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fishyem's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Incredibly well written. The book being written as if for another character was a great framing device. As frustrating as it is to not get really much closure it’s reflective of the real justice system which I appreciate!
aang1122's review against another edition
4.0
Took 98% of the book to get to the point. Writing was not for me and was very boring, found myself skimming pages by the paragraph and not missing out on any important information. Narrator was self absorbed and it felt unrealistic that she would actually care about the murder for so long for this reason.
gripyfish's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
malvvina's review against another edition
Life is too short for boring books with annoying lame characters
mpginter's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
i think someone who has delved less deep into the topics of racism and violence against women might enjoy this book but to me it felt deeply shallow and centred white voices way too much. if you enjoyed this book and its themes, i highly recommend your next read be by an author of colour
honestlyholly's review
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.25
I'd probably agree that this book tries to do too much, and the ending is understandably frustrating. But I love ambition!! This author SAID something about the obsession we have with crime, about the women we see as victims, and about how the justice system fails them. I wanted more atmosphere (it's a boarding school, give me more dark academia!). If I was to improve this, I'd probably tell this story as a duel timeline the whole way through, with the ending telling us the reveal and the court case news at the same time.
capt_torrance7's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book was very sad and slow to me. I wish it was about half as long. The multiple paragraphs mentioning all the assaults, harassment, etc felt a bit triggering at times, and by the middle of the book, I would skim those parts. I liked it a lot more than The Great Believers. A lot of the stories felt very open ended, like it was up to me to interpret a character’s trauma, motivation, and adjustment. Maybe because the characters themselves weren’t willing to do it? I don’t know, but I wish it had a more satisfying end. Maybe that’s just a me problem.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Murder
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Cancer
eva_lucchino's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
seloesch's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse, Murder, and Sexual assault