Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager

58 reviews

kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

So much I didn’t expect happened in this book. It’s a mix of mystery and horror that’s pretty well-done. The characters, are lovable despite their short-comings. This was a great book to end spooky season with and I look forward to reading more by this author. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Addiction, Blood, Confinement, Fatphobia, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Mental illness, and Violence

tectonixduchess's review

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Violence, Stalking, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Murder, Kidnapping, Confinement, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Suicide, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Torture

zoeblair17's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• 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

4.5

Dark n twisty at its finest. Every time I had a new theory, I was almost immediately proven wrong. A little slow to set the scene but about halfway through, it picks up and does not stop! Twist after twist - read the last 150 pages in one sitting and skipped dinner.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Violence, Death, Alcohol, Addiction, Murder, and Grief

Moderate: Vomit, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Violence, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Blood, Stalking, and Addiction

behindherpages's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Addiction, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Infidelity, Confinement, and Domestic abuse

bookishchaos's review

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Not what I was expecting but that plot twist was WILD

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Confinement, and Murder

Moderate: Suicide and Alcoholism

infjkiki's review

dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death, Alcohol, Grief, Confinement, Stalking, Alcoholism, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Drug use, Gaslighting, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Drug abuse

Minor: Physical abuse, Suicide, Excrement, Vomit, and Infidelity

ashleygistinger's review

dark emotional mysterious tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Addiction

hunkydory's review

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Confinement, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence

theimposter's review

dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Great twists and turns! Always thought I knew what was happening and was continually surprised.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Confinement, Grief, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, and Alcoholism

espressoreader's review

tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

This is what happens when an author has a bunch of ideas on sticky notes and then decides to chose which one to use by playing pin the tail on the donkey.  Unfortunately, the reader is the donkey in this scenario.  The plot of this book was about 3 different mismatched and then mangled story arcs that were never spliced.  

The alcoholism of the main character took too much time.  Does it happen?  Absolutely, but functional alcoholics are functional not constantly at the booze at the cost of other things, and dysfunctional alcoholics don’t make good narrators.  Too much of the main character’s personality was obfuscated by the addiction.  I am aware that it happens in life, but that does not render it a good person to select to guide the whole book.

Fail.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Murder, Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Confinement, Death, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Stalking, Grief, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship