Reviews with content warning for Child abuse - Kala: 'A spectacular read for Donna Tartt and Tana French fans'

Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Kala: 'A spectacular read for Donna Tartt and Tana French fans' by Colin Walsh

32 reviews

katiewhocanread's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

glions172's review against another edition

4.0

mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Content Warnings

caseycdelima's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Content Warnings

amyw2's review against another edition

3.5

Too much violence.

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bonkyboot's review against another edition

3.0

dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Book was fine but could've done without the last 50 pages. It was so obvious who the killer was from about half way through, I'd rather have some mystery left than have every single little aspect spelled out in the last 50 or so pages.

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ebpertner's review against another edition

4.0

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summergarrard0526's review against another edition

4.0

dark reflective tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Content Warnings

serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Kala is a suspenseful Irish work of literary fiction. It follows Helen, Joe and Mush. As teenagers they were a part of a close knit group but the disappearance of their friend Kala destroyed their innocence and their friendships. Mush carries scars both physical and emotional and never left home. Joe went on to become a famous musician but fifteen years later is home to help relaunch a hospitality venue, while Helen is reluctantly back for her father’s wedding. Human remains, confirmed to be Kala’s, are discovered and then two other teenage girls disappear. This definitely explored the dark underbelly of the tourist town of Kinlough - corruption, organised dog fighting, violence and more. The book’s a bit of a slow burn, although the tension and the pacing certainly ramped up towards the end. The writing was solid. I enjoyed the dual timelines, triple perspectives, and thought the use of second person was a clever choice for Joe. The author did an especially good job capturing the spirit of the characters’ teenage years and depicting Kala as a vibrant, dynamic character, the centre of the group. Overall I enjoyed this book - seeing the former friends come to terms with their roles in Kala’s disappearance while trying to discover who was responsible for her death and attempting to save Donna and Marie from meeting a similar fate - but wasn’t wowed by it the way some readers were.

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