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cassidylee's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
This book delivered exactly what I expected. If you’re looking for unsettling and quietly violent librarians, it’s a great choice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Death
Moderate: Murder, Blood, and Medical content
Minor: Death of parent and Sexual content
brimclala's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Stalking
asporer22's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I quite enjoyed the premise for this book, but I also felt that it was quite long and drawn out. The main character, Margot, felt like she was talking about the same thing over and over again. I felt that as much detail as the author tried to put into these characters, they were still flat.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder
Moderate: Medical content, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Torture, and Death of parent
kelseyr713's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-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
3.0
Entertaining read (especially since I used to work in a library), but I wished for a little more insight into both characters, especially as this is essentially a character study (the Margot chapters moreso) with some thriller trappings. Villain protagonist is always fun though!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Stalking, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Death of parent and Child death
starrfishandcoffee's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-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
5.0
What a unique, creepy, horrifying experience this book was. This is certainly not your typical thriller; it is a much richer story, almost more of a character study.
Margo/Jane and Patricia are the two main characters and both narrate the story, often narrating the same scene in their own POV. There is a tense, obsessive, and almost erotic connection between the two women. The author brings fresh twist to the ‘cat and mouse’ theme you often find in a suspense/thriller novel. Highly recommend this wild tale.
Margo/Jane and Patricia are the two main characters and both narrate the story, often narrating the same scene in their own POV. There is a tense, obsessive, and almost erotic connection between the two women. The author brings fresh twist to the ‘cat and mouse’ theme you often find in a suspense/thriller novel. Highly recommend this wild tale.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Death
Moderate: Sexual content, Mental illness, and Medical trauma
seawarrior's review against another edition
dark
3.0
This was a straightforward novel that never spiraled into madness the way that I'd hoped. Secrets were revealed too soon, personalities were never fully developed, and Sims played it too safe by adapting the true story of a historical serial killer into her lead character. The only highlight of the story for me was the accuracy regarding library work and the gulf between those who view it as an exile or a safe haven. Ultimately, this mystery is dry and disappointing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Stalking
Minor: Sexual content
allofmyfriendsarebooks's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Murder, Death of parent, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
beepbeep101's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Violence, Murder, Death, and Medical content
cassiealexandra's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.0
Margo has been working at a small-town public library for a couple of years. She left her previous job as a nurse in a bigger city and abandoned her life and name. She gets along with her coworkers and enjoys the purpose in her daily activities, all until a new reference librarian is hired. Patricia never thought she'd really become a librarian; she was certain she'd be a novelist. But fresh from rejection, she is also starting a new life and becomes suspicious of, even obsessed, with Margo's past.
I liked the dual point of view and two incredibly unreliable narrators in this thriller. I also appreciated the short length. As a former library assistant, I am a sucker for library settings. I recognized some of my own experiences with library patrons (good, bad, and ugly) in this book. I am used to and enjoy being surprised in my thriller reads, and this one was not that. This one revealed a lot about each of the characters from the beginning. There wasn't a lot to guess at or discover along the way. It was much more of a character-driven game of cat and mouse, which I think would be wonderful for some readers, and was not as suited to my taste. I also struggled with the pacing. While I liked how quick of a read this was, the fact that sometimes one voice would sometimes repeat the same scene from the other woman's point of view was frustrating and didn't serve to move the plot ahead. I understand why it was written that way though, and again, I think I am just not the right audience for a character-driven thriller. I also think that I would have liked to see more information and background on both pasts and what shaped these women into the people they were in this moment in time.
Overall, I think if I had come into this knowing it was more character than plot, I would have had a better experience.
I liked the dual point of view and two incredibly unreliable narrators in this thriller. I also appreciated the short length. As a former library assistant, I am a sucker for library settings. I recognized some of my own experiences with library patrons (good, bad, and ugly) in this book. I am used to and enjoy being surprised in my thriller reads, and this one was not that. This one revealed a lot about each of the characters from the beginning. There wasn't a lot to guess at or discover along the way. It was much more of a character-driven game of cat and mouse, which I think would be wonderful for some readers, and was not as suited to my taste. I also struggled with the pacing. While I liked how quick of a read this was, the fact that sometimes one voice would sometimes repeat the same scene from the other woman's point of view was frustrating and didn't serve to move the plot ahead. I understand why it was written that way though, and again, I think I am just not the right audience for a character-driven thriller. I also think that I would have liked to see more information and background on both pasts and what shaped these women into the people they were in this moment in time.
Overall, I think if I had come into this knowing it was more character than plot, I would have had a better experience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Sexual content
anyashadows's review
dark
tense
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, Sexual violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Medical trauma