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hartchor's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The concept is highly unethical and fetishisez quite a bit of mental illness and pathologies. Despite that it was interesting to see the amount of research that was done, and how tidbits of real facts were mixed in with the fictional ones.
This isn’t by any means realistic or a helpful representation of psychopathy or sociopathy but it is certainly entertaining.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Sexual content, Death, Gun violence, and Mental illness
trippyotter's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I kept seeing all the Neceassary Evil books recommended in the various bookclubs I'm apart of, but kept putting them off...
Well, I finally caved and I'm pleseantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the book. There's so many layers to the characters and story that you simply fall into it and can't put it down!
Though, I must admit I have a few questions...
1) What happened to Noah's trailer? In a way, the trailer represented Noah's freedom for his previous life and he was adament about keeping. Now, Adam did mention he could have the trailer moved, but was it?
2) And Beth, she was Noah's work BFF, will she make any future appearances or is she now just a footnote in the beginning of Noah's story? She was his only true "friend" - along with her girlfriend - that he allowed into his life, that it's a bummer that nothing else was mentioned of her.
All that being said, I do want to mention, that as out there as the ending was, it actually kinda reminded me of the A-Team movie (with Bradely Cooper)... If you've seen it you'll know what I'm talking about. :D
Well, I finally caved and I'm pleseantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the book. There's so many layers to the characters and story that you simply fall into it and can't put it down!
Though, I must admit I have a few questions...
1) What happened to Noah's trailer? In a way, the trailer represented Noah's freedom for his previous life and he was adament about keeping. Now, Adam did mention he could have the trailer moved, but was it?
2) And Beth, she was Noah's work BFF, will she make any future appearances or is she now just a footnote in the beginning of Noah's story? She was his only true "friend" - along with her girlfriend - that he allowed into his life, that it's a bummer that nothing else was mentioned of her.
All that being said, I do want to mention, that as out there as the ending was, it actually kinda reminded me of the A-Team movie (with Bradely Cooper)... If you've seen it you'll know what I'm talking about. :D
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Torture, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Kidnapping
booksbutmakeitgay's review against another edition
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
4.0
*content warning: a couple hp references*
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Trafficking, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Child death, Murder, Stalking, Addiction, Grief, Alcohol, Sexual violence, Vomit, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Rape, and Sexual content
youshouldreadthisif's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Pedophilia, Child abuse, and Violence
Minor: Drug use
jackiez19's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
Very very sexy sex in this book right here! Whooo boy!! Read the trigger warnings too, this book is dark, maybe gratuitously so. But I really liked the balance between the sex and the plot; which is to say like half and half. This is a sex book. Good stuff.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Pedophilia, Violence, Child abuse, and Rape
Moderate: Stalking
aromarrie's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.25
i’ve had this entire series on my radar for months now thanks to a booktuber raving about it about a year ago and today was the day i finally gave in and took a risk so my impression thus far is…..this was definitely worth the read.
i think in a lot of ways, for me, what sealed my like for this story is how the author wrote noah’s character, reflecting on the trauma he has to live with due to the abuse he suffered as a kid. it was really interesting seeing her explore that trauma and how it connected him to adam, someone who has his own well of fucked up shit that happened to him years ago, but who processed it very differently from noah—all due to being a psychopath. noah thinking about how the abuse he received as a child directly affects the way he navigates his relationship with adam, it felt so completely stark & honest because this is a dark romance, really dark, and the obsession that adam has towards noah is messed up for sure, but it was even more fucked up what had happened to noah when he was a kid. and if he feels his safest with someone like adam, who vowed to protect him with every fiber of his being, that’s a decision noah makes for himself alone and it’s one that shines throughout the story.
every single scene between noah & adam, both guys are actively choosing each other because there’s a connection there, there’s some intrigue that has the two draw so close to each other and that intrigue fueled what ultimately turned out to be a kinda sweet (albeit still disturbing) romance that feels right for the both of them, and that’s all that matters. seeing how obsessed adam was to noah was a lot (in a good way) because it was something noah never had before and that obsession never felt intrusive or of the creepy sort, it just felt…genuine. it felt really genuine, because adam says so himself he chooses not to be in relationships, and maybe that’s just because of his psyche, but it can also be because he simply has no interest in committing himself to something so foreign to him. so for him to become so interested in noah, it sparks a curiosity in him, it draws him closer to him, and when he meets him, he’s as gentle as he’s fierce, cradling a gun as a weapon after spending months determined to catch his father’s killer, all the while shaking down to his bones because he feels so much, while adam doesn’t, and in that moment he’s so scared, as determined as he is to follow his revenge plan through—and that intrigued adam.
their whole relationship arc throughout the story sails very fast, practically a burning inferno that is set to wipe everyone else out— adam tells his family as such—and the fact that on its side, there’s actually a pretty well-written plot unfolding, it made for a really good reading experience. it hit very deeply to see noah uncover his trauma and all his past abuse, as well as realizing that these abusers are still out there, and seeing him & adam work together—with adam’s brothers as well—to solve this mystery, it made for a hard-hitting narrative that had its fun and all, but was also just really compelling. i liked how much we got to see of the mulvaney family as they enter the mix, and i hope to see more scenes of them all together in future books as their dynamic as a whole is so unique that only a series like this could really sell it through.
also absolutely love the cover.
i think in a lot of ways, for me, what sealed my like for this story is how the author wrote noah’s character, reflecting on the trauma he has to live with due to the abuse he suffered as a kid. it was really interesting seeing her explore that trauma and how it connected him to adam, someone who has his own well of fucked up shit that happened to him years ago, but who processed it very differently from noah—all due to being a psychopath. noah thinking about how the abuse he received as a child directly affects the way he navigates his relationship with adam, it felt so completely stark & honest because this is a dark romance, really dark, and the obsession that adam has towards noah is messed up for sure, but it was even more fucked up what had happened to noah when he was a kid. and if he feels his safest with someone like adam, who vowed to protect him with every fiber of his being, that’s a decision noah makes for himself alone and it’s one that shines throughout the story.
every single scene between noah & adam, both guys are actively choosing each other because there’s a connection there, there’s some intrigue that has the two draw so close to each other and that intrigue fueled what ultimately turned out to be a kinda sweet (albeit still disturbing) romance that feels right for the both of them, and that’s all that matters. seeing how obsessed adam was to noah was a lot (in a good way) because it was something noah never had before and that obsession never felt intrusive or of the creepy sort, it just felt…genuine. it felt really genuine, because adam says so himself he chooses not to be in relationships, and maybe that’s just because of his psyche, but it can also be because he simply has no interest in committing himself to something so foreign to him. so for him to become so interested in noah, it sparks a curiosity in him, it draws him closer to him, and when he meets him, he’s as gentle as he’s fierce, cradling a gun as a weapon after spending months determined to catch his father’s killer, all the while shaking down to his bones because he feels so much, while adam doesn’t, and in that moment he’s so scared, as determined as he is to follow his revenge plan through—and that intrigued adam.
their whole relationship arc throughout the story sails very fast, practically a burning inferno that is set to wipe everyone else out— adam tells his family as such—and the fact that on its side, there’s actually a pretty well-written plot unfolding, it made for a really good reading experience. it hit very deeply to see noah uncover his trauma and all his past abuse, as well as realizing that these abusers are still out there, and seeing him & adam work together—with adam’s brothers as well—to solve this mystery, it made for a hard-hitting narrative that had its fun and all, but was also just really compelling. i liked how much we got to see of the mulvaney family as they enter the mix, and i hope to see more scenes of them all together in future books as their dynamic as a whole is so unique that only a series like this could really sell it through.
also absolutely love the cover.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, and Sexual content
Moderate: Drug use, Blood, Murder, Violence, Trafficking, and Alcohol
caitlinemccann's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Gore, Pedophilia, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Drug use, and Mental illness
mothreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Although a romance book the plot itself carries a darker theme, while still managing to make the character’s interactions funny or intense. Though the plot is dark the romance is completely consentual and is actually rather sweet.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pedophilia, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Child abuse, Sexual violence, Rape, and Panic attacks/disorders
lh_reads's review against another edition
dark
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Vomit, Drug use, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Trafficking, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Alcohol, Murder, and Pedophilia
clauchoque's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Minor: Pedophilia