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astoriareader's review
dark
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
3.0
SYNOPSIS
- On a summer day in Alabama, the someone has murdered the mayor’s wife.
- Unfortunately, the Southerners are starting to blame Mason, an autistic teen & son of local socialite Genevieve Hill, who was found standing next to the body.
- The police recruit Casey Walker as a consultant on the case. Casey is a therapist that specializes in working with autistic children, and she also has a 9 year old autistic kid of her own.
- Casey begins to grow suspicious that Genevieve is doing more than just protecting her son.
MY THOUGHTS
- Lucinda is one of my favorites! I’ve read 8 total by her so far (The Perfect Child, Saving Noah, The Best of Friends, When She Returned, Phantom Limb, Keep Your Friends Close, If You Tell A Lie, & Under Her Care).
- Although I am not autistic myself & I won’t pretend to speak for the autistic community, I wanted to give a trigger warning here. It's my understanding that Lucinda Berry is a licensed clinical psychologist, and I'm surprised she didn't reach out to get some perspectives from autistic individuals before publishing. In the book, there's a section where a character lectures a police officer, saying that he shouldn't use the phrase "autistic kids," but should say "kids with autism" instead. This theme is carried on throughout the book. While some autistic folks may prefer person-first language, it’s my understanding that most person identity-first language. I was disappointed, and since this is such a delicate topic, I think it could be handled better. If this is trigger, I would avoid this book.
- Along same lines, there are some other controversial & potentially triggering topics relating to ASD (e.g., ABA, masking, eye contact).
- Berry’s writing is great, but didn’t enjoy this as much as her others. I usually rate her 4-5. Don’t think I have ever rated her books below a 4. Felt like there were too many loose ends.
TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️3 stars. 8th Lucinda Berry book I’ve read & least favorite. Check for triggers, particularly re: ASD.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Confinement, Mental illness, and Abandonment
Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting
Minor: Drug abuse and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
edgaranjapoe's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Murder, and Gaslighting
Minor: Cancer, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail