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cdubbs'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
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Grief, Toxic friendship, Death, Gaslighting, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Self harm, Child abuse, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Miscarriage, Sexual content, Blood, Cursing, and Pregnancy
bookishgoob's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham follows Chloe Davis, now in her 30’s still plagued by what her father did when she was a child. As the 20 year anniversary of her fathers crimes nears closer and closer every day, the same pattern of crimes starts happening again. Being girls that she knows, she starts to suspect people around her and her world unravels.
It’s so interesting to me, reading thrillers as often as I do, because I usually know what i’m looking for when it comes to trying to spot who is the person at fault. While I made some guesses in the beginning that turned out to be right, I wasn’t expecting it to unravel the way that it did. The feeling of being in Chloe’s shoes and not knowing who to trust made my heart race. This was such a good example of not giving away too much information, yet still finding things out in unison with the character. Feeling the same sense of uncomfortable tension and trying figure out what’s going on along with the main character is such an awesome way to feel included in the writing. The darkness that creeps inside of her, the feeling of not being able to trust herself wholly when it comes to everyone around her, and the subtle gaslighting she does to herself were all so well written. One of my favorite things about this book was the use of foreshadowing, how it wasn’t so obvious that it ruined the ending early, but it wasn’t so subtle that you didn’t know fully what was going on. This author did such an awesome job of using our minds against us while looking at each of the suspects. I fully enjoyed this book. I gave us just a little less than 5 stars because I would have like to see a little more of the ending scene where the truth comes to light. it seemed just a little rushed to me. Other than that, I have no complaints with this book. It kept me on the edge of my seat, holding my breath, and biting my nails. It definitely feels like a slow start but when it gets going, it GOES. if you’re looking for a thriller that will keep you up all night trying to figure out who did it, this one is definitely for you.
Graphic: Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Death, Grief, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Infidelity, Medical trauma, Murder, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, and Violence
kimveach's review
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Infidelity, and Self harm
Minor: Pregnancy and Sexual assault