Scan barcode
toofondofbooks_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
It's been years since I've read a courtroom drama, so I was excited to finally pick this up. Miracle Creek is about Miracle Submarine, a treatment center that the owners claim can treat an array of conditions including infertility and autism using hyperbaric oxygenation therapy or HBOT for short. When the HBOT chamber explodes and kills two people, this book turns into a who dunnit very quickly. Told in multiple points of view, this unique courtroom drama shows you the story from all angles while also covering the trial over the course of a few days. It was fun figuring out who did it, but a little bit easy. I'm not sure if it was just easy for me or not, but I had an inkling during the first section of the book of who did it and I was correct. Even with that, though - every chapter was interesting and engaging. There wasn't any filler or nonsense to sift through. I liked the family dynamics that were explored throughout, the good, bad, and absolutely horrifyingly ugly. Every character was interesting even if I found them disgusting - and for the most part, I absolutely did. I do wish that it had been harder for me to figure out and I wish that it had been maybe one section longer, which I know sounds crazy coming from me because I'm always saying in my reviews that I thought a book could've been edited down. I see the irony, believe me!! Overall, this was a solid book and if you like courtroom dramas and complicated family dynamics, you should pick it up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Murder, Sexual violence, Body horror, Suicide, Child death, Death of parent, Death, and Ableism
Moderate: Infertility, Infidelity, Body horror, Stalking, and Xenophobia
Minor: Excrement
halcyonkathryn's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Medical content
Moderate: Infertility, Infidelity, Xenophobia, and Racial slurs
mariekejee's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I loved this book. It had just the right amount of misdirection and switching narratives for the mystery to remain interesting, and I loved the characters. The characters are complex and terrible, but terrible in a way that has layers, in a way that made me very invested in their well-being. Most of them, at least.
Speaking of terrible, the book deals with very, very heavy topics, and doesn't shy away from discussing them. It has graphic descriptions of the accident, which made me feel a plethora of emotions; and although I'd love to tell you about the other topics, there's a good chance of me spoiling plot points. If you feel like you need a warning, though, please look up the trigger warnings!
I loved the courtroom setting, the family and interpersonal drama, the characters, how often the narrator changed. There's little I do not love, except maybe that the twist at the end did not shock me. But, in a novel that did so much right for me, I cannot fault it for that too much.
Speaking of terrible, the book deals with very, very heavy topics, and doesn't shy away from discussing them. It has graphic descriptions of the accident, which made me feel a plethora of emotions; and although I'd love to tell you about the other topics, there's a good chance of me spoiling plot points. If you feel like you need a warning, though, please look up the trigger warnings!
I loved the courtroom setting, the family and interpersonal drama, the characters, how often the narrator changed. There's little I do not love, except maybe that the twist at the end did not shock me. But, in a novel that did so much right for me, I cannot fault it for that too much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Sexual violence, Rape, Ableism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, and Sexual assault
More...