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crochetparrot's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
- lisa jewell has never met a teenager, particularly one from 2017
- some basic grammar editing needed which is always a bugbear of mine
- aspergers is… a choice, and did anyone autistic actually read this before publication
- it’s sad
- i like how the characters wove together and it was a fairly simple pleasing solve
- someone find archie a nice wife
- read it in 2.5 hours, my overall review is It’s Perfectly Fine
Graphic: Murder, Bullying, Suicide, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Pregnancy
Moderate: Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Domestic abuse
haleybre's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Moderate: Blood, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Stalking, Suicide, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Child death, Death, Grief, Bullying, Infidelity, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse
allena_inwonderland's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Bullying and Suicide
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Pregnancy
annagerman's review against another edition
- 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
2.0
This wasn't bad per se. More like very average. The writing was OK, not cringey but also not particularly engaging.
The teenaged characters were the most interesting and relatable. The grown-ups were either very dumb and annoying, or simply oblivious.
The plot was very predictable, and I didn't like that most of the "twist" relyed on pure chance.
Also I didn't really appreciate how the themes of mental health, neurodivergence and domestic abuse/violence were handled.
Graphic: Mental illness, Addiction, and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Suicide, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Pregnancy
norwegianforestreader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Grief, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Stalking, Suicide, and Vomit
butilikeit's review
- 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
3.25
Moderate: Stalking, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Infidelity, Mental illness, and Pregnancy
brynhayes's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Gaslighting, Murder, Alcohol, Mental illness, Stalking, Violence, Abandonment, Blood, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Pregnancy, and Suicide
kimveach's review
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Medical content, Grief, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Mental illness, Murder, Stalking, Suicide, Child death, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Blood, Death, Toxic friendship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Torture, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Bullying
savijax's review
- 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
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Mental illness
Moderate: Murder, Pregnancy, and Suicide
minimicropup's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.5
POV: We follow a handful of characters January to March 2017. We have the perspectives of a sporty teen dealing with a mentally ill mother, an introverted teen crossing the boundaries of observation vs peeping, and a newlywed couple living with family while struggling to adult. Every few chapters we have excerpts of police interviews investigating a murder.
Mood Reading Match-Up:
- Community and family analysis peeking behind closed doors, the-secrets-we-keep dramas
- Contemporary fiction with visceral not-all-is-as-it-seems character studies and connections
- Coming-of-age coming-to-truth of family history and dynamics
- Exploring themes of friendship, assumption, judgement, student-teacher dynamics, self-discovery, secrets, shame, lies, first impressions, and irony.
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🐺 Growls, Howls, and Tail Wags 🐕
🎬 Tale-Telling: Third-person perspective that felt as intimate as reading someone’s diary. We witnessed the characters’ most private moments, fears, and desires. The storytelling was zippy, with lots of insights and snippets into the lives of the community. I couldn't help but make judgements, and loved having my assumptions challenged at the next turn.
🤓 Reader’s Role: Analyst and Observer: As a reader, one could choose to be a passive onlooker and/or invest in piecing together the puzzle, trying to read between the lines of what’s said and unsaid.
👥 Characters: I like that each character was crafted to blur the lines between victim and villain, observer and participant. And it didn’t feel contrived or over-the-top, more like what you’d expect the day-to-day struggles of a community of people if you could sneak behind closed doors. There were elements strategically left out for understanding the peripheral characters, but their actions weren’t hidden behind ‘if only you knew’ baiting. Rather they were wrapped in layers of moral ambiguity, which could be good book club discussion fodder for questioning our various perceptions and biases.
🗺️ Ambiance: The neighbourhood was well-established, with a mix of modern renovations and dated homes, mirroring the diversity and complexity of most urban neighbourhoods and inhabitants. I had trouble imaging how it could tower over so many streets until I checked out Google Earth of the area, and then it all came together.
🔥 Fuel: The story thrived on unraveling friendships and murky motivations. I don’t think you need to like any of the characters to enjoy the story, but if it doesn’t spark your curiosity, then I imagine it could feel meandering. The suspense leaves lots of room for speculation, discussion, and predictions. It often subtly asked the question of how well we really know those around us – and ourselves.
🚙 Journey: Reading this was like taking a stroll through a neighbourhood while glancing in the uncovered windows and seeing snippets of everyone’s life. The build-up to the ending was steady and suspenseful, with emotional depth, psychological intrigue, and twists that unfolded with precision and surprised me.
Random Thoughts
🤓 What worked: Brilliant character crafting. Eerie and questionable actions that were surprisingly relatable. Flipping conventional perceptions and the examination of human behaviour.
🫠 What didn’t: The resolution was a touch idealistic. I noticed that as secrets came to light for the reader, perspectives of some characters seemed to shift even though they didn’t yet know what we knew.
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Content Heads-Up: Mental illness (paranoia, delusions). Infidelity (emotional, physical). Pregnancy (brief; not graphic). Stalking/peeping/tracking. Adult/minor relationship (insinuation, discussion). Domestic abuse (spouses and parent-child; physical, verbal). Suicide (recall, discussed; off page). Bullying (recall, discussed; off page). Murder. Fatphobia (calorie restriction; comments). Codependent/toxic relationships.
Rep: White and ambiguous Brits. Neurodivergence (autism spectrum; disorganized thinking). Cisgender. Heterosexual relationships.
👀 Format: Paperback
(First read this Dec 27, 2018; re-read Feb 4, 2024. Still loved it!)
“Reviews are my musings 💖 powered by puppy snuggles 🐶 refined by my AI bookworm bestie ✨”
Graphic: Mental illness and Infidelity
Moderate: Stalking, Domestic abuse, and Bullying
Minor: Pregnancy, Suicide, and Fatphobia