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corinnelora95's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Much like a train, this book took a long time to get up to speed. The first 60% moved slowly, making me wonder if it really was a thriller. Once it did pick up, it gave me a very panicky feeling. I had to keep reading just to be done with the book, not because I felt the thrill enjoyable. The "saving grace" was that I didn't see the twist coming.
1) I disliked that the author resorted to the "alcoholic female" trope. It was frustrating to read over and over that Rachel would back slide and feel little remorse.
2) I disliked the descriptions of abuse. They were written in a way that made me feel panicked and afraid for my life. The fight or flight response was real.
3) I disliked the scene where Megan recalls the death of her infant. It again was written in a way that made me feel panicked.
If you enjoy thrillers that make you feel panicked and leave you on the brink of an anxiety attack, this book is for you. If you don't like that feeling, leave this one on the shelf.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Murder, Addiction, Alcohol, Death, Stalking, Violence, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Child death, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Vomit
Moderate: Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Sexual violence, Grief, and Blood
Minor: Abortion
neverlandpages4's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
- I was excited to read this because it’s what inspired many of the more recent thrillers like “The Woman in the Window” and “The Woman in Cabin 10” and the hundreds of other thrillers that have “woman” in the title. Unfortunately, this was one of the least thrilling and one of the least suspenseful books I’ve ever read.
- I should’ve known I wouldn’t like this because one of my least favorite tropes in thrillers is the alcoholic unreliable narrator. I quickly get tired and annoyed with the amount of times that drinking is mentioned and the main character constantly being confusing about the details of what might’ve or might’ve not happened.
- I was also really confused by the timeline. We follow 2 or 3 timelines that are leading up to each other but at the same time, they constantly switch to a random time and I just couldn’t keep track of it.
- Also, there’s the matter of the racist stereotypes and the wrong portrayal of Muslim characters.
- Part of me finds it hard to believe that this is the book that a lot of people were raving about years ago when it first came out. Same with the movie (which I won’t be watching now). It felt so mundane and predictable and not unique. If I hadn’t written my thoughts on the book as I was reading it, I wouldn’t have been able to write a review because I honestly remember nothing.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Abortion, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Torture, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Racism, War, and Xenophobia
laurenw's review against another edition
2.25
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Stalking, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Body shaming, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Murder, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Pregnancy, and Violence
Moderate: Grief and Fatphobia
Minor: Abortion and Xenophobia
scruffie's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Grief, Infertility, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Confinement and Vomit
Minor: Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Abandonment, and Animal cruelty
sonyareadsbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Stalking
Minor: Xenophobia