Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

The Night Shift by Alex Finlay

20 reviews

sgrifgirl's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Death

Moderate: Bullying, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Child abuse, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Stalking and Suicide

dodgeremerson'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

Not the worst book, but it was very predictable. I called the killer from their introduction, as well as the other deaths that we discover early on. Kind of disappointing.

Also...

I am really frustrated that the promising young brown kid was killed off. He is the only death outside of the murders, and the only death "on the page." Why is the only POC mentioned the only death? Granted, it was clear he was going to die from the moment Finlay introducedhis mother with that "take care of my boy" line. But it is still irritating.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Physical abuse, Blood, Gore, Adult/minor relationship, and Child abuse

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Murder, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Grief, and Violence

Minor: Self harm, Suicide, Abortion, Bullying, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Death of parent, Addiction, and Police brutality

eevee_saur137's review

mysterious fast-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? No

2.75

This isn't a bad mystery, but it's a little overwritten in the sections where we see what characters are thinking. It is not subtle in the writing, and it can be hamfisted with its jokes and references. Clues can be buried, come out of left field, or just happen off-page (offscreen?) and after the reveals start flooding in, I wished the story would slow down. I wanted to know more about how the characters processed everything.

I don't mind the ending but I don't believe in the final couple, they had no chemistry or even opportunity to connect. And the fact that the only POC character ended up dead just disappoints me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Stalking, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Blood

Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, and Alcohol

It is a spoiler but

The reveal of the killer is also the revelation of multiple abusive, adult/minor relationships. Different minors, same adult.

vj_thompson's review

challenging emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Wow, wow, wow. The ENDING!!!

The Night Shift is probably up there in being one of my favorite thrills. I didn’t see the ending coming at all. I did get one of the plot twists. I liked that two of the three characters had flaws that they were processing through while the whole story was playing out.

The ending was the Epilogue was the sweetest thing 💕 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Violence, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Pregnancy, Stalking, Cursing, Gore, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Blood, Abandonment, Alcohol, Child abuse, and Death of parent

Minor: Self harm, Suicide, Abortion, Bullying, Classism, and Eating disorder

tristinrose's review

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Violence, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Murder

Moderate: Bullying, Pregnancy, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Suicide

laurenslittlelibrary_'s review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

I wasn’t completely blown away by this mystery/suspense. I feel like the villain could’ve been explored in more depth and that some of the side characters felt unnecessary to the story (like Rusty’s whole arrest). I did enjoy the multiple POV’s and the flashback chapter towards the end. I would’ve enjoyed a little more of the story from Jessie’s POV, but I liked how some of her side was portrayed between Ella and Sarah.  

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Content Warnings

Minor: Stalking, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Addiction, Blood, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Sexual assault

booksofautumn's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Blood, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Bullying, Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pregnancy, Stalking, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Violence

bre88's review

dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Classism, Death of parent, Bullying, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Suicide

wonderfulxwonderful's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Child death, and Murder

Minor: Suicide, Gaslighting, Self harm, Blood, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, and Mental illness

biancabuysbooks's review

adventurous tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.5

Alex Finlay does it again with an excellent follow-up thriller to his debut, and he has now become a must-read author for me! Also, I LOVE this cover with the neon lights!

The Night Shift was a quick read with short chapters (the best), and features dual timelines, which Finlay handled well. The first timeline, set in 1999, features four teenage girls working at a Blockbuster (throwback!) when 3/4 of them are killed. Police identify a suspect but are unable to capture him.

Fifteen years later, a similar crime happens at an ice cream shop: 4 teenage girls are working, three are killed, and one survives.

What follows is a race to catch this killer featuring a great cast of characters. We get a sharp female FBI agent and her eager assistant/sidekick, the original survivor who is now a counselor for troubled teens, the younger survivor who happens to be a troubled teen herself, and the brother of the initial suspect who eluded police for 15 years.

Finlay weaves in so many twists and turns in the hunt for the killer, along with unexpected connections between the characters! It was a page turner and I'm here for his next thriller!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Violence

Minor: Suicide, Grief, Bullying, Self harm, and Child abuse