Reviews tagging 'Child death'

A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins

113 reviews

paigestilwill's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.5

A Slow Fire Burning combines all the things one might love about a murder mystery—suspense, shifting perspectives, red herrings and their explanations. I thought the character development was well done, the plot hummed along but never divulged too much at once. 

The death of Ben and the depiction from Daniel’s perspective was a bit difficult to face, though I venture that was the point. Just a fair warning to any moms of toddlers—you may want to sit this one out. 

My only slight hang up with this one was the build up to Jeremy’s reveal—Miriam’s history was perhaps the most interesting to me—the resolution to which felt deflated and hurried compared to the other storylines that tied things up more assuredly. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Child death, and Blood

Moderate: Vomit, Infidelity, Incest, Rape, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Miscarriage

missgrangerr's review against another edition

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? Yes

4.0

I loved how these stories intersected! I figured out early on what happened with the baby yet it did not pull away from the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, and Murder

Minor: Animal death

lilbookowl's review

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child death, and Animal death

Minor: Infertility

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

I liked this one, and I thought the many varied stories were interesting. I liked the injustice that was felt for

the stealing of someone's story. That would be so devastating.

The main character stressed me the heck out, but I think she was written pretty well. Love family drama.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, and Child death

Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Grief, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Blood, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Pregnancy, Rape, Classism, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, and Stalking

hcumbie's review

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

3.0

Not Paula Hawkins best work-the time-line was a little confusing and the ending was just ok. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcoholism

rmr172's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad 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? Yes

3.25

I should have looked at the content warnings first. Audio narration was good and I liked the multiple perspectives, but it was pretty traumatic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death

betherinahq's review

challenging dark mysterious 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

4.0

Enjoy isn’t really the right word but this book scratched the itch of a compelling, quick read that kept me guessing. 

I like Paula Hawkin’s style of writing and while there were a few things that perhaps don’t have quite the same impact as they did a few years ago (unreliable narrator, using another text/medium as a metaphor for what’s going on) it’s still expertly crafted. 

I like how with her books the characters and therefore suspects are introduced early and there’s potentially only, say 4 suspects. So when the killer is revealed it’s never a complete curveball and you’re not surprised but you’re also rewarded with it not being that obvious - hiding in plain sight usually! 

A good crime thriller that ticks the boxes and passes by a weekend! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Child death, Mental illness, Alcohol, Child abuse, and Murder

bookedbymadeline's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

Switching POVs between Irene, Miriam, Carla, Theo, and Laura! Also sometimes short chapters of an excerpt from Theo’s crime book, so I kind of liked the “book within a book” aspect. His book sort of reflects the main plot, in that we get switches between past and present and can’t rely on any one narrative over another.

A quick, easy read although predictable (I guessed two major plot twists within 50-60 pages). Some minor twists I didn’t see coming so that was nice at least to have some surprises!

I liked the slowly revealing of everyone’s secrets but didn’t particularly like any characters other than Irene. I did like the relationship between Irene and Laura also!

Good ending, it was wrapped up fairly neatly but with some open ended possibilities. I thought the pacing was also well done. I definitely enjoyed Girl on the Train more than this and I’m curious to read more from Hawkins! Apparently based on many other reviews, you either love GotT and hate this one or you love this one and hate GotT 😅

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child death, Grief, Violence, Death, Alcoholism, Murder, and Blood

Moderate: Abandonment, Fatphobia, Ableism, and Infertility

Minor: Incest, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, and Car accident

amelyn19's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Murder

lizziemarie01's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Death, Blood, Child death, Animal cruelty, and Murder

Moderate: Bullying, Sexual assault, Classism, Emotional abuse, Grief, Torture, and Sexual violence

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, and Alcohol