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keeparas's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Listened to the Audio: Naration was fine, different characters were identifiable.
Review: Too slow and drawn out. Very predictable. I didnt get to enjoy the "twists & turns" of the book because the author set it up to be too obvious. The plot was about an author writing her murder mystery book based on the events that unfold in front of her while she sits at a library. A fan, or beta reader offers suggestions chapter by chapter & we, the audience, are reading them. With each chapter, the beta reader got more and more annoyed with the story and asked the writer to change something or adapt it to a more "American" style (the author character in the book is Australian) and the next chapter does the exact opposite of the suggestion, making it seem like the Aussie author is doing it on purpose.
I didn't love the style, really only listened half heartedly & rolled my eyes half the time when the obvious became reality.
Review: Too slow and drawn out. Very predictable. I didnt get to enjoy the "twists & turns" of the book because the author set it up to be too obvious. The plot was about an author writing her murder mystery book based on the events that unfold in front of her while she sits at a library. A fan, or beta reader offers suggestions chapter by chapter & we, the audience, are reading them. With each chapter, the beta reader got more and more annoyed with the story and asked the writer to change something or adapt it to a more "American" style (the author character in the book is Australian) and the next chapter does the exact opposite of the suggestion, making it seem like the Aussie author is doing it on purpose.
I didn't love the style, really only listened half heartedly & rolled my eyes half the time when the obvious became reality.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Blood and Gun violence
vj_thompson's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The ending had me questioning what I just read. Overall, the plot kinda of dragged once I reached the halfway point. There were so many plot twists happening that it was hard to keep up. I loved the duel story element. The emails were a nice touch.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent, Medical content, Gun violence, Stalking, Child abuse, and Blood
Minor: Alcoholism, Sexual content, Drug abuse, Racism, and Sexual assault
amandalorianxo's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
So this is actually a book within a book ish. We meet Hannah, a popular Australian author who is sending a fan named Leo her latest manuscript. We aren’t sure how the two of them initially spoke to each but it appears there is more to this back and forth (which is unfolded in the book.) Hannah is trying to maintain Leo’s interest with Freddie, Whit, Cain and Marigold- four people in their mid 20’s / 30’s who just so happen to be inside a library when someone is killed. I did a mixture of audio and kindle unlimited this one & I thought it was a great mystery / thriller but you really have to pay attention otherwise certain details you can blink and miss.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Gun violence
bluecardinal's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Child death, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Death, Child abuse, Death of parent, Infidelity, Rape, Domestic abuse, Murder, Pedophilia, Classism, Gun violence, and Racism
mizmanderz's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Stalking, Gun violence, and Rape
Moderate: Racism and Sexism
reallycooper's review against another edition
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, and Gun violence
Moderate: Sexual violence
mariakureads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I picked this up on a whim because the blurb sounded so interesting - I mean a murder case within a library and a cast of possible choices - it made me think of the game Clue but I'm saddened to say that I didn't love this like I was hoping.
All in all, it's not a bad read. I found the writing to be entertaining as it's a whodunnit wrapped up in a story within a story within a story. The cast of characters are different from each other which allowed the narrator to create different tones among them so it made it easier for me to follow on audio as there's more than two people at any given moment but every time that I felt that the book was going somewhere it was interrupted by the author's choice to add an additional plot of someone corresponding with the author of "a" story and that's just a disruption from the overall mood for me.
I was tempted to skip those moments and probably would have had I known where in the audiobooks it happened just to along with the other story which had me shaking my head at different moments in disbelief for some of the character's actions but all in all not a bad read.
All in all, it's not a bad read. I found the writing to be entertaining as it's a whodunnit wrapped up in a story within a story within a story. The cast of characters are different from each other which allowed the narrator to create different tones among them so it made it easier for me to follow on audio as there's more than two people at any given moment but every time that I felt that the book was going somewhere it was interrupted by the author's choice to add an additional plot of someone corresponding with the author of "a" story and that's just a disruption from the overall mood for me.
I was tempted to skip those moments and probably would have had I known where in the audiobooks it happened just to along with the other story which had me shaking my head at different moments in disbelief for some of the character's actions but all in all not a bad read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence and Death
Minor: Violence
originally_olivia's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This mystery kept me guessing until the last moment! So many misleads, a really interesting format, and fantastic characters. I was convinced it was Leo who was the killer. Sending Freddy those anonymous gifts, being at the library that day, running by Boos crime scene, so I was definitely disappointed by the outcome. I wanted the real Leo to know how the author really saw him and that she knew all along. But I guess that would’ve given him the attention he so desperately wanted.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Death, Gun violence, Pandemic/Epidemic, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Gore, Violence, and Murder
a_m_c's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
The beginning was a slow burn, but 50+ pages in I was absolutely hooked. I had to know the connections between the crimes, the reasons for them, and if I could trust the narrator too!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Gun violence
heathermarie08's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
At first, I really didn't like this writing style. Just a tad confusing and took me a bit to get in the groove of it. But as I got used to it, it began to feel almost as if I was discussing the book with another person (the author to author emails). It was also exciting to see the remarks from the other author put into the rest of the story. The story is enjoyable and kept my interest. It ends up turning into 2 stories in one which is fun.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Violence
Minor: Blood, Racism, and Gun violence