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bunny0523's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
gzaborski's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Overall I found the book kind of disappointing, wasn’t really a thriller as much as I expected and the psychological aspect of the book seemed a bit fixated on the shock of abuse and self harm combined with pretty straightforward medical diagnostic attributes.
I found that the twists didn’t really pay off. Even thought I didn’t expect the final twist, I feel it fell flat. There wasn’t really any sense of high stakes in the main character’s self-discovery/healing process, and I also feel like this book was kind of a bad representation of how inpatient programs facilitate a positive mental health progression. I expected characters introduced to play a larger role in the story, but they felt simple, like they were only there to forward the plot prior to the twist. The book was well written from an objective pov so I’m sticking with 2 stars for this not-thrilling thriller.
I found that the twists didn’t really pay off. Even thought I didn’t expect the final twist, I feel it fell flat. There wasn’t really any sense of high stakes in the main character’s self-discovery/healing process, and I also feel like this book was kind of a bad representation of how inpatient programs facilitate a positive mental health progression. I expected characters introduced to play a larger role in the story, but they felt simple, like they were only there to forward the plot prior to the twist. The book was well written from an objective pov so I’m sticking with 2 stars for this not-thrilling thriller.
Graphic: Self harm, Physical abuse, Death, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Rape, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Car accident, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicidal thoughts
palmereads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.5
lbarnhill3's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I’m giving it a 4 because it was well written. The imagery, the dialogue, the unreliable narrator was very well done. But I really didn’t like this book. Spoilers ahead initially I thought perhaps Elizabeth had dissociative identity disorder and her twin Emily wasn’t actually a real person, just another personality due to the MC’s childhood trauma. That would have been fantastic to go with, although predictable. Then I bought the whole “Emily died years before” thing and I thought, ok this tracks. But the twist at the end of Elizabeth ACTUALLY being Emily and the rationale behind why she assumed Elizabeth’s identity just left me unimpressed. I really didn’t like the portrayal of anorexia in the book. While the side characters weren’t the focus, it really bothered me the way Rose’s character and her treatment were written. I’ve never been in an inpatient psychiatry setting outside of my rotation in nursing school, but I did spend 16 weeks in treatment for my own eating disorder at a ED facility and most of those interactions for her wouldn’t have flown and definitely weren’t conducive to recovery. But I guess that was the point. I don’t know. The whole story just felt a little gross having been written by a former psychologist & child trauma researcher.
Graphic: Medical trauma, Sexual violence, Self harm, Sexual assault, Eating disorder, Death, and Child abuse
midnightrain717's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
jaylee_books's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-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
2.5
polarbearlvr's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
storied's review against another edition
fast-paced
4.25
Captivating & a bit hard to read at times but good.
Twisty ending and great scenery.
Twisty ending and great scenery.
lupita_'s review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.5
kirstenm707's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25