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3.08 AVERAGE
3.08 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Peterborough Railway station is almost deserted at 4am, except for Platform Seven where a man sits on a metal bench at the far end of the platform. When the scheduled freight train arrives, he jumps in front of it to his death. Lisa sees what happened & wonders what would make someone desperate enough to commit suicide. It's not the first death at Platform Seven, eighteenth months ago another person died there, her name was Lisa......
First off, I'm not sure I'd categorise this as a horror, more a suspense/mystery with a paranormal element. It's a great hook to snag the reader's interest, but Lisa being dead & a ghost (this is not a spoiler, it's made clear from the start) is almost incidental to most of the book. What it is, is a study of toxic relationships. Some other reviewers have commented that the pace is slow, & yes it is, but it's a slow unfolding of events where it becomes clear that someone is not who they say they are, a gradual revealing of the evil below the surface. All those little comments & digs, the gaslighting, the lovebombing - I thought it was very well done & believable. The ending is not quite satisfying enough, although realistic in many ways, so I couldn't give it the full 5 stars.
First off, I'm not sure I'd categorise this as a horror, more a suspense/mystery with a paranormal element. It's a great hook to snag the reader's interest, but Lisa being dead & a ghost (this is not a spoiler, it's made clear from the start) is almost incidental to most of the book. What it is, is a study of toxic relationships. Some other reviewers have commented that the pace is slow, & yes it is, but it's a slow unfolding of events where it becomes clear that someone is not who they say they are, a gradual revealing of the evil below the surface. All those little comments & digs, the gaslighting, the lovebombing - I thought it was very well done & believable. The ending is not quite satisfying enough, although realistic in many ways, so I couldn't give it the full 5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Suicide, Toxic relationship
Moderate: Sexual content
This book surprised me - thought it would be a straightforward thriller mystery like Girl On A Train but it was doing much more than that.
Found it difficult at first to get into the story - perhaps the ghost element but then enjoyed the majority of the book about the main characters relationship with a boyfriend. Not really a thriller but the story line does make you want to find out what happens 3.5 stars
Just no. Like nothing happens in this book. I was mad and annoyed by the gaslighting boyfriend for 80% of the book and 20% enjoying the side characters who meant nothing to the story.
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A pacy start to this ghost story grips you and keeps you reading. Later as the coercive relationship is revealed it is hard to read if you have experienced anything like this, but well written. The later chapters start to feel a bit unnecessary and while you end with closure it just feels like something was missing. One thing for certain the quote on the cover "A joy from the first page to the last by Clare Mackintosh" certainly does not fit this book, there is nothing joyful about it, it is a sad and moving story, and all too possibly real (the relationships, probably not the ghosts).
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Chapters too long and an uninteresting plot. Boring characters and a villain who never pays for the crime.
The story synopsis really grabbed my interest. As it turns out that was all just the first chapter. The story progressed on mainly into the life of the first spirit from Platform Seven. This tale was so predictable that the ending was foreseeable before even half the novel was reached. The final pages added a sweet lesson learned that turned the tale a little bittersweet.
It wasn't what I was expecting. Overall a good book but not as spooky as I was hoping. It is more of a slow moving mystery than anything else. Reminded me of The Christmas Carol actually in a weird way. I really enjoyed the beginning but lost interest further into the story I went.
Trigger warnings: suicide, molestation, death, abuse of all sorts
Trigger warnings: suicide, molestation, death, abuse of all sorts