Reviews tagging 'Child death'

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins

98 reviews

fkshg8465's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Really wanted to hate this book. The women are awful, and I hate when women mistrust each other and go out of there ways to treat each other down. The patriarchy makes it hard enough to live, and we should be building a better world for other women together, so it was really easy to hate these “best friends,” but I have to about the multilayered storied approach worked and was clever enough for me to keep reading, and I really dislike myself at this moment for it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Infidelity, Murder, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Gaslighting, Death, Torture, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Child death

kathleenel's review

fast-paced

• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death

Moderate: Drug use

elzibub's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Toxic friendship, Infidelity, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Abandonment, Ableism, Child death, and Chronic illness

Minor: Abortion, Death of parent, Suicide, and Miscarriage

mrsporterreads's review against another edition

challenging tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Suicide

jkar7's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

4.5

This book really said "Oh you want toxic? Well strap on your hazmat suit!"
I don't think I really liked a single character in this book, but I loved to hate them. Emily and Mari were tolerable, but not sure why Emily didn't also

"let" Chess drown too.

.
A nice easy read, would be a great beach read! Maybe don't read it if you're planning a trip to a remote Italian town and staying in an old villa though. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Drug abuse, Suicide, Murder, Child death, Infidelity, Drug use, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Alcoholism, and Alcohol

Minor: Chronic illness, Sexual harassment, Violence, and Stalking

hannah_and_her_stories's review

dark mysterious 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Grief, Alcohol, Death, Violence, Murder, Toxic friendship, Adult/minor relationship, and Child death

Minor: Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Suicide, Pregnancy, Drug use, Abortion, Blood, Vomit, and Murder

katharina90's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

2.0

Reads more like a drama than a thriller. The twists and revelations mostly fell flat and I really didn't care about either of the two intertwined stories. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder and Child death

Minor: Drug use and Suicide

cewright521's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death

mariavdl's review

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.75

 A bit cringey. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic relationship and Child death

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Vomit, Violence, Suicide, Miscarriage, Alcohol, Blood, Terminal illness, Pregnancy, and Infidelity

carissa230's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Emily is down on her luck and gets the chance to go to Italy with her best friend Chess. Emily has just found out her husband cheated on her and is now suing her for rights to the money she made off her book series. Chess is an uber-successful author of self-help books. She has been on talk shows and is well known everywhere.

When they get to Italy it becomes clear that the girls are more frenemies than best friends. They have been friends forever, but there is an imbalance in the relationship. In Italy Emily is inspired to right a true crime book based off the house they're staying in. Chess is seeing some writers block and wants to hop on the book with Emily. Why Emily would even consider this is beyond me. What could she possibly need from Chess in this situation besides the fans she already has?

In the other (and far more interesting) storyline we have a group of famous musicians on a vacation. There are a lot of drugs used and a lot of fighting and jealousy. Mari and Lara are 16-year-old girls (16!) that are staying and partying with the rockstars. Maris is also compelled by the house to write a book. Lara wants to be a musician in her own right. While the rock stars party, the girls balance between trying to mend their fight and jealousy. Turns out both girls are in love with Pierce (I don't have any idea why, probably because they're 16). 

The storyline of the fighting, jealousy, and drug-fueled parties was by far more entertaining to me. I think that can happen in books with multiple timelines. One is generally more entertaining. Obviously, the fact that both Emily and Chess want to write about the part makes it more interesting. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Infidelity, Child death, and Violence

Minor: Miscarriage