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blessedjess's review against another edition
4.0
This book has a great opening that really hooks you in with questions you want answered. Yet it took me a while to figure out the cast of characters and to get into the plot. The story is told from alternating perspectives of some of the main characters with a mystery character entitled just “we” that gives you a look into the goings ons of the small Australian town. This small struggling town experiences the tragic disappearance of one of its children. What happened to her and is anyone safe? The young characters' voices are powerful as they struggle to come to terms with one of their own being in their lives one day and unexpectedly out of it the next. I would definitely recommend this book to those who want a book that explores the emotional impact of a tragic mystery in a small town. I did find that the ending was a bit drawn out. Another good Australian mystery!
novelvisits's review against another edition
3.0
Thanks to Flatiron Books for a finished copy of #DirtCreek.
shirleytupperfreeman's review against another edition
Oooh - this was a great listen for a long car trip. We loved the narrator and the story (in spite of the tragic set-up). Twelve year-old Esther doesn't arrive home from school one Friday afternoon in small town Durton, Australia. Many complications and secrets come to light as Esther's parents, friends, the town, the local police and some out-of-town missing persons specialist police try to find out what happened to Esther. Most of the characters, both children and adult, have some intriguing back stories. This one kept us glued to our (car) seats.
vandermeer's review against another edition
5.0
Well written, good characters. I guessed what had happened quite early on, but still was invested in the story and its protagonists.
sevsbenny's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
sammy_3003's review against another edition
4.0
Continuing with the theme of Australian authors writing Australian crime novels comes Dirt Town. Intended to read as a physical book but listened to the audiobook to and from work instead.
This story follows the disappearance of a young girl on her way home from school.
Firstly the stuff I liked. The story was told from different points of view in each chapter and the plot helped to anchor the different point of view together.
The Australian landscape and community feel of Australian towns was shown well if not slightly over done by the chapters titled 'we' which spoke for the community as a whole.
The actual story was good and I didn't piece it together early.
Secondly, the stuff I didn't like. The audiobook is read by one author which is fine but I found the chapters from the children to be read in a 'childish voice' which was irritating to listen to. This is personal preference and I can be picky with audiobook narrators who do not speak loudly and clearly the whole way through.
Due to different points of view, the plot was often repeated which I found unnecessary. For a book that is classified as a mystery and thriller, I need gaps and suspense so my mind jumps to different conclusions.
The last point is being picky again but the constant mention of characters eating foods. Maybe it was a bid to demonstrate Australian foods but unless it related to the plot, I found it unhelpful and annoying.
This story follows the disappearance of a young girl on her way home from school.
Firstly the stuff I liked. The story was told from different points of view in each chapter and the plot helped to anchor the different point of view together.
The Australian landscape and community feel of Australian towns was shown well if not slightly over done by the chapters titled 'we' which spoke for the community as a whole.
The actual story was good and I didn't piece it together early.
Secondly, the stuff I didn't like. The audiobook is read by one author which is fine but I found the chapters from the children to be read in a 'childish voice' which was irritating to listen to. This is personal preference and I can be picky with audiobook narrators who do not speak loudly and clearly the whole way through.
Due to different points of view, the plot was often repeated which I found unnecessary. For a book that is classified as a mystery and thriller, I need gaps and suspense so my mind jumps to different conclusions.
The last point is being picky again but the constant mention of characters eating foods. Maybe it was a bid to demonstrate Australian foods but unless it related to the plot, I found it unhelpful and annoying.
houckster5's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.75
haleyp898's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
It’s good. The kids’ POVs are definitely the best. Way too much filler for me. I love depth of a character, but a lot of it was unnecessary. The ending after you find out the twist was SO dramatic for no reason. Trying to be very philosophical. It was a pain to get through the last 30 pages.
bookishblondegirl's review against another edition
4.25
My IG review: https://www.instagram.com/p/CgUyW8ggGD6/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
This slow burn mystery focuses on the disappearance of a 12 year-old in a small rural town in Australia.
There were various POVs throughout this, and I would say that this was a very character driven story. This doesn’t always work for me, but in this case I felt it was well-done and enjoyed the examination of the people from this small town. My favorite character was Ronnie, the precocious best friend of the missing girl.
There were brief chapters in a “Greek chorus” style, which is a ‘we’ perspective representing the whole town. I’m glad these chapters were brief and only occasional, as they did not work for me (a sentiment I’ve seen echoed in others’ reviews).
This was excellent as far as debuts go, and I’d recommend checking this out if you enjoy authors like Jane Harper or Tana French!
I won this copy from a Goodreads giveaway, so thanks to Goodreads and Flatiron books for my ARC!
This slow burn mystery focuses on the disappearance of a 12 year-old in a small rural town in Australia.
There were various POVs throughout this, and I would say that this was a very character driven story. This doesn’t always work for me, but in this case I felt it was well-done and enjoyed the examination of the people from this small town. My favorite character was Ronnie, the precocious best friend of the missing girl.
There were brief chapters in a “Greek chorus” style, which is a ‘we’ perspective representing the whole town. I’m glad these chapters were brief and only occasional, as they did not work for me (a sentiment I’ve seen echoed in others’ reviews).
This was excellent as far as debuts go, and I’d recommend checking this out if you enjoy authors like Jane Harper or Tana French!
I won this copy from a Goodreads giveaway, so thanks to Goodreads and Flatiron books for my ARC!