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alexandra_dillard's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kendragaylelee's review
4.0
Just a little supernatural. A little murdery.
Overall, a solid, fresh take on the thriller genre.
Overall, a solid, fresh take on the thriller genre.
daybreakreads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
If I could sum up this book in one word, it would be “meh”.
It’s unfortunately hard to follow - chapters rotate between narrators and first and third person. Somehow all of the characters felt like the same person, and it didn’t help that the investigation involved multiple family trees to keep mental tabs on (in addition to family members being removed, and people changing their names multiple times while also having various nicknames). The audiobook was a nightmare to try to follow along to because of this, but I’d imagine following a physical book would also be annoying and you’d likely spend time flipping backwards to try to remember who is who.
On top of that, the storytelling felt like it was trying too hard to be deep and meaningful, but just ended up feeling bland and unmemorable.
I did think the ghosts being haunted by the living thing was a unique twist I hadn’t seen before; I wouldn’t mind seeing that concept used in another novel. The idea that ghosts can be afraid of someone dying and haunting them eternally was an interesting thought that could definitely be fleshed out more in a different tale.
I do have to tip my hat to the way they handled the darkest concepts of child s*xual abuse, drug addiction, cancer, and domestic violence without going into detail or getting graphic, something many books in this genre struggle with. The setting is given, but the reader connects the dots on the events without being given the gorey details.
It’s unfortunately hard to follow - chapters rotate between narrators and first and third person. Somehow all of the characters felt like the same person, and it didn’t help that the investigation involved multiple family trees to keep mental tabs on (in addition to family members being removed, and people changing their names multiple times while also having various nicknames). The audiobook was a nightmare to try to follow along to because of this, but I’d imagine following a physical book would also be annoying and you’d likely spend time flipping backwards to try to remember who is who.
On top of that, the storytelling felt like it was trying too hard to be deep and meaningful, but just ended up feeling bland and unmemorable.
I did think the ghosts being haunted by the living thing was a unique twist I hadn’t seen before; I wouldn’t mind seeing that concept used in another novel. The idea that ghosts can be afraid of someone dying and haunting them eternally was an interesting thought that could definitely be fleshed out more in a different tale.
I do have to tip my hat to the way they handled the darkest concepts of child s*xual abuse, drug addiction, cancer, and domestic violence without going into detail or getting graphic, something many books in this genre struggle with. The setting is given, but the reader connects the dots on the events without being given the gorey details.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual violence, Medical trauma, Sexual assault, Murder, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Rape, and Sexual content
Minor: Child death
hollysar's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
matissaflono's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
erinmg's review against another edition
5.0
This novel was a bit slower than expected, but in the best way. I took my time with it and thoroughly enjoyed the story. The discussion of genealogy was interesting, and I personally enjoy the forensics side of criminology quite a bit so this was very much up my alley. A sad story, but also hopeful in a way. Beautifully written, I would definitely recommend it.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual violence, Medical content, Pedophilia, Violence, Toxic relationship, Murder, Rape, Pregnancy, Chronic illness, Cancer, Child death, Sexual assault, and Dementia
katieurban's review
4.0
I really loved the premise of this book. Two women from different parts of the country, working the same cold case murder mystery. The bodies of three women (a mother, her daughter, and another young, unrelated girl) were found in barrels by hikers in New Mexico. Laura was my favorite character - a librarian with a deep interest in genealogy and true crime, who trolls the internet to find missing persons. I also really liked the fact that this character was a breast cancer survivor. That brought an interesting angle into the story - one I haven't really seen - especially her experiences with PTSD and health issues resulting from cancer treatment. The only thing I struggled with in the book were some of the sub-plots, and by the end, I felt a bit confused tracking the various characters names and their specific involvements. Overall, the author's language throughout the book was amazing. She vividly described settings, objects, people. This was an impressive debut, and I'm excited to read her next book. Thank you Net Galley for the early copy.
clairebooo's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
sleepy_possum's review
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0