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podanotherjessi's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
I don't read a lot of mystery, so my opinion here should be taken with a pinch of salt. But this book bored me. I felt like the whole thing could have been wrapped up in an hour long TV show instead of a full novel, and that's probably a good sign mysteries might not be for me.
Beyond that, I didn't care about the characters at all. The main characters were boring, and the background characters felt cartoonish. Every time someone new was introduced, we got a chunk of description about who they were - what they look like, what their personality is, how they're connected to the MC. It was very telling, not showing. And this happened for everyone, no matter how unimportant they are.
There were also a lot of extrenuous detail and flashbacks that felt pointless. Maybe they were meant to be red herrings or to distract the reader, but it all felt unneeded. Very mild spoilers, example:At one point the MC talks about not being able to stay with his aunt cause she has cats and he's allergic. Okay, small detail, not bad. But then the book flashes back to how he found out he was allergic, and there was no point to it.
Characters: 4
Plot: 7
Setting: 3
General appeal: 5
Writing style: 3
Originality 6
Ending: 7
Beyond that, I didn't care about the characters at all. The main characters were boring, and the background characters felt cartoonish. Every time someone new was introduced, we got a chunk of description about who they were - what they look like, what their personality is, how they're connected to the MC. It was very telling, not showing. And this happened for everyone, no matter how unimportant they are.
There were also a lot of extrenuous detail and flashbacks that felt pointless. Maybe they were meant to be red herrings or to distract the reader, but it all felt unneeded. Very mild spoilers, example:
Characters: 4
Plot: 7
Setting: 3
General appeal: 5
Writing style: 3
Originality 6
Ending: 7
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, Murder, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Violence
Moderate: Car accident, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, and Pedophilia
msennflinn's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Murder, Suicide attempt, and Violence
Minor: Infidelity
getbrekked's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Child death, Death of parent, Death, and Dementia
Moderate: Murder, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
Minor: Suicide and Racism
emileereadsbooks's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Thank you for the gifted book Macmillan Audio, Minotaur Books and Netgalley.
This book hooks you from chapter one and although it is billed as something for true crime fans, I think it's just generally for mystery fans. There is a bit of a true crime aspect, but it doesn't have that same feel because it's obviously fiction. I think this book is well written and certainly a page turner. The ending makes sense and wasn't rushed, but also didn't shock me. Overall I say this was a solid mystery book that will make for a great summer read. I could easily see a sequel or a spin-off book with the FBI character.
Other reviewers have pointed out how it is problematic how the Mexican authorities are spoken of in this book. They are called "The Mexicans" and the failings of some people are lumped into an overall negative stereotype that should have been edited out. This could have easily been altered with some word changes to not have a negative association of an entire heritage.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Death
Moderate: Suicide attempt
Minor: Dementia
mjwilliamson's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Although there were times near the middle of the book where I felt unmotivated by the story, it was worth reading until the end. The characters were most certainly flawed and rough around the edges, but I think that is what makes them so compelling — they’re incredibly human. I liked the tendency to insert transcripts from the “docuseries” as I found it enchanted characters and message of that particular chapter. The overall stylistic intention of the book mimicking the documentary format was a nice touch too. I found that the parallel storylines of the ‘before’ and ‘after’ were the right narrative choice for Finlay to make as it not only provided non-info-dumped insight into characters and the details of Danny’s case, but it also kept the story rolling, unfurling each snippet when the explanations were required. Similarly, the switching narrators/perspectives added a nice holistic view of the case, its affect on various parties and the main plot as a whole.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Child death, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Dementia
sfbookgirl's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
If you’re looking for something quick to read, this is it! I was a big fan of the short chapters and the easy-to-follow storyline. I didn’t even predict the ending! Every Last Fear begins with NYU student, Matt Pine, learning that his family has been murdered in Mexico. The local police claim that the murder was an accident, but the FBI is skeptical. This isn’t the first time that the family has been in the spotlight. The scandal with Matt’s older brother (tldr: in prison for allegedly killing a girl) and a true-crime Netflix series is what first created headlines.
Matt, along with Agent Keller from the FBI, go on an adventurous chase to solve the murder of Matt’s family. Written from alternating perspectives, the reader won’t be able to guess the killer until the very end. And while though I didn’t predict the ending, the story didn’t give me that shocked "omg" reaction. The stereotypes presented about people in Mexico had no place in the book and some of the side storylines weren’t complete, but the book is a solid thriller for a reader looking for a quick thrill.
Thank you to the publisher for a gifted copy!
Matt, along with Agent Keller from the FBI, go on an adventurous chase to solve the murder of Matt’s family. Written from alternating perspectives, the reader won’t be able to guess the killer until the very end. And while though I didn’t predict the ending, the story didn’t give me that shocked "omg" reaction. The stereotypes presented about people in Mexico had no place in the book and some of the side storylines weren’t complete, but the book is a solid thriller for a reader looking for a quick thrill.
Thank you to the publisher for a gifted copy!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Murder, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
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