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killmoore_'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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Murder, Stalking, Torture, Alcohol, Grief, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Addiction, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Medical content, Sexual assault, Lesbophobia, Blood, Child abuse, and Violence
r3ader's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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? No
3.0
READ TW'S BEFORE READING!
The first half was too slow, I feel like. I wanted to DNF, but bc I also wanted to know the ending, I kept reading. The last half was finished in the matter of a few days, so the pace definitely picks up towards the end.
I do have to say, that Beth and Hailey were annoying at times. Both acted like immature teenagers half the time (which is okay in Hailey, bc she is literally a teen, but Beth is too old to act like that).
A good example for that was when Bethseriously expected Jonny to choose her before Hailey, like??? He know you for a few days and only slept with you once, he know Hailey for his WHOLE LIFE. You can't be mad at him, that he would choose Hailey.
The answer to the murder mystery was a bit surprising, but you could predict it towards the end. Still, not bad.
I definitely loved the attention the book brings to mmiw! Would have been nice to have an indigenous woman as a main character, too. ^^
Overall, good book, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to others.
The first half was too slow, I feel like. I wanted to DNF, but bc I also wanted to know the ending, I kept reading. The last half was finished in the matter of a few days, so the pace definitely picks up towards the end.
I do have to say, that Beth and Hailey were annoying at times. Both acted like immature teenagers half the time (which is okay in Hailey, bc she is literally a teen, but Beth is too old to act like that).
A good example for that was when Beth
The answer to the murder mystery was a bit surprising, but you could predict it towards the end. Still, not bad.
I definitely loved the attention the book brings to mmiw! Would have been nice to have an indigenous woman as a main character, too. ^^
Overall, good book, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to others.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Violence, Animal cruelty, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Stalking, Gun violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Drug abuse, Police brutality, Addiction, Drug use, Grief, and Medical content
Minor: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Car accident, Torture, Vomit, Death of parent, Excrement, Murder, and Rape
Definitely don't read it if you can't have an animal suffering at the hands of people or if you can't read about an animal which you have bonded with being threatened to get killed!sarahberryshortcake's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
This book had me hooked from the second I started it. It’s dark and parts are hard. Sometimes I would be reading and have to set down my kindle and take a breath to keep going. It’s really that good that you can’t stop. The different narratives are amazing. I am planning to read all of Chevy Steven’s books now. Im not really the biggest mystery/thriller fan usually but I’m hooked on her characters, the twists and how it hits hard about being a girl walking on a dark road
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Kidnapping, Murder, Violence, and Stalking
Moderate: Grief, Addiction, and Car accident
phantasmaboo's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
4.0
Dark Roads by Chevy Stevens tells the stories of Haley and Beth, two young women who are tied together by the murder of young women in their small town. When Amber, Beth's sister and Haley's best friend, falls victim to the murderer, the two team up to catch them.
I thought this book was good. Stevens crafted a dark, atmospheric setting that kept me in suspense the whole time. While I didn't quite enjoy the graphic nature of the book at times, I thought that there was enough otherwise to keep me interested. The narrative switches between Beth and Haley's points of view throughout, so we get to see both sides of their grief, anguish, and fear. Even in the slower parts of the plot, I never thought that the pacing was suffering, which I think speaks to the power of Beth and Haley's voices. The plot does suffer, however, from the "continuous red herring", as I call it. That is, the book keeps us so focused on someone else that it is literally impossible to see the end coming. Because of that, the ending does feel somewhat abrupt and lackluster, because all of the tension was building up toward someone else. That character's ending also feels abrupt, in a way. Still, I can't say that this wasn't the author's intention, and I can't say that it was too bad.
The characters are pretty well-developed. I was scared for a while that one of the characters would devolve into a caricature of a racist, power hungry cop, but I think that Stevens treaded that line carefully and well enough that it didn't come off as forceful or over the top for the sake of the plot. The characters are not diverse as far as I can tell with the exception of (maybe) socioeconomic class. The author attempts to incorporate First Nations peoples and practices, but it is mentioned only in passing and doesn't incorporate any aspects of the culture beyond that. That all being said, the characters we do meet are compelling and deep, and Stevens writes them well enough that you can empathize with their struggles.
Overall, I give this book a 4/5 stars.
I thought this book was good. Stevens crafted a dark, atmospheric setting that kept me in suspense the whole time. While I didn't quite enjoy the graphic nature of the book at times, I thought that there was enough otherwise to keep me interested. The narrative switches between Beth and Haley's points of view throughout, so we get to see both sides of their grief, anguish, and fear. Even in the slower parts of the plot, I never thought that the pacing was suffering, which I think speaks to the power of Beth and Haley's voices. The plot does suffer, however, from the "continuous red herring", as I call it. That is, the book keeps us so focused on someone else that it is literally impossible to see the end coming. Because of that, the ending does feel somewhat abrupt and lackluster, because all of the tension was building up toward someone else. That character's ending also feels abrupt, in a way. Still, I can't say that this wasn't the author's intention, and I can't say that it was too bad.
The characters are pretty well-developed. I was scared for a while that one of the characters would devolve into a caricature of a racist, power hungry cop, but I think that Stevens treaded that line carefully and well enough that it didn't come off as forceful or over the top for the sake of the plot. The characters are not diverse as far as I can tell with the exception of (maybe) socioeconomic class. The author attempts to incorporate First Nations peoples and practices, but it is mentioned only in passing and doesn't incorporate any aspects of the culture beyond that. That all being said, the characters we do meet are compelling and deep, and Stevens writes them well enough that you can empathize with their struggles.
Overall, I give this book a 4/5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Torture, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Outing, Murder, Xenophobia, Rape, Racism, and Medical trauma
kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
A story of women being murdered on a dark, desolate highway and the killer being on the loose, this book has so many twists and turns it’s unbelievable. Power, greed, deception, and downright disturbing sexual fantasies make this murder mystery so much more than just a whodunnit. The characters are raw and real and infinitely flawed. The killer is not who I thought it was going to be but I realized it wasn’t who I thought it was RIGHT before the twist. This book kept me guessing in the best way. Also, ACAB - cause this book…man.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Medical content, Blood, Car accident, Child abuse, Death, Murder, Sexual violence, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Rape, Torture, Violence, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Stalking, and Vomit
keenanmaree's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Grief, Alcohol, Blood, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Stalking, Torture, Violence, Gun violence, Medical content, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Car accident
chymerra's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Review can also be found at Read with Me (https://readwithme2018.com/2021/08/03/dark-roads-by-chevy-stevens/)
I am a big fan of psychological thrillers. Now, I love books, period, but reading psychological thrillers give me a rush. I like the feeling that I get when reading them. I like the butterflies in my stomach, the anxiety built up during the book, and the feeling at the end of the book.
Dark Roads is the story of two girls connected by death. Hailey and Beth. After a shocking discovery that makes her home life unbearable, Hailey disappears into the wilderness surrounding the small town of Cold Creek. A year later, Beth shows up, hoping to find peace in the town where her sister last lived. But there is a greater force at stake. Can Beth and Hailey expose what has been going on in Cold Creek? Or will the town, and the highway, live up to its reputation?
The plotline for Dark Roads was fast-paced. The flow of the book was choppy, but I think the author wanted it that way. There was a slight lag in the middle of the book before Beth discovered Hailey and a tiny little at the end. The author addressed the main storylines/plotlines, but she did not resolve the main one about the killings on the highway. Again, I do believe that the author wanted it that way.
Hailey was the first main character introduced in Dark Roads. When the book starts, her father had died in a car crash, and she was living with her aunt, uncle, and cousin. Hailey isn’t comfortable there. She is more at home with her best friend Jonny, racing dirtbikes and stealing parts to keep the bikes running. She is not allowed to ride her bike or hitchhike home because of a serial killer operating on the highway of Cold Creek. Things come to a head that summer when her uncle, Vaughn, starts acting suspiciously, and Hailey does a little investigating. What Hailey finds out during her investigation sends her deep into the forest for a year. Honestly, I would have done the same thing. She was in the crosshairs of a serial killer, and the only way to get away was to disappear.
Beth had come to Cold Creek to try and make peace with her sister’s death. She was a freaking mess, popping pills and drinking vodka while doing her investigation into Amber’s death. I was sure, during points in the book, that she was going to die. I also questioned her getting involved with Jonny. I questioned almost everything she did in this book. But, she did solve her sister’s death, and she brought down someone with that (and I wasn’t surprised at who it was).
When Hailey and Beth came together, the book did pick up the pace. The switching between their viewpoints was almost frantic. I loved that Hailey was virtually a ghost and that she was informing Thompson (the other cop) about what was going on. Her chemistry with Beth was terrific too. She had an instant rapport with her that I loved.
The author did a fantastic job writing the mystery angle of Dark Roads. I had zero clues about who the killer was. I thought it was someone else until that scene with Beth in her car. The reveal took me by surprise. There was another twist to that storyline that I saw coming, but it still surprised me.
The author did a fantastic job writing the mystery angle of Dark Roads. I had zero clues about who the killer was. I thought it was someone else until that scene with Beth in her car. The reveal of who it took me by surprise. There was another twist to that storyline that I saw coming, but it still surprised me.
I want to mention the author’s note at the end of the book. There was an explanation about the actual criminal case that the Cold Creek Highway was based off. She also addressed that indigenous women were more likely to be killed, and the murders were not given priority. That explanation made sense, and I understood why she chose not to have the other murders in the book solved.
Dark Roads was a fast-paced psychological thriller. The storyline was well written, and the characters were compelling.
I would recommend Dark Roads to anyone over the age of 21. There is violence and language. There are several graphic scenes of a woman being tortured and beaten. There are a couple of explicit scenes of police brutality. There are drugs and alcohol. There are scenes of a person taking pictures of women/underage girls without their knowledge.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture and Violence
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