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colorcrystals's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Vomit, Violence, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Murder, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Death, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Rape, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Excrement, Cancer, Alcoholism, Bullying, Drug use, and Gun violence
Minor: Pregnancy and Infertility
johnny_harker'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
3.5
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Terminal illness, Torture, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Grief, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Infertility, Misogyny, Police brutality, Rape, Sexism, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, and Suicidal thoughts
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
shesflippinpages's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Blood, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Rape, Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, Child death, Death, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Confinement, Death of parent, and Police brutality
Minor: Drug use, Infertility, Cancer, and Bullying
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
dblue236's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I don't quite know why, but I had a really hard time connecting with the characters in this book. The storyline was strong, but I found myself not being able to root for anyone and not particularly caring how things turned out for them. Maybe it was just that I wasn't in the mood for this type of book at the time, I'm not sure. But at any rate, I found myself disappointed overall. Definitely not the worst thing I've read recently, but it wasn't particularly memorable especially where the characters were concerned.
Graphic: Medical trauma, Murder, Pedophilia, Confinement, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Death
Moderate: Car accident, Grief, Gun violence, Gore, Sexual violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Violence, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Cancer, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Chronic illness and Racism
bookishmillennial'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
I read this in one sitting because I wanted to know what happened. I genuinely adored Tokyo Ever After & Mika In Real Life. Soooo, I was beyond thrilled that EJ was writing an adult thriller/mystery!
Ellie Black returns two years after she went missing and is apprehensive to working with the police to bring her kidnapper (and alleged murderer, because other girls have gone missing and their bodies had been found later). She is skittish, disoriented, and understandably uninterested in discussing what happened to her. The detective on the case wants to bring Ellie’s kidnapper to justice, with extra pressure from her boss, Sergeant Abbott. Chelsey’s sister Lydia also went missing and was murdered when Chelsey was in high school, so she has an added layer of wanting to succeed in finding the man who did this to Ellie.
So ultimately, the mystery and little reveals were quite clever, and J genuinely was deeply intrigued by Ellie’s first-person narrative chapters as she recounted her time in being kidnapped. I thought that the set up and unraveling of this mystery were actually executed quite well! I really appreciated and lamented with the overarching message of the story, with regards to how society normalizes violence and abuse against women. Misogyny is a widespread issue, and incels are a danger to us all. I totally agree!
However, I wish the main character of this story (Chelsey — transracial Japanese adoptee of a white family) was not a cop, and not proud to be a cop. I have just kind of had it with cop stories, especially when they’re painted as the heroes. Chelsey even mentions her “cop origin story” when tying it back to making her late cop dad proud. I just don’t vibe with it. She could have been a private investigator, the former best friend of Ellie Black, a former teacher of Ellie Black, a journalist, whatever! Anyway, her occupation really bothered me.
Overall, I enjoyed the story but it frustrated me that Chelsey was so thrilled to be a cop🥴
Graphic: Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Excrement, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Blood, Child death, Physical abuse, Torture, Vomit, Sexism, Pedophilia, Murder, Gore, Cursing, Confinement, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Pregnancy, Rape, and Sexual violence
Minor: Sexual content
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
cc_shelflove'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? It's complicated
4.0
Okay, Emiko Jean. I see you! I could not wait to uncover what happened to Ellie Black. The book opened to a girl found in the woods following a two-year disappearance. Where did she go? Who took her, and what did she endure? Are there other girls in danger as well? Told in alternating timelines, we watch Detective Chelsey Calhoun as she follows the threads to Ellie’s captor, with chapters in between that include Ellie’s accounts of where she went. I really loved how the reader knew what happened to Ellie before Detective Calhoun figured it out. It added a level of suspense that made me sad but also hopeful. While this book contained a twist that was all too convenient, I thought it was thrilling nonetheless. I think I may have enjoyed it more if we had a third timeline re: Ellie’s captor’s life in the “before.” Jean should definitely be awarded for stepping outside of her comfort zone; this author previously dabbled in YA contemporary romance. I hope she writes more thrillers!
“But often, Chelsey wondered if her father, if people in general, should spend less time protecting daughters and more time worrying about sons. The dangerous things boys do. How they might be raised differently.”
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Murder, and Rape