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rhguerrero's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Death of parent, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Miscarriage and Infidelity
katemreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Physical abuse
Minor: Death, Death of parent, Suicide, and Sexual content
sunsetcity's review
- 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? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Car accident, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Torture, and Toxic relationship
melaniereadsbooks's review against another edition
- 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
This was a very high-intensity thriller. This deals with some really tricky subjects, and does a good job expressing the feelings of loss, grief, and loneliness that are preyed upon by Lev and his cult. Though I can't really say I liked the characters, I did enjoy reading about them, and I was on the metaphorical edge of my seat while racing through this book! I really enjoyed the way this ended, as well. I'm definitely scoping out this author's other books to read.
Graphic: Blood, Car accident, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Stalking, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Pregnancy
justnei's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Physical abuse
Moderate: Toxic relationship
isabelgalupo's review
- 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? No
3.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
mydearwatsonbooks's review
4.0
Lo Denham works for a fledgling newspaper. When she sees a man commit suicide after quoting a Bible verse, her decision to reach out to the cult he was a part of—the same one her sister is in—changes her life.
This book is what you might call “slow burning”, which is normally not my style, but it works here. Summers alternates between two voices, Lo and her sister, Bea. Each voice is in a different timeline: Bea’s is in the past, and Lo’s is more or less in the present (the novel ends in 2018).
After Lo is in a car accident that kills her parents, Bea ends up at The Unity Project, a cult run by Lev Warren. Lo sets out to discover if the rumors she has heard about The Unity Project are true or not. I do wish that some of the characters involved in the cult had been a little more skeptical before joining, but the need for something to believe in is certainly relatable. I also appreciate that the author recognizes how hard it is to condemn something when that thing has also gone so much good in the world.
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s, and Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Suicide
travelseatsreads's review
- 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
3.0
I enjoyed the change of POV from Lo to Bea and also the change in timeline kept it interesting however a few aspects of the story line did fall a bit short and were almost predictable.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read but didn't set my world alight.
Graphic: Body horror, Car accident, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Torture, and Toxic relationship
hagiasophia's review
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Car accident, Death of parent, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
brendal's review
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Toxic relationship, Death, and Death of parent