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vicwaltz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Sexual assault, and Drug abuse
booksnbones13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Incest, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
laceystairs'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I loved the unique way this book told multiple unrelated yet related stories.
The main focus of the book is on Freddie, an exchange student studying in Boston on a writers scholarship, and the three friends she meets in the Boston Public Library.
Freddie is an aspiring author looking for inspiration when three interesting individuals sit down at the same table. In enters Freud Girl, Heroic Chin and Handom Man. This begins the second story, being the ongoing project Freddie is inspired to write staring her new acquaintances and the chilling scream they hear in real life, which echos through out the silent halls of the historic library.
The third story being told is discovered when the reader sees that the chapters about Freddie & Co are actually the manuscript of an author who is corrisponding via email with an associate.
Soon the reader is hit with the knowledge that the murder mystery within Freddie's world is not going to be solved easily. And the goings on outside of the manuscript is a wonderful example of live mirrors art (or vice versa?).
Although it's challenging to explain to people (I have several times) this story is fun and easy to follow between plot lines.
The characters and writing style were so interesting and I can't stop (trying to) tell people about this book. A great thriller/mystery.
Moderate: Addiction, Blood, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Violence, and Death
greatexpectations77's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Murder, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Grief, Gun violence, Confinement, Classism, and Sexual assault
Minor: Domestic abuse
burnourhistory's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Blood, and Death
Minor: Sexual assault and Physical abuse
caseythereader'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
Graphic: Violence, Alcohol, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Addiction, Medical content, Blood, Cursing, Drug abuse, Gun violence, and Stalking
Moderate: Torture and Rape
Minor: Racism and Sexual content
hermithebs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Stalking
pollyhall's review against another edition
- 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? No
2.0
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Death of parent, Drug use, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Murder, Addiction, Alcoholism, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Death, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Blood, Biphobia, Emotional abuse, Grief, Violence, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Toxic friendship
thebakerbookworm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Story A is the main one, the one from the book summary, and I was expecting more of a locked-room mystery, but the library part is only at the beginning and then they quickly move on. There are a lot of red flags that distracted me from the obvious culprit, so I stayed on my toes the whole time, never really sure who the big bad was. I liked the characters, though the plot is definitely the main focus.
But what really set this book apart was story B, where we discover that story A is actually a book being written, and the author is corresponding with a beta reader about her work. Through these letters, we learn about the Australian author and the beta reader, who lives in Boston where story A takes place. These letters were mostly at the end of each chapter, with the beta reader giving commentary on the previous chapter. Like I said, they just cracked me up and the twists and turns that story B takes really made this murder mystery unique.
Give this one a listen if you like libraries or a story-within-a-story plot or books about writers or a classic whodunnit mystery.
Thanks to Libro.fm, Dreamscape Media, and the author for my ALC!
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Gun violence and Stalking
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
iamnita's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Now, the main storyline: I reflect on this read and wonder whether that storyline was kind of meh - because what kept me flipping was this other storyline. I felt like there was so much eating and drinking and just general hanging around that I'm not sure much happened until it all came together.
Now, the ending: I found this pretty weak and the motives pretty meh. I don't like that all of a sudden there was this HUGE villain of a character that you'd never seen before - it kind of came out of nowhere.
I do give this 4 stars because the format was something. And despite there being pandemic references, it is not so in-your-face that for those triggered it will upset the masses.
Graphic: Alcohol
Moderate: Death and Violence