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bibliomich'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I always get so nervous as I approach the end of a thriller, because I feel like everything hinges on the resolution. (Has the author laid enough groundwork for the reveal to pay off? Does it make sense? Is it realistic?) The resolution of this book was arguably my favorite part of the entire story. The foundations and backstory were there, and the reveal was believable (and honestly shocking without feeling like it came out of nowhere).
I think this book is best if you don't know anything at all going into it, so I'm not going to elaborate much on the story or characters here. I do have a couple additional thoughts, though. There were a few aspects of the book that I wish Emiko Jean could have dug into a bit more. Throughout the book, Detective Chelsea Calhoun, one of the protagonists, is deeply immersed in her job. And while Jean addresses some of the problems with the white male cop culture that is an inherent part of this job, I felt like she could have explored this/pushed it further.
Additionally, this same protagonist is also a Japanese woman who was adopted as a child by a white family. Emiko Jean is an Asian-identifying author who often writes Japanese characters, and I was quite excited to see how this would play out in the story. While she references it a couple of times (mostly in the context of feeling like a bit of an outsider, particularly at her job), I also would have loved to see Chelsea's identity play a larger role in the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for my advanced copy!
Graphic: Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Murder, Sexual assault, Gun violence, and Domestic abuse
booksweet's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Let me just say that overall I enjoyed this book. It was a page turner, and I was desperate to know how it ended. However, as I read, there are several things that pulled me out of the thrill of the story, and I found the ending pretty disappointing.
Let’s start with the positives.
Positives:
1. I thought the characters were fun. Even though they were very stereotypical (loner small town copy, bland supportive spouse, every man is violent and dismissive, every woman is angry and unsatisfied) this actually made it easy to follow the story because you didn’t have to think too much about their motivations. I know that doesn’t sound like a good thing, but I think the plot was twisty enough without having to also question what the characters were up to. It makes for a good mystery thriller to read for someone who’s never read one before.
2. I loved Danny and Ellie’s relationship. I thought they were sweet and their problems and interactions before and after her abduction felt so realistic. Ellie’s parents were also written really well. The way they handled their daughter's disappearance felt very true.
4. The switching POVs were a little jarring at first, but it was easy to understand who was telling the story, and I thought it made for an interesting story format.
5. The description of Ellie’s abduction and her time with her captor was absolutely chilling, and some of the things that happened to her will definitely haunt me for a while.
6. I really loved seeing Chelsey’s internal monologues and doubts as she went through the case and how much she cared about the people involved.
Cons:
1. I really thought we were going to get a bit more about Chelsey’s Japanese heritage, or her trying to learn about her heritage.
2. I love police procedural shows, and I understand you just have to ignore some of the science because it won’t make sense. But the part with the DNA? I’m pretty sure that’s not how DNA works, though I might be wrong.
3. I didn’t mind the repeated comments about the violence towards women, because it is true especially for the mystery thriller genre, but why not go louder with it? Why not have Chelsey make an impassioned speech to her husband or boss about why she has to do certain things? Why not have her talk about this to Ellie?
4. All the reveals were so unsatisfying. One of the reveals was easy to guess, and the other one was such a blah moment because there was no emotional buildup for the surprise. The reveal at the very end was silly and so out of the blue. To make it effective, there should have been some hints scattered throughout the book so that the reader could revel in that moment of connecting all the dots. Or we should have met more of the characters involved so we’d feel a connection to what’s happening on the page.
I hope I didn’t spoil anything for those who still want to pick up the book. And it is definitely a fun book to pick up, especially if the things that bothered me don’t bother you. I’d recommend it for an easy summer read.
Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for this arc in return for an honest review.
Moderate: Animal death, Drug use, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Violence, Sexual assault, and Gun violence
Minor: Drug use and Alcohol
readingwithtrey's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I was sucked in by the very first pages and was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I felt all of the emotions including anger, sadness, anxiety, dread, and hope. While I knew of some inequities when it comes to missing women and the attention their cases receive, there were still a few incredibly heartbreaking things that I learned while reading this. It made me so angry and sick to my stomach to know that the specific girls who were abducted were taken for calculated reasons (e.g. their families were poor and therefore not much money would be allocated to their search and return).
While I had a feeling Chelsey's sergeant was involved in some way, I did not piece together the entire story, and I love thrillers where I can't guess what will happen. There was also a literal jaw dropping twist that I never in a million years would have guessed.
I don't know the words to describe Ellie's chapters other than amazing. But I don't feel that that is the correct word to use due to the content within them. But the writing was literal perfection. I could feel the fear, confusion, desperation, and despair that Ellie felt. It was a constant stomachache the entire time I was reading. I was rooting for her and all of those girls. I literally SOBBED at the end of Ellie's last chapter. It was heart wrenching.
The entire book was the work of brilliance. But one thing that really stood out to me was the contrast between Ellie's dad and the men who took Ellie and the other victims. Ellie's dad always felt inadequate and insecure because he couldn't provide for this family the way that he wanted. He felt less than as a man, but he took his frustrations to the sea, boating whenever he could. While he wasn't perfect, he tried not to take his frustrations out on the women in his life. He loved them. There was a very pivotal moment where he apologized to his wife for his inability to fully provide over the years especially when she was pregnant with their daughters, but his wife responds that it was okay because they were a team. She never saw him as less than. Now, when we look at the motivations of the men who took Ellie and the other victims, we see that they too felt inadequate and insecure. They suffered from abandonment issues and looked at the successes of women (one in particular who I won't mention as it could be a spoiler) as their downfall. Instead of getting therapy or seeking more productive avenues to get out their frustrations, they chose violence toward women. It was interesting to see the two different paths that were taken between these men that stemmed from the same feelings of insecurity.
I feel like this entire review is just me rambling, but I cannot recommend this enough. ALL. THE. STARS!
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Books for a chance to be an early reader!
Graphic: Confinement
Moderate: Rape, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Death, Sexual violence, Torture, Child abuse, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, and Misogyny
Minor: Racism and Racial slurs
thrillofthepage's review
- 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
4.25
Moderate: Murder, Alcoholism, Death, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Confinement, Kidnapping, Alcohol, Violence, Animal cruelty, Mental illness, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Gun violence, Self harm, Sexual assault, Miscarriage, Grief, Death of parent, Rape, Excrement, and Pregnancy
hannahleebibliophile's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Sexism, Rape, Murder, Violence, Trafficking, Death, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Medical content, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Gun violence, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Child death
Moderate: Excrement, Toxic friendship, and Grief
Minor: Infertility, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
shybearfog's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Moderate: Sexism, Physical abuse, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Miscarriage, Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, Death, Child abuse, Car accident, Child death, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Murder, Misogyny, and Alcoholism
morethanmylupus's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Violence, and Gun violence
pomoevareads's review
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Kidnapping, Confinement, Sexual assault, Rape, Death of parent, Gun violence, and Murder