Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Jackal by Erin E. Adams

88 reviews

clarkg's review

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Overall, I found this book to be a pretty compelling thriller with a decent twist ending. It's explorations or race, class, gender, and the geography and topography of the land were unlike anything I have read before and I valued Erin Adams' unique creative vision. That said, some moments felt heavy-handed and trope-y, which took me out of it a bit. Even with that caveat, I would still recommend it. 
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marinnelilly's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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zgreyz's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

4.5

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natofthecreeps's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Jackal is a thriller with a definitive message and point of view. What begins as a pretty straight forward mystery blooms into something much larger and much more meaningful, and the novel truly shines when it is tackling head-on themes of racism, community, and personal growth. Our main character Liz is well-rounded and has a very clear path of growth throughout the novel, not something always seen in mystery-thrillers, and this makes the story very personal and emotional. Adams really does a great job of frustrating readers and imbuing much of this story with the sort of crazed helplessness Liz is feeling, and I think that really adds to the racial commentary in this story -- it's impossible to not be angry at the gaslighting and micro-aggressions that Liz is uncovering and faced with.

The ending here is sure to be polarizing and reminded me of Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey in terms of the melding of trauma and the supernatural. I didn't mind this, and it led to a good reveal near the book's end, but it did feel a little incomplete.
My main critique of this book is that while certain aspects of it are really well done and Adams has filled this book with excellent descriptions and is able to keep things in suspense, the plot itself feels a little clunky. Liz's internal monologue is a bit redundant at the book's start, and when we get to the parts of the novel that start unpacking some of the town's and Liz's personal secrets, I feel like we're left wanting. There's many loose threads, and I don't know if they're tied up in the most effective way at the story's end.

Overall though, this was inventive and moving, and that cover art is just gorgeous.
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calamitydane's review

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dark emotional mysterious
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

I was in love from the jump. This is a wonderful mystery and an honest depiction of a black girl growing up in a mostly white southern town. I spent the whole time trying to guess who could have done it. There were so many potentials with good evidence to support them. I was texting my partner with guesses and reasons every five minutes
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shannonweiss's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book had me hooked all the way through. I appreciated the addition of the chapters from the perspective of the missing girls, it added a really important layer that allowed them to be more than just names in the story. The ending fell just a bit flat for me, but overall I would recommend this book, especially on audio. 
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earl_grey_without_lemon's review

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dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

3.75

I pretty much read this book in one sitting! It hooks you quickly, and I love the trope of searching for loved ones in thriller/horror. Full of twists and turns that kept me on my toes trying to figure out who took Caroline. I also loved the relationship between Liz and her mother, and the complicated ways that race and class and the way they are both publicly perceived impacted their relationship as mother and daughter (disclaimer that I am not Black, and therefore will miss many of the nuances in this relationship, and with Liz’s relationships with every other character in the book). The POV chapters of all of the girls who had gone missing previously were gripping, and I really liked that they gave life to each of the girls through the brief snapshots we see of them. The prose is easy to read and not overly flowery but effective. Pacing is excellent throughout the book, although I think I would have preferred a more drawn out resolution, and it does feel a little like some of the larger themes (especially regarding the history of the town and the man and his shadow) are not explored as fully throughout the book as they could have been. Overall, a really interesting and good read that had me at the edge of my toes (literally got off work and then read for three and a half hours). Erin E. Adams has crafted a compelling story that weaves horror, history, and social commentary that I would highly recommend and left me for sure interested in reading further works by her!
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carolynkwolff's review

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challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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_girlreading's review

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mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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theboricuabookworm's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

A gripping and intense (semi-paranormal) thriller that leaves me just a little wary of forests now. The book ends masterfully illustrating a point that Liz was trying to argue for the entire book: the world only cares and believes when the bad things happens to the white women even when the Black women have been the primary - and sometimes only - victims. Throughout the entire book, my suspects kept jumping and that is a credit to Adams ability to make us - and Liz - trust in different people every time. I'm not a thriller person much at all but Jackal is certainly one I will recommend.
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