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jaldep91's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Minor: Death, Domestic abuse, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
bandysbooks's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
The plot of this story isn't the most revolutionary. An author goes missing after a trip into the woods. A private investigator with supernatural abilities is sent out to find her. What follows is a beautifully written, winding story of her disappearance. There are plot twists, most of which I could easily predict, but it kept me entertained.
The main characters are all relatively interesting. Travis, the investigator, has the ability to see past memories when he touches things. Maggie St. James left behind some creepy children's books. And as we meet the members of Pastoral, we slowly are introduced to several charismatic characters as well. (Don't want to say much more because of spoilers)
What made this book so magical was the writing. It is simply gorgeous. It was such a vivid and visceral experience. I could imagine every scene in great detail. There was a magical quality to it all, even as the plot started to get darker. Atmospheric. Eerie. At times creepy. It's just the perfect mix.
All in all, if you like mystery, magical realism, and literary fiction, I think this just may be the book for you! It was definitely my favorite read in January.
Moderate: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
dalmavatai'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? No
3.0
However, I just thought that the characters were quite bland and I didn't much care for them, and I didn't care about the nature/commune aspects either. This book kind of made me realize that I don't enjoy reading about a commune because it's just not something that I'm particularly interested in learning about. If it had gone darker I perhaps would have enjoyed it more because I do think I'm interested in reading about cults, but alas I was a bit bored for long stretches of reading this book. It was also too long in my opinion but my lack of enjoyment obviously contributes to me feeling that way.
An overall meh setting and bland characters with a very gripping mystery and a good payoff - a very mixed bag.
I will also say that without going into spoilers, I was not a fan of the disability (blind) representation at all, I thought it was a plot point that could've been handled with a lot more care which wouldn't have had the outcome that we ended up getting. It's a bit cheap so maybe look at reviews by blind people to see how they feel about it.
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Infidelity and Violence
Minor: Alcoholism, Child death, Drug abuse, and Suicide
oliveskettle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Pregnancy
apersonfromflorida's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Minor: Gun violence, Self harm, Suicide, and Blood
marinable_books's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
beckyg1016's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Torture, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
lizgriffinwords's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content warnings: pregnancy, gaslighting, death by hanging
Moderate: Death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
kris386's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Infidelity, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal death, Child death, and Sexual content
addiclaire's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Death, Murder, Pregnancy, and Alcohol