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my_name_is_not_dayton's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
jillkaarlela's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
4.75
Mystery thriller, but in the Hamptons. A mysterious disappearance takes place in a small rich town, riddled with family drama and dark secrets. This book keeps you on the edge of your seat with an addicting plot line and crazy twists you can’t see coming. It cuts back and forth in time, and including a podcast about the disappearance, that causes the reader to question everything. My mind was constantly blown, and I was in a constant state of shock. I truly couldn’t put it down. I hold my mystery books to an extremely high standard, and this exceeded all of my expectations. This is one of the best thrilling ya mysteries I have read. I highly recommend, and I especially recommend listening to the audiobook of this book! I will definitely look into more books by this author!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Cursing, Addiction, Alcoholism, Kidnapping, and Alcohol
I think this is pretty tame, around a 12-13+ ratingstormywolf's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Another hold-over from 2020's 25 Reads of December from RivitedLit. I wasn't planning on picking this one, what with it not having any of my typical favorite aspects, like Fantasy or Sci-Fi setting, nor did it promise much in the way of sass or rom-com vibes. But then I read that it's inspired by Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, which I haven't read but know a bit about from one of my favorite YouTuber's Lost in Adaptation episode on it. So, armed with a cursory knowledge of the mystery I might be facing, I jumped in with both RivitedLit's web version and the audiobook on loan from my library. And boy, did things sure get twisty.
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, this was a pleasant surprise in a genre I'm not usually keen to pick up. Though the pacing was a little slow at times, the mystery was enticing and the podcasts were a unique way to keep the information flowing such that it kept me reading almost nonstop. I'd highly recommend the audiobook for the podcasts sections, as they were hands down the best case of audiobook production I've experienced in a while, but the transcripts in the text work fine if audio isn't your thing. So if you're in the mood for some Unsolved Mysteries-esque intrigue wrapped up in a tidy YA package, definitely give this one a try.
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, this was a pleasant surprise in a genre I'm not usually keen to pick up. Though the pacing was a little slow at times, the mystery was enticing and the podcasts were a unique way to keep the information flowing such that it kept me reading almost nonstop. I'd highly recommend the audiobook for the podcasts sections, as they were hands down the best case of audiobook production I've experienced in a while, but the transcripts in the text work fine if audio isn't your thing. So if you're in the mood for some Unsolved Mysteries-esque intrigue wrapped up in a tidy YA package, definitely give this one a try.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Grief
Moderate: Death, Drug use, and Racism
Minor: Mental illness and Infidelity
stormywolf's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Read by Jenni Barber, Jayme Mattler, and a full cast
Unabridged Length: 10.7 Hours
Listened at 1.75x Speed
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, this was a fantastic audiobook experience with a lot of heart and passion poured into it. While it makes sense that the podcast portions would be highly produced, what with them being a key factor of the author's original idea for the book, I was still blown out of the water by just how much time was obviously spent on them. Add in the stellar traditional narration of our two leads, and I have no choice but to rank this as a must-hear audiobook, especially if you enjoy, or have any interest in podcasts. And even if you don't, those sections are only a couple pages long anyway.
Unabridged Length: 10.7 Hours
Listened at 1.75x Speed
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, this was a fantastic audiobook experience with a lot of heart and passion poured into it. While it makes sense that the podcast portions would be highly produced, what with them being a key factor of the author's original idea for the book, I was still blown out of the water by just how much time was obviously spent on them. Add in the stellar traditional narration of our two leads, and I have no choice but to rank this as a must-hear audiobook, especially if you enjoy, or have any interest in podcasts. And even if you don't, those sections are only a couple pages long anyway.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Grief
Moderate: Death, Drug use, and Racism
Minor: Infidelity and Mental illness
emileereadsbooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This book really worked for me until it didn't. And I don't think that's the book's fault. It's my inability to deal with teenage angst. So here is what worked. The narration made the characters super engaging and I was totally invested in the whole story. The podcast within the book was excellent (and I know it was mimicking a real podcast, but audiobook publishers really need to think about how they are alienating those with hearing impairments when they intentionally include bad audio quality for effect). The plots gets more twisty and complicated as the story continues and I was very invested in finding out the answers to all my questions. If you are a YA mystery fan, then this is a book you want to pick up. You will be tuning out your life to pay attention to this and finding out what happened to Zoe Spanos.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Drug use, Drug abuse, and Death
Minor: Mental illness and Infidelity
caidyn's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
CW: death, alcoholism (implied in a character), and mental illness
I read most of this book in one day because I couldn't put it down. Each part ended with me needing answers to questions, so I just had to keep going to find out. The way it was told was so intriguing. Partially in Anna's perspective -- a nanny who comes in when Zoe's still missing and looks eerily like her; Martina's -- in the present with the fallout of Anna confessing to Zoe's murder and her still trying to get to the bottom of it; and in podcast transcripts.
One of my favorite things about YA mystery is how podcasting has come into it. Some of my favorites have included elements of teen sleuths using podcasts or something to track down things. It really is one of my favorites tropes that authors are doing because the mixed media is just... *chef's kiss*
Anyways, back to this book. It was just a tense ride and I really enjoyed it. I kinda guessed things early but I wasn't for sure about it, so it's not like I was formally predicting things. Just had a thought but was happy to go along with the book as a whole because it was just interesting.
I also will add that I didn't love the conclusion. I felt like it wrapped up a little too neatly, but that was a minor thing. Overall, the book was very enjoyable!
I read most of this book in one day because I couldn't put it down. Each part ended with me needing answers to questions, so I just had to keep going to find out. The way it was told was so intriguing. Partially in Anna's perspective -- a nanny who comes in when Zoe's still missing and looks eerily like her; Martina's -- in the present with the fallout of Anna confessing to Zoe's murder and her still trying to get to the bottom of it; and in podcast transcripts.
One of my favorite things about YA mystery is how podcasting has come into it. Some of my favorites have included elements of teen sleuths using podcasts or something to track down things. It really is one of my favorites tropes that authors are doing because the mixed media is just... *chef's kiss*
Anyways, back to this book. It was just a tense ride and I really enjoyed it. I kinda guessed things early but I wasn't for sure about it, so it's not like I was formally predicting things. Just had a thought but was happy to go along with the book as a whole because it was just interesting.
I also will add that I didn't love the conclusion. I felt like it wrapped up a little too neatly, but that was a minor thing. Overall, the book was very enjoyable!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Alcoholism and Mental illness
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