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fkshg8465's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
I’m a big fan of the author and gave several of her books. However, in this case, other than her storytelling skills, I hated this book. I read through tu the interview with hope and why she wrote the book and what she wanted to achieve with the characters, but for me, none if it worked:
1. Addie is to weak and really needs to hone her critical thinking skills. She changes her mind with every new piece of information she gathers without really breaking it down for the most part. She finally gets it right, but that journey with her was painful.
2. I completely disagree with the jury, even knowing what happened. If I was on that jury, I would’ve voted for a different verdict because the evidence presented was too weak.
3. Jack’s mother and her origin story were also too weak to explain how she got where she got. So her character was completely irrelevant to me.
4. The cops and Amos were worn over the top, and the teens were horribly unlikeable - epitome of Mean Girls.
5. I hated the outcome of the trial. The trial may have reflected the truth of the story, but it happens this way far too often, and it pisses me off because the book felt like it legitimized all those other men and cemented more of the wagging finger of the patriarchy. Also, the verdict came in so fast that it felt like the author was rushing and just needed to wrap it up.
6. I hated the ending with Gillian and her father, though it did explain a lot about the girl.
The only things I liked about the book was seeing Jordan McAfee back at work with his family, though I really don’t think he did a good job at court, and Charlie’s confession at the diner - that felt like one of the only genuine moments in the book.
1. Addie is to weak and really needs to hone her critical thinking skills. She changes her mind with every new piece of information she gathers without really breaking it down for the most part. She finally gets it right, but that journey with her was painful.
2. I completely disagree with the jury, even knowing what happened. If I was on that jury, I would’ve voted for a different verdict because the evidence presented was too weak.
3. Jack’s mother and her origin story were also too weak to explain how she got where she got. So her character was completely irrelevant to me.
4. The cops and Amos were worn over the top, and the teens were horribly unlikeable - epitome of Mean Girls.
5. I hated the outcome of the trial. The trial may have reflected the truth of the story, but it happens this way far too often, and it pisses me off because the book felt like it legitimized all those other men and cemented more of the wagging finger of the patriarchy. Also, the verdict came in so fast that it felt like the author was rushing and just needed to wrap it up.
6. I hated the ending with Gillian and her father, though it did explain a lot about the girl.
The only things I liked about the book was seeing Jordan McAfee back at work with his family, though I really don’t think he did a good job at court, and Charlie’s confession at the diner - that felt like one of the only genuine moments in the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Grief, Hate crime, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Rape, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Incest, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, and Self harm
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