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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Spoilers ahead -
This book was a ride. I'm one who can usually predict what is going to happen next given the context clues and foreshadowing. However, with this book, I was completely under Cass' spell. As I read, I believed that she was innocent, that she had no part in the chaos that took place. And the more I read, the more I realized how wrong I was.
I was shocked to learn that it was Cass who had been pregnant and not Emma. I figured Emma was dead but I didn't think her parents had killed her. I thought the obvious, that her abductors had killed her, but of course she was never abducted.
I'm left wondering what Cass made of herself. What happened to the rest of her family. Did her and her daughter live a normal life after those events?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and all of its twists and turns. It was relatable (at least to me), the characters were clearly deep and developed. They felt like real people with real problems. I also enjoyed the detailed descriptions of everything and the portrayal of mental illnesses within the book. I appreciate that the author took her time to speak with actual agents and others before writing this book.
Overall I would say this book was amazing and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in reading it.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and all of its twists and turns. It was relatable (at least to me), the characters were clearly deep and developed. They felt like real people with real problems. I also enjoyed the detailed descriptions of everything and the portrayal of mental illnesses within the book. I appreciate that the author took her time to speak with actual agents and others before writing this book.
Overall I would say this book was amazing and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in reading it.
Content Warnings
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Abortion, Murder
dark
emotional
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
This book was fine.
I thought that the narcissism of the mother was really accurately portrayed. I appreciated that all of the loose ends were tied up in the end as well, and I didn’t have any questions about plot points.
The biggest problem I had was that none of the characters are particularly likable, aside from Witt. I guess Abby and Leo were fine, but they were another issue; they both felt like they were just there so that we could have different perspectives and make the overall plot more mysterious. Abby was a cardboard cutout with almost no personality. Her dog didn’t even have a name, which really is a minor thing, but it would have made Abby seem more human.
I thought that the narcissism of the mother was really accurately portrayed. I appreciated that all of the loose ends were tied up in the end as well, and I didn’t have any questions about plot points.
The biggest problem I had was that none of the characters are particularly likable, aside from Witt. I guess Abby and Leo were fine, but they were another issue; they both felt like they were just there so that we could have different perspectives and make the overall plot more mysterious. Abby was a cardboard cutout with almost no personality. Her dog didn’t even have a name, which really is a minor thing, but it would have made Abby seem more human.
slow-paced
I was absolutely blown away by Wendy Walker's fantastic storytelling and ability to create such a suspenseful setting. Her book was impossible to put down.
Cass and Emma are sisters close in age who went missing one night mysteriously three years ago. Then, Cass returns, but without Emma, and we are left to untie the riddle of what really happened in this twisted house all those years ago. And this is another area where Wendy Walker absolutely excels. She has such a core level understanding of human psychology that these twisted characters in this infinitely complex family absolutely ring true, and you're left on the edge of your chair as each chapter peels the onion a bit deeper. Simply incredible work.
Her pacing is top notch. There is that inherent understanding of how to constantly feed little clues and shocks in the narrative and when to back off with a flashback that further fleshes out the psychology of these characters. This book was simply awesome.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author.
Cass and Emma are sisters close in age who went missing one night mysteriously three years ago. Then, Cass returns, but without Emma, and we are left to untie the riddle of what really happened in this twisted house all those years ago. And this is another area where Wendy Walker absolutely excels. She has such a core level understanding of human psychology that these twisted characters in this infinitely complex family absolutely ring true, and you're left on the edge of your chair as each chapter peels the onion a bit deeper. Simply incredible work.
Her pacing is top notch. There is that inherent understanding of how to constantly feed little clues and shocks in the narrative and when to back off with a flashback that further fleshes out the psychology of these characters. This book was simply awesome.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author.
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I was neither shocked or disappointed by this book. I found the plot line interesting enough that it kept my attention and I did enjoy the characters, but I found it a little predictable.
I enjoyed the characters in this book because they all felt like unreliable narrators except Abby. Most of them were terrible people and I don’t know if I was actually rooting for any of them but it was interesting to watch them unravel
The plot line - as I said - was initially really intriguing but I found the big reveals to be somewhat predictable. Though I do feel like it would translate well to film if that was ever something that occurred
I enjoyed the characters in this book because they all felt like unreliable narrators except Abby. Most of them were terrible people and I don’t know if I was actually rooting for any of them but it was interesting to watch them unravel
The plot line - as I said - was initially really intriguing but I found the big reveals to be somewhat predictable. Though I do feel like it would translate well to film if that was ever something that occurred
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
DNF @ 22%
This writing style is not for me, and it’s already too convoluted with long descriptions. The switching POV between characters and also first person and third person is so weird. I read the ending with spoilers, and it doesn’t feel like I’ll be missing out on much.
This writing style is not for me, and it’s already too convoluted with long descriptions. The switching POV between characters and also first person and third person is so weird. I read the ending with spoilers, and it doesn’t feel like I’ll be missing out on much.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated