Scan barcode
esalmon13's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Death, Cancer, and Suicide
lilifane's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-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? It's complicated
4.0
Ah, I don't know how to talk about this book without spoiling anything. I guess it's best to get into it without knowing much. For example, I had no idea about the plot when I started reading.
So this is like a slow, weird mystery about a boy, the death of his parents, his legal guardian and a former police officer. And there are aspects of the plot that I absolutely adore. But because I love these so much, my brain is pretty much conditioned to recognize them early on. So most of the mystery wasn't really a mystery for me but a fact, and most reveals in the end were not surprising at all. However, it reminded me of one of my favorite TV shows and worked really well for me. Also, one scene made me super emotional, that's always a plus.
I also loved the setting and atmosphere. I enjoyed the moody British countryside very much.
Although I liked the writing, there were poems that were part of the story and I just... couldn't take those seriously. They seemed kind of pretentious.
Lastly, I didn't like the romance/love elements of the plot. These were very weird and cringy. I wish they weren't this essential to the plot because I would have completely loved the book without this element tbh.
So this is like a slow, weird mystery about a boy, the death of his parents, his legal guardian and a former police officer. And there are aspects of the plot that I absolutely adore. But because I love these so much, my brain is pretty much conditioned to recognize them early on. So most of the mystery wasn't really a mystery for me but a fact, and most reveals in the end were not surprising at all. However, it reminded me of one of my favorite TV shows and worked really well for me. Also, one scene made me super emotional, that's always a plus.
I also loved the setting and atmosphere. I enjoyed the moody British countryside very much.
Although I liked the writing, there were poems that were part of the story and I just... couldn't take those seriously. They seemed kind of pretentious.
Lastly, I didn't like the romance/love elements of the plot. These were very weird and cringy. I wish they weren't this essential to the plot because I would have completely loved the book without this element tbh.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Cancer, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Medical content, and Terminal illness
Minor: Suicide
haylzno's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
WOW.
Do you ever read a book and then immediately go back to the beginning to see if you can't spot the clues?
Because I don't usually - but I did for this one.
I thought the clues where perfect and subtle and led me to exclaiming "OHHHHHHHH" multiple times throughout the book. This book gave me chills on multiple occasions
The books is labeled as thriller/crime/suspense but could easily be classified in another genre. I won't say because, as many other reviews note, it's best to go into this one with as little information as possible.
There were a few things I didn't like: I did find myself rolling my eyes at the "romance" that is revealed in the early chapters - and my only advice is to push through the instalovers because I think the ending and multiple plot twists make it worth the read.
I also found some of the writing excessively descriptive. There were multiple occasions where I decided to skim because it was getting boring and repetitive, but this is still a book I'd recommend to those who may enjoy unconventional thrillers.
Do you ever read a book and then immediately go back to the beginning to see if you can't spot the clues?
Because I don't usually - but I did for this one.
I thought the clues where perfect and subtle and led me to exclaiming "OHHHHHHHH" multiple times throughout the book. This book gave me chills on multiple occasions
The books is labeled as thriller/crime/suspense but could easily be classified in another genre. I won't say because, as many other reviews note, it's best to go into this one with as little information as possible.
There were a few things I didn't like: I did find myself rolling my eyes at the "romance" that is revealed in the early chapters - and my only advice is to push through the instalovers because I think the ending and multiple plot twists make it worth the read.
I also found some of the writing excessively descriptive. There were multiple occasions where I decided to skim because it was getting boring and repetitive, but this is still a book I'd recommend to those who may enjoy unconventional thrillers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
More...