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jenn_reads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I listened to it as an audiobook and it was a little more difficult to follow than I imagine it was in print? It kept re-reading the list of names and starting the chapter numbers over from one, it took me about two thirds of the book to realize it might have names struck through that the narrator wasn't identifying as such. It was also a little hard to keep track of the threads as an audiobook.
The Jay chapters in particular were really jarring to hear aloud like that. I was not prepared.
I feel like I probably should have just reread And Then There Were None.
Graphic: Stalking, Gun violence, Child death, Murder, Suicide, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault
Drowningfoldingthepage_kayleigh's review
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Confinement, Child death, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Infidelity, Car accident, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Stalking and Homophobia
vkitoria's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Moderate: Child death
kayrenee521's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Moderate: Murder, Alcoholism, Bullying, and Child death
jrpal's review
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Murder and Child death
midnightrose_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Stalking, Violence, and Child death
Moderate: Sexual content
kris386's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Murder, Death, and Suicide
Moderate: Terminal illness, Child death, Bullying, Chronic illness, Gun violence, Alcohol, and Violence
Minor: Infidelity, Racial slurs, Drug use, Sexual content, Cancer, Car accident, Domestic abuse, and Homophobia
dalmavatai's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I actually really enjoyed this book and is probably my favorite Peter Swanson as I found both The Kind Worth Killing and Every Vow You Break mediocre. It was fast-paced, exciting, and had a reveal that I didn't expect and really enjoyed. As usual, Peter Swanson doesn't have super memorable characters or relationships, and the reason behind the murders did not surprise me as it was very similar to the one in And Then There Were None. I also thought some of the connections could have been revealed in a more interesting and suspenseful way, so by no means is this a perfect book. But I did really enjoy my time reading it and if you're looking for a fast-paced, plot-based thriller with a satisfying (albeit not completely unpredictable) twist, then this one's for you! Just be aware that this is a retelling and therefore if you've read the original and loved it, this might not be your thing.
Graphic: Grief, Infidelity, Murder, Death, and Child death
shazzalovesnovels's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Murder and Child death
Minor: Car accident and Suicide
elmewhy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The Set-Up... Hooked! The synopsis was wow and completely enticed me to read this. It had everything, a cool premise and synopsis, the promise of a great twisty and turny mystery, and a respectable author behind it.
The Plot...I had high expectations but was let a little down. The book was a great easy read and the short chapters kept the story going - I enjoyed how a death/murder wasn't detailed to the ground to drag out the word count, it kept up the thriller/mystery theme. Sprinkled into each character's subplot was a little life lesson/issue that kept things relatable, the overarching theme and ending theme
A prominent reference either spoiled or helped me predict exactly how this book was going to go, reading this book wasn't a case of 'How will this end?' it was more 'Oh, I know what is gonna happen how will Swanson do it differently' - Read below for the Agatha Christie thing.
The Characters...I found each character really interesting, the short descriptions of them were enough to grasp their personalities - There was some diversity between them, as much as you could
The Agatha Christie thing... Now I enjoy a reference here and there to AC within modern thriller/mystery books. However, my biggest issue was how much "And Then There Were None" was mentioned -
*Heard this wasn't the first time Swanson has referenced an AC book in his books.
The Ending... I don't have any strong feelings about how this ended, the above points clarify this. The justification for the murders was questionable and I would have liked more reasoning behind it. The connection reveal was okay but did need more fleshing out - we basically heard nothing from the people who we needed to hear from
Overall, I did enjoy my reading experience with this book. I wasn't too baffled by the plot and the reveals weren't very exciting. The set-up for the book was there and completely had me hooked but the actual end product wasn't living up to the hype. I will read more of Swanson's book though as I did enjoy the writing style.
Details
-Plot: medium-paced
-TW: Death, Murder, Child loss/Death
-Ending Happy/Sad/Unfinished:
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Murder