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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship
Moderate: Rape
challenging
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An incredible look at the ways “good” guys can be raging misogynists, and the way that culturally we process violence against women or nuanced and complex discussions of consent, coercion, and gender dynamics
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-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
I received this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange of an honest review.
When I saw a review for this book up on Nads Book Nook (check out their review) I just KNEW I had to have this book! I already had seen it on Twitter a few times, but while it did spark an interest that review was what set me running to Netgalley to see if the book was still on there! And then clicking that request button so fast, haha. And a big thank you to the publisher for approving my request.
NOTE: Writing this on 11-1, I am tired (read this one before sleeping, tried to sleep, ended up reading the book until around 2-3 am) + this book was A RIDE. Not just in twists but also in feels. So be prepared for vagueness + chaos.
See that blurb for the book? Ain’t it a nice one? It promises all the mystery, a relationship that isn’t what it seems, and more. Well. In a way the blurb is correct. grins But in other ways it is also TOTALLY WRONG. Yes. Be prepared. Because this book will fuck you up. At least, it fucked me up. In a good way. Get ready, strap in, grab some chocolate, and let’s go.
This book is set in three parts. First up we have the first part with Cole. Yes, the guy that is talked about so much in the blurb. A guy who, at first glance, seems to be a pretty OK guy. But as his parts continued I got more and more unsettled by him. More and more wondering if what he said was the truth or not. Wondering if he was really that abused/badly treated by his wife. Or if there was more to it. There were little hints that grew bigger and bigger and had me wondering if I should punch Cole or just yeet him of the nearest cliff, run away hard, or give him a hug. Eventually, when certain things happen in his POV and things escalate or got more and more strange, well, by then I knew definitely which I would pick. I do have to say that at times it felt like the author just blended a guy character with several psychology + social commentary books because he felt weird/off at times, talking in a way that felt very unnatural, strange, odd. More like he was just reciting things he heard in a book rather than being an actual person. Maybe that was the plan, maybe not. But it just stood out for me. I did love reading more and more about Cole, about Mel, about Lennie (his nearby neighbour in this desolate place). We see the stage being set in his POV, we read about the female activists. We read about what they have gone through. And then the disappearance.
Cue part 2 which features Lennie (for bits) and Mel (for most). We get a whole different turn-around and see what happened with Mel and how in the end she went away from him. I won’t spoil it, but HOT DANG. Be prepared. Be so prepared to dive into the relationwreck that was Cole x Mel. Not to mention some other things that were just seriously WHUUUUTTT *throws chair*
Part 3 is about the aftermath and features 2 twists that had me going OMGGGGGG. This part partially written with Lennie’s POV and goes deeper in what happened in her past, but also shows us the aftermath and all that happens after the girls disappeared on that cliff/bluff, the whole media circus + more. This was definitely the hardest part out of the 3 to read. Because there are things said, social commentary, there are newspapers and opinions on social media, interviews, there is a podcast (at least it felt like that), things are fucked. And Lennie’s past, if you thought it was fucked up already because of THAT, strap yourselves in. This last part definitely made me gasp so many times. Plus, what happened to her when she was with Cole, we get some parts.. but oh boy.
There are two big twists in this book, well OK, there are several OMG revelations, but two twists that will have you gasp! At least I was.
The social commentary in form of what people said in the normal story parts, but then later through the social media/articles/etc., it was unsettling, uncomfortable, it made me want to yeet things, and OK, it also made my eyes roll just a bit (there were points that I wasn’t sure if I was agreeing, sorry but I don’t see my husband protecting me or saying he loves me more than anything is violence, but maybe I am just a bad woman or something). I guess the uncomfortable/unsettling feelings are warranted and that the author was going for that, in that case, well done.
Plus, I am not entirely still sure on where to stand with the twists. On the one hand: YAS but on the other hand That is some really fucked up crap.
So as you can see, conflicted. But it was a good twist. All of the twists were.
Oh, and I just LOVE it when a title of the book is either mentioned or everything comes together as the title (hope that makes sense, haha).
Well, I could probably go an about this book a bit more, but I will just say read this darn book. It will stick with me for a while, I can tell you that. I was thinking of maybe reading something light after this one (yes, despite it being 2-3 am), but my mind was just too full with this one and wouldn’t allow anything else to be read. It is just there. Sticking around. Eating cookies. Sipping some tea. Hot dang. Good job to the author! Small update on the 16th just before the review goes live. I have been able to read… but the book is still on my darn mind, haha.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
When I saw a review for this book up on Nads Book Nook (check out their review) I just KNEW I had to have this book! I already had seen it on Twitter a few times, but while it did spark an interest that review was what set me running to Netgalley to see if the book was still on there! And then clicking that request button so fast, haha. And a big thank you to the publisher for approving my request.
NOTE: Writing this on 11-1, I am tired (read this one before sleeping, tried to sleep, ended up reading the book until around 2-3 am) + this book was A RIDE. Not just in twists but also in feels. So be prepared for vagueness + chaos.
See that blurb for the book? Ain’t it a nice one? It promises all the mystery, a relationship that isn’t what it seems, and more. Well. In a way the blurb is correct. grins But in other ways it is also TOTALLY WRONG. Yes. Be prepared. Because this book will fuck you up. At least, it fucked me up. In a good way. Get ready, strap in, grab some chocolate, and let’s go.
This book is set in three parts. First up we have the first part with Cole. Yes, the guy that is talked about so much in the blurb. A guy who, at first glance, seems to be a pretty OK guy. But as his parts continued I got more and more unsettled by him. More and more wondering if what he said was the truth or not. Wondering if he was really that abused/badly treated by his wife. Or if there was more to it. There were little hints that grew bigger and bigger and had me wondering if I should punch Cole or just yeet him of the nearest cliff, run away hard, or give him a hug. Eventually, when certain things happen in his POV and things escalate or got more and more strange, well, by then I knew definitely which I would pick.
Spoiler
And no, it wasn’t the hug, haha.Cue part 2 which features Lennie (for bits) and Mel (for most). We get a whole different turn-around and see what happened with Mel and how in the end she went away from him. I won’t spoil it, but HOT DANG. Be prepared. Be so prepared to dive into the relationwreck that was Cole x Mel. Not to mention some other things that were just seriously WHUUUUTTT *throws chair*
Part 3 is about the aftermath and features 2 twists that had me going OMGGGGGG. This part partially written with Lennie’s POV and goes deeper in what happened in her past, but also shows us the aftermath and all that happens after the girls disappeared on that cliff/bluff, the whole media circus + more. This was definitely the hardest part out of the 3 to read. Because there are things said, social commentary, there are newspapers and opinions on social media, interviews, there is a podcast (at least it felt like that), things are fucked. And Lennie’s past, if you thought it was fucked up already because of THAT, strap yourselves in. This last part definitely made me gasp so many times. Plus, what happened to her when she was with Cole, we get some parts.. but oh boy.
There are two big twists in this book, well OK, there are several OMG revelations, but two twists that will have you gasp! At least I was.
The social commentary in form of what people said in the normal story parts, but then later through the social media/articles/etc., it was unsettling, uncomfortable, it made me want to yeet things, and OK, it also made my eyes roll just a bit (there were points that I wasn’t sure if I was agreeing, sorry but I don’t see my husband protecting me or saying he loves me more than anything is violence, but maybe I am just a bad woman or something). I guess the uncomfortable/unsettling feelings are warranted and that the author was going for that, in that case, well done.
Plus, I am not entirely still sure on where to stand with the twists. On the one hand: YAS but on the other hand That is some really fucked up crap.
So as you can see, conflicted. But it was a good twist. All of the twists were.
Oh, and I just LOVE it when a title of the book is either mentioned or everything comes together as the title (hope that makes sense, haha).
Well, I could probably go an about this book a bit more, but I will just say read this darn book. It will stick with me for a while, I can tell you that. I was thinking of maybe reading something light after this one (yes, despite it being 2-3 am), but my mind was just too full with this one and wouldn’t allow anything else to be read. It is just there. Sticking around. Eating cookies. Sipping some tea. Hot dang. Good job to the author! Small update on the 16th just before the review goes live. I have been able to read… but the book is still on my darn mind, haha.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
Listen…. I’ve read this author before and her troupe is definitely delusional, unreliable narrators. I just don’t feel like putting myself through it again so DNF.
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
informative
reflective
medium-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
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
did not expect anything that happened in this book maybe i’m naive/don’t read enough but that was very good and perfectly paced for me and my short attention span
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Medical trauma, Stalking, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Animal death, Blood
Minor: Police brutality, Alcohol
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes