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fkshg8465's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
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? No
2.0
Really enjoyed A Flicker in the Dark and All the Dangerous Things. Expected to like this one as much, but it disappointed. It felt amateur compared to the other two.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, Death, Stalking, Gaslighting, Murder, Rape, Animal death, Child death, and Grief
abbeyroad1410's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
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? Yes
4.25
I have qualms with this book, but they are highly specific personal qualms and not at all related to the plot nor the writing style which were both excellent.
I will start with my issue first just to get it out of the way. As someone who has lived in South Carolina their whole life and attended a small, private liberal arts college in South Carolina, I can attest to the fact that no private college in South Carolina is set up in this way. Typically, the students are kept on campus and Greek Life is heavily monitored (trust me I fielded the calls from angry alumni regarding this). The school in this book more closely mirrored a large southern school like a College of Charleston. It makes sense when you read the acknowledgements and realize it was based on UGA. It simply took me a second to get over this.
On the other hand, this book has some of the most compelling main characters I have ever read. The women are morally complex, and they only get more so as their backstory is revealed. Margot, the narrator, seems like she is going to be fairly bland and have the story happen around her at the beginning of the novel. She even portrays herself this way, using terms such a malleable. However, by the end, reader learn she is more involved in her own story than you would think.
Additionally, Stacy Willingham does a good job of dealing with themes such as moral greyness, the fear of being left out or not fitting in, and jealousy. It also tackles the pressure of taking on responsibility of those around you without being asked. Her emphasis on these common fears and complexities of every day life makes the novel that much more compelling and frightening. It allows readers to see how anyone (including themselves) could easily take on the villain role.
Overall, this novel is thrilling and is worth the read just for the last few chapters alone. It is brilliantly written. However, if you went to a small, liberal arts school, you may need to work a bit harder to suspend your disbelief.
I will start with my issue first just to get it out of the way. As someone who has lived in South Carolina their whole life and attended a small, private liberal arts college in South Carolina, I can attest to the fact that no private college in South Carolina is set up in this way. Typically, the students are kept on campus and Greek Life is heavily monitored (trust me I fielded the calls from angry alumni regarding this). The school in this book more closely mirrored a large southern school like a College of Charleston. It makes sense when you read the acknowledgements and realize it was based on UGA. It simply took me a second to get over this.
On the other hand, this book has some of the most compelling main characters I have ever read. The women are morally complex, and they only get more so as their backstory is revealed. Margot, the narrator, seems like she is going to be fairly bland and have the story happen around her at the beginning of the novel. She even portrays herself this way, using terms such a malleable. However, by the end, reader learn she is more involved in her own story than you would think.
Additionally, Stacy Willingham does a good job of dealing with themes such as moral greyness, the fear of being left out or not fitting in, and jealousy. It also tackles the pressure of taking on responsibility of those around you without being asked. Her emphasis on these common fears and complexities of every day life makes the novel that much more compelling and frightening. It allows readers to see how anyone (including themselves) could easily take on the villain role.
Overall, this novel is thrilling and is worth the read just for the last few chapters alone. It is brilliantly written. However, if you went to a small, liberal arts school, you may need to work a bit harder to suspend your disbelief.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Eating disorder and Sexual assault
nrogers_1030's review against another edition
dark
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Vomit, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Murder, and Cursing
Moderate: Rape, Classism, and Stalking
Minor: Sexual content and Abandonment
anotheraudrey's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
3.0
It was a very interesting plot but I struggled to get along with the “kids getting killed / murdered in South Carolina in suspicious situations” plot that seemed close enough to the Murdaugh case. I may be losing my interest in thriller novels because this is the second novel that I have finished and struggled to identify why we would encourage and continue to give a voice to the ending of a life with a “reason.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Rape, and Murder
Moderate: Eating disorder, Alcohol, Blood, Car accident, Death, and Drug use
creadsfantasy's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Rape
ashleycote's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Alcohol
Moderate: Murder, Abandonment, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Sexual assault and Car accident
novellearts's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use and Murder
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Rape
alliemikes's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
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? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Minor: Abandonment and Rape
editorsel's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This psychological thriller sounded promising, but I think the slow pace and overly flowery writing at times made it just an okay read for me. While I was pretty surprised by the turn of events in the last 10 or so chapters, I felt the before/after timelines were tiring, making it so that I really only kept going to hear more of the after timeline. When both timelines finally started to come together in the last hour or so of the audiobook, it redeemed the book a bit more.
As for the flowery writing, I suppose it’s supposed to reflect Margot as an English major, a constant observer, but because every other sentence is described by some metaphor or simile, it feels disingenuous and unrealistic to someone who’s just a college kid. All in all, it’s not a bad read, definitely something you can just listen to with just enough interest to keep going.
As for the flowery writing, I suppose it’s supposed to reflect Margot as an English major, a constant observer, but because every other sentence is described by some metaphor or simile, it feels disingenuous and unrealistic to someone who’s just a college kid. All in all, it’s not a bad read, definitely something you can just listen to with just enough interest to keep going.
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape and Murder
shawniejo's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Death, Grief, Toxic friendship, Violence, Murder, and Drug use
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
Minor: Vomit, Car accident, and Stalking