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rainafyre's review
2.0
2.5 stars
This was SO long and drawn out. I was fighting to finish it.... It was ok. Nothing mind-blowing. *shrug*
This was SO long and drawn out. I was fighting to finish it.... It was ok. Nothing mind-blowing. *shrug*
sparklylikeaholiday's review against another edition
3.0
You can see all of my reviews at http://www.darktwistybooks.com
My Review
I wanted to like Guilty by Laura Elliot, I really did. I still gave it 3 stars because it was well paced, the story line was good, and there were parts I loved. That said, there were also parts I didn't love.
Many of the reviews (and even the book description) talk about Constance's disappearance. Yes, Constance's disappearance is what started the chain of events. But to me, this book was about Amanda Bowe. So I will start there.
Amanda Bowe is a journalist on the rise. She is having a tawdry affair with a cop who is leaking information to her. Particularly about the disappearance of 13-year old Constance. Amanda is certain without a doubt that her uncle, Karl, is "the guy". So in a series of news articles, she has, in short, ruined his life.
I enjoyed this part of the book. It's AMAZING what a few misconstrued, slightly twisted words on paper can do to a person's life. Her articles never lied, but they sure did twist the truth around.
Revenge
This story, from this point on becomes about revenge. But that's where it lost me. There was so much potential there and I enjoyed the premise. However, a little bit of the story was too "out there" for me. I did not enjoy the 'plinks' part of the story line at all. I found myself skimming over parts. That is always a tell tale sign that the enjoyment was lost somewhere.
The ending didn't wow me much either. There is definitely some deeper meaning to the end of the story line, but it went over my head. I had trouble seeing understanding the underlying symbolism.
This story of revenge and bad karma had more potential. That is not to say that you won't enjoy the book. 5 star reviews - and lots of them. I am definitely in the minority here. The author's writing was enjoyable and the cover is AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL. The author's other books appeal to me, and am looking forward to giving them a try.
THANK YOU
Thank you to Laura Elliot, Net Galley, and Bookouture for the copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
My Review
I wanted to like Guilty by Laura Elliot, I really did. I still gave it 3 stars because it was well paced, the story line was good, and there were parts I loved. That said, there were also parts I didn't love.
Many of the reviews (and even the book description) talk about Constance's disappearance. Yes, Constance's disappearance is what started the chain of events. But to me, this book was about Amanda Bowe. So I will start there.
Amanda Bowe is a journalist on the rise. She is having a tawdry affair with a cop who is leaking information to her. Particularly about the disappearance of 13-year old Constance. Amanda is certain without a doubt that her uncle, Karl, is "the guy". So in a series of news articles, she has, in short, ruined his life.
I enjoyed this part of the book. It's AMAZING what a few misconstrued, slightly twisted words on paper can do to a person's life. Her articles never lied, but they sure did twist the truth around.
Revenge
This story, from this point on becomes about revenge. But that's where it lost me. There was so much potential there and I enjoyed the premise. However, a little bit of the story was too "out there" for me. I did not enjoy the 'plinks' part of the story line at all. I found myself skimming over parts. That is always a tell tale sign that the enjoyment was lost somewhere.
The ending didn't wow me much either. There is definitely some deeper meaning to the end of the story line, but it went over my head. I had trouble seeing understanding the underlying symbolism.
This story of revenge and bad karma had more potential. That is not to say that you won't enjoy the book. 5 star reviews - and lots of them. I am definitely in the minority here. The author's writing was enjoyable and the cover is AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL. The author's other books appeal to me, and am looking forward to giving them a try.
THANK YOU
Thank you to Laura Elliot, Net Galley, and Bookouture for the copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
saranemecek's review against another edition
tense
medium-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
2.5
cheryl59's review against another edition
4.0
This book started well with the disappearance of Constance and the subsequent persecution of her Uncle Karl, but I felt that it got lost after that, and although it ended well my disappointment at the middle section somewhat spoiled my enjoyment.
deziraewilson778's review
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
reetzreads's review
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
3.25
lizzyrb's review
3.0
It’s a good story but it feels too long- too long to get to the crucial parts, too long to establish some things, too long to resolve things. It’s a lot of story. But it’s also just a lot.
bernluvsbooks's review against another edition
3.0
Guilty is a psychological thriller about uncovering the secrets behind the disappearance of 13 year old Constance Lawson. After an argument with her parents, Constance sneaks out of her house never to be seen again.
Constance's uncle, Karl Lawson, is under suspicion and their close relationship comes under negative scrutiny. The disappearance causes family turmoil when no one knows what to believe and leaves Karl's life torn apart.
I don't want to give too much away although the "why" to Constance's disappearance is shared early on. The rest of the book focuses on the aftermath. How the disappearance affected the lives of various characters. This was a problem for me as I just never really connected with these characters. I especially disliked the reporter, Amanda and her self serving actions. Having so much of the book focusing on her was a definite negative for me.
I initially felt bad for Karl but his actions during the latter part of the book were pretty vile. That was probably what kept me turning the pages despite my strong dislike for Amanda. I really enjoyed watching him go from misunderstood good guy to bad guy. What does it take for someone to cross that line from good to bad? How much is too much when you have essentially been a wronged victim too?
The beginning of the book which detailed Constance's disappearance was fast paced and definitely kept me turning the pages quickly. It was the best part of the book for me. Then it got decidedly slower and at times I had to really force myself to stick with it. This definitely was not the typical mystery/thriller format I prefer.
Overall Guilty was for me an ok read. The pacing could definitely have been better in my opinion. The twists were interesting at the onset but my failure to connect with the characters made enjoying the last part of the book difficult. I honestly didn't care what happened to Amanda.
Constance's uncle, Karl Lawson, is under suspicion and their close relationship comes under negative scrutiny. The disappearance causes family turmoil when no one knows what to believe and leaves Karl's life torn apart.
I don't want to give too much away although the "why" to Constance's disappearance is shared early on. The rest of the book focuses on the aftermath. How the disappearance affected the lives of various characters. This was a problem for me as I just never really connected with these characters. I especially disliked the reporter, Amanda and her self serving actions. Having so much of the book focusing on her was a definite negative for me.
I initially felt bad for Karl but his actions during the latter part of the book were pretty vile. That was probably what kept me turning the pages despite my strong dislike for Amanda. I really enjoyed watching him go from misunderstood good guy to bad guy. What does it take for someone to cross that line from good to bad? How much is too much when you have essentially been a wronged victim too?
The beginning of the book which detailed Constance's disappearance was fast paced and definitely kept me turning the pages quickly. It was the best part of the book for me. Then it got decidedly slower and at times I had to really force myself to stick with it. This definitely was not the typical mystery/thriller format I prefer.
Overall Guilty was for me an ok read. The pacing could definitely have been better in my opinion. The twists were interesting at the onset but my failure to connect with the characters made enjoying the last part of the book difficult. I honestly didn't care what happened to Amanda.