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kjohnstone62'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
4.0
Moderate: Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, Rape, Blood, Child abuse, and Child death
Minor: Alcoholism
wonderfulxwonderful's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
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
lynxreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Torture, and Violence
nodogsonthemoon's review against another edition
- 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
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
avisreadsandreads'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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Kidnapping
Moderate: Abandonment, Cancer, Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Blood, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, and Torture
madeline's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Alcoholism, and Child death
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Blood, Cancer, and Sexual assault
lorinew1'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? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Rape, Kidnapping, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Gore, Death of parent, Death, Confinement, Child death, Child abuse, and Blood
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Animal cruelty, Car accident, Chronic illness, Gun violence, and Grief
bookscoffeehayley'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? Yes
5.0
soon! Paula McLain’s writing style is completely captivating. It pulled me in faster and deeper than I expected it to! I’ve read my fair share of crime novels and thrillers, but I’m not sure I've read one where the author writes their characters with such heart.
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Death, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault
thebakerbookworm's review against another edition
3.0
As for the story itself, it's more of a mystery than a thriller, even though the chapters are short. I suspected two characters for the kidnapper and one of them was correct. The ending reveal did feel a bit rushed to me though. When Anna finds the clue that leads her to the kidnapper, it seems to come out of the blue and it's not something the reader could have picked up on earlier. Also, the mystery of Anna's immediate past, what drove her to Mendocino, felt lacking to me. Yes, it was tragic, but not the kind of detail that needed to be hidden for the whole novel. I think there could have been more insight into Anna's character, and more development, if this knowledge was revealed much earlier in the story. As it is, it was hard to fully understand Anna's motivations, even though the story is written from her perspective, because we were missing this detail from her past.
That being said, I did appreciate the development given to secondary characters, particularly Emily. Her story was heartbreaking, but I loved the subtle strength she grew for the sake of her daughter. Also Cricket the dog was a lovely addition.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.
Read if you like: nature essays, true crime, haunted heroines.
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Confinement and Rape
Minor: Animal cruelty, Blood, Cancer, Violence, and Alcoholism