Reviews with content warning for Death - The Survivors

I'm a huge Jane Harper fan - The Lost Man is one of my favorite books - and I liked this more than Force of Nature, but not as much as The Dry and The Lost Man. The story is good and I like that there are some deeper themes examined, but the ending left me feeling a little meh. Landscapes are looming characters in all of Harper's books and the Tasmanian Coast was the perfect setting for this story.

Content Warnings

thebakerbookworm's review against another edition

Go to review page

mysterious medium-paced

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

2.5

I liked this book, in that it gave me an intriguing mystery to listen to while I was driving on my road trip, but I really don't think it'll be one that I remember in the long run. I'm writing this review a few weeks after finishing and already struggling to remember the details.

There are a lot of characters, and it took a while to get familiar with everyone. And the mystery doesn't quite grip you from the start. It's definitely a slow build that never really takes off but I was interested enough to want to know what happened.

I didn't figure out the mystery, but I was disappointed with the end. Let's just say it left much to be desired, and then just abruptly ended after the big reveal.

This was a nice "background" listen—no need to pay attention to every word but keeps you hooked enough to finish the book. The setting may have been the best part.

Thanks to Libro.fm, Macmillan Audio, and the author for my ALC!

Content Warnings

zlad13's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I really enjoyed this.
It had a bit more social commentary than I was expecting, but I thought it was woven in mostly well. It felt a bit similar to The Dry by the same author.

Content Warnings

birthisacurse's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

Content Warnings

bigheartedbibliophile's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

SPOILERS
“Kieran Elliott's life changed forever on the day a reckless mistake led to devastating consequences. The guilt that still haunts him resurfaces during a visit with his young family to the small coastal community he once called home. Kieran's parents are struggling in a town where fortunes are forged by the sea. Between them all is his absent brother, Finn. When a body is discovered on the beach, long-held secrets threaten to emerge. A sunken wreck, a missing girl, and questions that have never washed away...”
I loveeeee thrillers/mysteries, and this was no exception. From the very beginning, you are wondering what happened, and why Kieran left his hometown in the first place. In the end, you are left absolutely breathless and in shock. I could not put this book down, I needed to know what happened!

Content Warnings

aromarrie's review

Go to review page

mysterious 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? Yes

3.5

okay yes, i'm all for open endings. in fact, i think they're pretty brilliant--and what jane harper did in this book added even more suspense to a story that's already filled to the brim with it, which admires a lot of respect from me. however,,,,

what the fuck?

content warnings//: allusions to suspicious drowning(s), death, gore, depiction of dementia (kieran's father), loss of a loved one, explorations of grief, allusion to murder, allusion to ptsd (never explicitly stated), past boat accident, and depiction of a bad storm

Content Warnings

becksreading's review

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

This was a really interesting, often fast-paced story. It was great at setting a scene, and showed the ripple effects of how trauma can effect a community. That said, the ending fell really flat for me, and knocked this down a lot. There was a lot of potential and it felt like the author just walked away from it. Not against open endings, it just felt wrong here.

Content Warnings

julied's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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? It's complicated

4.0

Content Warnings

More...