use, Sexual content, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Alcohol, and Car accident
meganashlee27's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Classism, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, and Toxic relationship
ladycaroline's review
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book is intense, and the ending is much more likely to leave you feeling angry and uncomfortable than satisfied. But even though I hated the ending, it is one that feels grounded in reality — as much as we desire justice for victims, our society would rather see a rich, handsome rapist go free and live without consequence than ensure a victim receive justice. And even though I was frustrated by Cassie in the end, I believe the author did a great job showing that for many victims, it is not easy to see yourself as a victim, and it is difficult to untangle yourself from your abuser, especially if they have ensured your life is enmeshed with theirs .
The only qualms I have with this book was how slow it was in the beginning, but it does pick up later in the second half. And there were times where the timelines got a bit jumbled in my head but other than that, I think it was written well.
The only qualms I have with this book was how slow it was in the beginning, but it does pick up later in the second half. And there were times where the timelines got a bit jumbled in my head but other than that, I think it was written well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Fatphobia, Classism, Drug use, and Eating disorder
ccard0223's review
dark
mysterious
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? Yes
1.0
The first half of the book was intriguing. Although I hated (actually hated) all of the characters and could not relate to anyone, I was intrigued by the rape case. However, the second half of the book made me loathe every sentence. <spolier> The reveal that Marcus was actually Lawrence was so sloppy I could scream. So the entire family knows that there is an incestual relationship going on, but still begs Cassie to return to the home of her abuser time and time again? Nate is constantly making comments about how Cassie is never there to go over the case, etc etc KNOWING that his FATHER is obsessed with his sister? And Haggerty- the detective. His "#timesup #metoo" text at the trial made me want to rage. You, sir, do not get to out someone's abuser and then claim #metoo FOR that victim. The entire trial felt like it was written by someone that has never seen the inside of a courtroom. It was maddening. And to make matters even worse, when Cassie finally figured out that yes, Ben was a rapist, the family just continues living their high life and pretending everything is fine. They are ok to throw Lawrence under the proverbial bus, but not Ben??? A violent rapist who got away with it only because his father's incestual relationship came out at his trial? GROSS. <spolier>
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Classism, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, and Gaslighting
kimberlykesq's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual violence, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Classism