Reviews tagging 'Death'

In the Woods by Tana French

28 reviews

dizzymisslizzy's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Sexual violence, Medical content, Mental illness, Death, Child death, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, and Rape

Moderate: Suicide attempt

poetsofsweetpea's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Some stories leave me with a feeling that is almost a sense memory, untangible, yet impactful.  In the Woods was a mysterious novel whose investigation explored not just the crime scene but the human condition. It slowly introduced me to its characters by showing me their relationship to each other through casual touch, tone of voice and side glances. It told multiple stories and interwined them seamlessly.  Each story enriched the others.  I didn't like Rob by the end of it,  but somehow that didn't matter.   I didn't even get all the answers, but I'm ok with that.  In the Woods is the kind of story that leaves you unsettled but sure.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Blood, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Death, and Rape

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Self harm, Violence, and Sexism

kcarney86's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Child death, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Death, Pedophilia, Rape, Body horror, Bullying, Grief, Murder, Self harm, Incest, and Physical abuse

Minor: Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Sexual content

awebofstories's review against another edition

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Gaslighting, Death, and Child death

shorttimenosee's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Suicide attempt, Murder, Death, and Child death

Minor: Sexual violence and Pedophilia

nat20charisma's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense

4.0

That was an emotional rollercoaster! 

Tana French is a talented writer. She can make you care about a character, then completely change your mind. The story was disorienting and shocking. This story is not for everyone; there were many dark topics presented. PLEASE CHECK THE TRIGGER WARNINGS! 

I am glad they found Katy’s killer, but after such an emotionally taxing book, it’s not as satisfying when one of the killers gets away. Or that we never got an answer for Ryan’s murdered childhood friends.

  I would have enjoyed a slightly happier ending with a clean wrap up after such a dark story, but real life is never so simple and easily concluded. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Murder, Child death, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Death, and Rape

Moderate: Self harm and Suicide attempt

acresofclams's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death, and Child death

Moderate: Grief, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Abortion and Incest

annaclaire's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

This book started off fine, with some tedious tangents from the narrator that were easy to ignore. However, around the 400 pages mark,

when Rob and Cassie sleep together and then Rob becomes a huge dickhead and for the next 200 pages feels sorry for himself but never does anything productive and essentially makes everything worse with every choice he makes

, I grew very tired of the narrator and the way information was told to the reader. At the end of the book,

when Rob ends up worse then he started and his childhood case doesn't even get freaking solved in the slightest and had nothing to do with the other crime so what was the point

, I was really just continuing so I could satisfy my curiosity on the mystery plot, but that wasn't really worth the headache of being inside Rob Ryan's head for 600 pages. I read this book because book 2 in the Dublin Murder series was recommended to me and honestly I'm not sure I'll get to it now, but it has to at least be better than this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Blood, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Violence

kecresser's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

4.0

I really loved the beginning of this book - it's dark, tense, moody, and gives me the same vibes as the TV show Silent Witness, although that may just be because on the characters in the first few seasons is also from Ireland. Rob and Cassie's partnership was very entertaining and felt well-developed. The ending of this book let me down. Even after the discovery of the killer, things felt very open ended, although maybe that's the whole point. I think that author writes very well, although the language was a bit flowery and overly descriptive for a crime thriller, in my opinion. Overall, it was enjoyable, even thought it left me feeling unsettled at the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Blood, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Child death, Death, Murder, and Pedophilia

wildautumnchild's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Death, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Child death, Grief, Bullying, Rape, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Domestic abuse, and Murder