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daisyfont's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Sexual violence, Child death, Child abuse, Rape, Death, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Addiction, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Car accident
hypofemmadchen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Addiction, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Violence, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Death, and Abandonment
Moderate: Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Violence, Child abuse, Drug use, and Grief
Minor: Gore, Pregnancy, Car accident, Blood, Eating disorder, Alcohol, and Medical content
sosocrafty's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Murder, Death, Pedophilia, Blood, and Child abuse
Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent and Drug abuse
sarah_shelf's review against another edition
4.0
This book is described like a mystery, but it’s really not about that at all. At least not in the way I think of traditional mysteries. The narrative is told from the perspective of Sadie searching for her little sister Mattie’s killer and from Wes McCray a podcast journalist who has picked up Sadie’s story after she has gone missing. The general whodunit and why that I was expecting isn’t really a part of it. Sadie knows what happened (even if it takes a while for her to explain that to us) and Wes’ investigation is largely parallel and two steps behind Sadie’s journey. Rather, the focus is on the sisters’ relationship: how much Sadie loves Mattie as well as the things she is willing to do for that love because no one else will.
I was not prepared for the monster Keith/Darren/Jack was. (Seriously check the content warnings. I was caught off guard and even more unsettled because of it). So much of Sadie’s journey involves the effects and reactions to his abuse, which is never fully described on the page. Instead we get disturbing flashback scenes of creepy behavior, the emotional turmoil of the evidence he and Silas kept, as well as testimonies from a host of characters who thought they were great guys. All of that makes this so much more real because “girls go missing all the time” but rarely are we forced into the true aftermath of these stories.
There was no other way to end this book. Apparently the ending is contentious, and I get that because usually such an open-ending feels unfinished and unsatisfying, but it would have hurt the story to do things differently.
Moderate: Grief, Death, and Child death
Minor: Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Alcohol, Murder, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
blue_is_at_sea's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
I highly recommend that you listen to the audiobook version of this story. It has great sound design and has multiple voice actors to add to the story.
It’s absolutely heartbreaking reading about Sadie and her life and what she goes through. It’s amazing and highly recommended.
It has very dark themes so keep that in mind.
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Blood, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Classism, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Alcohol, and Addiction
Minor: Drug abuse, Pedophilia, Drug use, Child abuse, Classism, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, and Stalking
michelle_my_belle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Violence, Ableism, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Child death, Death, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Drug abuse and Drug use
Minor: Bullying
gen_wolfhailstorm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Narrated by full cast
Unabridged
Well, what a fantastic production this was. I'm so glad I went ahead and waited until I had an Audible account to get to this one. The full cast really made this story special.
The way this story unfolded was genius. I felt like I could really connect with Sadie and the people that tried to help her on her journey.
It left me with a weird feeling of melancholy and heart ache. What Sadie set as her mission was valiant and selfless and I was with her for the whole of it.
I thought we'd have a more closed conclusion, but with a story like this, I mean it mirrors real life so well... there never really is a conclusion to the mysteries of life.
Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, Abandonment, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Drug use, Domestic abuse, and Drug abuse
bashsbooks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Drug abuse, Grief, Addiction, Violence, Death, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Child death, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Alcohol, Sexual violence, Blood, Alcoholism, Murder, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual assault, Rape, and Physical abuse
Minor: Vomit, Pregnancy, and Cancer
xkeyla17's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Death, Alcoholism, Addiction, Blood, Child abuse, Alcohol, and Child death
nat_kiverse's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, Child death, Cursing, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Addiction, Alcohol, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Bullying, Cancer, Car accident, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Stalking, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting