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readingrampage's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Sexual assault
Minor: Animal cruelty and Homophobia
larkeebb's review against another edition
3.75
Moderate: Animal cruelty
lfancher's review against another edition
Graphic: Animal cruelty
tessa_talks_books's review against another edition
- 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? No
3.5
- This is one of those stories that I more appreciate the incredible talent shown in the storytelling rather than love as a reader, but only because that is how I look at literary works unless they speak to me on a personal level. And I would consider this mystery/thriller literary quality.
- I found the Greek tragedy angle, complete with the traditional Greek chorus marked by "We" in the chapter headings, to be an interesting take on storytelling in a thriller. It adds more to the emotional and atmospheric aspects but doesn't help the mystery/thriller component.
- I enjoyed the poetic nature of the Greek chorus chapters. They were some of my favorite chapters except for the one I mentioned below in trigger warnings.
- I found the mystery incredibly clever and the reveal completely surprising. I didn't even suspect it for one minute, but it is very much in keeping with the story, and I could instantly think back to the clues that were most definitely there.
- I loved how many secrets the townies harbored too. This town needs a whole-town intervention by mental health workers to help them get everything out and start the healing process. There were that many dire secrets.
- There are a lot of characters in this story, and they share the spotlight. But if I had to name the main character, I would say Ronnie – the missing girl's best friend. Ronnie is the only character that I liked in the story. She is a free spirit in the making, has a beautiful heart and soul, and is incredibly brave and independent for one so young.
- The narration by the Greek chorus of the town's kids looking back to 2001, two of Esther's (the missing girl) friends – also 12 years old, the detective investigating the murder, and the friends' mothers provide a complete story for the reader. It's a little confusing, especially telling the difference between the mothers, but I thought the children's perspective was fascinating.
- The pace is medium at best. The incredible atmosphere slowed it down for me, as I often experience, so it wasn't my favorite part of this story.
- The story is set in a small agricultural town in the Australian outback. The atmosphere was oppressive and worked exceedingly well for this story.
- Read if you're in the mood for:
- A medium-paced atmospheric story
- A mysterious, dark, emotional, and tense thriller
- A modern Greek tragedy
- Trigger Warnings: Child and Domestic Abuse and Child Death, plus there is a chapter with horrible animal cruelty concerning a kitten. The reader can easily skip it, though, since I'm warning you, and it's the only time a kitten is mentioned. (This is one of my triggers, and it caught me off-guard. It still haunts me.)
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
dckathleen's review against another edition
- 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? No
3.5
Definitely some trigger warnings to consider here.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Homophobia, and Rape
prittypeaches's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Written like a near-history historical fiction (set in early 2000s small town Australia), it's a very dark thriller - like Southern Noir only it's Outback Noir. It's great if you like to be reminded of Dunkaroos and Nokia 3310s while you read your thriller novel.
This book was long and a bit slow in setting out. I didn't know going in how I'd deal with a child missing/dead but it was hard work. I'm glad I read it but I'm not sure I can recommend it unless people want to read dark and bleak. There are many crimes in this book that keep the bleakness coming throughout, is isn't ONLY a book about a missing girl case.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Bullying, Drug use, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Car accident, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism and Animal death
captainolyareads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I've enjoyed mysteries set in Australia because of the atmospheric tension the arid setting often evokes but Dirt Creek didn't do it for me. I found it difficult to stay invested, both from the sluggish pacing and the characters. There were simply too many to keep track of. One of the POV's was dedicated to Detective Sergeant Sarah Michaels, and it felt like she spent more time reminiscing on a former break-up and fantasizing about every woman she met as a potential love interest rather than solving Esther's disappearance. A lot of it came down to unnecessary exposition as well. Lastly, there were several references to animal abuse and torture that I thought were irrelevant to the story.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Bullying
madluck's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape
shutupiamreading's review
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Rape, and Car accident
Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, and Homophobia
library_dreamer's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, and Rape