Reviews tagging 'Incest'

A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins

48 reviews

ofpagesandparagraphs's review

dark mysterious tense 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? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Medical content, Alcoholism, Fatphobia, and Car accident

corvicore's review

dark mysterious sad slow-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, Cursing, Death, Kidnapping, Alcoholism, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death of parent, Child death, Medical content, Car accident, Mental illness, Animal death, Fatphobia, Incest, Infidelity, and Sexual content

Minor: Stalking, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexism

meliemelo's review

dark tense slow-paced

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

2.75

 Crime novels aren't known for their boundless optimism, but this one seemed especially bleak. While crafting very nuanced characters, Paula Hawkins did not care for making them likeable with the exception of Irene and, to a point, Laura. The "One who got away" chapters were an interesting enough idea but ended up being a bit repetitive and didn't bring much to the book in the end (and the end of that particular thread had me roll my eyes). Finally, I felt the book lacked tension and purpose beyond the "whodunnit", and even that didn't keep my interest up much.

It's not a bad crime novel, and there were definitely some very good ideas in there, but it definitely doesn't compare to the author's previous works. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Medical trauma, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Addiction, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Child death, Car accident, Death, Dementia, Violence, Alcoholism, Incest, Kidnapping, Grief, Alcohol, Fatphobia, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Body shaming, Physical abuse, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Sexual assault, Cursing, Infidelity, Rape, Miscarriage, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Death of parent

risemini's review

dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Classism, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Miscarriage, Self harm, Car accident, Death, Drug use, Incest, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Chronic illness, and Sexual assault

em_gauts's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Murder, Violence, Death, Blood, Child death, Animal cruelty, and Animal death

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, and Cursing

Minor: Incest, Infertility, and Infidelity

mroth's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

An engaging but probably forgettable thriller. Some interesting twists. More sad than suspenseful 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Child death, Incest, Animal death, Alcoholism, and Murder

al_moose's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

2.0

The audiobook was narrated beautifully. If you're into them and want to read this book, I would recommend.

It felt like the author didn't know how to create an emotional backstory without a death. Every single character (except one who only had a near death experience) has some sort of tragic death in their backstory. And that's really the majority of character backstory in the whole book.

I couldn't get behind any of the characters. They all did something at some point to piss me off. Oh and absolutely f*ck Carla, I thought how she acted at the end was pathetic.

I also saw pretty much all the twists coming, which was disappointing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Mental illness, and Animal death

Moderate: Sexual assault

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, and Incest

jamballdonut's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.25

So far of the 3 books I've read by Paula Hawkins, I've only enjoyed 1 of them, and it was not this book.  I mean, it was an okay book, but jumping between the characters got confusing and I just didn't find myself liking any of them (Not that liking a character is a prerequisite to enjoy a book, but it obviously helps).

I don't have much to say other than when the killer was eventually revealed, although I didn't suspect it would be them, I just didn't care.

Both Carla and Miriam were just.. not enjoyable in the slightest.  Carla was boring and bland, and seemed massively underdeveloped, while Miriam just seemed like the nosy neighbour who can't keep her nose out of anyone's business

(Also, constantly mentioning how horrifically ugly she was, while only really focusing on her having an unattractive face, bad teeth, and being fat made me feel very.. not great about all of that.  Was there actually something wrong with her? Or was she just not conventionally attractive? She was short and fat, so that makes her some hideous beast? Mmm, no thank you.)

In comparison, although Laura grated on me, especially in the beginning, she became the main character that I truly enjoyed, mostly because she seemed authentic in a way that none of the other main characters did.  Carla's husband, ex-husband, current boy toy, whatever you want to describe him as was equally as bland, boring, and vapid.  Nobody cares about your "Main Character Syndrome", sir.

I think if she'd kept the same cast of characters, but had it from the focus of only one or two characters, it would have been much more enjoyable.  But, the switching between the main 4-5 characters, and focusing so much on previous deaths just got distracting and made the story feel bogged down to the point that the actual recent murder didn't even seem like the main plot point.

Altogether, after thoroughly enjoying Girl on the Train and thoroughly disliking this and Into the Water, I really can't see myself picking up another book by Paula Hawkins.  I want to love her, I really do, but she just makes it so hard to do so.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Blood

Moderate: Animal death, Grief, Mental illness, Medical content, Child death, Car accident, Alcoholism, and Medical trauma

Minor: Abandonment and Incest

hazelgirl21's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Blood, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Animal death

Minor: Incest

amgarrido's review

adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Murder, Kidnapping, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual violence, Incest, Sexual assault, and Stalking