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kg18's review against another edition
- 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
2.25
Graphic: Dementia
Moderate: Sexual content and Murder
smolfrog's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
There are a few interesting nuggets around the theme of living with grief after unimaginable loss, but it kind of gets buried under the "shocking" sex magic of it all.
The twist with
I like stories about a lost, mysterious or "cursed" film/book with dark knowledge, but this one failed to totally live up to the premise. It's a decent thriller though.
Graphic: Dementia, Medical content, Violence, Grief, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
danajoy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
I think people who liked The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz would probably like this one.
Graphic: Medical content, Sexual content, Death, Dementia, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual assault, Stalking, and Sexual violence
Minor: Vomit
samisreading's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Sexual content, Infidelity, Dementia, Chronic illness, Medical content, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Murder
radiatorpasta's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Moderate: Sexual assault and Dementia
stellarkai's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Dementia, and Murder
joykeya's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I didn't like the writing style and everything just felt a bit icky?
Also this book is not a horror or thriller at all, I genuinely don't know why it's marketed like that. It's quite misleading
I only kept reading cus I hated the main characters and wanted them to not get their happy ending.
This book is not what I expected and maybe just wasn't for me but the last 20 pages added an extra star to my rating
Graphic: Infidelity and Sexual content
Moderate: Dementia
Minor: Medical content, Drug use, Murder, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
ramreadsagain's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Goodreads has this book categorised as Horror which feels wrong? but the description of this being an 'erotic thriller' is technically correct, though still feels not quite right. There is a lot of sex in this book but it's not there for reader-enjoyment purposes.
The writing is simplistic but easy to read, and I devoured this book in just over a day. The plot is super original and I also loved the exploration of the shady underground world of rich book collectors. The characters are compelling and I was completely blindsided by Lily's backstory and motivation which quickly had me nearly in tears.
I also found the ending really satisfying!
Unfortunately the book falls down for me a bit when it comes to the meat of the story, which gets very repetitive with endless descriptions of fancy rich people living in fancy houses and how fancy the hotels and restaurants are. Lily and Lucas are walked from one step of the plot to the next in a way that provides no tension and conflict, as it's implied that this magic book is simply leading them to it. By the time I finished the 330 page book it felt like not a lot of plot had actually happened, and I think this could have been shortened to a novella, or short story in a collection of "weird short stories".
Overall a fantastic concept with a slightly disappointing execution.
I was gifted a copy of this book by the publisher. This is my honest review.
Graphic: Dementia and Sexual content
ellenigrace's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
2.75
Graphic: Drug use, Alcohol, Blood, Murder, Sexual assault, Dementia, and Sexual content
amberghinii's review
Graphic: Dementia