Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - Death of a Bookseller

Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Death of a Bookseller by Alice Slater

11 reviews

spacedout_reader's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

3.25

I thought the writing was good and the characterization was superb, every one felt like a real, flawed individual. However, for me the story was ultimately not that satisfying, and it felt like it left a lot of loose ends.

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jennifermreads's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

"By Christmas, Laura Bunting was gone. And it was my fault."

I picked up Death of a Bookseller during Indie Bookstore Day 2024. This definitely was a “title buy” with the words “death” and “bookseller” screaming from the cover! And, with the bookstore setting, there are a plethora of book titles sprinkled within the context of the story. If you are not careful, your TBR will grow exponentially.

The dual perspective novel will have you rethinking every true crime podcast, novel, and TV show you have ever consumed. With one character obsessed with serial killers and one character begging us to remember the victims, readers are pulled back and forth, teetering on the edge of sense and sanity. I love when I find myself questioning the reliability of a narrator. I also found myself jumping between “I know what is going to happen” and “whoa…maybe I don’t.”

An enjoyable diversion with a unique twist on serial killer storylines.

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beth_s98's review

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.5

Honestly, this book wasn’t for me, and I only finished it partially out of spite. I hated Roach,

and while I think that’s kind of the point, I struggled to get through her chapters.

I liked Lauren, and a lot of the other characters were interesting.

I hate in the end that Lauren doesn’t get true peace, and we are left with Roach walking back into her life.

There were just so many moments that I felt were either unnecessary or just beyond plausibility. I don’t think the writing was bad, but I was not a fan of the story.

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wrackspurtt's review against another edition

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isb_'s review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.5

Wow. Just wow. This book was an unnerving, grotesque, intriguing, mind-effing wonder. I felt so deeply connected to the characters that it was easy to slip into the dark world Alice Slater has created here. Obsession is a powerful thing, and this book will not soon leave my mind.

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charming_killerqueen's review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious medium-paced

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

2.0

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withlivjones's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.75

A skin-crawling, chilling book about obsession. We follow our two main characters, booksellers Laura and Roach, navigate the autumn-winter months in a struggling bookstore, as Roach’s interest in true crime causes her to be drawn to Laura with an intensity that will doom them both.

Most of this book is very slow-paced, while Slater takes the time to explore both Roach’s and Laura’s characters in great detail. Both characters are deeply flawed in different ways, and I really enjoyed reading about them in a “I don’t like what’s going on and I’m low-key disgusted but I can’t look away” way. There were definitely some parts that dragged, and some that felt a bit repetitive, but the plot really picks up in the last third or so as Roach’s obsession with Laura causes both characters’ mental states to spiral rapidly, and from then I could not put it down! And the ending made my stomach DROP.

I also really enjoyed reading about the ins and outs of bookselling in this book - the stuff that goes on behind the scenes in a bookshop is really interesting to me, and it seems that Slater knows her stuff.

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sarahsbookss's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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monnibo's review

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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? Yes

3.0

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minimicropup's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Main POVs 👌: Dual perspectives with subtle changes to the first-person narrative (deep in their mind type)

A bookseller in their 20s. They are struggling to cope with a family member’s death being in the annals of true crime. They are popular and outgoing but also judgmental, obsessive, and resentful. They cope through social drinking and writing poetry about victims of crime.
A bookseller in their 20s. They are socially obtuse and feeling unheard, unloved, and unseen. They are optimistic and forgiving, but also judgmental, obsessive, and resentful. They cope with their situation by immersing themselves in true crime and all things morbid and macabre.

Atmosphere 👌: Immersive, grim, and intense

Set in a bookstore, and pubs and flats of Walthamstow (London), UK
Contains some festive Christmas season/party vibes for the seasonal reader 🧑‍🎄

Cred Rating: Realistic

Relatable portrayals of how we see (and judge) others based on appearance, hygiene, lifestyle, interests, and sociability (and how sometimes those judgements aren’t wrong!) with realistic consequences of those beliefs and actions.

Growls, Howls, and Tail Wags 🐺🐕:

Excellent commentary on true crime consumption. It’s subtle but direct. We aren’t forced to take a side or declare one outlook correct above all others, but it made me think about who has the “right” to talk about true crime and share those stories.
This is a character-driven story that centers on two MCs who are very different, yet very similar in how they view people that fall outside of their “circles”. Both assume they are in the right, and as the reader we have moments where we empathize with or are horrified (even disgusted) by the MCs. Since the narrators are both relatable and unlikeable, you don’t need to “like” one or “hate” the other to stay engaged with the story. That said, if you aren’t a fan of character-driven stories this may be too slow or difficult to get through.
Mild cliffhanger ending. It didn’t break the story or frustrate me – it just made me wish there were more pages after the end!

Reading Journey ☺️: Curled up in a comfy reading nook, lost-in-another-world time-warp.

Mood Reading Match-Up:

Character studies of adults in their 20s still figuring out who they are and who they want to be
Thought-provoking commentary on true crime using symbolism, irony, and realistic consequences and reactions
Retail literary/contemporary drama with touches of unrequited love (and unrequited like), shame spirals, and finding your people
Creepy, discomforting suspense with “stuck together”, “did they or didn’t they?”, “stalker/obsession” tropes

Vibes: 🫢😧🤗

Content Heads-Up: Binge-drinking and self-medicating with alcohol. Death of a parent. Stalking and obsession.

Format: Library Digital via Libby

This was one of my Favourite Books of 2023 😍

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