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elzbethmrgn's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Mysterious mystery is mysterious
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Suicide, Child death, and Fire/Fire injury
simone_ebony's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
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
5.0
Although the writing at times felt almost deliberately full of jargon, I think the end really saved it from being about a 3 and a half. As soon as Dora Lumley died, it really took a turn for the better and I really enjoyed the end. The suspenseful and mysterious atmosphere was very well crafted and I think I'll be thinking about this book for a long time. I see why its a classic
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Child death
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Colonisation and Racial slurs
ramblingravioli's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism, Sexism, Colonisation, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence
Minor: Vomit
machenn's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Death, and Child death
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
thewoodlandbookshelf's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Death, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Rape
lexb's review against another edition
mysterious
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? No
3.5
After the expected main event happened in the very beginning of the book I really wasn’t sure what to expect however the rest of the book kept me reading and explored the fall out and ripple effects of the events at the beginning which I found interesting.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Child death
bookstorian's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
After reading the script adaption and wanting to know more about the story prior to teaching it I knew that this Aussie classic needed to be read.
There are so many aspects of the story that my literary brain loved and there were others that were a little waning on my modern sensibilities.
-Loved the establishment of place, the idea that the landscape, especially the rock becomes a character. There is so much beautiful language used to articulate this.
-The shrouded mystery happens quickly. There is so much foreshadowing in the lead up to the picnic.
-The things that cannot be explained. The lure towards the rock, the clocks stopping and the curse like aftermath of the picnic is clear (reminded me of what happened to Howard Carter’s crew after the discovery of King Tut).
-Feels a little spooky, so well done that you can see why people think it is a true story as it feels so plausible that it could actually happen. People disappearing into the bush, probable.
-The flick between time and perspective got a little confusing at times and I had to go back an reread different sections. The narrator achieved a very subjective perspective throughout the story. Not placing the blame on any one or anything and letting the reader decide (even from the very beginning this is clear).
-I became sleepy like the characters at the later half of the story. I did already know the ending from the reading the script though.
-I’m ok with the ending. I’m ok with the not knowing. It makes the story more plausible and believable, people disappear all the time without any resolutions being made. I think stories that don’t have an ending that comes wrapped in a big bow are often the ones I think about the most afterwards.
-Also special shout out to the cover artist. I loved the moody sketch and colour palette of the book, plus extra points for a matte cover!
Overall, I am glad that I have read this text as not only do I have more contextual information about the play but I can also give this Aussie classic a big tick. Keen to check out the mini-series as see how it translates to screen now!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Grief, and Suicide
Minor: Alcoholism
sarah984's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This book is a tale of the unsolved disappearance of a group of schoolgirls on a picnic trip and how that shock reverberates through their community and changes other characters’ lives forever.
The points of view are all well done in terms of having different voices and showing which aspects of what had happened mattered to them. I understand from the introduction that there were originally supernatural elements that were toned down for publication and I think that was a good call.
Due to the setting and the publication date, there are a few things that seem pretty dated, including racially insensitive language and a weird obsession with bullying one of the children for being fat.
The points of view are all well done in terms of having different voices and showing which aspects of what had happened mattered to them. I understand from the introduction that there were originally supernatural elements that were toned down for publication and I think that was a good call.
Due to the setting and the publication date, there are a few things that seem pretty dated, including racially insensitive language and a weird obsession with bullying one of the children for being fat.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Grief, and Suicide
Moderate: Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, and Fatphobia
Minor: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Death of parent, Medical content, Murder, Racial slurs, Rape, and Vomit
francestea's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
A not-too-dark mystery with intriguing and many love-em or hate-em type characters. This book never really seemed to go where I expected and jumps around to follow different characters, often doing a bit of foreshadowing for the next section. Great writing and a great read. Definitely wait and read the forward at the end as, with many forwards, it spoils the ending. Also do yourself a favour and look-up an image of Hanging Rock- it’s very cool!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, and Suicide
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