You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
This was just ok for me. There was a lot going on and multiple possible outcomes that had me guessing at suspects and scenarios throughout. I admit I definitely did not see the twist coming. All in all, it felt a bit outlandish to me and left me with a lot of unanswered questions, but an entertaining mystery nonetheless.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Sexual assault, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Abandonment
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Honestly, didn’t see it coming.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Murder
Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was really mad about the ending of Ashley's first book. I'm still mad about it today. Thus, I went into this one expecting to be mad again. As it turned out, I was- at first. But the more I think about the ending of this one, the more I actually really kind of like that it turns out to be something entirely different from what I was thinking throughout the entirety of the book. There were aspects of it that I did see coming, but many that I didn't as well. I really liked the main characters and the way their friendship developed throughout the book, and I found myself completely immersed in this one in a way that I wasn't with All Good People Here. It wasn't perfect, maybe, but it definitely showed a lot of growth in Ashley as a writer and I can't wait to see where she goes next!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Death, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
🌗 The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers 🌓
MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
Nic is 24, just got a DWI, and is working a job she’s been at since high school. She feels bad for herself, and so does everyone else… ever since her sister, Kasey, disappeared 7 years earlier. The only clue to her disappearance is that another young woman, Jules, from the same area vanished under similar circumstances two weeks before Kasey. Their cases both go cold and there’s no new developments, until Jules’ sister, Jenna, finds Nic and tells her she wants to figure out what happened to their sisters.
It took me a while to get into this (I think I just was in the mood to sleep lol), but once I swapped to the audiobook I read it in one sitting and mostly enjoyed it. I did feel like some of the twists were predictable, and some of the plot points felt off. There was a lot going on at times. I also felt disappointed with the ending, and think it could have benefited with an epilogue. I enjoyed the middle part and building up the story, but wish there was a bit more character development, and think it could have been a bit longer.
Read this if you like:
- fast paced mysteries
- short chapters
- missing person stories
- twists
Vibes: 🚘🍬👀🐈💽
Full review including content warnings on my StoryGraph.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Abandonment
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Kidnapping
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Car accident, Murder
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The first couple of chapters felt very YA and predictable but I quickly ate my words because it. got. so. good! The last 50 pages will have you in a headspin, trying to pinpoint what was going to happen. Ashley Flowers does a great job making you think it could be any number of persons introduced in the book, yet still surprise you in more ways than one. An easy, suspenseful read! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I had the pleasure of hearing Ashley talk a bit about the book the night before it was released, and I give her so much credit. She made sure to include bits of what she’s learned through Crime Junkie about groups of people who get less attention from media when a tragedy happens and how oftentimes the families of victims suffer most. Thanks for what you do & being so intentional about it all, Ashley!
I had the pleasure of hearing Ashley talk a bit about the book the night before it was released, and I give her so much credit. She made sure to include bits of what she’s learned through Crime Junkie about groups of people who get less attention from media when a tragedy happens and how oftentimes the families of victims suffer most. Thanks for what you do & being so intentional about it all, Ashley!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Cancer, Vomit, Murder, Sexual harassment
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Kidnapping