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lisa_butler79's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
I read this book for a book with a bird in the title challenge.
This book is hard to review without giving away a spoiler.
If I'm honest, I nearly quit this book. It was a slow burner, and it was hard to know what the story was going to be about. The book then switches narratives with a different account of the same events with a twist that I was not expecting. It was this twist that kept me reading.
Magpie is a story of a perfect couple whose life slowly starts to unravel when the new lodger, Kate, shows up. Just what does she want with Marisa and Jake’s new life, and why does she seem to be so nosy and overly interested in their life? Is Marisa going crazy because of the pregnancy hormones or is Kate a genuine threat?
The book was a bit of a rollercoaster of a journey of both female characters and sensitively discusses hard topics of infertility and mental health in a powerful and positive way.
The character development and the layers of this book once the twist took place was real and intriguing. It was the character development that kept me reading this book as I wanted to know how this book would end. Although this book was an easy read and I was never bored the ending just felt a bit flat.
Overall I enjoyed the book but was also left feeling is that it? What was the overall point of the story. It just felt a but like a psychological thriller that went nowhere and a normal fiction book that wanted to deliver a message but didn't quite achieve it.
niamhsarah's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
kirstyymac's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
jemimaskelley's review against another edition
3.0
I was waiting for a second plot twist that never came which kinda made the second half fall flat
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility and Pregnancy
margaret_k30's review against another edition
Too anxiety inducing and was uncomfortable with some of the plot points.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Rape, and Pregnancy
lucyjanewood's review
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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
cheekylaydee's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I managed to finish this one in two days. More twisted than I expected it to be, which is a good thing. The only thing I was a little uncomfortable with was the use of mental illness to drive the plot forward, which is getting to be an overdone trope, however the author did good by the character towards the end, so in this case it could be forgiven.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Miscarriage, Infertility, and Sexual assault
Minor: Child abuse
barnfieldkatherine033's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
elliemaetw's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0