Reviews tagging 'Violence'

A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham

83 reviews

linze18's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I thought I knew the whole time and I never expected the big twist at the end. 

I do have a bone to pick with the author. I was immediately turned off by the big twist when the fiancé talked about how he was meeting with her dad because how could he do this but also protect his daughter. And then the main character was like I have always felt this way, that it never aligned with who I knew as my dad. Has the author ever heard from the family & friends of someone who murdered someone or abuse or assault??? It is very common for these people to be active in their communities and people usually love them or at least the version that they knew. I got really caught up in this and it distracted me from the ending real bad. I think the author could have gotten to the same ending and just have tweaked how the fiancé figured it out.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Murder

bookstoregirl2143's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Murder, and Violence

brookey8888's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• 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? Yes

3.5

This was enjoyable! I was correct with who I thought did it and felt like it was so obvious. This book just felt so similar and like I’ve read it before. I can’t think of the book, but I read another book with the same plot basically. 
I did not see one thing coming, but I feel like that wasn’t the biggest reveal. This kept me entertained, but it was nothing amazing. The main character was kind of annoying and made stupid decisions. I also didn’t love the ending. 

I think if you’re new to thrillers this one is good, but if you’re read a few or a lot this would be nothing special. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Stalking, Violence, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Death, Grief, Infidelity, and Murder

lindsayvale's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Murder

Minor: Abortion

jlazear's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Felt the twist was pretty predictable but over all a pretty good read 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Violence, Physical abuse, Drug use, and Drug abuse

coco78337's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Drug use, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Murder, Death, Drug abuse, Addiction, Blood, Child death, and Violence

Minor: Gaslighting, Miscarriage, Self harm, Bullying, Vomit, and Stalking

author2223's review against another edition

dark 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Blood, Kidnapping, Child death, Death, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Suicide attempt

Minor: Self harm, Infidelity, and Domestic abuse

sydthewitch's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I love thrillers and I love trying to guess the twists. I did guess the main twist/reveal on about page 72, but even so, there were even more twists and revelations that I absolutely didn't see coming! As each aha is revealed, the clues and foreshadowing earlier in the book fall into place and make total sense, every detail accounted for. 

The characters aren't nece sarily lovable but are deeply imperfect in a relatable way. The author does a great job of depicting CPTSD and other mental health issues. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse and Addiction

Moderate: Abandonment, Death, Gaslighting, Child death, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, and Murder

Minor: Kidnapping, Murder, Stalking, Gun violence, and Violence

ajanel98's review against another edition

challenging mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

3.75

It took me almost half the book before I really go into it. I found the beginning to be very slow and almost boring. It was an almost DNF but I powered through and finally finished it! The story really picked up about halfway through and I did enjoy the plot twist at the end! 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Murder, Drug abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Sexual content and Violence

liv_brisson's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

I don’t like the “is the MC really a reliable narrator?” Trope. I didn’t like it in in The Wives by Tarryn Fisher and here it’s not as bad, but still frustrating (if you liked that trope in The Wives, then this book is for you). 

I have also read so many books with the serial killer father trope and hate the overused & predictable ending of the narrator being the murderer who finishes what he started. This book doesn’t succumb to that end (thankfully lol). The interesting premise that keeps you on your toes is what saves this book from being a DNF/lower rating. 

Overall, I’m not mad at it. Though some of the trademark thriller twists & turns were a bit predictable, I did find it quite riveting a lot of the time! Many of the twists and turns were actually unexpected. The end resolve left a bit more to be desired for side character development & tying the ends of side plot lines, but I really enjoyed the last few lines & the full circle moment for the narrator.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Violence, Death, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Sexual harassment

Minor: Blood