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rubyrosereads_'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? Yes
4.5
Switching between past and present, we discover twelve year old Esther’s body has been found after she went missing. Her best friend Ronnie begins telling the story before we see the many happenings of Dirton, nicknamed Dirt Town, through the eyes of various locals.
The writing was really well done, with various styles for each of the characters. We see Ronnie’s childlike innocence which has her convinced that her best friend will definitely come back. We see the adults, who each have their own dark stories simmering below the surface, while the reader is left guessing at which of these stories lead to Esther’s murder.
Highly recommend if you’re looking for a gripping mystery set in country Australia.
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Sexual assault and Domestic abuse
annamolpus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Sexual assault, Child death, and Grief
marisnini's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Moderate: Child death
serendipitysbooks's review
- 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: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Car accident, and Child death
Moderate: Homophobia and Rape
shutupiamreading's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.75
Graphic: Rape, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Child death, and Car accident
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Addiction, Homophobia, and Drug abuse
nataliii's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Rape
Minor: Rape
library_dreamer's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Homophobia, Child death, Rape, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, and Ableism
booksbytheglass's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
there was a lot that I wanted to love about this one: the missing (kidnapped probably murdered) person, the small town suspicions, the sketchy family, I could go on and on
however, the writing of the plot was not it for me. the dialogue was few and far between, with the switching POVs telling their side of the story rather than in conversational writing.
I would have loved it more if the mystery held more of an impact and allowed the reader to figure it out for themselves. instead, the story was unfolded bit by bit and spoon fed to the readers 😅
not to mention the kids who were friends with missing child esther had the WORST memories and literally could not understand that withholding information was life or death for their “friend”
I WAS SO IRRITATED THE ENTIRE TIME 🥴
overall, it had great potential, but the writing wasn’t the correct style to fit the themes of the book, in my opinion.
thank you to netgalley and flatiron books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
rating: 2 stars
wine pairing: brazil sauvignon blanc
Graphic: Kidnapping and Child death
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Physical abuse
korpney's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse and Child death
Moderate: Rape and Bullying
Minor: Homophobia
raceyburden'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
4.25
Graphic: Child death and Child abuse