Reviews with content warning for Addiction - Long Bright River

Pros: The way secrets were gradually revealed kept me very invested in the mystery / plot. I appreciated the compassionate lens of the novel and the research the author did to handle the setting.

Cons: Something about the narrator felt stiff and unrealistic; I found the tone of the narration just ever so slightly annoying. The resolution of the main mystery also felt a little too quick and neat. Edited to add: I read another review that articulated one of my issues with this book well -- despite the heavy/emotional topics this book deals with, the narration style (and frankly the boring-ness of the MC) was such that I didn't really *feel* much reading this other than curiosity about the plot.

Overall I enjoyed reading this; a solid read that kept me hooked for a few days!

Content Warnings

lillypad827's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I held off on reading this book for a long time, I think due in part to the fact that I’m from Philly and work at an agency that works with folks with OUD. Also, in Philly, it was being blasted everywhere for us to read and sometimes that turns me off something. Anyway, wow I’m glad I finally read this book! It was gripping without being a cheesy thriller. The story felt real, almost as if I was reading a memoir. I was a bit annoyed not having quotation marks for dialogue parts but I think it also kept the tone of the book by not having them. Great read, highly recommend!

Content Warnings

lauren_r's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Content Warnings

juanat77's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

Content Warnings

momocandy74's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
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

As a Philadelphia native, I loved all the name dropping of Philly landmarks (KOP, K&A, Franklin Institute, Mummer's Parade, Center City, the El, Academy of Music, Broad Street, the Ave, and probably more that I'm missing). I was surprised that the author isn't actually from here, and she clearly did her research with the locals. Especially when it comes to the culture around catholic schools and public schools, especially in the North/Northeast.

However....I didn't love it. The ending was a little anti-climactic and

as happy as I was to learn that Kacey was safe and getting clean, her having been hiding away at their father's this entire time just felt so aggravating to me. After all that, she was in Delaware the entire time. And the reveal of who the killer was? I wish we had spent more time with him, making his guilt as the man killing these girls in the neighborhood have a little more weight, his reveal left me a little confused at first because i had honestly forgotten about him.

Overall though, a very well researched story taking place in Kensington and you can tell from every page that a lot of care was given to staying true to the locals and trying to tell the story from the point of a view of a local as best as possible, and I think she succeeded. Wasn't a huge fan of the overall plot (mostly just the ending), but I have to give credit for a great Philadelphia setting. 3.5!

Content Warnings

epl's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.25

Content Warnings

leah_mm_'s review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

Content Warnings

thenovelmaura's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional 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

2.0

I don't even know what to say about this one; it feels like I read a different book from everyone else. I appreciate Moore's handling of the opioid crisis and realistic depictions of addiction. But the story itself is so tedious, and the fact that it's marketed as a thriller is wild to me. Maybe if this was your first ever police procedural the plot could seem original? I wasted so much time listening to 500 pages of Mickey driving around in her cop car while thinking about her sad and lonely childhood, and that's time I will never get back.

Content Warnings

More...