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toofondofbooks's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of those books where I expected it to be one thing and it actually was different to what I thought I was going to get, but this was absolutely not a bad thing. I very much appreciated this book and I got so much more out of it than I was expecting. Jen’s teenage daughter went missing, and was found alive but she refuses to talk about where she’s been or what happened to her. This is so much more about how it feels to be clamouring around in the dark trying to understand what is going on in your teenager’s head. Lana has depression and she isn’t able to communicate how she feels with her mum. I suffered a lot when I was in my teens so could see things from Lana’s point of view, but it was really emotional for me to see it from Jen’s perspective and to have more of an insight into how frightening and heartbreaking it must be to see your child suffering in this way. This book was such a brilliant read and one that will stay with me.
This review was originally posted on my blog https://rathertoofondofbooks.com
This review was originally posted on my blog https://rathertoofondofbooks.com
ashlyn_f_stel's review against another edition
3.0
I can’t even tell you what I’m thinking. The story kind of meandered through which isn’t inherently a bad thing, but I was confused. At the end, we finally get an answer to what happened to Lana but it just ended abruptly afterwards. I don’t know what I expected when I picked this up but it sure wasn’t that. Disappointing to me, for sure.
aseleener's review against another edition
2.0
I quite liked "Elizabeth is Missing", so I was looking forward to this. It was a big disappointment to me. I was really bored by it. In some ways I felt for Jen, but I also thought she didn't handle things well. There was a glimmer of an "unreliable narrator" aspect, but that fizzled out and was never explained. The ending was very tidy and there was no big twist or anything very exciting. Blah.
epictetsocrate's review against another edition
2.0
– Asta a fost cea mai grea săptămână din viața mea, a zis Jen. Nu era ceea ce plănuise să-i spună icei sale de cincisprezece ani după un calvar care durase, de fapt, patru zile. – Bună, mami, a răzbătut vocea Lanei printre buzele vineții. Jen n-a putut decât s-o îmbrățișeze în fugă și să-și lipească obrazul de al Lanei – moale și palid ca o ciupercă – în vreme ce paramedicii trânteau ușile ambulanței, apoi au dus-o pe Lana în spital. Avea o tăietură adâncă pe capul de culoarea cenușii, o julitură pe maxilarul delicat, era slabă și rece și înfășurată în folie de aluminiu, mirosea a umezeală și a pământ și a murdărie, dar era în ordine: era aici, era în siguranță, era în viață. Nimic altceva n-avea importanță. Dinspre martorii în halate și cu perfuzii care se îngrămădeau sub acoperișul intrării plutea fumul țigărilor și odată cu el vocea unui bărbat. – Care-i treaba? Aia-i fătuca din Londra? – A apărut, așadar, a rostit altă voce. Am auzit la știri. Prin urmare, presa fusese deja anunțată. Jen presupunea că era un lucru bun: puteau să înceteze căutarea, să nu le mai ceară oamenilor să e cu ochii-n patru, să raporteze dacă o văzuseră cumva, să contacteze poliția dacă aveau vreo informație. Era un sfârșit fericit al poveștii. Nu sfârșitul la care s-ar așteptat cu toții. Primiseră telefonul cu mai puțin de o oră în urmă. Hugh, înfășurat întrun prosop al hotelului (pentru că era important să trăiască mai departe), Jen încă neîmbrăcată și fără să făcut duș (pentru că nu era convinsă de raționamentul lui Hugh). Nu-și pierduseră nici o clipă speranța, asta avea să spună ea în următoarele săptămâni, când vorbea cu prietenii și rudele, dar, în realitate, speranța ei, acea construcție fragilă din piese Meccano, își pierduse șuruburile și se prăbușise la câteva minute după ce descoperise că Lana dispăruse. Chiar și în drum spre spital, Jen fusese neîncrezătoare, gândindu-se că era o greșeală, închipuindu-și că o să dea acolo peste altă fată sau peste un trup fără viață. Agentul de poliție încercase s-o liniștească, oferindu-i amănunte: un fermier văzuse o adolescentă pe pășune, o identicase ca ind fata de la știri și sunase la poliție, purta hainele pe care Jen presupusese că ar trebui să le poarte, se simțise destul de bine ca să bea o cană de ceai dulce și erbinte și, nu încăpea îndoială, răspunsese la numele Lana.
veeranniina's review
1.0
koko kirjan aikana ei taphdu mitään ja viimesten sivujen aikna kun selviää kaikki niin oli tosi huono ja pettynyt
lecravx's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
3.25
Ending was underwhelming and disappointing
petra_reads's review against another edition
3.0
[b:Whistle in the Dark|35068416|Whistle in the Dark|Emma Healey|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1526499549s/35068416.jpg|56363875] is a reflective family drama with aspects of a mystery in the background. 15-year-old Lana is found disoriented and slightly injured after having been missing for 4 days. Lana's mother, Jen, is desperate to find out where her daughter was and what happened to her. But Lana's response remains: "I can't remember". What follows is a quiet - at times rather bland - exploration of a family living with a teenager with mental health issues. The story is told from the mother's perspective, but Hugh, the father, Lana's much older sister, Meg, and the maternal grandmother also play important roles.
To be honest, my first thought on finishing this was 'I'm so glad I finally made it to the end'. While the first few chapters and the final chapters were interesting, I found a huge part in the middle to be dragging. Like going round and round in circles. There was nothing wrong with the writing and the characters were well drawn, but it failed to have any emotional impact on me or engage me fully.
This is [a:Emma Healey|7751367|Emma Healey|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1521198774p2/7751367.jpg]'s second novel following her hugely successful debut [b:Elizabeth Is Missing|18635113|Elizabeth Is Missing|Emma Healey|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388883559s/18635113.jpg|24946905]. I still haven't read Healey's debut, but I plan on reading it this year, hoping it will resonate with me more than [b:Whistle in the Dark|35068416|Whistle in the Dark|Emma Healey|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1526499549s/35068416.jpg|56363875] did.
To be honest, my first thought on finishing this was 'I'm so glad I finally made it to the end'. While the first few chapters and the final chapters were interesting, I found a huge part in the middle to be dragging. Like going round and round in circles. There was nothing wrong with the writing and the characters were well drawn, but it failed to have any emotional impact on me or engage me fully.
This is [a:Emma Healey|7751367|Emma Healey|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1521198774p2/7751367.jpg]'s second novel following her hugely successful debut [b:Elizabeth Is Missing|18635113|Elizabeth Is Missing|Emma Healey|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388883559s/18635113.jpg|24946905]. I still haven't read Healey's debut, but I plan on reading it this year, hoping it will resonate with me more than [b:Whistle in the Dark|35068416|Whistle in the Dark|Emma Healey|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1526499549s/35068416.jpg|56363875] did.
thefatflatcat's review against another edition
3.0
3.0
The synopsis had me believe that this was a mystery and I was really intrigued at first. Around halfway through the story it became clear though, that we weren't getting anywhere and the mystery had entirely dissipated. I would rather call this a family drama, as it focused on the problematic relationship of a mother and her teenage daughter. The writing style was good, that's why I am giving it as many as 3 stars, but I feel deceived nevertheless by the promise of the story, that wasn't kept. The teenage daughter was so annoying and stupid- so probably an authentic portrayal of a regular teenager. All in all, the story felt tedious and boring from the middle of the book up until we reached the last couple of chapters. Disappointing.
The synopsis had me believe that this was a mystery and I was really intrigued at first. Around halfway through the story it became clear though, that we weren't getting anywhere and the mystery had entirely dissipated. I would rather call this a family drama, as it focused on the problematic relationship of a mother and her teenage daughter. The writing style was good, that's why I am giving it as many as 3 stars, but I feel deceived nevertheless by the promise of the story, that wasn't kept. The teenage daughter was so annoying and stupid- so probably an authentic portrayal of a regular teenager. All in all, the story felt tedious and boring from the middle of the book up until we reached the last couple of chapters. Disappointing.
rosiev425's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
2.5