Reviews tagging 'Child death'

What Have We Done by Alex Finlay

16 reviews

fanboyriot's review against another edition

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

1.0

Honestly I didn’t really care for this book.  I couldn’t get into the plot and I just overall didn’t like the characters all that much.

Spice Level: n/a

POV: Multiple, Third Person

Release Date: 07, March 2023

Rep: n/a

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Police brutality, Murder, Addiction, Bullying, Abandonment, Gun violence, and Violence

Moderate: Gun violence, Kidnapping, Torture, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcohol, Murder, Addiction, Trafficking, Child death, and Cursing

Minor: Toxic relationship, Car accident, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Sexual violence, Racism, and Terminal illness

coyotecasket's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

2.5

I did enjoy this book, but it was just okay to me. I enjoy books with multiple POVs, but this one fell a little flat for me. The author kept explaining the same events multiple times with different characters and it became very confusing to me. Also, the characters all seemed a little flat to me. We didn't really get what the characters very feeling, only what they were doing. It was very much "this happened, then this happened" instead of "this happened and these are the emotions I'm feeling as this chatacter" Something else that bothered me is that all of these characters are supposed to be from foster care and all of this... yet all of them basically won the lottery of life. We have a billionaire, a pretty successful Rockstar (washed up sure but he was making it big at one point), a producer of a hit show, a rich judge, and an ex assassin who married well. Im not saying this doesn't happen to foster care kids or that they can't be successful, but all 5 of them seems very far-fetched for me. Capitalism ya know. Furthermore, in a lot of the circumstances, it was obvious that the author was speaking from an outsiders perspective and didn't really understand how an addict or someone going through what the characters were going though would act. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Abandonment, Sexual assault, Bullying, Alcohol, Child death, Drug use, Rape, Death of parent, Drug abuse, and Pedophilia

staceen's review

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

An action thriller about a group of adult foster children with a secret who are reunited when someone is trying to kill them. There was nothing wrong with this book but I just didn’t really enjoy the experience of reading it. I wanted the entire book to be from Jenna’s POV, although that wouldn’t have worked with the story. There were so many story choices I (the critic with no talent for writing, who has never published several successful books like this author ha) would have made differently. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Alcohol, Violence, and Murder

Minor: Child death, Death of parent, Child abuse, and Pedophilia

yvo_about_books's review against another edition

4.0

 Finished reading: September 14th 2023

“In the dark, the gentle boy utters the words none of them will ever forget: 'What have we done?'”

I'm a big fan of Alex Finlay's writing, and I've been looking forward to read his newest story. It's true that I was a bit worried when I saw the lowish rating, and I decided to go in with low expectations just in case... I shouldn't have worried though, because once again I ended up having an excellent time with his writing. I do understand why What Have We Done has a lower rating though, because it does have a different feel compared to his previous books. It's a story that won't work for everyone, but if you like your thrillers on the action-packed, dark and exhilarating side this is the book for you. It took me a little while to properly warm up to the plot, but once I did I was completely hooked. This is one of those books where it's just best to sit back and enjoy the ride... Things can be said about the credibility of it all and the plot being over the top, but it sure provides one heck of an entertaining ride. I loved learning more about the past as well as the present, and the multiple POV structure worked really well to add tension to the plot. What Have We Done will get pretty dark and twisted along the way, so make sure to brace yourself for a wild ride... There were also a couple twists I didn't see coming, which is always a bonus. All in all, while not my favorite Alex Finlay, I still had a blast reading this story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Grief, Gun violence, Toxic friendship, Addiction, Violence, Stalking, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Torture, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, and Trafficking

motherofbears's review

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Not what I expected but the pacing is pretty great and the mystery worked well. Solid. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Police brutality

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Bullying, Child abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, and Alcohol

spaghettii's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Addiction, Alcohol, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Stalking, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Terminal illness, Trafficking, Violence, Alcoholism, Car accident, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Torture, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, and Gore

aileron's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Pedophilia, Death, Murder, Violence, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Alcoholism, and Gun violence

Moderate: Bullying, Police brutality, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Abandonment and Death of parent

bekah1210's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad 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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Murder, Addiction, Abandonment, Bullying, Death, Torture, and Gun violence

Minor: Pedophilia, Terminal illness, Child death, Grief, Child abuse, and Drug use

chymerra's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

3.0

 

Twenty-five years ago, five teenagers did something terrible but necessary (in their eyes). After their group home was dissolved, the five were separated and went to successful but troubled lives. Jenna is a stay-at-home mom, Nico is a reality TV producer with a massive gambling debt, Donnie is a rock star, Ben is a respected judge, and Artemis is a billionaire. Their lives are good until suddenly, one day, Ben is killed. Shortly after, Donnie and Nico are injured in accidents that turn out to be hits on their lives.

On the other hand, Jenna is set up for an attempted assassination. With the assassins hot on their trail, the three must go back to where it all began-the group home that they lived in. There, they must face the past and what they did that night. Because all is not what it seems, and the enemy might be closer than they think.

I accepted the publisher’s invitation to read this book because it was a thriller and a mystery. Since I enjoy both, I figured I would like What Have We Done. And I did. But I was captivated by how the author spun Jenna, Nico, Donnie, Ben, and Artemis’s stories. I couldn’t get enough of their backstories.

What Have We Done is told from several different points of view. The main ones are Jenna, Nico, Donnie, and the psychotic twins. This book also goes between past and present but does it fluidly. There were only a couple of times when I couldn’t immediately figure out what was happening and who the chapter was focused on.

The characters in What Have We Done were well-written and well-fleshed out. But I couldn’t connect with Donnie or Nico. They were just too damaged and a little self-centered (ok, a lot self-centered). Jenna was the one I connected with, and I couldn’t wait to read her chapters. I loved seeing her rely on her former assassin skills to outwit the twins. Plus, when her family was threatened, she didn’t run. Nope, she made her husband run with their daughters while she laid a trail away from them.

I do want to mention the psychopathic twins. I shouldn’t have laughed at them, but they bungled everything. They couldn’t kill their objectives (but had no issues killing other people). They were almost cartoonish in their mannerisms. The scene at the very end of the book with Jenna, her ex-handlers, and the remaining twin was pretty awesome!

Of course, I liked seeing them get their just deserts.

The main plotline with Nico, Donnie, and Jenna investigating Ben’s death and trying to figure out if someone found out about what they did twenty-five years earlier was exciting and action-packed. Donnie was a little useless in this storyline (he was busy telling his story to a ghostwriter). Nico and Jenna were the ones who pieced together everything that was happening. I saw a twist in this storyline coming, but it still surprised me.

The alternating storyline at the group home (with Ben, Nico, Donnie, Jenna, and Artemis) was alarming. I was horrified at what those kids were going through and the rate at which the girls in the home disappeared. Some were explained (like Jenna), but the others weren’t until the end of the book. It wasn’t until a crucial scene towards the end of the book that things were revealed. And let’s say that it made me sick. But, this plotline has a huge twist revealed during the showdown as adults. My mouth dropped when that confession was made. I did not see it coming, which both saddened and disgusted me.

The end of What Have We Done was exciting and a little bloody. I will not get into it, but Donnie, Nico, and Jenna figured everything out. The book’s climax was pretty good, and I liked the confession.

I would recommend What Have We Done to anyone over 21. There is violence, language, and sexual situations. Also, see the trigger warnings at the top of the review.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Alex Finlay for allowing me to read and review What Have We Done. All opinions stated in this review are mine. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, and Addiction

Moderate: Bullying, Child death, and Murder

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and Trafficking

reading_under_covers's review against another edition

4.0

25 years ago, Savior House, a group home for teens, was closed after several girls disappeared. Now, Jenna, Nico, and Donnie are faced with their past and the secrets buried there when someone sets out to kill each of them.

I’ve read all of Alex Finlay’s work and WHAT HAVE WE DONE is easily my favorite!

This book is packed with all of the things I love: multiple timelines, alternating POVs, short chapters, and a creepy home for orphans?! SIGN ME UP.

This one gets a bit outlandish, so brace yourself, but the craziness made this book hard to put down. 

Jenna was hands down my favorite character - a true badass lead you’d want in your corner - and I looked forward to her name popping up in the chapter headings!

Huge thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: March 7, 2023

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Child death, Pedophilia, Child abuse, and Sexual assault