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dev921's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Bullying, Addiction, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Alcohol, Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Drug abuse, Gore, Grief, and Murder
courtnetto's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
Although, once you find out who murdered Joe, the title makes a lot of sense.
Maya is a doting mother, or seems to be but is it all an act?
You must read to find out the answer! Not as long as my usual reviews but I’d be on for ages if I tried to cover everything that happened, so all I will say is read this book!
Graphic: Death and Murder
sandysmith's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Murder, War, and Death
Moderate: Blood, Suicide, Violence, Mental illness, and Gun violence
Minor: Kidnapping
bri_cook's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Suicide, Murder, Violence, and War
makcrowley's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
- plot is fast so never have time to catch your breath
- was small detail but could have done with a better editor, several typos
Graphic: Murder
staceyinthesticks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Moderate: Murder, Death, Gun violence, Cursing, and Mental illness
Minor: Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Alcohol, Blood, Stalking, Suicide, and War
bertrandlm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Murder
sophieelwright's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Death, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Mental illness, Suicide, and War
rindulgent's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
That wasn't the case while reading this book, and I was pleasantly surprised. That said, Harlan Coben has said that Maya is the first female MC he's created and that she might be his favorite so far, and I just hope he fleshes out the next one a bit more. I didn't dislike her, but I didn't particularly like any of the characters in the book. They seemed without depth.
The dead husband was the star of the show from start to finish and it seemed Maya was reduced to the military wife with PTSD. I guess we got other glimpses, like the fact that she didn't feel very maternal and also resented her husband's family for their money and their nannies and their perceived disingenuity. But all in all, the things that make Maya Maya were never super interesting to me, I wasn't invested because I didn't really care about her. She has PTSD and clearly she did something wrong at some point, because she keeps thinking about her "downfall" and her failures. But I never really cared enough to feel curious about that, and when it was revealed what happened to cause her "downfall" it was kind of predictable.
Coben made the story of Joe the main focus and that's all that I cared about throughout the book. Maybe that was intentional, but it almost seems like a shame considering Maya is the main character he loves so much.
It was a quick read and I enjoyed it for the most part. I was impressed that the twist surprised me and it kept me company during a long drive. I think I might stick to Coben's screen adaptations from now on, though.
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, War, and Murder
gambizzy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Gun violence, and Death
Moderate: Gun violence, War, and Death