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leedawn's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
My first of Andrea Mara's, and won't be my last.
Layered plotlines that begin to mingle with one another as the story progresses in a psychological thriller, but it was still easy to follow the plots, the characters, and the two timelines. An unreliable narrator, a couple twists throughout, and an ending that wasn't so easily predictable - overall, enjoyable to read.
My first of Andrea Mara's, and won't be my last.
Layered plotlines that begin to mingle with one another as the story progresses in a psychological thriller, but it was still easy to follow the plots, the characters, and the two timelines. An unreliable narrator, a couple twists throughout, and an ending that wasn't so easily predictable - overall, enjoyable to read.
dominika81's review
dark
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? No
4.5
maireador20's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
moon_726's review
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
emilylovejoy's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
medium-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
3.5
homeiswherethebookshelvesare's review against another edition
5.0
another gripping read from andrea! from the end of the first chapter it had me hooked and literally saying WTF. it pulled me straight in. the chapters were relatively short & i moved really quickly through them.
this book was so full of twists and shocking parts which i absolutely adored. she had me suspecting almost every character throughout the book and i was utterly shocked by the ending - the person i thought was the ‘baddie’ the whole way through was actually an absolute angel with a heart of gold.
the ending was so heartwarming which is always a bonus
evaxo's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
Neg: The first half of the book was very slow, a lot of characters were introduced, the story bounced from past to present and honesty, I knew if I took a break I'd never go back to it. My biggest issue was the rationale for the story, it seemed ridiculous that the MC Joanna was so obsessed with the disappearance of the little girl and it felt inappropriate for her to be so desperate for answers when it had nothing to do with her, it really irked me. And even when her motivations were revealed, the lengths she went to were almost comical, seeing as the answers that actually portained to her required no 'detective work'.
Another issue I had was that most the characters were well developed, yet all we really knew about Joanne's husband is that she continously lied to him (still not sure why). Their relationship was completely disregarded, to the point I wondered whether its a marriage of convince for some shocking plot twist, but no...
Pos: So the first 30 chapters or so I wasn't drawn in. However, around half way through the pace picked up and answers began to be revealed with all the dots connecting and no major plot holes. There was some surprising twists and turns, and the overall storyline had more depth and complexity than it initially seemed, which made the book much more interesting. I liked that there wasn't just one focus, but the mysteries branched out and then all loosely tied together in unexpected ways.
Overall it was a good read and I'm glad I finished it, it had a happy ending and the satisfaction of getting answers. It could have been better if there were stronger motivations driving the MC, to motivate Us to keep reading though. I will likely try it again someday and see if I can enjoy the first half more, maybe try and pay more attention to each of the side characters. If you enjoy mysteries and like a plot which will keep you guessing, I recommend this, just be patient 😊
Another issue I had was that most the characters were well developed, yet all we really knew about Joanne's husband is that she continously lied to him (still not sure why). Their relationship was completely disregarded, to the point I wondered whether its a marriage of convince for some shocking plot twist, but no...
Pos: So the first 30 chapters or so I wasn't drawn in. However, around half way through the pace picked up and answers began to be revealed with all the dots connecting and no major plot holes. There was some surprising twists and turns, and the overall storyline had more depth and complexity than it initially seemed, which made the book much more interesting. I liked that there wasn't just one focus, but the mysteries branched out and then all loosely tied together in unexpected ways.
Overall it was a good read and I'm glad I finished it, it had a happy ending and the satisfaction of getting answers. It could have been better if there were stronger motivations driving the MC, to motivate Us to keep reading though. I will likely try it again someday and see if I can enjoy the first half more, maybe try and pay more attention to each of the side characters. If you enjoy mysteries and like a plot which will keep you guessing, I recommend this, just be patient 😊
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Child death
dkammy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.25
ellawaters97's review
dark
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
3.75
aislinnoc's review against another edition
4.0
I read this in one glorious sitting, following every twist and turn to the thoroughly enjoyable end.