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laura_keoski's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This was one of the more creative murder mysteries I've read this year! I thought the plot-within-a-plot device was used in a really clever way, and allowed space to explore some interesting topics about the genre itself.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Discussed in the book: COVID-19 pandemic, characters experiencing homelessness, prison incarcerationskyejay95's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
It was ok. I didn’t care about anyone enough to care when something bad happened to them. It was very slow. I was expecting a murder mystery and it wasn’t that until the last 30 pages. The subplot was the most interesting thing about the book and the fact the even in the world of the book, the mystery is fiction made me care less. Just wasn’t for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Stalking and Murder
bekah1210's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Murder
Minor: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, and Physical abuse
jadorereadss's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Racism, Sexual assault, and Murder
purplepenning's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
hubes's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
3.5
The author-"beta reader" meta narrative was really interesting at first, but kinda fizzled out once it upped the stakes and then went nowhere with it for a while
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood and Murder
aseel_reads's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
this had the potential, if they made it author living her life/writing her novel, the novel itself, and then leo advising her about the novel in real life but instead we just get the novel itself (which was odd, hated the characters, the ending was weird, don't understand it) and leo advising on it and apparently the blurb just tells us what is going to happen??? no good
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Stalking, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
jamie_reads_stuff's review against another edition
challenging
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I actually really liked the meta ness of this! Relived the mystery of it also! Only thing was the ending was somewhat underwhelming but it was a fun and fast read!
the twist with Leo tho??? The emails???? My god that was well executed
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism and Racism
literarypenguin's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Woman in the Library is an exciting and thrilling mystery!
Four strangers sit at the same table in the beautiful ornate Reading Room in the Boston Public Library, all seeming ordinary and normal until a bloodcurdling scream echoes in the halls of the silent library. These four strangers are thrust into a mystery involving murder, friendship, and romance!
The choice of a novel being written inside a novel was an interesting choice and I found it entertaining and brought a bit of extra mystery to the book. I did feel like the emails from Leo were a bit annoying at times and took me out of the story at times but they weren't that distracting. The characters were unique and each had a good bit of suspicion put on them whether they were the murderer or not. I quite enjoyed Winifred, I did have to look up some Australian sayings to better my understanding of them and once I did it made what she said that much more enjoyable. The mystery did have me guessing at times and I was surprised to find out who really did do it!
I don't want to spoil too much about the mystery and how it is solved. I suggest reading this book to find out what happens and the twists it will take you on to the very end!
Four strangers sit at the same table in the beautiful ornate Reading Room in the Boston Public Library, all seeming ordinary and normal until a bloodcurdling scream echoes in the halls of the silent library. These four strangers are thrust into a mystery involving murder, friendship, and romance!
The choice of a novel being written inside a novel was an interesting choice and I found it entertaining and brought a bit of extra mystery to the book. I did feel like the emails from Leo were a bit annoying at times and took me out of the story at times but they weren't that distracting. The characters were unique and each had a good bit of suspicion put on them whether they were the murderer or not. I quite enjoyed Winifred, I did have to look up some Australian sayings to better my understanding of them and once I did it made what she said that much more enjoyable. The mystery did have me guessing at times and I was surprised to find out who really did do it!
I don't want to spoil too much about the mystery and how it is solved. I suggest reading this book to find out what happens and the twists it will take you on to the very end!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Child abuse
eviecheesepuff's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This book was very interesting. There were two plotlines (a story within a story).
You are reading the main story through the emails between the writer and her "beta reader".
I absolutely loved the duality, but the "fictional storyline" was extremely predictable. So, even though I loved the characters, I knew who the killer was too early on. That's my only complaint about this book tbh!
This book had very mild spice and definitely check the trigger warnings before reading!
You are reading the main story through the emails between the writer and her "beta reader".
I absolutely loved the duality, but the "fictional storyline" was extremely predictable. So, even though I loved the characters, I knew who the killer was too early on. That's my only complaint about this book tbh!
This book had very mild spice and definitely check the trigger warnings before reading!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, and Stalking
Moderate: Murder