Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain

8 reviews

planreadrepeat's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Anna, a detective specializing in finding missing people, arrives in her hometown to escape a recent, mysterious, tragedy. She reconnects with high school friends and involves herself quickly in a local missing person's case with a history eerily similar to her own. She starts working closely with her friend, Will to investigate all while intertwining her history of childhood, the town, and growing up with her foster parents, Hep and Eden. She also adopts a dog, Cricket. 

It's interesting that the book twists in a real-life missing person case, Polly Klaas, that happened at the same time as the setting of the book in 1993. Sometimes we forget how much more difficult it was to conduct searches and investigations before everything was on the internet and we had cell phones that function as computers. I found the author's note very personal and touching.

There are several content warnings I would give: child abuse, sexual assault, confinement, drug use and overdose. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief and Child death

Moderate: Abandonment, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Torture, Sexual violence, Murder, Kidnapping, and Infidelity

Minor: Chronic illness and Mental illness

ktdakotareads's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Infidelity, Medical trauma, Medical content, Rape, Confinement, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Murder, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault

Minor: Torture and Pedophilia

wonderfulxwonderful's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Abandonment, Addiction, Blood, Child abuse, Murder, Death of parent, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Kidnapping, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Infidelity, and Rape

sarahshoo's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Child death, Death, Rape, Grief, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, and Infidelity

christinesreads's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Murder, Rape, and Sexual assault

ellainalisa's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Child abuse, Child death, Murder, Alcoholism, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Infidelity

nodogsonthemoon's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Grief

Minor: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Blood, Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Murder, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

thrillofthepage's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, and Infidelity

Minor: Stalking