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stephanie_jmc's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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? It's complicated
3.0
Another book club read and probably the earliest I’ve ever started /finished a book club book - I usually am racing to read them the days before we meet ! This one gets a 6.2/10.
Honestly, the book was very intriguing at first. I raced through the first 120 pages or so pretty quickly - and then maintained my pace because I was committed to finishing the book fast. But it gets very repetitive and boring. A nonstop cycle of chapters that alternate between 5 characters, all of which seem to always end on cliff hangers with very minimal, if any, progress happening in the book. Nothing really happens until the last 30ish pages and then it all happens really fast. The ending was annoying as well but I really can’t expand on that more without giving spoilers. There’s also not really a whole lot of “fair” hints to make it fun to try and guess who did it. (Guessing who did it is my favourite part about mystery books).
It’s possible that because this was also a mystery “who dun it” book that does not remotely measure up to the mystery book I just read/posted about, I’m being a bit harsher on this novel as a result. The writing is simple, it does keep you wondering, but ultimately was kind of a “meh” book overall. I wouldn’t recommend against it, but I also wouldn’t actively promote it. If you’re really into mysteries / cliff hangers - you might like this book !
Honestly, the book was very intriguing at first. I raced through the first 120 pages or so pretty quickly - and then maintained my pace because I was committed to finishing the book fast. But it gets very repetitive and boring. A nonstop cycle of chapters that alternate between 5 characters, all of which seem to always end on cliff hangers with very minimal, if any, progress happening in the book. Nothing really happens until the last 30ish pages and then it all happens really fast. The ending was annoying as well but I really can’t expand on that more without giving spoilers. There’s also not really a whole lot of “fair” hints to make it fun to try and guess who did it. (Guessing who did it is my favourite part about mystery books).
It’s possible that because this was also a mystery “who dun it” book that does not remotely measure up to the mystery book I just read/posted about, I’m being a bit harsher on this novel as a result. The writing is simple, it does keep you wondering, but ultimately was kind of a “meh” book overall. I wouldn’t recommend against it, but I also wouldn’t actively promote it. If you’re really into mysteries / cliff hangers - you might like this book !
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Death, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence
Minor: Alcohol, Eating disorder, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Incest, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, and Suicide attempt
kmaron's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Toxic friendship, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, and Miscarriage
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