Reviews with content warning for Domestic abuse - What Happened to Nina?

Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan

14 reviews

whitneyfoster's review against another edition

dark 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? N/A

3.5

This book was interesting enough to keep me reading, but it’s almost a play by play of the Gabby Petito case. I was waiting for some surprise twist, but it never came. The characters were all pretty unlikable, but the ending was somewhat satisfying.

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earth2shari's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective 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

5.0

Excellent missing person/who-done-it told from different perspectives with sub-themes such as entitlement, tragedy in the time of social media misinformation, and choices.

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serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

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dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

What Happened to Nina? is somewhat of a misnomer because the reader finds out right at the start of the novel what happened to her. The novel really pivots around two main threads. The first is that of her family and their desperate search to find her and then to seek justice. The second relates to Simon, her boyfriend, and his family. As the last person to see her alive, he is clearly a person of interest, and his wealthy influential parents are very invested in protecting his reputation and theirs. The way they use their privilege to slow the investigation and to spread misinformation online was totally rage inducing. I enjoyed seeing this story unfold through a variety of perspectives. It certainly made me think about what I'd do if I were either set of parents. While I may understand their motives, I'd like to hope my actions wouldn't mirror theirs. I also enjoyed what McTiernan has to say about privilege, social media, and justice. It's not new nor revolutionary, but it's an important message that can't be repeated too often.

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readingonfordearlife's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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? It's complicated

4.5

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booklvrkat's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

“Simon and I met in school when we were five years old. In middle school we became friends. When we were sixteen we fell in love.”

Ah, young love. Nina and Simon fall in love in high school. They are the ultimate young couple, they are fun, and their families see a future for them. Nina blows off work, her family owns a B&B, and they travel to Simon’s family cabin for the weekend. Only Simon comes back from their weekend, and as the truths and lies spiral, both families understand that there is little that they won’t do for their children.

“I packed my bag. And then I went downstairs to tell Simon that we were over and that I never wanted to see him again.”

Wow. This was a wild ride. It’s very suggestive of the Gabby Petito missing story. Not to mention that the shadow of social media getting in the way of the search for Nina. The anxiety I felt listening to this story was off the charts, and I found myself cringing every time someone stood up for Simon. A fast read, the full cast made this story extraordinary, and I feel like I’ve missed out reading this author.

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allie_treacherousreads's review

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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? Yes

3.0

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evawondergem's review

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challenging dark emotional sad 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? No

4.5

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rmarcin's review against another edition

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4.0

The story begins with Nina telling us that we already know her story. She mentions her relationship with her boyfriend, Simon, a boy she grew up with and then fell in love with when she was 16. He becomes controlling, and sadly, that goes too far when they go on vacation together. Nina's mom is concerned when Nina doesn't respond to her texts or calls, and when she doesn't return from the vacation, her concern deepens. However, Simon's parents are very wealthy, and wage a campaign against Nina's family to protect their son. Yet, Nina's parents decide to fight back. When the law doesn't help them, they realize that they must get justice for Nina in their own way.
This is a powerful story of love, loss, and what a family will do for justice. Although I knew what happened to Nina, how her parents handled the situation was a surprise. I also liked how her younger sister, Grace, recognized Simon's faults and was able to stand up for herself. An interesting story and a warning to people in abusive situations - get out, before it is too late!

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bookish_amber's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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? Yes

5.0

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marekcornett's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

This book was written in a really unique way. Less of a whodunnit and more of a “are they going to get caught?” The book was tense, not much of a mystery but definitely worth reading!

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