Scan barcode
thrillerbingergirl's review against another edition
2.0
The main plot sounded really intriguing, someone lurking in the shadows taking kids who considered have been neglected by their very people were supposed to look out for them. But this central plot, slowly takes the background seat on the story who is mainly focused on
jessnoon's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
thrillerbingergirl's review
2.0
The main plot sounded really intriguing, someone lurking in the shadows taking kids who considered have been neglected by their very people were supposed to look out for them. But this central plot, slowly takes the background seat on the story who is mainly focused on ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ป๐ฎ๐ต & her affair but it was difficult for me as reader to engage, to understand or grasp what could be the reasons for this woman to put herself in constant danger therefore I never engaged with her or her circumstances. ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ป๐ฎ๐ต complete absence of personality or motives, a totally shallow person. Numerous errors, lack of edigint make the reading so annoying and disjointed, as a reader frequently turning back to previous pages, thinking that I misremembered an event. There are parts of the book that kept me intrigued, but never seem to be developed fully and were weird and confusing. The style was hard to follow, broken, nothing to hold on to. The ending was bad too, does ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ป๐ฎ๐ต sleeps on the side of the road for ages or what??
ondbookshelf's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
esquared's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-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
4.0
dwcofer's review
5.0
Have you ever been so engaged and absorbed in a book that you literally could not put it down and stayed up too late at night so you could finish it? This book was that for me. This is the best book Iโve read by Joyce Carol Oates and one of the best books Iโve ever read.
However, a few caveats. The book is long, over 400 pages, and would have been better if it were a little shorter. There is a lot of unnecessary scenes in the book that should have been cut and would not have affected the plot at all. I was mildly disappointed in the ending, which was slightly unclear, leaving multiple unanswered questions, despite being foreshadowed in the first chapter. It was not a terrible ending, but could have been improved. Finally, this book is not for the faint of heart. It deals with many sensitive subjects, including, kidnapping and torture of children, extortion and blackmail, sexual assault, rape, murder (lots of murder), suicide, adultery, misogamy, racism, police brutality, and pedophilia. If you are sensitive to these things, this book might not be for you. However, I found the book engrossing.
The story is narrated by Hannah, the protagonist, who is lured into an extramarital affair with a man she met at a party and only knows by the initials, Y.K. There are two plotlines in the story which slowly merge together at the end. The other plotline concerns a child abductor dubbed โThe Babysitter.โ As the plotlines merge, Hannah is affected by the Babysitter and the people who work for him. I wonโt spoil the plot by revealing more, but it is an exciting story. Despite the few above mentioned issues, I give this a full 5-Star rating. Highly recommended.
However, a few caveats. The book is long, over 400 pages, and would have been better if it were a little shorter. There is a lot of unnecessary scenes in the book that should have been cut and would not have affected the plot at all. I was mildly disappointed in the ending, which was slightly unclear, leaving multiple unanswered questions, despite being foreshadowed in the first chapter. It was not a terrible ending, but could have been improved. Finally, this book is not for the faint of heart. It deals with many sensitive subjects, including, kidnapping and torture of children, extortion and blackmail, sexual assault, rape, murder (lots of murder), suicide, adultery, misogamy, racism, police brutality, and pedophilia. If you are sensitive to these things, this book might not be for you. However, I found the book engrossing.
The story is narrated by Hannah, the protagonist, who is lured into an extramarital affair with a man she met at a party and only knows by the initials, Y.K. There are two plotlines in the story which slowly merge together at the end. The other plotline concerns a child abductor dubbed โThe Babysitter.โ As the plotlines merge, Hannah is affected by the Babysitter and the people who work for him. I wonโt spoil the plot by revealing more, but it is an exciting story. Despite the few above mentioned issues, I give this a full 5-Star rating. Highly recommended.
chloeeereads's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
3.0
themorbidlibrary's review against another edition
2.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
2 stars.
Spoilers ahead. I will not reveal anything big - most of the review vaguely alludes to plot, structure, and characters.
---
The book was fine. Solid three stars from the queen of literary gore. This is getting a lower rating from me because I have a problem with Oates writing YET ANOTHER book revolving around very real murders, with very real victims - while lambasting people on twitter over grief and silly things like halloween decorations. It just does not sit right sit right with me that she continues to profit off of actual murder while acting so holier than thou.
---
Again, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
2 stars.
Spoilers ahead. I will not reveal anything big - most of the review vaguely alludes to plot, structure, and characters.
---
The book was fine. Solid three stars from the queen of literary gore. This is getting a lower rating from me because I have a problem with Oates writing YET ANOTHER book revolving around very real murders, with very real victims - while lambasting people on twitter over grief and silly things like halloween decorations. It just does not sit right sit right with me that she continues to profit off of actual murder while acting so holier than thou.
---
Again, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.