Reviews with content warning for Child abuse - One of the Good Guys

This book is so thought-provoking and simultaneously stunning and sickening. This has been written for the #metoo #reclaimthesestreets generation. Was it captivating? Yes. Was it uncomfortable reading? Definitely. However, this is a truly unique idea and a book that also taught me a great deal. Totally enthralling.

Content Warnings

bellebookcorner's review against another edition

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dark reflective 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

2.5

This book has a unique format, there’s transcript of a recorder, news reporter and also reddit and twitter posts which makes the listening experience felt different than other audiobooks I’ve listened to before.

The topics brought up in this book are important and very thought-provoking. While I do agree of some of the arguments, but there are some that I didn’t agree as well.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the characters but it’s fascinating to listen to Cole and Mel’s POV as they talks about their marriage. They go through the same event but both of them feel and view things differently.

The narrators did a great job because I feel like I’m actually listening to the news and podcasts. The walk-through exhibit was a great touch, I can feel the dark and tense atmosphere through Lennie's art.

However, I had difficulties in differentiating between the two female narrators as Lennie and Mel. I got confused because I didn’t know which POV I’m listening to until I listened to it further.

This one is slightly personal but I wish the narrators spoke aloud the number of chapter so I know when a chapter ended because I felt annoyed when I had to paused it in a middle of a chapter. When I resumed it later, I got confused of what they’re talking about.

I really want to like this one but I felt disappointed since it wasn’t what I expected it to be.

I thought the focus would be on the two missing girls mentioned on the blurb but as I listened further into this book, it’s not. The mystery is barely there and the big reveal about what happened to those girls fell flat and weird.

This book sounds promising and has the potential to be a good one but I didn’t fully enjoy the whole execution. Some parts felt slow and excessive for me.

This book didn’t work out for me, but it might be a good one to be read in a book club so you could discuss some of the issue brought up in this psychological thriller book.

I received an advanced audiobook copy for free through Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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abidavisf's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
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

I am at a loss for words. One of the Good Guys is brilliant and intelligent and completely devastating. Hearing Elliott Fitzpatrick narrate Cole was chilling. I cried multiple times listening to this audio book, sometimes in anger and frustration for the world that we live in and the men who don’t understand the dangers that women face, and sometimes in sadness for the men who have let me and so many others down by excusing bad behaviour.

Check content warnings but, if you feel you are able to, I would highly recommend this book.

Content Warnings

avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Cole seems to be one of the good guys, but is he? Or is our standard for "a good guy" too low?
This was an interesting multiple-POV book. I'm so glad the publisher put the money into the audio that they did. It was rich and felt as if I'd read the book which is not just multiple POV but mixed media.
The story was also good and kept me guessing. I wondered if Cole was a reliable narrator and what exactly was going on. I wish we'd gotten more of Cole's POV though, after the main events unfolded.

Narrator Rating: 5 stars
All the narrators did an excellent job, and as said in the main review there were many and it made the book more immersive.

Extra ratings: Fluff-0/5 Heartfelt-5/5 Helpful-3/5 Horror-NA Inspiration-NA Love aka Romance-NA Mystery-2/5 Predictability-1/5 Spice-NA Suspense-4/5 Tear-3/5 Thrill-3.5/5 Humor-NA

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pippahawkins's review

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reflective 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

5.0

Content Warnings

samfictiondistilling's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective 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? Yes

3.25

An important conversation starter and an important narrative in the world today. I often think about how much longer women will stay silent, I think it's already been too long and this book addresses the need for better conversations and solutions.

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astoriareader's review

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challenging dark 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

3.0

SYNOPSIS:

Cole sees himself as one of the good guys. His wife, Mel, has ended things with him after seven years together & many IVF failures. He is starting a new chapter in a remote location.
Cole befriends his new neighbor, Lennie, who is an artist.
Two young women activists disappear near where Cole & Lennie live. What happened to them?

MY THOUGHTS

Interesting plot about tough topics.
The formatting is unique. I liked the format of first 2/3s, but not the last third. The first third is from Cole’s perspective, the second third is from Mel’s, and the final third is social media posts, articles, comments, and podcast transcriptions. The last bit was difficult to read & follow; it was choppy.
Lots of social commentary in the book, particularly regarding consent, violence against women, abuse, manipulation. Readers should check out trigger warnings as well.
I really enjoyed seeing the perspectives of Cole & Mel. Those parts were well-written, and it captures how different they interpreted things.
The narrative was pretty heavy headed & there wasn’t anything subtle for the reader to form conclusions about within the story. Writing style was pedantic. The execution was lacking. The ending was meh.
On paper, I thought I would love it, as I do love feminist discourse, but I came away from the book very underwhelmed.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️underwhelming. wasn’t a fan of the structure and execution in this one. great premise though.

Thanks to Gillian Flynn Books and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. It will be published on January 9, 2024.

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