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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Everything just felt very predictable, which would be fine, however I didn't love the way the book was written. Both main characters were fine but the constant reminder on how pretty they both are and Carly being only 20 really made the whole thing feel weird
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I don't always go for horror, but was a sucker for the "true crime-esque" fiction subgenre. I loved the parallel investigations of the aunt and niece decades apart and the creepy motel.
I started reading it while staying in a bit of a sketchy hotel, so believe me that wasn't a restful night.
Good story.
I started reading it while staying in a bit of a sketchy hotel, so believe me that wasn't a restful night.
Good story.
Overall fairly enjoyable, even if it got predictable towards the halfway mark. This novel couldn't decide if it wanted to be a thriller or ghost story, and ended up not being terribly satisfying at either end. The thrills weren't thrilling enough, and the chills weren't chilling enough—and the ending felt rather anticlimactic as a lot of it happened off page. Not sure why the author made that choice, but I wasn't particularly engaged by that point in the book. Would probably read another book by St. James if it committed to either being a full thriller or a full horror.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was decent. I'm trying to expand the types of genres I read and Thriller/Mysteries are interesting to me. This was a good start to getting into that genre. Not too scary but had enough mystery and spookiness to keep me interested. I enjoyed switching between Viv's experience in 1982 and Carly in 2017. Seeing them both come to the same conclusions and working towards the same goal was fun.
However, it did feel a bit boring at times. The story itself didn't feel unique or different. And I didn't love how it ended, I wish Viv's story didn't end that way.
However, it did feel a bit boring at times. The story itself didn't feel unique or different. And I didn't love how it ended, I wish Viv's story didn't end that way.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes