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badmom's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- 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? It's complicated
3.75
Interesting structure that blurs conventional expectations of storytelling - an author’s fan writes to her and is soon invited to give feedback on her newest novel about a murder uncovered in a library that four strangers decide to investigate.
Switching back & forth from the increasingly outspoken letter-writer and the presumed novel chapters was sometimes a bit jarring, and a few details felt too-quickly thrown into place by the end.
Switching back & forth from the increasingly outspoken letter-writer and the presumed novel chapters was sometimes a bit jarring, and a few details felt too-quickly thrown into place by the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, and Stalking
ireadinbed's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Honestly i thought halfway through this book was a five. A really fun premise, characters i liked a lot, set in an interesting place i havebt read about before.
I think the story within a story and how symbiotic they were really gives it an extra edge.
Unfortunately the letter story kind of ended up not feeling resolved and obviously that bled into the main story at the end. Just knicked the ending off enough to leave me feeling disappointed. But still a really good read.
I think the story within a story and how symbiotic they were really gives it an extra edge.
Unfortunately the letter story kind of ended up not feeling resolved and obviously that bled into the main story at the end. Just knicked the ending off enough to leave me feeling disappointed. But still a really good read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Violence, Sexual assault, and Gun violence
Minor: Racism
vmontori's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
The concept of the book itself was interesting, the book being written by Hannah versus the emails written to Hannah, but the latter actually made the book rather weak. I know the emails were heavily worded so that the reader could infer what Hannah was saying in response to Leo, but I would have preferred to see Hannah’s correspondence alongside Leo’s. Leo was so annoying in the beginning with his excessive detailing of everything that I as the reader didn’t care about. And as communication with Hannah progressed he was just so transparent in his murderous inclinations that rolled my eyes. I think Leo’s last message was actually perfect because I couldn’t help but laugh at how oblivious he was.
In regards to Freddie’s side of things, I didn’t find any of the characters really likable, which made it hard to become invested in any of them. I hate when a group meets and is established as close, with the excuse that was just meant to be. Freddie herself was kind of boring and her romance was empty and shadowed her common sense. Cain’s personality was so blank in spite of his crazy past. Marigold was a stalker and never really got criticized for it. Whit, while being so integral to the plot, was also absent for a majority of the book.
Overall, the best part of the book was how fast it was to read.
In regards to Freddie’s side of things, I didn’t find any of the characters really likable, which made it hard to become invested in any of them. I hate when a group meets and is established as close, with the excuse that was just meant to be. Freddie herself was kind of boring and her romance was empty and shadowed her common sense. Cain’s personality was so blank in spite of his crazy past. Marigold was a stalker and never really got criticized for it. Whit, while being so integral to the plot, was also absent for a majority of the book.
Overall, the best part of the book was how fast it was to read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Stalking
Minor: Addiction and Sexual assault
trippyotter's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I absolutely love all the layers to this story! Once you have an idea of what's happening, a new detail is added, and you're left wondering what will happen next. This was my first book written by Sulari Gentill, and I can't wait to read her other books.
The story begins in the reading room of the Boston Public Library, where our strangers hear a scream, a scream that will terrify and unite them in their curiosity to unravel the mystery. A mystery that has no simple answer and will test their newly developed friendship.
As the secrets unravel and their bonds are tested, ties will strengthen between the couples that will begin to divide their loyalties to each other.
Over the course of several weeks, as details are discovered, you'll begin to question the agenda of several of the strangers. Was the chance encounter between them, on that fateful day, just happenstance or was it orchestrated?
As the mystery starts to unravel, will their friendship survive the truth of what happened?
Will they survive the truth?
I'd also like to mention that besides loving the story, the foodie in me couldn't get enough of the food tour of Boston, real or fake!
But, I think my only complaint, if any, would be how little time is actually spent in the library. After the murder, there's very little time spent in the library, majority of the time will be spent in Freddy's apartment, local eateries, or walking about the city. It all meshes wonderfully with the story, but I do wish more time was spent in the library.
The story begins in the reading room of the Boston Public Library, where our strangers hear a scream, a scream that will terrify and unite them in their curiosity to unravel the mystery. A mystery that has no simple answer and will test their newly developed friendship.
As the secrets unravel and their bonds are tested, ties will strengthen between the couples that will begin to divide their loyalties to each other.
Over the course of several weeks, as details are discovered, you'll begin to question the agenda of several of the strangers. Was the chance encounter between them, on that fateful day, just happenstance or was it orchestrated?
As the mystery starts to unravel, will their friendship survive the truth of what happened?
Will they survive the truth?
I'd also like to mention that besides loving the story, the foodie in me couldn't get enough of the food tour of Boston, real or fake!
But, I think my only complaint, if any, would be how little time is actually spent in the library. After the murder, there's very little time spent in the library, majority of the time will be spent in Freddy's apartment, local eateries, or walking about the city. It all meshes wonderfully with the story, but I do wish more time was spent in the library.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Gun violence, Gaslighting, Racism, Medical content, Confinement, Death, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Medical trauma, Sexual assault, Stalking, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Murder
bk2nocal's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Fun read. Some surprising twists and turns.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Stalking
Minor: Violence
flyoverzoner's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I will start by saying I listened to this on audiobook, so sorry if I spell names wrong.
I found this book to be really off-putting at times. I didn't like the story within the story, I don't think it was executed well, nor did it add much to the book.
The portion of the book dedicated to Hannah was my least favorite part. Having her be explained simple concepts by Leo, and then /that/ whole plot doing a 180, seemed completely unnecessary. Maybe Leo's annoying mansplaining was supposed to be telling of his lack of expertise, but it was a struggle to get through.
In the part of the story involving Freddie, I didn't particularly bond with any of the characters, nor was I invested in their relationships, because they kept making incredibly stupid decisions. Freddie and Cain were not interesting enough to take up so much time in this story, but I guess they were needed to continue the plot.
The murder mystery itself kept me interested enough to listen until the end, since I was invested in the whodunit and their reasoning.
I found this book to be really off-putting at times. I didn't like the story within the story, I don't think it was executed well, nor did it add much to the book.
The portion of the book dedicated to Hannah was my least favorite part. Having her be explained simple concepts by Leo, and then /that/ whole plot doing a 180, seemed completely unnecessary. Maybe Leo's annoying mansplaining was supposed to be telling of his lack of expertise, but it was a struggle to get through.
In the part of the story involving Freddie, I didn't particularly bond with any of the characters, nor was I invested in their relationships, because they kept making incredibly stupid decisions. Freddie and Cain were not interesting enough to take up so much time in this story, but I guess they were needed to continue the plot.
The murder mystery itself kept me interested enough to listen until the end, since I was invested in the whodunit and their reasoning.
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence, Pedophilia, and Rape
ckraney's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3.5 stars. I loved the format of this book—the book within a book. I thought the crimes and clues were well plotted and I was prepared for a masterful reveal. I was disappointed by the twist at the end and it felt like it cheapened all of the previous work. Such crimes seemed more intricate than how they were tied up in the end. (It’s hard to explain without spoilers!) I wish the ending had been as well thought out and crafted as the rest of the story. It would have been a 4 star book in that case.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Domestic abuse, Stalking, Medical content, Death, Gun violence, Addiction, Violence, Child abuse, Cursing, Physical abuse, Murder, and Pedophilia
linneak's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Violence, Blood, Death, Gun violence, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, and Child abuse
notartgarfunkel's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, and Stalking
Minor: Racism
breacommelafromage's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I enjoyed this so much more than I expected. I read so many psychological thrillers that I can normally sus out the ending at about the 60% mark, but truly it wasn’t until the final puzzle piece was laid on the table that everything came together, and DAMN is it fun to be held in suspense like that. Although I will say I called the tiny subplot almost immediately but that was pretty obvious and didn’t remove any of the fun from the story within the story which is the real story (I promise that makes sense if you read this).
I’m not sure if I actually *liked* the way it ended but I was very entertained by it. All in all, a fun read and one I highly recommend.
I’m not sure if I actually *liked* the way it ended but I was very entertained by it. All in all, a fun read and one I highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence