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dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death
Minor: Cancer
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Murder
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Pros: fast paced, scary, does not have an idiotic “twist” that ruins the whole book.
Cons: Female characters almost nonexistent, writing was mediocre, audiobook was also meh
Cons: Female characters almost nonexistent, writing was mediocre, audiobook was also meh
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cancer, Cannibalism
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Kidnapping
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a very creepy and gripping little crime thriller.
With plenty of twists and turns, some shocking reveals and a little bit of the supernatural, this was well thought out and expertly delivered.
Obviously a difficult subject matter, but written very well.
With plenty of twists and turns, some shocking reveals and a little bit of the supernatural, this was well thought out and expertly delivered.
Obviously a difficult subject matter, but written very well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death
Moderate: Death, Death of parent
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed this book. I actually didn't have time to review it a month ago when I finished it and have still been thinking of it all this time, hence my feeling comfortable to still review it. The book starts out slow, building a world with a single dad, and a sweet little boy moving into a new house while still mourning the loss of their wife/mom respectively. For Jake, the son, he's also having trouble making friends his own age, and the only thing helping him through the days is the little girl in the blue checked dress. For the dad, Tom, the thing making him most uneasy is that he can't see the girl in the blue checked dress, even though Jake swears she's real. They decide that moving house is probably the best way to move forwards, but at the new house all is not well.
In a parallel story, old wizened detective Pete Willis gets called in to assist on a case of a child disappearing. The crime appears to be related to a crime spree that happened many years ago in which he was the lead investigator. The catch? They caught the man responsible all those years ago. Now Pete is fighting against all odds to find the boy, even going back and re-checking his own work from the older case as well.
I really liked this book. The drama of the missing kid kept me in suspense, while the mystery surrounding the little girl in the blue checked dress and Jake kept me guessing what was happening. I liked Tom, Jake, Pete, and the girl in the blue checked dress quite a lot, and I felt like all of them were very well created characters. They weren't all knowing, or all-seeing. They made mistakes and got turned around and especially with the girl, they had very distinct limits to what they could do. I think sometimes in books, authors get all caught up in what they want the characters to do and making sure that the good guys win, that they forget it can add value to have the characters do what they don't want to do, or to have the characters not do something. I think it was very smart to have that included as well, because it made you, as the reader, get tripped up too. I hope to find more like this.
In a parallel story, old wizened detective Pete Willis gets called in to assist on a case of a child disappearing. The crime appears to be related to a crime spree that happened many years ago in which he was the lead investigator. The catch? They caught the man responsible all those years ago. Now Pete is fighting against all odds to find the boy, even going back and re-checking his own work from the older case as well.
I really liked this book. The drama of the missing kid kept me in suspense, while the mystery surrounding the little girl in the blue checked dress and Jake kept me guessing what was happening. I liked Tom, Jake, Pete, and the girl in the blue checked dress quite a lot, and I felt like all of them were very well created characters. They weren't all knowing, or all-seeing. They made mistakes and got turned around and especially with the girl, they had very distinct limits to what they could do. I think sometimes in books, authors get all caught up in what they want the characters to do and making sure that the good guys win, that they forget it can add value to have the characters do what they don't want to do, or to have the characters not do something. I think it was very smart to have that included as well, because it made you, as the reader, get tripped up too. I hope to find more like this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Gore
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Hands down the best thriller in ages
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Blood, Kidnapping
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Looks like I won't be sleeping tonight
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Kidnapping
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Death of parent
Minor: Alcoholism
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Overall Thoughts:
⁕ The folkloric rhymes and suburban mythos North creates around the Whisper Man are honestly the creepiest part of the book. Growing up, most of us have called upon monsters in children's rhymes and rundown homes. North taps into this phenomena and makes it feel very, very real.
⁕ The developments in the mystery are slow coming at times. I was often disappointed by the anti-climactic evolution of the plot-- I wanted an "AHA!" moment that I didn't get.
⁕ This book focuses more on the characters than the crime itself. If you are looking to play detective, there are certainly clues littered throughout the text, but the main focus of the story an exploration of family, grief, and parenthood.
To read my full review, visit: https://evereads.online/
For regular book-related content, follow my Instagram account: @eve_reads
⁕ The folkloric rhymes and suburban mythos North creates around the Whisper Man are honestly the creepiest part of the book. Growing up, most of us have called upon monsters in children's rhymes and rundown homes. North taps into this phenomena and makes it feel very, very real.
⁕ The developments in the mystery are slow coming at times. I was often disappointed by the anti-climactic evolution of the plot-- I wanted an "AHA!" moment that I didn't get.
⁕ This book focuses more on the characters than the crime itself. If you are looking to play detective, there are certainly clues littered throughout the text, but the main focus of the story an exploration of family, grief, and parenthood.
To read my full review, visit: https://evereads.online/
For regular book-related content, follow my Instagram account: @eve_reads
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder
Moderate: Confinement