Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - The Woman in the Library

Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill

58 reviews

trippyotter's review against another edition

emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I absolutely love all the layers to this story! Once you have an idea of what's happening, a new detail is added, and you're left wondering what will happen next. This was my first book written by Sulari Gentill, and I can't wait to read her other books.

The story begins in the reading room of the Boston Public Library, where our strangers hear a scream, a scream that will terrify and unite them in their curiosity to unravel the mystery. A mystery that has no simple answer and will test their newly developed friendship.

As the secrets unravel and their bonds are tested, ties will strengthen between the couples that will begin to divide their loyalties to each other.

Over the course of several weeks, as details are discovered, you'll begin to question the agenda of several of the strangers. Was the chance encounter between them, on that fateful day, just happenstance or was it orchestrated?

As the mystery starts to unravel, will their friendship survive the truth of what happened?

Will they survive the truth?

I'd also like to mention that besides loving the story, the foodie in me couldn't get enough of the food tour of Boston, real or fake!

But, I think my only complaint, if any, would be how little time is actually spent in the library. After the murder, there's very little time spent in the library, majority of the time will be spent in Freddy's apartment, local eateries, or walking about the city. It all meshes wonderfully with the story, but I do wish more time was spent in the library.

Content Warnings

e_flah's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

The Woman in the Library had a lot of different things happening in one fairly short book. For the most part, I found the layers of mysteries entertaining though I was disappointed with how brief the whodunit wrap-up at the end was. My biggest complaint was the lack of character development. All of the main characters felt a bit flat and didn't do much to keep me invested in the story.

Content Warnings

ckraney's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

3.5 stars. I loved the format of this book—the book within a book. I thought the crimes and clues were well plotted and I was prepared for a masterful reveal. I was disappointed by the twist at the end and it felt like it cheapened all of the previous work. Such crimes seemed more intricate than how they were tied up in the end. (It’s hard to explain without spoilers!) I wish the ending had been as well thought out and crafted as the rest of the story. It would have been a 4 star book in that case.

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