Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - De verdwijning

I am obsessed with Catherine Steadman and I’m even more obsessed that she narrates her own books. She’s got a fantastic voice for narration plus her stories are deliciously suspenseful. This story, about an actress coming to America for a chance at a big break after a utterly heartbreaking breakup, is an adventure in mystery. A fellow actress goes missing after our main character briefly meets her. What unfolds is an unpredictable mystery. It’s hard but fun to figure out who is trustworthy and who isn’t, including our protagonist. Great read!

Content Warnings

minimicropup's review against another edition

Go to review page

mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.0

Narration: 👍
Narration was good, character voices not over the top but recognizable from each other.

Atmosphere: 🤷‍♀️
-Atmosphere and environment are almost exclusively our MCs thoughts and musings; we spend all our time hearing what they’re thinking…doing…wondering
-Most of the story takes place in Hollywood but not very descriptive so you can imagine…well, random places in Hollywood.

Main POV: 🤓
-a recognizable but not quite “famous” British actress visiting LA to audition for pilot season, and having very recently been dumped by their cheating partner. They view acting as their life’s work but aren’t obsessed with being famous. They are highly moral, both self-doubting and self-assurred, and believe everyone has the best of intentions (tending to ignore evidence to the contrary).

Growls and Howls: 🐺
-The MC is naive and moral in a way that is difficult to believe. They don’t learn. They wholeheartedly trust complete strangers including when those people clearly have it out for them. They mistrust the American police yet run to them to report minor suspicions and not major crimes (even when they have evidence).
-The entire text is based on the MCs every thought and motivation, but their decisions are so contrary even to their own thoughts. They recognize they are doing dangerous or self-sabotaging things but keep going anyways.
-

Uhm, was the villain just a villain because they were in the foster care system?

Show’n’tell: 😕
Showy telling. Like informing the class of every thought and action involved in procuring, transporting, and revealing the crayon set about to be shown (and it’s not even a decent crayon set so now it’s just disappointing).

Reading Journey: 🤨
Get glammed up, a friend has promised you a night on the town and the Hollywood sights! Luxury car, bright lights, twisty roads for a glimpse of the Hollywood sign. Then Starbucks drive-thru and home by 9.

Possible match if you like:
-Detailed MC thought narratives
-Suspense plots driven by MC actions or lack thereof (conveniently IMO)
-Villain monologue
-Should-she-or-shouldn’t-she romance
-Light commentary on #metoo in Hollywood
-

Nothing-really-happens endings

Vibes: 🤓😴😐

Format: Audible

Content Warnings

tristapruridge's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.75

Content Warnings

chyde's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT:
********

I was enjoying it until the last 20 or so pages when a plot twist happens that is just legally false and totally ruined all suspension of disbelief. It just makes the ending not remotely possible, or possible but for the wrong reasons. A real bummer!

Content Warnings

yunsq's review against another edition

Go to review page

5 audiobook stars for sure!! The effort!! The muffled voices, the voices on the other end of the phone call.. the eerie sound effects, the tangible sounds of pages flipping.. I am very impressed.

I also really loved the ending. That last and final twist. I was well spooked.

Heavy content warnings though.

Content Warnings

ae_world's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

“Be very careful what you do next” - Emily/Marla

“There are no doubts in my mind that, given half a chance, LA could swallow me whole in one night” - Mia

Content Warnings

santreads's review against another edition

Go to review page

mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

It was okay but honestly kinda lack luster, I was a bit bored in the first half and didn't really care as much in the second half.

Content Warnings

More...