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kimtazo's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Violence
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, Death, Suicide, Blood, Alcohol, and Violence
_maia3_'s review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I'm rating this a very safe 2.5 because whilst I did enjoy the book, a lot of it felt a little off in a bad way.
Either this reads better in its native language, or the writing is by design a little amateur-ish. Further, the characterisation is lacking (which is tentatively fine, one can only explore so much in a single novel), and this leads to emotional beats lacking punch. The actual set-up for the murders is rather unrealistic - I cannot fathom how any of the students thought staying at a remote island for a week with no contact or escape was a good idea, even if there wasn't a murderer around.
It's clear that this was written for people who are already deeply entrenched in the mystery genre, as a lot of the novel references mystery tropes and this specifically guides the characters in who they suspect/ what they think - but the psychological aspect wasn't very much explored and I think that was a pity.
As for the final twist, it was unexpected-yet-earned, although the overall explanation was a quite convoluted, which meant I didn't feel like much could have been pieced together until the author decided that it was time to give everything out.
Overall, it was a good book which was worth the afternoon I read it in, but it does feel like it may have benefited from a couple more drafts, as it feels too loose and messy. Read at your own peril?
Either this reads better in its native language, or the writing is by design a little amateur-ish. Further, the characterisation is lacking (which is tentatively fine, one can only explore so much in a single novel), and this leads to emotional beats lacking punch. The actual set-up for the murders is rather unrealistic - I cannot fathom how any of the students thought staying at a remote island for a week with no contact or escape was a good idea, even if there wasn't a murderer around.
It's clear that this was written for people who are already deeply entrenched in the mystery genre, as a lot of the novel references mystery tropes and this specifically guides the characters in who they suspect/ what they think - but the psychological aspect wasn't very much explored and I think that was a pity.
As for the final twist, it was unexpected-yet-earned, although the overall explanation was a quite convoluted, which meant I didn't feel like much could have been pieced together until the author decided that it was time to give everything out.
Overall, it was a good book which was worth the afternoon I read it in, but it does feel like it may have benefited from a couple more drafts, as it feels too loose and messy. Read at your own peril?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder
Moderate: Infidelity
moonlightreads007's review against another edition
challenging
dark
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? It's complicated
4.5
I would describe this book as a mysterious, suspenseful and Christie-esque type of read. Although the plot development starts off slowly at first, the pace of the book picks up quickly. It was hard to tell how the story would unfold and the author keeps you guessing as to who the main suspects are and who the culprit might be (which I consider to be the hallmarks of a good mystery/detective style book). The narrative style is interesting, as it switches between the events occurring on the mainland and those on the island. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Agatha Christie-style novels and who enjoys tense, suspenseful settings and plot developments in books. However, I would also recommend checking out the content warnings for this book as some of the deaths are quite graphically described at times.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder
Moderate: Blood and Suicide
Minor: Rape and Vomit
atalea's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Infidelity, Suicide, and Death of parent
toffishay's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This was a really engaging, creepy, but fun mystery! The homages to classic mysteries, especially Agatha Christie were really fun as a lover of mystery and detective media. I won't spoil the ending, but I think it's a worthwhile read if you are a fan of the genre. The only things bringing it down for me, is that I think there could have been a little more drama at the end and one character in particular, I felt was under-used.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Vomit, Confinement, Murder, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Grief, Gaslighting, Blood, Suicide, and Medical content
Minor: Rape, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Infidelity
kaimetcalfe's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Death, Gore, Addiction, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Sexual violence and Rape
crows_in_a_trenchcoat's review
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Rape
lilifane's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I am hard to please when it comes to murder mysteries. But this one pleased me.
I actually did not expect to love it this much because it took me a little time to get used to the writing at the beginning. But once I got used to it, I flew through the book. I was glued to the pages. And it's such a short book, but oh boy, so many things happen. Many gruesome things as well, so be warned. I loved the structure of the book, the two parallel plots and mysteries, the pacing. Even though I think the characters could have had more depth and backstory, I liked them all and cared for them. Even in this short amount of time. The setting and atmosphere were amazing.
And the plotting? Holy sh**!
I love when an author manages to surprise me. And although I had the right idea (literally one page before the reveal) I still would have suspected the wrong person. But looking back, everything makes so much sense. And I love that we get a complete explanation in the end, that's so satisfying.
I actually did not expect to love it this much because it took me a little time to get used to the writing at the beginning. But once I got used to it, I flew through the book. I was glued to the pages. And it's such a short book, but oh boy, so many things happen. Many gruesome things as well, so be warned. I loved the structure of the book, the two parallel plots and mysteries, the pacing. Even though I think the characters could have had more depth and backstory, I liked them all and cared for them. Even in this short amount of time. The setting and atmosphere were amazing.
And the plotting? Holy sh**!
I love when an author manages to surprise me. And although I had the right idea (literally one page before the reveal) I still would have suspected the wrong person. But looking back, everything makes so much sense. And I love that we get a complete explanation in the end, that's so satisfying.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Confinement, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder
antoniac's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Death, Suicide, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Vomit and Rape
loreydoor's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
3.75
A great mystery, the translation feels a bit stiff but I fell in to the groove of it after the first chapter. I do wish the characters had a bit more depth to them.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death