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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
slow-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
I didn’t know what to expect of this book when I started it, and I think that worked in my favour. It’s a beautiful, haunting, awful story of memory, pain, and self destruction. There are no big shocks, no major twists, but you still turn the pages with trepidation of what is to come.
Just as the abuse and the control in the story is glacially slow, the events just can’t be shocking, as you’ve been working up to this level for some time.
I do wonder if there is to be a series, a Girl C, a Boy 2, and with the final of Boy 1 at the end.
Just as the abuse and the control in the story is glacially slow, the events just can’t be shocking, as you’ve been working up to this level for some time.
I do wonder if there is to be a series, a Girl C, a Boy 2, and with the final of Boy 1 at the end.
dnf @ 135. a drastic time jump every other paragraph was a little too chaotic for me and I just couldnt get into this story.
Timelines are all over the place from sentence to sentence. Character names randomly mentioned without any context and most plot points hinted at without any further detail. I’m not going to force myself to continue reading this just to find out the nitty gritty details- DNF at 30%
This is not a thriller novel. I was under the assumption that it was (due to marketing/promotion), but it definitely is not. That being said, it is a good book. But I think since I went in with expectations of it being a thriller, my reading experience was hindered a bit.
I did like the overall concept, however I didn't love the writing style. I found the switching in past to present was done too often and without real rhyme or reason to it - one minute we were in present day, and the next sentence we were in the past. I think had this been done a bit better I would have enjoyed the reading experience more.
That aside, I really did like the story. I enjoyed following Lex through both present and past - trying to follow the days leading up to their captivity understanding what was the final straw. I also liked that each chapter revolved around one of her siblings, so that there was backstory to them as well as seeing where they were now.
I did like the overall concept, however I didn't love the writing style. I found the switching in past to present was done too often and without real rhyme or reason to it - one minute we were in present day, and the next sentence we were in the past. I think had this been done a bit better I would have enjoyed the reading experience more.
That aside, I really did like the story. I enjoyed following Lex through both present and past - trying to follow the days leading up to their captivity understanding what was the final straw. I also liked that each chapter revolved around one of her siblings, so that there was backstory to them as well as seeing where they were now.
Girl A, Abigail Dean 3.5/5
Lex doesn’t want to talk about her childhood, but it is infamous to everyone else. The House of Horrors. Now an adult dealing with the death of her Mother Lex is forced to look back into the past and finally face the things she had buried away.
This is a story that is woefully undersold. What I expected to be a thriller actually became a far cleverer and complex tale of what happens to the victims of famous and horrific abuse cases after the cameras leave and the press stop printing stories. Whilst this focuses on one family member we see a scope of those affected and how they have grown and adapted to life after a traumatic domestic situation, including the police officer who investigated and the psychologist who assessed. Hauntingly clever this will give you far more than you expect.
Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for my copy of this one.
Lex doesn’t want to talk about her childhood, but it is infamous to everyone else. The House of Horrors. Now an adult dealing with the death of her Mother Lex is forced to look back into the past and finally face the things she had buried away.
This is a story that is woefully undersold. What I expected to be a thriller actually became a far cleverer and complex tale of what happens to the victims of famous and horrific abuse cases after the cameras leave and the press stop printing stories. Whilst this focuses on one family member we see a scope of those affected and how they have grown and adapted to life after a traumatic domestic situation, including the police officer who investigated and the psychologist who assessed. Hauntingly clever this will give you far more than you expect.
Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for my copy of this one.
The story line had promise but ended up being disjointed. The flashbacks made it hard to follow.
This book was a wild ride. Holy crap. There are turns that come out of left field, but of course, the foreshadowing has been there the whole time. Truly awesome.