Reviews

2.5 stars.

⭐⭐.5
Not a book for me and not one I would recommend. It didn’t hold my interest, and probably felt more of a chore to get through. Not completely terrible, but I didn’t have a good experience. This book was an enjoyable read, but there are several things I wish were done differently.

Overall the story wasn’t bad and started off strong. As the book continued it got a little bland. The ending felt somewhat rushed. You find out who the killer is and bam all of the sudden everything is over.

The “paranormal” aspect of the story just wasn’t doing it for me. I couldn’t get into that part of the story.

holl3640's review

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

wjlongiii's review

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4.0

I will be frank. I despise the main character of this novel. Kate Cypher is as cowardly and indecisive as a child as she is once grown. She lacks the ability to identify a moral compass, let alone the conviction required to follow one.

I say all this to accentuate just how much the rest of the novel worked for me. The nature of this supernatural thriller isn't particularly original, but the small town and its cast of characters rung true to me on a personal level.

Del is by far the highlight. A tragic little girl, despised by her peers and abused by her family, she still walks to the beat if her own macabre drum and despite how abrasive she could be, I lived for the chapters where she appears.

As usual, I won't spoil the plot, but the split timelines of the book do drive tension and partition discoveries exceptionally well, tightening the rivets of suspense with each subsequent chapter.

Jennifer McMahon took a premise that was fairly pedestrian, a loathsome main character, and a so-so conclusion and infused what was left with so much heart and character that, against all odds, I loved it.

ir_sharp2's review

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4.0

I strangely liked this one. Not my usual genre pick, but something made me pick it up at a garage sale (perhaps the fact it was 50 cents and looked good). Anyway, it was odd from the beginning. Just intriguing enough to keep me going. Then it started getting good, and the middle really took off. I had to cut myself off late one night because I knew I wouldn't be able to stop if I started into the last 70 pages. Part III started off great and explained stuff well, but the ending deteriorated into the "wrap it up in nice little bows" style which is unfortunate. The plot was great all the way through to the last 30ish pages where it just started telling you the ending and how the pieces fit together. I still want to read other books by Jennifer McMahon as this was her debut novel. I'm hoping she has gained a bit more skill in leading the reader to the conclusion as opposed to just filling in the blanks at the end. Overall enjoyable read that I would recommend to other fiction fanatics.

bookdragonco's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

5.0

Content Warnings

lmskikun's review

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mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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