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rsagarin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Pregnancy, Rape, Death, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Terminal illness, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Stalking, Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Abortion, Body shaming, Child abuse, Classism, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Addiction, Mental illness, Murder, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Violence, Homophobia, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Self harm, Sexual content, Slavery, and Suicidal thoughts
lindsaysofia_25's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
The chapters from Emily Vaughn's perspective offered a fascinating window into the mind of a teenager faced with incredible trauma and her manipulation by her group of "friends" and their charismatic leader. The dynamics of the group reminded me of The Secret History, with their performative intellectualism, enjoyment of psychedelics, and sexual tensions, but the murder of a member of the group much more tragic. I was struck by Slaughter's ability to make Emily's perspective seem so childish. The writing style felt adolescent, her gullibility and innocence as she processed what had happened to her was palpable, and the way she went about investigating it for herself was markedly childish. Emily seems like a kid trying to act like an adult as she emulates what she knows about how an investigation works, which is masterfully juxtaposed against the present-day investigation executed by the actual trained professionals.
As I read, I found myself grasping at straws, searching for characters I could latch on to as trusted allies of Andrea and Emily, but no one was safe. Yet, it was also hard to completely villainize most characters because of Slaughter's insistence on depicting their moments of kindness and the gender and class dynamics that drove many of their actions. This genre tends to depict good and evil more dichotomously than other adult genres, and even where the lines blur, authors often write such a character as having two sides. Instead, Slaughter forces readers to recognize that the best and worst qualities of a person are deeply interconnected, and often both spring from the same roots.
Returning to a point I mentioned in the first paragraph, a central theme of the novel is the patriarchal roots of the crimes committed against Emily Vaughn. Throughout the novel, Slaughter depicts many relationship dynamics inarguably shaped by gender and class relations, but the most obvious social commentary is the way the male characters talk to and about women. With the singular exception of Bible, the men in the story span a range of political opinions but are united by their violent misogyny. At many points in the story, we see characters like Clay speak of revolution and degrade women in the same breath. They are ideologically opposed to hierarchy, except in their desire to be worshipped by women.
I have so many more thoughts about this novel but they are more well-suited to an essay than a review, so I'll end my comments here. My final note is that if you're going to read it, you should check content warnings because it deals explicitly with very heavy topics.
Graphic: Violence and Medical trauma
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Alcoholism
eeeebs'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? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Terminal illness, Medical trauma, Drug use, Dysphoria, Fire/Fire injury, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Rape, Alcohol, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Vomit, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Gun violence, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Dementia, Gore, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Cancer, Death of parent, Addiction, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Sexual harassment, Fatphobia, Violence, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Medical content, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual assault, Murder, Outing, Pedophilia, Sexism, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Torture
bmills1210'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
3.75
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Violence, Drug use, and Medical trauma
mrsmishler's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Medical content, Bullying, Outing, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Medical trauma, Violence, Homophobia, Gun violence, Death, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Eating disorder, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Rape, Suicide, and Toxic friendship
spacecaits's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Medical trauma, Bullying, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual harassment, and Murder
cannesi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Graphic: Death of parent, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Rape, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Trafficking, Violence, Vomit, Dementia, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Chronic illness, Grief, Gun violence, Death, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Addiction, Abortion, Child death, Homophobia, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, and Pedophilia
melsuke's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Trafficking, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Rape, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Outing, Grief, Blood, Vomit, Violence, Domestic abuse, Toxic friendship, Misogyny, Child abuse, Child death, Bullying, Alcohol, Homophobia, Murder, Death, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Sexism, and Physical abuse
bandysbooks'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
In typical Slaughter fashion, this is a brutal high-octane murder thriller with strong female characters and a wild plot. It is at times incredibly difficult to read, but hard to put down. You’ll find yourself shouting at and cheering on different characters.
Slaughter is known for dark details and unflinching portrayals of the worst of humanity. This book has a lot of that. In my opinion, this story flirts with having a bit too much. I recommend extreme caution to anyone sensitive to rape and sexual assault. (There are further trigger warnings
That said, I really enjoyed the direction she took Andy’s character in. You can tell there’s a lot of growth from the previous book and she is really starting to settle into herself. I also adored her partner on the Marshall’s force. He brought some much needed humor to the story. The villains in this story are also very evil. There is no doubt about who you’re supposed to root for in this one.
All in all, if you like dark reads and are not easily triggered, you may enjoy this one. It is well written and engaging, but not for the faint of heart.
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Self harm, Vomit, Blood, Child death, Chronic illness, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Grief, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual assault, Addiction, Bullying, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, and Torture
In particular, there is a scene where a rape victim is re-victimized by a horrific doctor. I wanted to provide extra warning for it.whatlexysaid's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Medical trauma and Physical abuse
Moderate: Alcohol, Rape, and Drug abuse