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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
I lack some objectivity because I loved the authors first book and really enjoyed the second book - so I was expecting a terrific read. Toni and her boyfriend Ryan have been convicted of killer her sister Nicole and 15 years later they have been released on parole. The back and forth from past to present works well. This is a good story and I liked it but ------- the narrator has the same voice even though they have aged and been through a great deal. It almost feels like young adult fiction. There are plenty of twists and turns so the pace is good and the second half is a page turner. The feeling of bring picked on, bullied, misunderstood, and victimized really rings true ( though you wonder when the main character will learn some new coping mechanisms). If the book had ended two pages earlier, I would have preferred it to the ending I got or even an implication that a new direction might be in the future for Toni -- but that's just me. Others will be fine with a more predictable end
I started reading this semi-randomly but I ended up really liking it and could barely put it down. Even though you knew what direction it was going in for most of the book, the twist at the end was still super unexpected and definitely worth the build up!
A thriller that's a little too believable for comfort
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really loved this book. Not as dark as your typical thriller but I was invested the whole time.
In theory based on the synopsis I was expecting a much faster paced novel. The chapters are long. My copy has 370 pages and it felt much longer than necessary. It definitely had several places that the details and backstory were dragging. I just wanted to get on with it and find out whodunit.
I wasn’t particularly invested or drawn to any of the characters or the relationship between Toni and Ryan. The backstory of their relationship was lacking. However, this felt like a darker version of Mean Girls, with a touch of Orange is the New Black. It is a mix of 2 timelines. You have the timeline during the teen years and then later during adulthood, so it’s a great transition book for readers who read a lot of young adult and want to know where to start with adult thriller/mysteries.
As a teenager Toni dealt with bullying from a group of girls who she used to be friends with. She was also dating Ryan, a boy her parents did not approve of. She had strained relationships with her parents, her sister, and her classmates. Her sister, Nicole was the golden child, and she became friends with the girls who tormented Toni. One night Toni’s younger sister is found murdered and Toni and Ryan are convicted and sent to prison. Now, years later and out on parole Toni is determined to do everything in her power to avoid going back. Toni has always maintained her innocence, but now she has the opportunity to really figure out what happened that night, and it’s not going to be easy, because everyone has secrets and no one likes Toni.
This story shines a light on bullying and our justice system and how failed it is. The ending of the book did shock me, and I enjoyed the small-town big secrets vibes, but the pacing could have been improved and I would have loved it.
mysterious
I loved this book so much! I cried because this author did such an amazing job at making me care for the characters. That's how you know you've done your job as a writer. When you can make the reader feel a connection to the character, almost as if they know them, and can make them feel something, feel all sorts of emotions.
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Diverse cast of characters:
No
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
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
I loved Still Missing by Chevy but this book was AWFUL.