Reviews with content warning for Child death - Sisters

Reviews tagging 'Child death'

kalmeida's review

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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applesodaperson's review

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sad medium-paced

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

3.25

This book was honestly just meh. It has some really good parts, like some of the relationship between July and September. But for the most part, I just felt bad for July, and how domineering her sister was. I think that the writing was good overall, and the descriptions of feelings and relationships was really well done. But now onto the things that I didn't like. I don't really think that the parts in the mothers perspective were necessary, and I would have rather read some parts from September's perspective.

The main thing that I didn't like was the plot twist. It felt very cliche. Like the Sixth Sense. I like for plot twists to leave me questioning life with my jaw on the floor. But for this book, I was just like "oh ok I guess that makes sense". And then I really didn't like the ending. I think that July should have been able to live her life and be free. It was weird that in a non-supernatural book, September was able to like possess her at the end. Felt like it undid the point of the book.

Also I feel like not a lot really happened. A majority of the book was just July and September being bored in their house.
Overall this book was just very average.
Listened to on Libby.

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horizonous's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

If I had to summarize this story with one word I would choose sticky. I don't even know what else I should say about this atmospheric, kind of disturbing fever dream like story other than I need to read more by Daisy Johnson.

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elysh_kaye's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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james1star's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

2.25

I didn’t like this book. It started out okayish, definitely a bit *too* descriptive - not in the transportive way but more like “oh more details… yay… ugh” - but I guess this densness did die down as the story unfolded. It then just went into too much backstory plot kinda and about the sisters relationship, not the ‘sinister unfolding(s)’ with a lot less emphasis on the noises, lights flickering, lack of sleep and endless dreams which I was promised in the blurb. I just don’t feel like it gave what was stated. Not to spoil the plot at all but the main twist I did kind of predict as the story was developing so I was glad to get it right but also like I wasn’t shocked either.

The writing was okay I guess but I did feel like it changed quite a bit with lots of small sentences then very long ones. It was readable and followed but kind of irritating I guess. There was no quotation marks which does irk me but at least speech is on separate lines. The characters are rather unlikable and unrealistic with not that much logic in my opinion. Towards the end the plot seemed a bit rushed with lots of small paragraphs that were somewhat confusing but I dunno, I really didn’t like how it wrapped up.

Quick plot summary: two sisters and their mum move to their aunt’s rental house which is kinda run down, the mum is depressed and absent, sisters have a ‘weird’ relationship with September controlling basically all of July’s life, they explore the house and area, think back to their childhood and ‘the incident’ and Yhh, y’ll be getting no more out of me. Not that I would really recommend you read it but if you do… you get what I mean.

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cristina_margarita's review

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dark reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

This story wriggled its way inside me like a tapeworm. I keep trying to pin down how it made me feel or any thoughts I have but they’re so evasive. I just desperately want July to be alright but buried beneath that is the deepest feelings of unease regarding her.

The characters are incredibly & disturbingly real. And the ending. The ending felt like slotting in the last piece of a puzzle - perfectly fitting but tinged with remorse at how it had to end.

The most coherent thought I have about this book is that it reminds me of House of Hollow, just less glamorous & fantastical & for an adult audience.

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