Reviews tagging 'Suicide attempt'

The Drowning Woman by Robyn Harding

81 reviews

avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

3.75

   When an unhoused woman saves a rich housewife's life, their lives become intertwined in a murder plot. How will they get out alive? 
   I'm torn on rating this book, I enjoyed that it delved into deeper topics, but I also found it a bit predictable at times. I'd say I predicted at least half the twists.
    I enjoyed the happy ending, but I felt it wrapped up too quickly for how drawn out other elements were.
 
 Narrator Rating: 4.5 stars
    Both narrators were amazing! 

Extra ratings: Fluff - 0/5   Heartfelt- 4.5/5   Helpful -NA    Horror -NA    Inspiration -NA    Love aka Romance- 1/5    Mystery -3/5   Predictability -3.75/5    Spice-1/5    Suspense - 3.5/5    Tear- 4/5   Thrill - 4/5    Humor-0/5 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Body shaming, Mental illness, Dementia, Stalking, Death of parent, and Classism

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic

thebookpear's review against another edition

fast-paced

4.75

The Drowning Woman was one of my favorite thrillers of 2023! Lee is a restaurant owner who has fallen on hard times and has to live in her car. One morning on the beach she hears someone sobbing and finds Hazel, a well-off housewife who is trying to escape a bad marriage. Lee and Hazel form a friendship born of desperation and Hazel makes a shocking request: she wants Lee to help her disappear.  

 

There was so much about this book that worked for me. I loved that it was told through Lee and Hazel’s alternating POVs and organized into “parts”. Each woman’s part consists of a handful of short chapters that end in cliffhangers that build up the suspense gradually to a fever pitch. By the last 75% of the book, I was anxiously flipping pages to figure out what was going on. It was not at all predictable for me, I was shocked at every twist and turn!

My Ratings:
Plot ★★★★
Characters ★★★★★
Writing Style ★★★★★
Reading Experience ★★★★★

Overall ★★★★.75

More Books by Robyn Harding:
The Party
The Perfect Family
The Arrangement
The Perfect Family

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Dementia, and Suicide attempt

asteinke's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Stalking, and Murder

Moderate: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Dementia, Suicide attempt, and Classism

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

drnaynay's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Dementia, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Classism

annaofjesup's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, and Blood

Moderate: Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Dementia, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Addiction

redefiningrachel's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Dementia, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Classism

Moderate: Slavery, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Vomit

cheaploaf's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Book started off a little slow but was worth the wait to get to the many twists to come! Couldn’t put the book down. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a good thriller book. Some parts felt unrealistic but was still an enjoyable read 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Confinement, Rape, Car accident, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Pandemic/Epidemic

brebooks_'s review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Murder

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

ninebookishlives's review against another edition

mysterious tense

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt

strawberrymivvy's review against another edition

dark tense fast-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

4.0

Despite reading a lot of this kind of novel, this book had twists and turns that surprised me and kept me guessing.

Lee thought she had it all but when her restaurant fails she makes some dodgy decisions and loses everything, finding herself living in her car in Seattle.  When she sees a distraught woman throwing herself into the ocean she rescues her - but is met with fury!  The two women develop a friendship, then Hazel asks for Lee's help to disappear.

Of course, all is not as it seems...  Sections of the book are told from each woman's viewpoint and gradually the reader can make sense of who is plotting what - or can they?

The second book by this author I've read, and won't be the last

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse

Minor: Suicide attempt