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xjinxedx's review against another edition
4.0
Krysten Ritter can spin a decent mystery but I almost feel unsatisfied with the ending and the way things wrapped up. Anyway, I enjoyed reading it while it unfolded but I cant shake the feeling of disappointment.
d0nnaw0ng's review against another edition
4.0
3.75/5
I was able to breeze through 2/3 of the book quickly but at the same time it's giving me a lot of mix messages/signals.
Abby wants to find out what happened to her best friend, Kaycee when she went back to her hometown, Barrens, Indiana while she was really suppose to be there investigating Optimal Plastics for contaminated the water.
It's as if Abby's going around in circles and is driving me into circles along with her. Did Kaycee really ran away or she was really sick? The more she digs into the story the more confused she is and the more confused I get. Even at the end I'm not sure what went on but I did enjoy the overall story therefore I gave it a 3.75 rating.
I was able to breeze through 2/3 of the book quickly but at the same time it's giving me a lot of mix messages/signals.
Abby wants to find out what happened to her best friend, Kaycee when she went back to her hometown, Barrens, Indiana while she was really suppose to be there investigating Optimal Plastics for contaminated the water.
It's as if Abby's going around in circles and is driving me into circles along with her. Did Kaycee really ran away or she was really sick? The more she digs into the story the more confused she is and the more confused I get. Even at the end I'm not sure what went on but I did enjoy the overall story therefore I gave it a 3.75 rating.
towering_tbr's review against another edition
4.0
This was pretty good. There were definitely a few problems with it, like pacing and some confusion early on. But I was gripped. I'm typically not a mystery reader but I enjoyed this a lot.
perjacxis's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars
I usually enjoy a good "protagonist returns to hometown and has to deal with old secrets" plot (see In the Woods by Tana French) but it didn't work for me here. The story relies heavily on Abbey remembering or not remembering things at convenient moments and her actions often seemed unbelievable. I'm glad that I read it but I think I prefer seeing Krysten Ritter on screen.
I usually enjoy a good "protagonist returns to hometown and has to deal with old secrets" plot (see In the Woods by Tana French) but it didn't work for me here. The story relies heavily on Abbey remembering or not remembering things at convenient moments and her actions often seemed unbelievable. I'm glad that I read it but I think I prefer seeing Krysten Ritter on screen.
rmarcin's review against another edition
4.0
Abby Williams has returned to her home of Barrens to investigate the potential of the town's biggest employer and community contributer, Optimal, of releasing hazardous waste into the town's reservoir. Abby hasn't been back in 10 years, and when she does return, all the reasons that she escaped keep invading her thoughts. Her best childhood friend, Kaycee Mitchell, turned on her in high school. Kaycee hasn't been seen since just after graduation. Old classmates, but not friends, Misha and Brent, cozy up to Abby. Dave Condor, a few years older than Abby, is someone that Abby likes, but she isn't sure of him.
While Abby is haunted by memories of her childhood, she needs to investigate what is going on in the town, and whether Optimal is poisoning the residents. What starts out as an Erin Brockovich type of novel, going after the big corporation for poisoning the water, becomes a much different story altogether.
The book moved quickly, and there was an underlying mystery to the entire novel. When the truth is finally released, it is a surprise as to what happened (but I wasn't surprised at the one who was the most evil).
While Abby is haunted by memories of her childhood, she needs to investigate what is going on in the town, and whether Optimal is poisoning the residents. What starts out as an Erin Brockovich type of novel, going after the big corporation for poisoning the water, becomes a much different story altogether.
The book moved quickly, and there was an underlying mystery to the entire novel. When the truth is finally released, it is a surprise as to what happened (but I wasn't surprised at the one who was the most evil).
garweilee's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
terroreesa's review against another edition
2.0
Predictable but enjoyable. I found the Optimal storyline's conclusion unsatisfactory but I liked the Kaycee part.
beastreader's review against another edition
3.0
My thoughts on this book are not swayed by the fact that this book is written by an actor. In fact, I hold the same standards to celebrity authors as I do other authors. Having said this, I thought that Ms. Ritter did a good job of writing this book. I liked the concept for the story. There was something ominous about what was happening to people in town as well as what happened to Kaycee. Yet, I felt like the story needed a bigger punch.
Being a fan of Jessica Jones, I was hoping and wanting this book to be as dark and gritty as the television show that Ms. Ritter stars in. This same thing goes for Abby. She seemed to act like she was still in highschool where she was the follower and not the leader. However, I did get glimpses of promise and where Ms. Ritter was going with this story. With a little more polish, I expect that the next book will be better. I look forward to seeing and reading more from Ms. Ritter.
Being a fan of Jessica Jones, I was hoping and wanting this book to be as dark and gritty as the television show that Ms. Ritter stars in. This same thing goes for Abby. She seemed to act like she was still in highschool where she was the follower and not the leader. However, I did get glimpses of promise and where Ms. Ritter was going with this story. With a little more polish, I expect that the next book will be better. I look forward to seeing and reading more from Ms. Ritter.
eliathereader's review against another edition
2.0
Şenlik Ateşi gizem türünde olduğundan konusu itibariyle ilgimi çeken kitaplardandı. Jessica Jones severek izlediğim dizilerden ve bu kitabın yazarının Jessica Jones’u canlandıran Krysten Ritter olduğunu öğrenince okumak için bir sebebim daha oldu. Önce uzunca bir süre alınacaklar listemde yer aldı sonrasında da bir süre okunacaklar arasında bekledi. Tatilde nispeten kolay okunan kitapları tercih ettiğimden yanıma aldım ve nihayet okuyabildim. Tüm kitap büyük ve ürpertici olayların yaşanacağı hissiyatını vermek için uğraşıyor. Ufak bir kasabaya dönen ve hem geçmişle yüzleşirken hem de büyük bir fabrikanın kirli işlerini ortaya çıkarmaya çalışan ana karakterin yaptıklarını anlatıyor. Aile dramı, akran zorbalığı üzerinden ilerliyor genel olarak. Açıkçası beklenti hep bir şeylerin olacağına yönelik yapıldığından kitaptan alınan keyif bir yerden sonra azalıyor. Çünkü ne bir gizem ortaya çıkıyor ne şok edici bir şeyler oluyor. Aslında neredeyse hiçbir şey yaşanmıyor. Sadece sürekli olarak geçmişte yaşanmış aynı olaylar içerisinde kaybolan ana karakterin oradan oraya dolaşmasını ve bariz olan detayları fark edememesini okuyoruz. Yazar bir beklentiye soktuğundan bekleyiş de can sıkıcı oluyor. Sonu ise biraz aceleci yazılmış. Basit bir roman ama fena değil. Keşke daha merak uyandırıcı yazılmış olsaymış o yüzden gizem türünde çok tavsiye edebileceğim bir roman değil. Ancak durgun ve ufak kasaba gizeminden hoşlanıyorsanız bakabilirsiniz.
erincataldi's review against another edition
3.0
I tried really hard to love this book, but the slow build up and unreliable narrator finally did me in, I enjoyed this book, but probably won't read it again. This is a chick lit suspense novel (think Girl on the Train or Gone Girl) without as many jaw dropping surprises. Abby Williams left her small Indiana hometown without a backward glance, fleeing to Chicago to become a lawyer. When a potential water crisis brings her back to the place she grew up she has more questions then ever. Whatever happened to the Queen Bee, Kaycee? Why is Optimal so involved with this small town, are they trying to buy people's love so that they can get away with slowly poisoning the water? Is the game they played in high school still continuing? Abby keeps digging but everything keeps bringing her back in time. The answers may cost her everything and be darker than she ever imagined but she can't walk away. For a debut author and celebrity actor, this book is really well crafted and written, it just wasn't my style.