Reviews tagging 'Death'

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

184 reviews

booplesnoot_'s review against another edition

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

3.0

Overall, it’s a solid read. A very surprising ending indeed. I get that how it’s organized is very much intentional, but it felt all over the place to me and felt like it took awhile to find some footing and flow. The first half of the book is great. The second half is also good, but that’s where a lot of the narrative jumping is. The pacing at which things are revealed is nice, but this narrative problem doesn’t lend itself kindly to it.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror

Minor: Death, Child abuse, and Suicide

sierrabowers's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This was a great read that told a chilling story. I did predict the ending, but I thought it was still a great book. I was sad for Elle the entire book and found myself gasping when I found out all of the things that happened to her. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Miscarriage, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Infertility, Pregnancy, Suicide, Grief, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Animal death, Child abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Blood, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Stalking, Violence, Child death, Sexual assault, Murder, Death, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, and Trafficking

chapters_and_pages's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

Lisa Jewell is honestly becoming one of my favourite authors!

Then She Was Gone follows Laurel, who’s 15 year old daughter, Ellie, went missing 10 years prior. Throughout the book, we learn about the events that lead up to Ellie’s disappearance, what happened during the 10 years Ellie was gone, Laurel’s discovery of what exactly happened to her daughter. 

I’ll be honest, I pretty much guessed the plot twists within about 100 pages, but that didn’t stop me from loving this book!

My heart broke for Laurel, Ellie and Poppy, as well as the rest of Ellie’s family, and reading a book like this, it reminds you that even those this is a fictional story, there are people out there who have gone through similar things, whether as a direct victim or a loved one of a victim. 

Even though I really enjoyed this book, it felt like a 4 star read for me for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I guessed the plot twists very early one. Secondly, Poppy was written quite unrealistically for a child of her age. I get what the author was trying to do, but it kind of missed the mark for me personally. Thirdly, while I really enjoyed this book, I didn’t enjoy it as much as some of her others. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Confinement, Grief, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Pregnancy

amberv92's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I give ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ellie is young, vibrant, funny and the golden girl of her family. She is a genius when it comes to numbers just not knowing when her number is up. One day Ellie leaves home says bye to her mom just like every day before but this time she doesn’t come home. 10 years later Ellie’s mother Laurel is still trying to find closure unfortunately she gets some closure when bones are found and they prove to be Ellie. Laurel decides to find life again and jumps right into falling in love with a man she just met. This man has a daughter named Poppy Laurel feels an odd connection but she will never be ready for the connection that is confessed to her by the man she quickly falls in love with.

This is definitely a must read when you think you have it figured out another mystery is thrown at you. I knocked one star only because this is a book that resembles many other plots. The author Lisa Jewell definitely has plots that set her books apart from many others. She uses many real world situations where other books you see the characters getting into out of this earth situations that just don’t help you picture the story. This book is a definite TBR for you if you love romance mixed with suspense. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Rape, Death, Medical content, Child abuse, Grief, Infertility, Miscarriage, Child death, Emotional abuse, and Body horror

lucyrudd's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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? No

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Murder, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Rape, and Torture

curtinbrit's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-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

2.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Confinement, Torture, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Animal death, Death, and Sexual assault

caoxtina's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Murder, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Suicide

aprilrosek's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Grief, Confinement, and Death

Moderate: Murder

Minor: Miscarriage and Physical abuse

isabezza's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

4.5

I don't often read thrillers but Lisa Jewell is my go-to. Each novel I have read has been packed with suspense and disturbing psychology and this story was no different. The story discusses family dynamics after trauma and contains a distressing mystery. I really enjoyed the multiple POV which garnered an insight into each characters motivations and perspectives of others. A little slower than some of her other mysteries but ultimately just as gripping. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Grief, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Child death, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Death, Murder, and Stalking

lauragoose's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.75

Hard to finish. I'm not sure if the book intended to be surprising or shocking or with having "twists" but it's all plainly laid out. Slow pace. Sad inclusions of diet culture and toxic beauty stands. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Fatphobia, Animal death, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Slavery, Torture, Eating disorder, Suicide, Death, Kidnapping, Abandonment, Trafficking, Child death, Confinement, Infertility, Miscarriage, Murder, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse