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olivebleu's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Violence, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Cursing, Blood, Gore, Animal death, Alcohol, Body horror, Rape, Death, Sexual harassment, Pregnancy, and Toxic relationship
sharanle0808's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
I consider myself to be a fanatic of carefully curated prose. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I cannot help myself. At first, the writing was captivating and I expected myself to be impressed even further. However, towards the end, the quality of the prose declined, and I couldn't fail to notice, at which point, I became rather annoyed. Again, I'm well aware that prose is not the sole criterion to evaluate the value of a book, but this is entirely down to my personal taste.
Plot-wise, I think it's okay. The first half stood out to me more, and it was a harmonizing blend between mystery/thriller and litfic, which is usually up to my alley. But as the story proceeded, it shifted into being slightly unbelievable. I don't mind the violence mentioned, but I also struggle to feel that they're necessary. Some of the plotlines or details could have been omitted. I wasn't really intrigued by the backstory of Aggie's trauma, despite how relevant I recognized it was to the primary plotline. I have a feeling that had McConaghy decided to diminish that aspect of the book, I would have been more engrossed. In short, I could have done without it. On top of that, I'm quite nitpicky when it comes to a rushed ending. The ending just flashed by, or it seemed, and I was totally underwhelmed. Some conflicts were solved very easily within a few lines.
It's such a shame because, at the start, I had so much connection with the main character, but due to the rushed ending combined with the increasingly plain prose, Inti was turned from a complex female character with profound thoughts into a violent caricature (I do not deny her traumatic experiences, but the author failed to inflict a strong emotion on me with the character).
However, I'm still glad that I read this book. I don't think it's a bad book at all. In fact, I think it's pretty impressive. It was a nice palette cleanser to my reading slump, and it was the first book I've ever read on Kindle so I do hold a sentimental attachment to it. Moreover, the book conveys a vital message about wildlife conservation. I would definitely recommend it to someone who opts for mystery/thriller novels and is interested in diving into an atmospheric setting of the wild forests.
Graphic: Medical trauma, Mental illness, Torture, Terminal illness, Animal death, Death, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Murder, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Violence, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Vomit
Minor: Dementia
danajoy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
I went into this in a calm mental state, capable of handling what it includes but it definitely worth looking at triggers. The protagonist has mirror-touch synesthesia and feels the sensations she witnesses others experience, this makes any violence particularly confronting.
There is a lot of violence. There are animal deaths/injuries, desecration of an animal corpse, and beyond that, domestic violence is a major theme.
I appreciated the atmosphere. Inti was an interesting, intense, character. She made a lot of decisions that I never would.
Graphic: Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Rape, Animal death, Blood, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Death of parent, Suicide, Sexual content, and Vomit
saralittlecloud's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Sexual assault, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Violence, Domestic abuse, Vomit, and Sexual violence
blizzardwolf1's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Blood, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Grief, and Mental illness
Moderate: Pregnancy, Rape, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Stalking, Violence, and Vomit
marsspider42'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
4.5
I would recommend this to anyone interested in nature, character studies, and mystery. Definitely check the content warnings.
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Torture, Sexual violence, Rape, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Animal death, and Murder
Moderate: Suicide, Vomit, Pregnancy, Stalking, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail
harrietolivia456's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Rape, Toxic relationship, Violence, Domestic abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Drug use, Vomit, Abortion, Cursing, and Infertility
lauramcc7's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Cursing, Alcohol, Suicide, Pregnancy, Blood, Vomit, Sexual assault, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Murder, Infidelity, Grief, Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, Sexual violence, Rape, Mental illness, and Death of parent
fluffernutterfriday's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Drug use, Sexual violence, Stalking, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Vomit, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Dementia, and Cursing
brittanymcmcmc's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Animal death, Gore, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Animal cruelty, Violence, Death, Murder, and Mental illness
Minor: Cursing, Sexual content, and Vomit