Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

The Night Shift by Alex Finlay

17 reviews

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

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

achay91's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Drug use, Blood, and Physical abuse

Minor: Suicide, Self harm, Rape, Sexual assault, and Child abuse

itshrewsbury's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Drug use

Minor: Rape and Self harm

nrogers_1030's review

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

3.5

The identity of the killer is pretty predictable. That being noted, it still had enough twists to be a good read. Atticus’s passing was so heartbreaking

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Murder, Violence, Child abuse, Blood, Death, Pregnancy, Grief, and Infidelity

Moderate: Drug use, Alcohol, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Suicide, Self harm, Classism, Adult/minor relationship, Stalking, and Rape

detrasystem's review

challenging dark sad tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Self harm

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

beckyremillard's review against another edition

mysterious 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? No

4.5

In 1999, four teenagers were murdered at the Blockbuster they worked at. One person survived. The suspected murder was arrested, but released on bail and escaped. Fifteen years later, a group of teenagers were murdered at the ice cream shop. One person survived. 

The book is written in the third person from the perspectives of Ella, the Blockbuster survivor, Chris, the alleged Blockbuster murderer’s brother, and Special Agent Keller. 

There was a lot of layers to this one but I liked that I didn’t immediately guess the entire plot. I figured it out before the story got there, but that’s how the book is written. 

There seem to be some polarizing reviews on this one but I really liked it. I just couldn’t stand that the 8 month pregnant with twins FBI agent was running around and putting herself in danger. She made a comment about how she was treated by some while pregnant and working but she makes some extremely poor decisions. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Pregnancy, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Bullying, Suicide, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Self harm