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heathermarie08's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Stalking and Murder
Moderate: Blood and Infidelity
Minor: Cancer and Child death
jmkendall0218's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Rape, Death of parent, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Stalking, Alcoholism, Child death, and Addiction
nykolereads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
Minor: Death of parent, Cancer, Child death, and Stalking
j_squaredd's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Graphic: Murder, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, and Child death
Minor: Death of parent and Cancer
heath_mocha's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.5
Moderate: Murder, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Violence
Minor: Cursing, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child abuse, Blood, Child death, Infidelity, and Rape
maryy_r0se's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
•
It’s 1982. Viv Delaney works the night shift in the Sun Down Motel. At least, she does until one night when she disappears and becomes another name on a long list of murdered woman from Fell, NY.
It’s 2017. Carly Kirk works the night shift at the Sun Down Motel. After the death of her mother, she impulsively moved to Fell, NY, desperately trying to find answers to her aunt Viv’s tragic disappearance.
Last October, I decided to read only spooky books, and I discovered so many good ones. This was no exception. I know The Broken Girls got a lot of hype, but this was the first Simone St. James book that I read, and I can’t wait to explore more!
I’ve always thought that supernatural horror works best when it has a strong emotional core. After all, isn’t there something deeply sad and tragically sentimental about ghosts walking the earth or a place being haunted? This book firmly captured that emotional core, which was one if its strongest assets. Also the setting was immaculate. I mean seriously, a nearly abandoned motel? What a perfect and positively eerie use of a liminal space; people drift in and drift out but never really stay (and sometimes, never really leave). I read some of this book at night in an almost empty diner, which was absolutely optimal reading conditions for this story.
Usually in books that have different timelines I find myself preferring the whichever timeline is older, but I thought the 2017 timeline was just as strong as the 1982 one. I would highly recommend this book, especially for true crime enthusiasts, fans of 80s horror, and anyone looking for a contemporary and nuanced take on the classic ghost story.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Child death, and Stalking
mel_s_bookshelf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Stalking, Death, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood
Moderate: Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Child death, and Confinement
air92302's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Rape, Murder, Death, and Stalking
Moderate: Child death
emeraldsanto's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Cancer, Child death, Infidelity, Rape, and Murder
Minor: Alcoholism and Addiction
ashleyj_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
4.0
Moderate: Child death and Death