Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse

20 reviews

singalana's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Odotin koko ajan kuunnellessani milloin kirjan toiminta lähtee käyntiin, eikä se oikein ikinä lähtenyt. Valitettavasti hienosta miljööstä ja potentiaalista huolimatta teos oli pettymys.

Parantola on thriller, mutta kallistuu minusta ehkä hieman enemmän mysteerin puolelle. Mitään henkeäsalpaavaa jännitystä ei ole luvassa. Teos on Pearse ensimmäinen, ja esikoisteokseksi se on kuitenkin varsin kelvollinen. 

Rikostutkija Elin saapuu Sveitsin Alpeille juhlimaan veljensä Isaacin kihlajaisia. Juhlapaikkana toimii luksushotelliksi muutettu entinen tuberkuloosiparantola. Pian Isaacin morsian katoaa ja Alpeilta löydetään ruumis. Sään huonontuessa hotellivieraat joutuvat eristyksiin muusta maailmasta ja tappaja alkaa toteuttaa kostoaan. 

Päähenkilö Elin on menneisyyden piinaama. Hän on työstään virkavapaalla erään häntä järkyttäneen tapauksen jälkeen. Lisäksi Eliniä piinaavat tapahtumat vuosien takaa ja hän haluaa saada veljeltään Isaacilta vastauksia. Elin on haavoittuvainen hahmo, mutta yrittää kuitenkin pyristellä irti menneisyytensä kahleista. Muut hahmot nähdään Elinin perspektiivin kautta. 

Aluksi kirjailijan rauhallinen tyyli ja lukijan ääni toimi hyvin tunnelman luomiseksi. Verkkainen tyyli kuitenkin jatkuu läpi teoksen, jolloin jännityksen ytimeen ei oikein kunnolla päästä. Loppujen lopuksi kirjasta jäi sellainen vaikutelma, että asioita tehtiin vain estetiikan takia, jännittävien visuaalisten elementtien hakemiseksi siinä tapauksessa jos kirjasta tehtäisiin filmatisointi. 

Spoilereita!

En oikein missään vaikeessa päässyt sinuiksi Elinin toimintatapojen kanssa. Hän tekee henkilöistö ja tapahtumista usein vääriä tulkintoja, jotka osoittautuvat kohtalokkaiksi. Samat kuviot toistuvat useaan otteeseen. Lisäksi Elin käyttäytyy varsin omavaltaisesti tutkiessaan tapausta ja on vaikea kuvitella että hän selviäisi siitä noin vain ilman perusteellisia kuulusteluja.

Loppuratkaisu oli pettymys. Motiivin yhteys tuberkuloosiparantolan tapahtumiin oli heikko. Lisäksi oli epäuskottavaa miten monta ihmistä tapaukseen oli sotkeutunut.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror

Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Blood, Gore, Death, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

Minor: Abortion, Alcohol, Death of parent, Dementia, and Rape

amandalachelle's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Stalking, Medical content, Death, Gore, Grief, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Child death, Chronic illness, Body horror, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Murder, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Rape, and Panic attacks/disorders

ambersbakesandbooks's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder

Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual violence, and Rape

Minor: Forced institutionalization and Confinement

kk_gotit_goinon's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This is a true thriller, through and through. I was on the edge of my seat the whole book, and just when I thought I had it figured out it threw me through another loop! Super exciting, not too gory or bloody. It's a crime show crossed with Stella Gets Her Groove back, I loved it. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Physical abuse, Infertility, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexism, Rape, Murder, and Medical content

magical_mads's review

dark mysterious fast-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

1.5

The characters were very unlikable and frustrating. There were at least four or five plot twists within the last 100 pages. The motivations behind the murders made no sense. And then there was a feminist twist thrown in at the very end so that the author could make some social commentary or some thing, which was handled very poorly (in my opinion). I’m so disappointed because this kind of premise/commentary is 100% sent the thing that I normally go for. But this book is a no for me.

Also, I hated how in the topic of rape was treated in this book. It felt like it was shoved in as a last minute plot twist. It should never be treated like that.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Sexism, Stalking, Torture, Gaslighting, and Gore

Minor: Infertility, Rape, Abortion, and Sexual assault

bethnash's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Blood, Child death, Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Mental illness, Grief, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Body horror

Minor: Abortion, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual assault, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

starrysteph's review

dark tense slow-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

2.0

This was a huge miss - especially considering the concept. I was prepared for atmospheric horror in isolation, and I got a boring, lengthy read. 

The setting is a Sanatorium with a dark history (now converted into a modern hotel), hidden deep in the snowy mountains with shoddy cell service and avalanches barring escape. Sounds terrifying, right? Not here.

The pacing was maddeningly slow, the character development was nonexistent, and the men were walking red flags. The reason this is two stars instead of one is because I did appreciate some of the descriptive writing & as mentioned above, thought the concept was excellent.

Our main character, a detective dealing with lifelong panic attacks (starting with the death of her little brother as a child and amplified after a botched case), is shockingly inept. She does ... well .. just about everything wrong during her "investigation". And she is on the verge of tears throughout most of it, doubting herself and whining about her situation. I did not believe Elin was ever a detective (more like a casual true crime podcast listener).

Onto the mystery itself, which was painfully drawn out and filled with common tropes.

No spoilers, but the killer reveal and motivation was baffling. Totally far fetched - and the "clues" were ridiculous. Then, there's a tacked-on epilogue with a cliffhanger clearly intended to leave readers craving more Elin (it didn't work). 

This should have been a super high stakes read, and the setting should have been actually utilized (why wasn't the Sanatorium given any characterization?). It's too bad.

CW: murder, death, medical trauma, child death, rape, panic attacks, abortion, kidnapping, confinement, force institutionalization, psychosis, mental illness, torture

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Torture, Violence, Blood, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Medical content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder

Minor: Car accident

selenatothemax's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Rape, Murder, Body horror, Cancer, Child death, Blood, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture

Moderate: Toxic relationship

Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis

ekmook's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Murder, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Blood, Confinement, Medical content, Child death, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, and Gore

Moderate: Sexual assault, Rape, and Sexism

Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis and Death of parent

parkerknoll's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Incredible writing, suspense building, and pacing. Interesting mystery thriller that doesn’t use all the usual tropes  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Murder, Blood, Child death, Death, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Torture, Gore, and Grief

Minor: Death of parent, Sexual violence, Confinement, Infertility, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Abortion, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Infidelity, and Sexual harassment