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rsteve388's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Wow. This book was hard for me to read. It had multiple rape scenes and or allusions to rape. I thought the addition of a podcast added an interesting element to the story. I loved the main character and hope we see her in another book. This was a tense read, but well done and excellent in it's execution.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, and Rape
karlybug's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
*the audiobook was particularly well-done*
Plucked off the shelf on a whim & finished in a day. Not entirely unpredictable and fairly standard writing, but wholly compelling. Most importantly for a story like this, I think, is that I found myself having out loud, emotional reactions to things happening within the story. If I audibly react to something, you’ve done your job. I also think the heavy, difficult topics were treated with the respect and gravity they deserve. A difficult but necessary examination of the way our justice treatment treats rape, assault, and white men—vs. virtually any other vulnerable party.
Plucked off the shelf on a whim & finished in a day. Not entirely unpredictable and fairly standard writing, but wholly compelling. Most importantly for a story like this, I think, is that I found myself having out loud, emotional reactions to things happening within the story. If I audibly react to something, you’ve done your job. I also think the heavy, difficult topics were treated with the respect and gravity they deserve. A difficult but necessary examination of the way our justice treatment treats rape, assault, and white men—vs. virtually any other vulnerable party.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Death
Moderate: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Suicidal thoughts
lilifane's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Rachel Krall - former journalist, now host of a true crime podcast - chooses to cover an ongoing rape trial in the small coastal town of Neapolis for the third season of her podcast. During her stay in in town she receives mysterious letters from a fan called Hannah about the death of her sister Jenny in Neapolis 25 years ago. Jenny's death was declared a drowning accident but Hannah believes Jenny was murdered and urges Rachel to find out the truth.
I am impressed!
I love mysteries from the past that are uncovered in the presend and this one was done SO well. Loved the mystery aspect, the subtle clues, the way Rachel handled both cases. I thought it was balanced so nicely between the current case, the one from the past and the podcast elements. To be honest I wasn't prepared for the amount of emotions I went through.
First of all there is the recent rape trial. The trial elements were so good, it felt like I was actually in the courtroom. All the characters involved were flashed out, even though you only get little information on them. The judge, the jury, the lawyers, the witnesses, they all felt like real people. Plus the way the subject was handled was impressive. It was done in such a sensitive way. And the commentary and critique on rape culture and rape trials was so good.
But Jenny's story. Uff. It broke my heart. Repetedly. The way it was presented, through Hannah's memories, was gut wrenching. You get all the descriptions from a child's point of view, a child that doesn't understand what is going on. But as a reader you understand and it hurts. It was so hard to read. But at the same time it was interesting and gripping and you just wanted to know what happened next.
You actually get enough information to figure out what happened long before it is revealed. You just have to pay attention because some of the clues are really small and subtle. But at the end it is really satisfying how every small detail fits together. I really enjoy reading books that are thought out so well that every question is actually answered at the end.
If this becomes a book series (there is actually a lot of potential), I will totally read it. Rachel is a great protagonist and her podcast is super interesting.
I am impressed!
I love mysteries from the past that are uncovered in the presend and this one was done SO well. Loved the mystery aspect, the subtle clues, the way Rachel handled both cases. I thought it was balanced so nicely between the current case, the one from the past and the podcast elements. To be honest I wasn't prepared for the amount of emotions I went through.
First of all there is the recent rape trial. The trial elements were so good, it felt like I was actually in the courtroom. All the characters involved were flashed out, even though you only get little information on them. The judge, the jury, the lawyers, the witnesses, they all felt like real people. Plus the way the subject was handled was impressive. It was done in such a sensitive way. And the commentary and critique on rape culture and rape trials was so good.
But Jenny's story. Uff. It broke my heart. Repetedly. The way it was presented, through Hannah's memories, was gut wrenching. You get all the descriptions from a child's point of view, a child that doesn't understand what is going on. But as a reader you understand and it hurts. It was so hard to read. But at the same time it was interesting and gripping and you just wanted to know what happened next.
You actually get enough information to figure out what happened long before it is revealed. You just have to pay attention because some of the clues are really small and subtle. But at the end it is really satisfying how every small detail fits together. I really enjoy reading books that are thought out so well that every question is actually answered at the end.
If this becomes a book series (there is actually a lot of potential), I will totally read it. Rachel is a great protagonist and her podcast is super interesting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Child death, Death, Grief, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Terminal illness
maiagaia's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
This was unremarkable but easy to get through. Despite the heavy content (and it is extremely heavy), this was a quick read. The writing style was mediocre, at best. The characters were flat and overly simple. The "twist" was telegraphed way too hard, and there was only the one twist, so it wasn't even a fun ride. The two plots were so tenuously connected that it felt like I was reading two different books.
My overall feeling is just meh. I don't think I'll remember this book next month except maybe as a story so obviously inspired by the Brock Turner case that it felt weird to read.
My overall feeling is just meh. I don't think I'll remember this book next month except maybe as a story so obviously inspired by the Brock Turner case that it felt weird to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Death, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexism, and Rape
Moderate: Bullying, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, and Terminal illness
lacyloveslit's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Wow. Okay, I’ll start by saying that I loved this book. It had a lot of things that attract me to a story: dual viewpoints and timelines, mystery, interweaving plotlines, and twists. I felt like it wasn’t a slow burn per say, but it wasn’t a “ignore my family and stay up until 3am” type of book either- a medium burn if you will.
Synopsis: Rachel Krall is a podcaster who is on her way to a small town in North Carolina to cover a rape trial. While at a roadside diner, she finds a note on her dashboard asking for her help with a murder case from 25 years prior. The writer of the note, Hannah, knows her sister was murdered and did not accidentally drown as was reported. Rachel finds herself intrigued by this mysterious Hannah and the death of her sister and begins to investigate. Meanwhile, she continues to cover the trial of a popular swimmer aimed at the Olympics and accused of raping a 16-year-old girl. Flipping between viewpoints and timelines, the two cases collide leading to a surprising ending.
At times, this book was difficulty to read with trigger warnings galore for rape and victim shaming. While the contents were heavy and dark, I felt like the author handled this topic honestly, and with great sensitivity. I loved the way this book showed the way society looks at rape and treats rape victims. It was almost like the victim was on trial, not the alleged rapist. I also loved how I could almost hear the podcast during those sections. It felt like I was actually listening to ‘Serial’ or ‘Criminal’ while reading the book. I loved how the stories collided and the character who played a part in the collision.
Something I didn’t love- the mystery of Hannah. I don’t really understand why that played a part in the book. I felt like she could have been working right along side Rachel and it wouldn’t have made a difference so I’m unsure what her being so secretive and creepy/stalker was about. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book if you like true crime, alternating POVs, and social justice topics.
Follow me on IG: @lacyloveslit
Synopsis: Rachel Krall is a podcaster who is on her way to a small town in North Carolina to cover a rape trial. While at a roadside diner, she finds a note on her dashboard asking for her help with a murder case from 25 years prior. The writer of the note, Hannah, knows her sister was murdered and did not accidentally drown as was reported. Rachel finds herself intrigued by this mysterious Hannah and the death of her sister and begins to investigate. Meanwhile, she continues to cover the trial of a popular swimmer aimed at the Olympics and accused of raping a 16-year-old girl. Flipping between viewpoints and timelines, the two cases collide leading to a surprising ending.
At times, this book was difficulty to read with trigger warnings galore for rape and victim shaming. While the contents were heavy and dark, I felt like the author handled this topic honestly, and with great sensitivity. I loved the way this book showed the way society looks at rape and treats rape victims. It was almost like the victim was on trial, not the alleged rapist. I also loved how I could almost hear the podcast during those sections. It felt like I was actually listening to ‘Serial’ or ‘Criminal’ while reading the book. I loved how the stories collided and the character who played a part in the collision.
Something I didn’t love- the mystery of Hannah. I don’t really understand why that played a part in the book. I felt like she could have been working right along side Rachel and it wouldn’t have made a difference so I’m unsure what her being so secretive and creepy/stalker was about. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book if you like true crime, alternating POVs, and social justice topics.
Follow me on IG: @lacyloveslit
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Minor: Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicidal thoughts
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