Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin

13 reviews

___'s review against another edition

challenging emotional informative mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

2.0

Meh, predictable. There's a multitude of very cliche elements here - a small town where everyone knows everyone, the scary homeless man covered in scars, the son of a prestigious man, parallel and seemingly unrelated stories/events that can't possibly be connected, et cetera. Also, this is not a thriller. It's just a mystery. 

There's nothing really wrong with the book (though, poor editing got quite distracting at one point). There just wasn't anything new, thrilling, or exciting being offered.

(...Is the protagonist being a true crime podcaster a trigger warning yet?)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Violence, Bullying, Death, Murder, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Rape, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Physical abuse

Minor: Domestic abuse, Body shaming, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Blood, Car accident, Death of parent, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Cancer, and Drug abuse

judassilver's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Alcohol, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Violence, Stalking, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexism, Rape, Murder, and Misogyny

Moderate: Child abuse, Car accident, Medical trauma, Suicide, and Panic attacks/disorders

vj_thompson's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

A thought provoking story that depicts why sexual assault cases next see the light of a court room. The process is time consuming, lawyers can brutal, and it may do more harm than good. 

Megan Goldin is an auto-buy author. The first book I read by her was Stay Awake. She does an amazing job at character building and touching on subjects matters like sexual assaults or mental health conditions. These topics are normalized in Megan’s stories. I found myself both times rooting for the main characters, and the side characters, wishing them all a happy and successful outcome.

I am looking forward to reading the sequel, and I hope our main character Rachel continues to fight the good fight.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Child abuse, Grief, Bullying, Violence, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Death, Alcohol, and Murder

Moderate: Car accident, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, Alcoholism, Cancer, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Pedophilia, Animal cruelty, Stalking, and Gun violence

gen_wolfhailstorm's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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? It's complicated

3.0

The Details:
Narrated by Bailey Carr, January LaVoy, Samantha Desz
Unabridged 

One of my late netgalley arcs, I decided to listen to via my library app.

This was riveting and harrowing read following a dual sexual assault case, one in the present day and one set in the mystery of a cover up that happened some years before. 

We follow a podcast presenter investigating both cases and it was interesting to see the perspective of varying characters of what, to me, is an obviously awful crime.

The acts done to the body was so graphic and really hard to read, so please bear that in mind.

Overall, I'm glad to have finally read this, but it was a heavy, difficult read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Animal cruelty, Cancer, Car accident, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexism, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Sexual content, Stalking, Torture, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Violence, Chronic illness, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Rape, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness

ashleynewman's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Audio version was entertaining with the podcast element. Extremely dark/heavy subject matter but I never guessed the ending, which is rare and a big plus. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Child death, Rape, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Alcohol, Car accident, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Body shaming, Fire/Fire injury, Pedophilia, and Suicide

Minor: Terminal illness

julienicole1106's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Physical abuse, Violence, Alcohol, Car accident, Child abuse, Gun violence, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Stalking, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Murder, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Torture

mayeeta's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense

• 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? No

4.0

wow this hurt me so bad 
ow

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Rape, Murder, Medical content, Bullying, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Death of parent, Cancer, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Suicide, and Stalking

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, Blood, and Adult/minor relationship

jelliclecax's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Alcohol, Bullying, Car accident, and Murder

Minor: Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Stalking, and Suicide

maggies's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

Listening to the audiobook was interesting because it included "produced" episodes of the Guilty or Not Guilty podcast produced throughout the story. Not sure that was a good addition to the book, though...I didn't like the podcast and it soured my view of Rachel. The dual crimes years apart trope was executed well enough, with a suitable twist to be enjoyable, but it wasn't the most elegant.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Car accident, Terminal illness, Child abuse, Bullying, Death, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death of parent, Kidnapping, and Panic attacks/disorders

lou_o_donnell's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Cancer, Car accident, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence