Reviews with content warning for Gun violence - Small Favors

Small Favors was everything I had hoped it would be and more. This book had the perfect amount of suspense and untrustworthy characters, I found myself completely unable to put it down. Every character had a story and role to play and different motives, it plays masterfully into the human condition and how some people will do anything in their power to help themselves or the ones they love. It makes you think twice about trusting anyone you meet or even your family. This was definitely more of a slow burn thriller with a lot of suspense leading up to the ending, but its so well written I never felt it was boring. There was always some sort of action or event going on, and I loved the descriptions of the bees added in between and how it weaves in with the darker aspects of the story.
While I did truly love this book, I do believe it could have used an extra chapter right at the end or an epilogue. Open-ended books can work in many cases, but I dont usually favor them, and there was one very glaring question I was left with that would have been resolved by this addition and would have made this book perfect for me. Any books by Erin A. Craig have been added to my must buy list and I'm looking forward to any future novels by her!

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tays_books's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

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steviev_'s review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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enchantedtoreadyou's review against another edition

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adventurous dark 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? Yes

5.0

Best book of 2021, hands down.
This story was so twisty and turvy. I didn't know who to trust, who was good or bad. Sometimes I even had doubts about Ellerie, our main character.
I absolutely adored Ellerie. She was thrust into a position of responsibility over her family when her mom and dad had to leave. She states she wasn't ready for it, but she tackled it and did the best she could. She was a strong, resilient character.
Whitaker, the male MC. Man, what can I say. I went back and forth with him! I loved him and hated him and hated to love him. All the while I was rooting for he and Ellerie, even though I wasn't sure if there could be a good outcome.
Most of the supporting characters were great and had their own voice. They were easy to stand out from each other. I did get confused with the elders and the preacher of the town. The four of them were just too similar to me.
This is a story about resiliency, hope, and putting your hive's needs above your own. If you want a story that keeps you guessing until the very last page, please pick this one up.

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elderflower's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.25

I was expecting a sweet, historical romance, but got a horror novel instead. Horror novels are not my thing and this one was definitely creepy. It wasn’t necessarily a bad horror novel, but the advertising did not communicate the fact that it was a horror novel. It was a bit predictable and cliché though.
Songs:

Chelsea by Phoebe Bridgers- this one doesn’t fit very well, but I got the same vibes from this song and this book
august by Taylor Swift- for Rebecca and Sam
Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson- for Ellerie

grasonwood's review

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adventurous dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

I absolutely adore this book! Once I picked it up, I could not put it down. I would have given it 5 stars however the cast was not very diverse and I if that was included the book would be even better than it already is. Over all loved the characters and I was really invested in their growth.

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