Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney

18 reviews

emallovesreading's review against another edition

dark medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death, Murder, Animal cruelty, and Animal death

nodogsonthemoon's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Death, and Murder

Moderate: Infidelity, Alcoholism, Car accident, Child abuse, Death of parent, Violence, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicide

Minor: Animal death and Animal cruelty

j_squaredd's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

2.0

The prose itself is honestly bad in the first half - clunky dialogue and overly metaphorical descriptions. It gets a little better in the second half; I wonder if this wasn’t an early novel that got taken out of the trunk. Also, I guessed the twist about a third of the way into the book, and if you - like me - like fair play mysteries, it’s absolute BS. I really only kept reading because I love closed circle mysteries enough to read some terrible books about them.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Child abuse, Child death, Gore, Gun violence, and Murder

Moderate: Chronic illness, Animal death, and Animal cruelty

kponturo's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Death, Alcoholism, Child death, Death of parent, Suicide, Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Murder

laceyfblackwell's review against another edition

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death

emmehooks's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

Gooped, gagged, shocked (I’ve never read any Agatha Christie so I didn’t know the trope coming in). Every time I thought I had something figured out, I was wrong. Going back after I finished reading, there were so many clever hints, semantics, and clues spread in the book. 

I enjoyed the blending of flashbacks and present, good pacing, and a plot I am very excited to talk about at book club!!! 

The ending was quite full circle but I wish there was a little more to answer a few lingering questions. A huge build-up to such a short conclusion despite leaving so much room for more.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Car accident, Terminal illness, Violence, Child death, Death, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Medical content, Suicide, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical trauma

Minor: Blood, Animal cruelty, Sexual assault, Animal death, Body shaming, Infidelity, and Physical abuse

kris386's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Physical abuse, Violence, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Murder, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, and Car accident

Moderate: Medical content, Blood, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Body shaming, and Infidelity

chaptersofchase's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Book Review || Daisy Darker

Genre: Mystery
Trope: Isolated/Locked Room
Format: 📖
Pub Date: 8.30.2022
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆

"Fear is something we have to feel to learn and learn to feel."

Wow! I did not anticipate the end of this book. I was stunned, and after going back to read certain pages, I am still kicking myself for not noticing what was going on.

I spent most of this one feeling disinterested and slightly miffed because I knew the story's direction. There was a point when I debated just putting it down and picking up something else. Why?

Daisy Darker seemed to be one I've read 50 times - a family is stranded on their family estate due to hazardous weather, and slowly, one by one, they die. Leaving the reader and characters guessing who the killer might be. I also didn't love the flashback chapters as they were sometimes dull and didn't always go with the book. But, I kept reading because Feeney is one of my favorite mystery authors, and I refused to give up.

When the twist was revealed, I was shocked and happy that I had kept reading and finished the book. I also vowed to be a little more invested in the next mystery I read. 

🗺 Map of the house
🧐Unreliable characters
😤 Unlikeable characters (bratty, entitled, rude)
⏮ Flashback chapters
🤯 Surprising twist 

❌ - death of horses (page 126-129)

I recommend adding this to your reading list; it makes for a perfect rainy day read where you can get lost in the pages and be surprised with twisty endings. 


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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Animal cruelty