Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Knife River by Justine Champine

1 review

panic_at_the_bookshelf's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense fast-paced
  • 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

3.0

From the very first page I was curious to find out what was going on. During the first few chapters more information about the disappearance of their mother was slowly revealed. However that didn't last that long. 

Most of the book was about the main character trying to navigate in a world while not really knowing herself. The book takes time to explain how certain characters work and why they are the way they are. It felt like the mystery itself wasn't the main focus of this book. The story mostly talked about how people deal with such a mystery. 

Reading how two sisters dealt with a disappearance of their mom and the grief it brought along sure was an interesting take for both had their very own beliefs and theories. I really liked how different they dealt with thinks. That isn't always highlighted in books. 

I did feel confused by the timeline in this book. Scenes ended abruptly and then the next chapter could be weeks later without a clear connection. It made me feel like I was reading random snippets of a bigger story. For some reason some character's also immediately knew when the MC was hiding something. All of it felt a bit too convenient to me. 

I am also not a fan of the smut scenes in this book. Things felt chaotic so it was hard to follow what was happening. For example, some erotic things were briefly mentioned then you'd read a lot of deep thoughts from within the main character's mind before being thrown back into the smut scene.

The ending was well done and while I think this book wasn't meant for me I am glad I did finish it because the ending did serve the tension I would expect from a thriller. 

So if you are a fan of reading how characters deal with the grief and sadness that comes along with losing a loved one that went missing, then this might be the book for you! 

I was giving a chance to read this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Special thanks to The Dial Press, Justine Champine and Katy Nishimoto!

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