Reviews

I have always enjoyed anything dealing with criminal psychology and profiling so when I found out the main female character was in criminal psychology, I was interested. I found the story to be a bit halting in spots and somewhat repetitive in descriptions and phrasing but that may be because it is translated. I lost some interest about half way through but am glad that I stuck it out. I liked the main character Seonkyeong and her developing relationship with her step-daughter Hayeong who had just come to live with her and her husband after her guardians died in a fire. I think I wanted more out of the storyline with Yi Byeongdo. Overall, I enjoyed The Only Child and am glad that I read it. It was the first thriller I’ve read that is set in Asia and translated.

lynds_dewey's review against another edition

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3.0

I really wanted things to end well, with Seonkyeong taking Hayeong under her wing and her acknowledging what had happened but then them moving on together. But in a way the ending was also poetic, just sad. I really wanted something more substantial out of the interviews. Also for being a phycologist she sure didn't use any of her training.

All in all a fine read, though dark, creepy and dreary.

kpeck283's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

situationnormal's review against another edition

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4.0

3.5 stars. This is a strange one. It doesn't give you much emotional satisfaction, but the (somewhat predictable?) twists and turns were entertaining and a little chilling. I didn't feel like all of the elements came together the way I wanted them to, but I did enjoy the journey.

gensrra_'s review against another edition

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5.0

Brutal. No pude soltar el libro ni un momento. Seo Mi-ae supo crear una historia llena de intriga con un momento cumbre buenísimo y un final que no deja indiferente.

colorfulleo92's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5 stars. This was eerie and a bit unsettling as promised but didn't think it quite lived up to the hype the blurb made it up to be. Think the book had a lot of promise and I would definitely try more from this author. Not sure if she has written more or if it's her first book. But I'd like to try other ones anyway because I saw a lot of potential in this

brandy_reads's review against another edition

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I got to page 10 and gave up. Maybe it’s a great story but I don’t know if it’s the way it’s written or if it’s the translation but the same words were repeated so much I couldn’t continue.

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