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sariereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Domestic abuse, Child death, Confinement, Gore, Infertility, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Pregnancy, Blood, Body horror, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Vomit, Grief, Murder, and Police brutality
trippalli's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Not for the feint of heart
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Confinement, Animal death, Child death, Child abuse, Death, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, Torture, Toxic friendship, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Slavery, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Stalking, Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Gun violence, and Infertility
timetotalkbeauty's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Kidnapping
kimveach'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Police brutality, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Bullying, Cancer, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Cursing, Mental illness, Animal cruelty, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Abandonment, Child abuse, Confinement, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Torture, Alcohol, Body shaming, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Rape, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Domestic abuse, Gore, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Racism, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, and Violence
Minor: Miscarriage, Cancer, and Pregnancy
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
honestlyyours77's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
To be honest I got drawn to the book because of its title and actually it’s my only criticism of the book. There is a book that I had read in the past called “The Truth and Lies of Ella Black” and when I saw this current book I thought maybe it was a sequel as I confused the Ellie Black for Ella Black.” So my criticism is that more care should have been taken when choosing the titular characters name. A quick Google search would have brought up the older book and the names are just too similar making it easy to confuse the two.
However, it is most certainly not the same world at all once I started reading it. The description says “ It’s been twenty years since Detective Chelsey Calhoun’s sister vanished when they were teenagers, and ever since she’s been searching: for signs, for closure, for other missing girls. But happy endings are rare in Chelsey’s line of work.
Then a glimmer: local teenager Ellie Black, who disappeared without a trace two years earlier, has been found alive in the woods of Washington State.
But something is not right with Ellie. She won’t say where she’s been, or who she’s protecting, and it’s up to Chelsey to find the answers. She needs to get to the bottom of what happened to Ellie: for herself, and for the memory of her sister, but mostly for the next girl who could be taken—and who, unlike Ellie, might never return.
The debut thriller from New York Times bestselling author Emiko Jean, The Return of Ellie Black is both a feminist tour de force about the embers of hope that burn in the aftermath of tragedy and a twisty page-turner that will shock and surprise you right up until the final page.
The book is female centered for sure but I wouldn’t call it a “feminist tour de force” so don’t let that guide your decision to pick up the title when it debuts in May 2024, which you totally should.
Stephen King is quoted as saying “The Return of Ellie Black is a page-turning suspense novel, a shrewd character study, and a captivating mystery, all at the same time. The last fifty pages are magnetic. I couldn’t put it down until I’d experienced every last twist and turn.”
Other than calling it a suspense novel which I wouldn’t call it that, everything else he stated was a perfect description of my opinion as well, especially the last 50 pages. Many times I figure out various intended surprises of a book but this time I was so engrossed and turned the pages so fast that I didn’t even try to unravel things. The story zipped along giving entertaining content where you didn’t fall into a sleuthing mode. Instead I wanted to keep reading simply to find out Ellie’s story.
However, by the end everything came together rather quickly and it all made perfect sense. The author did a wonderful job creating the world without being predictable or relying on overused YA tropes. I also liked the structure of the book which switches between narrators as well as time frames seamlessly.
Lastly, I will say that either I am having Deja vu or I have heard a similar story at some point either from the news or a life time movie. I really can’t remember at all and that’s fine as it didn’t detract from the story at all.
I look forward to reading more of this authors works. It’s refreshing to read flawed and unreliable narrators but still want to root for them along the way.. if you’re a lover of YA thrillers, crime, psychological crime and light suspense (I guess) than this book is for you!
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, Vomit, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, and Child death
Moderate: Suicide, Racism, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, and Racial slurs