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Amazing YA thriller, got me hooked right from the start. I loved the plot of the book, and the characters. Drew stood out to me the most because of how determined he was to find his girlfriend. I honestly kind of suspected the plot twist because of how
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder
Moderate: Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail
It’s not bad - I was rooting for Lola to find a happy ending - but I thought that realistically, it was a bit weird that a bunch of teenagers were trying to investigate their friend’s disappearance and actually did a much better job than the professionals. I know they’re trying to make Roane as the bad guy but the fact that his character is very black or white without any character development is very YA of the author.
I was quite impressed by Wayne Boone’s motive for kidnapping and keeping those girls hostages (it sounded legit) but he felt very safe as a serial killer. There were no knife/gun/weapon use, no sexual assault, no nothing. Maybe I’ve read way too many gory thrillers but he was very mild compared to them and so I couldn’t take him seriously.
I also had some questions regarding Madison’s accident at the start of the story; was she really in a car accident and that’s where Wayne kidnapped her or did he cause it in the first place? I thought he grabbed her at her apartment mailbox? What happened to her car then?
Graphic: Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting
“everything feels far away, like the whole world took a step back, and i can’t reach anything that makes sense anymore.”
this is one of the novels that offers a superb depiction of a dark mystery. i was also impressed to know that this book is megan lally’s debut novel. the plot was skillfully constructed, and the writing style alongside the pacing was also commendable. yes, there were some dull stretches in the first half that caused to pause occasionally, but u believe it was partly my fault as i read the story during a reading slump, making it hard for me to engage and i sometimes find it uninteresting. however, things improved significantly when i read the second half. one thing i truly appreciated was the team-up between drew, autumn, and max in uncovering the truth behind their friend’s disappearance. i found several parts and characters quite hilarious—especially max and his one-liners that made me genuinely laugh. while there were funny moments, much of the content in this book is too unsettling and impactful for me. the entire plot evoked a range of emotions i didn't anticipate experiencing from a book.
overall, i rated this book 3.5 stars. although i struggled to appreciate the first few chapters, the storyline’s concept still captivated me, and the ending damaged me in inexplicable ways. it was a profoundly tragic, dark, and devastating read.
Graphic: Violence, Kidnapping, Murder
Moderate: Death, Stalking
Minor: Gore, Miscarriage, Blood
Graphic: Gore, Blood, Gaslighting
Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Kidnapping, Car accident, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Mental illness, Violence, Stalking, Fire/Fire injury
Graphic: Violence, Kidnapping, Murder
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Gore, Physical abuse, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Car accident
Graphic: Confinement, Gore, Kidnapping, Murder