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writtenbydnicole's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Moderate: Blood, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Violence
Minor: Car accident, Vomit, and Sexual content
irisheyz77's review
- 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
4.5
Moderate: Abandonment, Ableism, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual assault
leahlovesloslibros's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It seems that Lila Ridgefield has the perfect life. She is married to Aaron, a beloved high school math teacher and coach, she is always perfectly made up, and she only has to work her real estate job when she wants to, allowing her all the time she could want for herself. When Aaron disappears, she can hardly believe it - mostly because she last saw his body when she left it to be found at his school, along with his secret stash of homemade porno videos featuring several of his [former and current] female students.
The rest of their small town can't believe the adored teacher and coach could possibly have just left on his own, so they begin to assume the worst. Lila quickly becomes the prime suspect in her husband's disappearance, but no one can pinpoint exactly why or how she could have done it, especially Ginny, the lead detective on Aaron's case.
While I don't believe Lila had strong character development, per se, I appreciated her consistent determined attitude, the ferocity with which she stood her ground in every circumstance, her ability to keep an even keel even as her life was dissected in search of her missing husband, and her survivor instincts and behaviors. Although she had periodic moments of weakness, she never let those who were out to get her see them.
The way the layers of the other characters slowly unfolded was intriguing, and I always appreciated finding out the new little tidbits sprinkled into the story to keep things moving. I will admit I at least partially figured out a few big things in the story, including "whodunnit." Still, I had some other surprises and really stay hooked until the very end.
**There are severe trigger/content warnings for this book. Please check them before reading to ensure a more pleasant reading experience.**
Graphic: Death, Murder, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness
Moderate: Cursing and Suicide
Other TW/CW: marital issues, grooming